4 ms·

I think we need to be careful about what "tolerable lives" means too. I've seen "guaranteed income" proposals talking about something in the $25,000 USD range o

by bdavisx 11y ago

I think we need to be careful about what "tolerable lives" means too. I've seen "guaranteed income" proposals talking about something in the $25,000 USD range or similar. That's basically poverty level - and while that's better than nothing, it probably won't work as more and more jobs go away. Imagine a world (or the US) where 75% of the people are at the poverty level and 25% are "rich". How long do you think that's going to last?

maxerickson 11y ago
$25,000 is a very reasonable existence for a single person, as long as it's present buying power and after tax. You can rent for less than $1000 and should be able to do utilities for ~$300. That leaves about $200 a week, which is certainly not the lap of luxury, but it's plenty for food and necessities (I've done 2 people eating well enough for ~$100 a week so I really don't feel full of shit saying that). There's no planning for the future in that, but part of the idea of a basic income is to de-risk things like that no?
- paulryanrogers 11y ago
  For the young and healthy that may be true. But we're all going to get old, and most of us will need medical care that could easily exceed that.
  - maxerickson 11y ago
    That's fair, but that's a problem we have to solve regardless of whether a basic income is installed or not. (At least, if we means the US and we keep providing Medicare and similar)
toomuchtodo 11y ago
> Imagine a world (or the US) where 75% of the people are at the poverty level and 25% are "rich". How long do you think that's going to last? Only as long as it takes for those 75% to make it to the pitchforks.
brightball 11y ago
$25,000 is plenty to live on for single people in certain parts of the country. When I was in college I could live large on about half that with no problem at all.

4 ms·

I think we need to be careful about what "tolerable lives" means too. I've seen "guaranteed income" proposals talking about something in the $25,000 USD range o

by bdavisx 11y ago

maxerickson 11y ago
$25,000 is a very reasonable existence for a single person, as long as it's present buying power and after tax. You can rent for less than $1000 and should be able to do utilities for ~$300. That leaves about $200 a week, which is certainly not the lap of luxury, but it's plenty for food and necessities (I've done 2 people eating well enough for ~$100 a week so I really don't feel full of shit saying that). There's no planning for the future in that, but part of the idea of a basic income is to de-risk things like that no?
- paulryanrogers 11y ago
  For the young and healthy that may be true. But we're all going to get old, and most of us will need medical care that could easily exceed that.
  - maxerickson 11y ago
    That's fair, but that's a problem we have to solve regardless of whether a basic income is installed or not. (At least, if we means the US and we keep providing Medicare and similar)
toomuchtodo 11y ago
> Imagine a world (or the US) where 75% of the people are at the poverty level and 25% are "rich". How long do you think that's going to last? Only as long as it takes for those 75% to make it to the pitchforks.
brightball 11y ago
$25,000 is plenty to live on for single people in certain parts of the country. When I was in college I could live large on about half that with no problem at all.