Chicago Could Soon Become the Largest American City to Give Universal Basic Income a Try

Fortune ^ | 7/18/2018 | Natasha Bach

[simpson96]

If one local politician gets his way, Chicago could become the largest city in the U.S. to trial a universal basic income program.

Chicago lawmaker Ameya Pawar has thus far received support from 36 co-sponsors on a bill to introduce the pilot program. If the bill receives adequate support, it will be voted on by City Council. If the bill passes, it could then be enacted, so long as Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel doesn’t veto the approval.

The proposal entails giving $500 a month—no strings attached—to 1,000 families in Chicago. The bill also calls for a change to the Earned Income Tax Credit program for these same families, to enable them to receive tax credits on a monthly, rather than annual, basis.

Pawar explained to The Intercept that automation has the potential to threaten millions of jobs, which in turn could serve to foment or perpetuate racial and social divisions. “We have to start talking about race and class and geography,” he explained, “but also start talking about the future of work as it relates to automation. All of this stuff is intertwined.”

“We need to start having a conversation about automation and a regulatory framework,” Pawar argued, because if jobs “simply go away…divisions are going to grow and, in many ways, we’re sitting on a powder keg.”

He therefore hopes that padding families’ incomes, thereby offsetting some financial need, could help avoid resentment.

“Nearly 70% of Americans don’t have $1,000 in the bank for an emergency,” Pawar said. “It’s time to start thinking about direct cash transfers to people so that they can start making plans about how they’re going to get by.”

[from occupied ga]

Why do they have to give something so obviously dumber than a box of rocks stupid "a try"? Do you have to give getting bitten by a mamba "a try" to know it's going to kill you? Does jumping off the top of the empire state building need to be tried to know that it's a bad idea?

ARE LIBERALS REALLY THIS STUPID or are the ones in charge just cynical enough to promise more free stuff to woo the voters (Democrat) who have an unearned but bone deep sense of entitlement? (I think I know the answer)

[richardtavor]

That is ok. When the market crashes and their retirement funds go brker than they aleady are (if that is even possible), then the rest of the country will be glad to bail them out and give the freeloaders everything they want.

[bgill]

Isn’t Chicago supposed to be broke? Who’s footing the bill for this “free” money? Me?

[sphinx]

Aside from the name change, why would anyone think this is a new idea? There is no form of welfare that hasn’t been tried. None.

[shanover]

Pure idiocy. The countries that had this policy no longer do it because...it costs to much!

[Terabitten]

UBI makes sense if, and only if, you eliminate the entire welfare infrastructure. No more food stamps, no more SSI, no more welfare, no more subsidized housing, and - most importantly- no more public sector jobs administering those programs at local, state, and federal levels.

It’s actually cheaper for the taxpayer if they eliminate all of the support infrastructure.

[ro_dreaming]

I could use an extra $500 a month. Send it to me!

Where does it come from, where does it go?

Ain’t nobody knows, it’s the Cotton Eyed Joe!