An Alternative to Welfare

Disclaimer: This interview was produced in 2017 by the Institute For Humane Studies, prior to Students For Liberty's acquisition of Learn Liberty. The opinions of this interviewer are his own and are not that of SFL.

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TRANSCRIPT:

LEARN LIBERTY:

[catherineb.]

As someone who use to be on government assistance, I assure you, it's not what people think it is. These systems keep you in poverty because any increase in your income is a cut to your assistance. You basically have to live off less than $1, 000 a month in order to keep your "benefits".

[peter]

Milton Friedman proposed Negative Income Tax, not UBI

[EARLandPEARL-ci]

This Is What Happened When Maine Forced Welfare Recipients To Work For Their Benefits ...After forcing these individuals to either work part-time for twenty
hours each week, enroll in a vocational program, or volunteer for a
minimum of twenty-four hours per month, the numbers showed a significant
drop from 12, 000 enrollees to just over 2, 500.

[SL]

An alternative to welfare: Private charity and mutual-aid societies within an economically free society!!!

[KevinSmith-qiyn]

One major advantage I see in Universal Basic Income is we can finally get rid of the shitty minimum wage system.

[greenakutabi]

C'mon guys. Use your heads here and think. He's not saying this is the ideal way to solve the welfare problem. He's saying this way is a more realistic and efficient alternative. This is why he said he's a directionalist. This is about moving the government in a direction where it wastes less money and offers people more freedom. It's not the best way but it's better than what we have. If you're going to spend money, at least don't waste it.

[RubberJunk]

I don't personally know a single person on welfare that doesn't spend their money on tobacco, weed and other non-essentials/luxury items I couldn't afford while establishing myself. (I live in the UK) They seem perfectly content with their lifestyle and don't really seem to pursue anything in life and have little respect for the houses provided by the local council.
The messiest houses Ive visited have been council houses, people who own their own homes tend to more often have clean homes which is interesting because people who work have less time to clean.
I don't think these kinds of people are going to change their lifestyle around just by having more access to money, Its a cultural / social issue. If your raised in a shit hole and are never taught the the principles that make a person a success in the real world then you're destined to fail.

[LarryReynolds]

"An Alternative to Welfare"

"Another Welfare Scheme"

[SociallyTriggered]

UBI is still a bad idea. Ask anyone on a native reserve.

[Melissa]

3 questions - 1. Wouldn't a universal basic income just cause inflation to go up by whatever percentage would make the income amount become worthless because prices would have to go up proportionally to make up for the tax that pays for it? 2. Do any countries actually do this? 3. Don't we already have UBI for people over 65? Social Security? What about all the people who are saying that program is unsustainable?

[kevinbryer]

Just so everyone is aware, a $12, 000 UBI to the 325 million people in America would cost $3.9 trillion (with a T). The Federal government is projected to collect $3.5T, the States $1.7T, and Local governments $1.4T.

[darthhodges]

I was opposed to universal basic income but I had never heard anyone make it a replacement for all other welfare programs. With that condition it's a great idea. If you blow it all on booze and drugs the person who suffers most is you. If you use to it to improve your life and your family you will get the reward of your investment. There is a discussion to be had about how much but the premise, with the aforementioned condition, is better than what we have now.

I just got a promotion that increases my income by 2 and a half times. I have been living in subsidized housing, collecting food stamps, and my wife and children are on Medicaid. Now we have to move and we will lose those benefits. I did the math and I will have the same or slightly less disposable income than before. When you factor in that my employer's health insurance has copays, deductibles, and less than 100% coverage on lots of things I might be significantly worse off. Makes you think, doesn't it?

[Thiagooooo]

So the alternative to welfare is... a different welfare program?

[DaveWard-xcvd]

Stop rewarding people for not having a plan for their life.

Have a plan if you plan to have!

[kmtforchina]

A recent study found out that. with a basic income the only people quit jobs were overwheamingly low income students, and mothers.

[midwestron]

I notice he included Social Security in the programs to be eliminated to pay for Universal Basic Income. So I pay into a system for 47 years to receive $24, 00 a year so that I can lose it to receive $12, 000 a year in Universal Basic Income. The other $12, 000 goes to someone that has never worked their whole life. Does that sound fair to you?

[Jackripster]

I believe Hayek spoke about some sort of basic income as well, with the idea that we protect the free market from coercion. People being part of that free market also require a means against coercion. With a basic income min wage should also be abolished.

[roti]

It's redistribution of wealth. No dude.

[swantreeservicesd]

You would have to spend 5 to 10 yrs fighting the insurance company. I’ve seen it before. That’s why it’s good to have a safety net in a society that works .

[alexm]

I am by no means an economist. My expertise is medicine. I do have one question that perplexes me with this video. If everyone increases their income by universal income standard, warm things increase proportionally to the influx of the new revenue within the social system? So, won't this negate the value of the universal income?