Environmental Problems & Solutions
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BasicIncomeGuarantee.pptxBasic Income Guarantee (BIG)
‘It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it [sic].’
Upton Sinclair
author of The Jungle (1906)
What is a basic income?
Helps cover basic needs (e.g. food, transportation, utilities).
Regular cash payment (say monthly) to each legal resident.
Cash = flexibility.
Universal: everyone gets it.
Unconditional: each recipient decides how to spend their income.
Add-ons for special needs such as disability.
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How to pay for a basic income? (partial list)
Reprioritize government spending (e.g. military expenditure, fossil fuel subsides).
Pollution taxes.
Close tax loopholes.
Patent fees.
Financial transaction taxes.
Charge companies royalties for extracting resources on public lands.
Legitimate questions…
What is to stop landlords from raising rents or food prices going up?
How would a basic income affect the job market? Who would do the “dirty work”?
How to adequately fund a basic income?
