The problem with a basic income is that for it to be close to enough to live off, it'd be very very expensive — way too expensive. Giving everyone in the US enough to be above the poverty line, say $12,000 (which is hardly enough to live off in many areas), would cost $3.8 trillion, which is what the entire US federal budget is now.
So, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed would be left worse off, with an amount they can barely live off. Not exactly the situation we want after enacting our utopian basic income program.
The only way around that would be to give people with disabilities and the unemployed more money. But then that means you can't eliminate the welfare institutions needed to identify them and cut them checks.
So, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed would be left worse off, with an amount they can barely live off. Not exactly the situation we want after enacting our utopian basic income program.
The only way around that would be to give people with disabilities and the unemployed more money. But then that means you can't eliminate the welfare institutions needed to identify them and cut them checks.