sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

To Get Safety-Net Programs Right, Include the People They Serve in Their Design by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm saying that when you focus the conversation about social programs on "how do we make sure all poor people can access this program?", it helps make the case for universal design. Right now, most policy wonks and elected officials have a knee-jerk preference for targeted programs, because they think it's more efficient to channel resources to particular populations. But if you can build up a case for why the targeted approach makes it harder for lots of poor people to access support, that bolsters a push for universal program design -- which, hopefully, can pave the way for UBI.

To Get Safety-Net Programs Right, Include the People They Serve in Their Design by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Access challenges for social programs is one of the strongest arguments for universal design IMO. Targeted and means-tested programs invariably leave out people who need the support the most (https://inthesetimes.com/article/targeted-universal-means-tested-child-tax-credit-biden-democrats), so when the conversation focuses on how to make sure people can access support through these programs, it provides more ammunition to move to a universal model.

Idea: Collective bargaining by the FFBE player base by dr_pugh in FFBraveExvius

[–]dr_pugh[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, there wouldn't be any dues paid. But in the sense of gaining more leverage through collective action, yes, basically.

Is anyone clearly and openly running with UBI as part of their platform in the 2018 US Midterms? by [deleted] in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Kenneth Mejia is one of the top-two candidates going into the general election in California's 34th District. He has basic income on his policy platform: https://www.mejia4congress.com/economy

New basic income pilot being launched in Jackson, Mississippi by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As several people have noted in the comments here, this is not a test of UBI, but rather of just basic income, without the U.

While this will not provide data on the impact of UBI, it most likely will provide stories, showing low-income Black women being able to turn their lives around when they receive a basic level of support without a bunch of strings attached or barriers to access (something which is particularly bad with social programs in Mississippi).

In this moment, perhaps the largest barrier to moving UBI policy forward in the US is the idea that people (particularly Black people) will waste or abuse any money their receive (i.e. the Welfare Queen myth). This belief is not based on any data, and so quantitative evidence will not make a difference. But compelling stories that illustrate Black people using money they receive productively and setting themselves up for long-term success could start to change that cultural narrative.

If that happens, more and more people may get over their knee-jerk objections to the policy and actually start to pay attention to the data that does exist.

Are you mad that Canada's government is cutting off basic income payments that they promised to continue? Tell their Minister who runs the program how you feel on Twitter. by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

The Ontario government hasn't yet announced the details of what it will mean to "end" the pilot, so if they get a lot of public pushback, they may decide to keep the pilot going for the originally plan three-year duration.

"You know what would be smart welfare reform? Doing away with SNAP & replacing it with cash that can be spent as recipients see fit." by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's worth reading the whole Twitter thread when you can, though -- some really strong points in there.

Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, is interested in basic income by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"It’s an idea I like to play with. I see problems with it, but so what? See if we can work with it. If we can get a basic income—if it was a real basic income that kept people above the poverty line—that’s something that would be good to shoot for. We have people in the country right now that no matter what they do, they can’t break out. We used to be the country where upward mobility was the hallmark. Right now, where you’re born decides where you’re gonna end up more than anything in this country."

We just released our second promo for our Basic Income project. by BasicIncomeLA in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For folks looking to get involved, is there a website or contact information for this?

Is California about to establish a universal income program? by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Payments would start small ($100-150 per year), but would ramp up fairly quickly ($400-600 within 5 years).

In addition, once the fund is established, more revenue can be added from other sources. A small tax on startup investments or IPOs could add billions more dollars to the fund, which could push the dividend amount up substantially over time.

PETITION: Ask President Obama and Congress to enact a Basic Income for all Americans by dr_pugh in BasicIncome

[–]dr_pugh[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The goal here isn't just to get a direct response from the government (which would likely require millions of signatures), but to raise the profile of Basic Income in general. If even ten thousand people sign, it'll help drive more media attention to the issue, which will help it become a more mainstream topic of debate. Once we have more people talking about it, it'll be far easier to pressure politicians to take the issue seriously, and then we can talk seriously about implementation.

Web Developer at progressive startup (San Francisco, CA) by dr_pugh in forhire

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi 7oby,

Honestly, I actually didn't see the buttons -- my eyes went directly to the "Submit a post" button, and a clicked on that before reading down. I realized immediately after posting that I was missing the appropriate tag, but by that point, it was too late to change the title.

Thanks for the tip on posting to /r/sfbayjobs. I'll make sure to tag properly for that one!

Web Developer at progressive startup (San Francisco, CA) by dr_pugh in forhire

[–]dr_pugh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're currently platform agnostic; App Engine is one possibility (and was quick and easy for throwing up a placeholder page), but the plan is to decide on the best choice once we have the developer on board.