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from the handouts-instead-of-gov't-jobs-or-worker-owned-cooperatives dept.
Common Dreams reports
As a way to improve living standards and boosts its economy, the nation of Finland is moving closer towards offering[1] all of its adult citizens a basic permanent income of approximately 800 euros per month.
[...] The monthly allotment would replace other existing social benefits, but is an idea long advocated for by progressive-minded social scientists and economists as a solution--counter-intuitive as it may first appear at first--that actually decreases government expenditures while boosting both productivity, quality of life, and unemployment.
[...] The basic income proposal, put forth by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution, known as KELA, would see every adult citizen "receive 800 euros ($876) a month, tax free, that would replace existing benefits. Full implementation would be preceded by a pilot stage, during which the basic income payout would be 550 euros and some benefits would remain."
[...] Under the current welfare system, a person gets less in benefits if they take up temporary, low-paying or part-time work--which can result in an overall loss of income.
[...] As Quartz reports, previous experiments with a basic income have shown promising results:
Everyone in the Canadian town of Dauphin was given a stipend from 1974 to 1979, and though there was a drop in working hours,[PDF] this was mainly because men spent more time in school and women took longer maternity leaves. Meanwhile, when thousands of unemployed people in Uganda were given unsupervised grants of twice their monthly income, working hours increased by 17% and earnings increased by 38%.
[1] Link to The Independent in TFA was redundant IMO.
...and, before anyone shouts SOCIALISM!, this is actually Liberal Democracy (of the Bernie Sanders type).
An actual move toward Socialism would subsidize the formation of worker-owned cooperatives. An initiative to do that was floated in 1980. 5 percent of taxes would have gone into a pool (kinda like USA's Social Security fund). The Finns rejected it. Source: Prof. Richard Wolff
(Score: 4, Insightful) by VLM on Tuesday December 08 2015, @04:17PM
Lots of people make lots of money off sport fishermen. The Buzzard is trying to be funny but going fishing would be economically useful. I hope he takes nice long fishing trips at expensive resorts in rented boats with hired guides and pays his state DNR fishing license and buys all kinds of gadgets and gear.
Right now there's probably some dude doing something he hates thinking "I'd hand tie artificial fly lures all day if I thought I could make ends meet" and with a BI that's exactly what he'll do and then Buzzard will boost the economy by purchasing his hand tied fishing lures.
The guy at Gander Mountain who sells line, hooks, and boats loves Buzzards idea, the guy who delivers fishing bait to the rural convenience store love Buzzard's idea, heck yeah Buzzard go fishing, that's great for the economy.
Now I feel like going fishing. This is as bad as when we talk about food then I get hungry. Start with renewing my license, I guess...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday December 08 2015, @06:28PM
No way man, I got my own boat last month. Witness my dance of joy! No, it does not either look like the Snoopy dance.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Wednesday December 09 2015, @01:17AM
Last time I went to a Subway, it was a man behind the counter.
-- hendrik
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday December 09 2015, @01:42AM
No worries, I won't judge you.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.