I personally would support UBI (Universal Basic Income) as a TEMPORARY system during this pandemic. You’ve got tons of people who literally just lost their jobs with almost zero possibility of finding new work as long as these bans are in place.
What I worry though is that the longer this stays, the opposition to removing UBI will get greater and greater to the point that it stays permanently. Look at repealing Obama Care, at first every Republican was for totally removing it. Then a few years later it became repeal and REPLACE (still doing healthcare reform). Then that didn’t even happen and now we’re stuck with it.
If we’re going to implement this UBI through legislation, there must be language in the bill that requires that it will end once the pandemic ends and the bans are lifted. Long term UBI combined with the bailouts and existing welfare systems would be completely unsustainable.
My honest opinion?
Well, honestly, you're supposed to have 6 months salary in the bank for situations just like this. The more paranoid amounst us would argue it should be in a safe in your house and then there are the gold guys...
But I'll stick with saying you should have 6 months salary, in the bank because things like this are part of life.
UBI has to come from somewhere and that place will end up being our children's or their children's pockets, just as the trillions in debt we just racked up Bush/Obama was left to us by our parents.
Government does not create wealth, they create debt.
Why is this debt necessary? Because people like you haven't saved 6 months salary to get you by. Because corporations know they will get bailouts burdened by the taxpayer.
Why be responsibile when you know you can just demand cash when you "need it"?
I honestly think people should go hungry. They'll remember to save some money next time.
How is the single mom with 2 kids supposed to save up 6 months salary?
Not everybody is able to save 6 months "salary" (and many people don't have salaries or predictable incomes of any kind). And what about the people who did have 6 months of living expenses in savings for an emergency, and already had that emergency. Came down with cancer perhaps, and have been too sick from treatments to work at their freelance or independent contractor jobs, or had a serious injury, or have been wiped out by legal expenses from a customer suing them or an abusive spouse trying to get custody of the kids. Or just recently finished college or a vocational program and haven't been working long enough to save much of anything. It's not realistic for everybody to have a 6 month cushion in the bank all the time.
If all the people that could have a 6 month cushion, had a 6 month cushion, then they could voluntarily help their kids and relatives that fall into the what-abouts you just mentioned.
The fact is, no one (OK, I do and there are a few others - I'm speaking in general terms) saves money because there is no incentive to do so.
You seem to be offended by what I wrote as it comes off defensive, sorry. Don't mean to offend you, but you know it's true. If you were sitting on six months cash, you'd be relaxed.
And you claim, not everyone is able to save six-months salary. Why? What's your excuse? You have a TV? Car? iPhone? Rent? Mortgage? Insurance? You sacrifice to have these things yes? Work hard to obtain them?
Oh, you need those things to survive?
Well, I posit that you NEED six months salary, cash, liquid, TO SURVIVE. Just as one needs bread, oxygen, and housing.
So, you can excuse your day away and come up with every reason in the book and then some for why I should give you $1000+, but it's theft and you know it.
Oh and just so you know, I have spent over $250000 (that's right) in a custody battle that I ultimately won getting my kids back - and I still have 6 months salary in the bank.
That's nice for you, but not realistic for everyone. Most people can do it for part of their working lives (saving 6 months living expenses, not $250K in legal expenses on top of that), but at any given time, a whole lot of people aren't in that part of their lives. Be careful about perching on that high horse. One day you may very well be one of the people that doesn't have enough cash on hand to get through the next month if your income suddenly vanishes.
It is realistic.
It is part of being a responsible human being.
All I hear from you is defeatism. It's about setting your priorities and not being a potential ward of the state.
You either choose to make the sacrifice or you do not. It is a choice.
I am 100% certain, that if you look back over your life, you chose to buy something unnecessary verses save that money. You chose to buy the thing. You chose the gratification of the now over the financial security of the future.
You speak of high horse and assume I've had no struggles. I work in the volatile telecom market. I've closed three start-ups, laid off hundreds, been laid off twice myself. But it was ok. Why? Because I had my savings to fall back upon.
My company is getting hammered right now. You would not believe the stress... but you know what? My children and I will weather this storm, come what may, because I have my savings to fall back upon.
Now, stop wishing ill upon me, put your fucking hand down, and get back to work. I have no more time to waste with this conversation.