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Conservatives are fighting guaranteed basic income programs using a surprising argument: They aren't universal
Business Insider ^ | May 19, 2024 | Kenneth Niemeyer, Katie Balevic, and Peter Gelling

Posted on 05/19/2024 4:48:10 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?

Legal challenges by conservative lawmakers and activists against guaranteed basic income programs are heating up nationwide. And one of their arguments is surprising: Some say the programs are discriminatory because they are not universal.

Numerous cities and counties are experimenting with guaranteed basic incomes to support their most vulnerable populations. They typically offer no-strings-attached monthly payments between $500 and $1,000 to specific groups, like new moms, Black women, or trans people, all of them low-income residents.

Guaranteed basic income programs differ from their idealistic cousin — a universal basic income. UBI, made famous by Andrew Yang during the 2016 presidential election, would provide a monthly payment to all citizens. The theory is simple: A rising tide lifts all boats.

The idea has gained new traction after the success of federal pandemic-era financial support, which experts say prevented about 12 million people from falling into poverty. Some have also embraced the potential of a basic income as a remedy for the rise of AI, which could threaten job security for many Americans. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his own study on basic income would be released soon......

The group's lawsuit similarly argues that several of the city's basic income programs are discriminatory because they "unlawfully" choose candidates based on "race, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, and sexual orientation."......

That lawsuit mainly targets The Abundant Birth Project, which gives pregnant Black women $1,000 monthly payments for a year........

"I don't think it'll ever work," she said. "At the end of the day, the taxpayer hurts. It's not the government's money. It's our money."

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: parasites; poor; socialism; welfare
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

“The theory is simple: A rising tide lifts all boats. “

Where does the tide come from? What is the source of the extra water for the tide?


21 posted on 05/19/2024 6:11:56 AM PDT by KrisKrinkle (c)
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To: I want the USA back

“UBI is the most profoundly stupid thing the left has ever created.”

Dunno ‘bout that. I could have walked to school in seventh grade. Instead I was bussed across town in some effort by the Dems to fix some problem they caused. I assume UBI will be in addition to snap, EBT, etc.


22 posted on 05/19/2024 6:19:55 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: daniel1212

“without any product or requirement toward being productive”

You hit an important point. All the constitutional and moral arguments aside, the reason a UBI (or nearly any other form of welfare) does not achieve its purported goals is because it channels limited resources from productive ends to non-productive ends.

A monthly check may improve the daily quality of life of the recipient, but not enough to accrue capital, save and invest, develop new products, etc. It is mostly diluted further into goods and services industries. As another poster said, the recipient becomes a permanent parasite, and is de-incentivized to become more productive themselves.


23 posted on 05/19/2024 6:22:18 AM PDT by Señor Presidente (Tyranny deserves insurrection)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

quote “The idea has gained new traction after the success of federal pandemic-era financial support”

um.. you mean the thing that caused inflation?

LMAO


24 posted on 05/19/2024 6:43:51 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

“- What is the incentive for people to get off this program? None!!! They become permanent parasites, socialist voters, and more broken families.”
The only incentive are, 1.The program is universal. 2.The income limit is not raised no matter what. 3.It counts towards means tested government assistance. 4.It counts as income for calculating child support payments.

” - Every time a basic income is set it becomes not enough. Just like the Cal $20 minimum wage, prices go up and that “guaranteed income” becomes insufficient.”
You are right. Which is why in a sane world it would be calculated to be a flat rate that replaces ALL means tested government assistance. Increases would be much like those to Social Security. The program should only be initiated if it can be shown scrapping the current welfare system with its legion of workers and replacing it with basic income is a savings to the taxpayers.

On advantage is that if the program is truly universal we will soon see how much racism plays in keeping people from bettering their lives, as is so often claimed.


25 posted on 05/19/2024 7:03:31 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

It should be obvious that UBI programs will, in short order, require recipients to toe the line regarding Woke beliefs. Against homosexual marriage, or racial reparations, or transgender athletes beating girls? No money for you.


26 posted on 05/19/2024 7:04:45 AM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: Alberta's Child

Wouldn’t that money be better spent on improving access to prenatal care?


27 posted on 05/19/2024 7:06:18 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

If it’s “income”, why isn’t the IRS taxing it ?


28 posted on 05/19/2024 8:25:39 AM PDT by stylin19a (Golf is a game invented by the same people who think music comes out of a bagpipe)
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To: Señor Presidente
A monthly check may improve the daily quality of life of the recipient, but not enough to accrue capital, save and invest, develop new products, etc. It is mostly diluted further into goods and services industries. As another poster said, the recipient becomes a permanent parasite, and is de-incentivized to become more productive themselves.

Yes, and though those with a UBI can have incentive to better their situation, yet overall this fosters a character of entitlement in dependency, which weakens society. But inculcating a victim entitlement mentality (based upon imagined and magnified justices) among classes (their constituents) and dependency upon the gov. to perpetually provide them "justice" at the cost of "oppressors" (providers, who are not much dependent on them, aside from a deluded portion of such), enables the Left to portray themselves as saviors of the perpetually oppresses, thereby obtaining and maintaining the power and prestige they lust for.

Which has been a tactic of the devil from Eve onward. The Big Picture: who is really running the show in the culture war, and its nature and trajectory

29 posted on 05/19/2024 8:37:30 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Imaging raising a family in which, rather than aiding them as actually needed, and requiring them to justly obey and reasonably work as able, and rewarding this punishing neglect, then you abstain from the latter and provide what would be rewards regardless of behavior.


30 posted on 05/19/2024 8:38:45 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
The very definition of a parasite.

Feed off the host(s) until all that's left are...the parasites.

...when all that's left is ONE parasite(after devouring themselves)...it'll inevitably starve to death.

(from Satan's book "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer")

31 posted on 05/19/2024 8:48:37 AM PDT by RckyRaCoCo (Time to throw them out of the Temple...again)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Redact everything on the app - name, race, sex, etc and just have one line for income for each of the last 3 years and a second line for total dollar value of assets. The bottom thousand get the stipend even if they are white Christian straight males.That complies with the constitution. Anything else is preferential treatment


32 posted on 05/19/2024 9:33:46 AM PDT by chuckee
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) could work and be fair if, as is suggested here, the only criterion is that it is only for lawful citizens. I’d go further and make it exclusively for birthright citizens who have at least one parent who is a citizen (even if an immigrant).

Some have asked, “Where does the money come from?”

It does not necessarily have to come from tax revenues. America can raise revenues using tariffs. And, as long as we are competitive enough we can generate plenty of revenue. Tariffs can work based on intellectual property, well-negotiated treaties (foreigners cannot steal our intellectual property), trade secrets, and American ingenuity and work ethic.

I think a nation could run its economy like a business where the citizens are shareholders who earn dividends. The UBI could be tied to the Gross Domestic Product or a similar indicator.


33 posted on 05/19/2024 9:36:47 AM PDT by unlearner (I, Robot: I think I finally understand why Dr. Lanning created me... ;-)
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To: unlearner
Universal Basic Income (UBI) could work and be fair if, as is suggested here, the only criterion is that it is only for lawful citizens

If if my aunt had you-know-whats she'd be my uncle.

34 posted on 05/19/2024 9:39:19 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=self%20eating%20watermelon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB94l9loPc4 good song


didn’t know that


35 posted on 05/19/2024 9:45:06 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: KrisKrinkle
Where does the tide come from? What is the source of the extra water for the tide?

The gravitational influence of the Sun and Moon?

Oh, sorry: For a moment, I thought that we were discussing reality!

Regards,

36 posted on 05/19/2024 9:46:55 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: alexander_busek

Is there a plan for society as jobs are disappearing? How are people supposed to support themselves when jobs are being moved offshore or replaced by technology, or just don’t pay enough to live? Are people just supposed to starve or die from exposure? And who will have money to spend at the businesses that remain? Have the hedge funds come up with a plan for this?


37 posted on 05/19/2024 9:58:00 AM PDT by Kathy in OC
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To: Kathy in OC

And our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that perfect world in which there’s no war or famine, oppression or brutality — one vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a share of stock, all necessities provided, all anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused.

-Arthur Jensen (Network)


38 posted on 05/19/2024 10:02:42 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
or trans people

Trans?? TRANS???

39 posted on 05/19/2024 10:34:57 AM PDT by Vinnie ( L g Brandon)
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To: JonPreston

Every worker should get the same.


40 posted on 05/19/2024 11:01:47 AM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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