#BasicIncome

[azspot]

In 2024, the anti-UBI bill floodgates opened, starting with Iowa in January and followed in quick succession by West Virginia, South Dakota, Arizona and Arkansas in February. All of them introduced bills of their own to stop basic income pilots, all with similar language. At this point, it became clear that a lobbying organization of some kind was behind the bills, something like the American Legislative Exchange Council that writes bills for legislators to put their names on and pass into law. In my research to discover the group responsible, I found it's the Foundation for Government Accountability, which led down a rabbit hole of dark money and a slew of harmful bills desired by the 1% to reduce their taxes and reduce the power of the 99% to stand in their way.

[livable4all]

New book: Economic Offramp: How a Guaranteed Livable Income Can Get Us Off the Road to Destruction and Onto a Livable Future by C.A. Delle.

How a Guaranteed Livable Income (a.k.a. universal basic income ) can be a practical shift to a livable economy to help people and the environment. 

About The book

There are a seemingly endless number of books, articles, and documentaries addressing the array of challenges confronting humanity and our ecosystem. This book shows how a guaranteed livable income (aka universal basic income) is a practical economic solution that embraces and enhances individual freedom, health, democracy, skills, problem-solving, innovation, and the environment. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, speculative economic analysis, and research, Economic Offramp delves into the many potential impacts of implementing such an initiative. It explores how this concept could shape various dimensions of our world - from society and communities to families and individuals. C.A. Delle extends an open invitation to become part of a movement that has the potential to steer us away from the path of destruction and towards a livable future.

Info for purchase or free book options here: https://3pennypublishing.com/econonomic-offramp-book/

[scottsantens]

Don't sleep on this project called Comingle that aims to make sure no one goes a week without income. If you support UBI, consider supporting this project to create a small UBI right now.

[rockinjohnny]

I'm coming to Britain! Michael Tellinger on history, One Small Town and ...

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Universal Basic Income: Its Time Has Come

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing a great deal of benefits to humankind and their businesses – but will it be a great deal for all of us? Increased productivity is the golden goal in the economic equation but what this means for many is loss of job, career and severe disruption to lifestyle. Retraining is never easy and for too many it will pan out as not possible and a hit to their bottom line. Supply is not the only factor in economics and if too many of us lose our jobs and income levels, then, demand will plummet. Who is going to buy all the wonderful stuff if lots of folk can no longer afford to? Universal Basic Income: Its time has come.

What Is Universal Basic Income?

Universal Basic Income (UBI), as the name suggests, is the provision of enough money for all members of a participating community to live on so that they can enjoy a life without the rigours of poverty. UBI involves no attachments from the provider re-work requirements or debt accruement. There have been various trials and experiments involving UBI in different places and historical times. How the money has been paid and on what basis has varied also within these contexts. “In recent years, UBI went from a utopian proposal to a policy with growing currency. UBI experiments have been conducted in countries as different as Kenya, Finland, Namibia, India, and Canada. In the United States, variants of the UBI proposal were very much alive in the early second half of the twentieth century—including through figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., and Milton Friedman—but the conversation did not pick up much in subsequent decades.” - (https://basicincome.stanford.edu/about/what-is-ubi/) More Universal Basic Income A great recent champion of UBI has been the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. A proponent of UBI as the better moral choice for a humanity free of poverty Rutger Bregman has fought the good fight on its behalf. In many of his speeches and presentations Bregman has highlighted the positive results that the provision of UBI has achieved in reducing crime and ill health within the designated communities. In one such example the UBI was instigated as a top up payment based on the individual’s income tax return. Thus, the amount of funds required are not a flat rate for all but dependent upon need and requirement to reach an income level capable of meeting the basics in a modern lifestyle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKcaIE6O1k This is above the poverty line, as defined by the? “The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for the average adult. The cost of housing, such as the rent for an apartment, usually makes up the largest proportion of this estimate, so economists track the real estate market and other housing cost indicators as a major influence on the poverty line. Individual factors are often used to account for various circumstances, such as whether one is a parent, elderly, a child, married, etc. “ - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_threshold) Unlike welfare payments, like the dole in Australia, which are purposely designated well below the poverty line, the UBI is about lifting people out of poverty. It is not about condemning them to a life of misery and shame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIL_Y9g7Tg0 The Economic Imperative & AI Obviously, UBI payments appear, on the surface, to go against the fundamental tenets of capitalism and the free market economy. Labour is one of the inputs into the economic paradigm we have all struggled and worked hard under to achieve our outcomes in this world. A UBI may seem to be offensive to some who have played the game and won under the previous economic rules. However, things are changing big time on this front and humanity is being priced out of the labour market in the 21C by AI and automation. The giant corporations, which rule the global financial realm are in a race to automate and embrace AI to give them any economic advantage they can accrue. Human jobs and careers are, already, heading for the dustbin and sentimentality is not a factor in this upgrading for greater productivity. Middle management jobs are disappearing, along with those formerly involved in analysis of data, as AI machines take over these roles more efficiently. Goldman Scahs have predicted the loss of some 300 million jobs globally over the next period. “Goldman Sachs previously estimated that 300 million jobs could be lost to AI, affecting 25% of the global labor market. “ Who Is Going To Buy All The Great Stuff? Universal Basic Income: Its time has come. Otherwise who is going to buy all those shiny new high tech cars and devices? Demand will fall off a cliff in no time at all if something is not done. The bean counters at work in the multinational corporations better look at this other side of the graph if they too want to keep their jobs. Or will AI take over their roles, as well, and revel in the demise of humanity? It is easy to get dystopian on the topic, as many of us have seen the science fiction movies and read the novels – they generally don’t end well for us. Some folk think that we could not be so stupid and will not allow things to degenerate so far. However, with the election of Trump 2.0 the idea that humanity is smart has gone out the window like a one of those Great Depression businessmen leaping to their demise having been financially ruined back in the day.  

Those Against UBI The push against UBI has been mounted by those firmly committed to having winners and losers – the zero sum game. The advent of billionaires and oligarchs, where a few amass obscene levels of wealth whilst hundreds of millions struggle in poverty puts them in this camp. Donald Trump is a hater and thrives on taking revenge upon those who have slighted him. This type of person is dedicated to the unfair nature of things and getting rewards whatever it takes. The moral question does not rate on their compass, as it is largely defined by dollars and little sense. The world, however, is rapidly changing and these individuals will fight like hell to hold onto their advantages but change is coming like a tornado. If Elon Musk has $200 billion have a think about just how many ordinary human beings that amount of money could help sustain.

President Trump Calls Astronauts During First All-Woman Spacewalk (NHQ201910180020) by NASA HQ PHOTO is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 The Enemies Of UBI The earth currently is home to 8.2 billion people. Some consider this too many and unsustainable in terms of available resources. Of course, the distribution of wealth and resources are not evenly spread about the globe. The dog eat dog approach of capitalism is founded upon violence, invasion and colonialism. The taking of lands previously occupied by Indigenous populations. Globalisation via trade has seen considerable improvements in wealth distribution with the rise of China and India to name two substantial populations. There is still a very long way to go on this score. The Trump regime is attempting to reverse this any way they can. The establishment of spheres of influence via naked avarice and aggression are the Trump and Putin ways forward. These power hungry men and their ilk will not be big fans of UBI. It is good to know who your enemies are, however, on any mission. “Unless you are dumb and disengaged you would be worried about where the world is heading. The US is in the hands of a madman who fluctuates between acts of stupidity and evil. Global trade is being threatened and thus the interconnectedness of humanity is going backwards. What can you do about such matters? Boycott Trump and don’t buy American. “ - (https://wordsforweb.com.au/boycott-trump-dont-buy-american/) Misnomers About UBI There are many misguided thoughts about UBI that can be cleared up. It does not have to replace the entire economic system straight up. It can be gradually introduced to help needy people out. There is this persistent idea that most folk will immediately give up all work and take the hand out instead. This is not true and has been found in trials not to be the case. Many people, I would say the majority of us, enjoy working at jobs when they treat us well and provide real world stimulation. By this I mean meaningful challenges in the contribution our labour provides at work. Work offers a number of essential elements in our lives and we are poorer socially and meaningfully without it. Often, it is the misuse of power hierarchically and the economic mistreatment of workers which poisons the well. Not all of us want to screw and backstab our way to the top. In fact, many are content to go about their work, as long as they are treated fairly and with respect. Capitalism and its agents do not always comply with these wishes, however. In the past, when big shifts have occurred via the advent of machines and automation impacting upon human labour we have allowed those people effected to bear the brunt economically and existentially. Perhaps, it is time to do it differently this time? Quite simply, the economics no longer add up without the introduction of something like UBI. Our overarching concern with economics in the 21C has put all other factors in the shade. It is time to honour human beings with a fair and basic income rather than shaming them and calling them failures. Universal Basic Income: Its time has come. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump & Money Matters. ©WordsForWeb

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[actionprescriptions]

You have now participated in my cultural organizing performance. Thank you.

You have now participated in my cultural organizing performance. Thank you.

You have likely reached this page by scanning a found QR code on a limited edition piece of "planted" media.

This is related to a conceptual cultural organizing art piece by Chemareéa about basic income movement, financial equality, and narrative change.

Cultural organizing begins with education, and you came here to learn more. Thank you. You are a part of this participatory performance with me.

Maybe on the back of a piece of mail art, corner of a poster, sticker, a performance instruction card, discussion prompt, or small card carefully placed and planted in an environment for the right person to find, you saw and scanned the code to reach this page.

Below is a curated list of informational links, booklets, documentaries, and resources to share with you. It will continuously update.

Card Decks: Cards 1-4 Cards 5-7

START HERE:

Pilots and Orgs:

Creatives Rebuild New York (I am a pilot participant!)

Springboard to Opportunities

The Bridge Project

YouthNPower:Transforming Care is a collective of researchers and organizers with both professional and lived expertise in the child welfare system. 

Children's Defense Fund

The Laundromat Project

Community Change

Articles:

The State of U.S. Wealth Inequality By Ana Hernández Kent, Lowell R. Ricketts

Next:

How Does Guaranteed Income Impact Artists’ Lives?- Hyperallergic

Basic Income Week

Wikipedia Articles of People, Theories and Concepts I like:

Post-Scarcity Economic Theory

Happiness economics

List of advocates of basic income

Right to an adequate standard of living

Post Work Society (GI is discussed as a potential solution)

My involvement:

My Op-Editorial on guaranteed income and young artist support - Teen Vogue

Stoking the Flames: An Artist Power Building School Roundtable

Your next instruction: Share the concept and something you liked here with a friend or stranger.

[good-health-life]

Wow, this is truly disappointing! It's unacceptable for the CEO to receive such a huge payout while the hospital faces such dire circumstances

The impact on patients, staff, and the community is devastating. #HealthcareInjustice #HospitalCrisis #CEOCompensation #PatientCareFirst

https://readr.me/t79qhj Great to hear that there's now an at-home test for syphilis! This will definitely help more people stay proactive about their sexual health. #syphilisawareness #sexualhealth #homehealthcare

https://readr.me/9rks5n Wow, this article sheds light on why mpox has been labeled as an emergency once againThe concern around this viral infection spreading through close contact is definitely alarming. It's crucial to stay informed and take necessary precautions. #Mpox #GlobalHealthEmergency #StayInformed

https://readr.me/g4qxk6 Wow, it's great to hear that the mpox outbreak has ended! The World Health Organization's declaration is a relief. Let's stay vigilant and mindful of any future health crises. #mpox #WorldHealthOrganization #publichealth #emergency #outbreak

https://readr.me/q7dwmr Oh no, this is concerning! 😱 Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has escalated to a global health emergency. 🚨 Let's stay informed and take precautions to address this serious issue. #Mpox #GlobalHealthEmergency #StaySafe

https://readr.me/n4yt68 Wow, this initiative by OpenAI is truly impactful! It's inspiring to see how giving $1,000 a month can make a difference in the lives of those in need. Kudos to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for spearheading this research. #OpenAI #BasicIncome #SamAltman #SocialImpact

https://readr.me/hgf9rk Wow, what a tragic and preventable situationIt's unsettling to think that a doctor raised concerns about Valdo Calocane's condition years before the Nottingham attacks, yet the proper intervention wasn't in place. Mental health awareness and early intervention are so crucial. #MentalHealthMatters #PreventableTragedy #NottinghamAttacks

https://readr.me/n5x734

[shiradestin]

Review: America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy, by Gar Alperovitz

    First, just a quick reminder about our SoL Saturday sharing on consumer education.  Now, my review:  I spoke with this author, back in 2010 or so, only five years after this book was published, about my PhD work on economic social policy.  Unfortunately, since my field work involved melding governance with currency emission questions, most people, him included, thought that my thesis revolved…

[tlconservative]

Harris County, Drop Basic Income and Address Cost of Living - Urban Reform Institute

Taxpayers are better served by the Harris County government addressing an escalating cost of living rather than expanding guaranteed basic income. — Read on urbanreforminstitute.org/2023/06/harris-county-drop-basic-income-and-address-cost-of-living/

[ameliemiki]

[Poverty Inequality Discrimination, Welfare Standards Interests Vested Interests Thoroughly Smash and Eradicate Project Label, “WordHumanEarthserles”, World Non-Discrimination Equality BasIcIncome Realization Project Books Content Series List of links in 103 languages worldwide.]

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[botaniqueer]

Critically important piece of legislature for those in Washington state! This could change so many lives!

From Real Change News:

Everyone should be able to meet their basic needs, regardless of their ability, employment or family status. Guaranteed Basic Income programs across the country have shown that providing folks with regular, unrestricted cash payments can increase health outcomes, housing security and more. Please take 2 minutes to sign in PRO for SHB 1045, which could create an evergreen #basicincome pilot program in Washington State. ✨ Sign in PRO before Thursday at: https://bit.ly/PROGBI ✨

[azspot]

As AI becomes a bigger and bigger part of our lives, the threat of job automation becomes an increasing possibility for many people. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about universal basic income, the experimental form of welfare distribution that gives unconditional cash payments to people so that they can meet their basic needs. Tech billionaires like Sam Altman say they’re big fans of UBI and claim that it could solve the problem of mass job displacement when robots and software take over much of our economy.

[livable4all]

Hugh Segal: Those close to him say he was an ardent defender of civil liberties, and a lifelong advocate for a guaranteed annual income. https://globalnews.ca/news/9888113/hugh-segal-obituary/

[rockinjohnny]

Break Free. Build Differently. Michael Tellinger’s One Small Town Soluti...

[ryandjaxon]

Let’s talk #BasicIncome! 🌟 the goal is #IncomeEquality and #PovertyReduction. Join the #UBI conversation for a fairer future! 💪 🌍

[postscarcityorbust]

#technology #economics #basicincome https://www.instagram.com/p/CmP01fIuKWL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=