From: Barbara Lamar (altamiratexas@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun Jul 22 2001 - 19:26:19 MDT
Samantha Atkins wrote:
>Technically and economically we can feed everyone right now.
The main barriers are all political.>
I think you're right, Samantha. I believe we could provide a livable
guaranteed minimum income for U.S. citizens without raising taxes if other
public welfare programs and social security (which is not, strictly
speaking, a welfare program) were discontinued. I'd like to look at some
real numbers, but it's hard to tell exactly how much is being spent. Many
expenditures are off-budget; many are classified misleadingly.
Any ideas on what might be a livable minimum income? This is going to
differ, of course, depending on where a person lives. Would it work, I
wonder, to base the minimum income grant on a median cost of living and let
the recipients decide whether or not they want to move to a less expensive
area? Possibly grant a moving allowance to people willing to relocate to an
area that has a low cost of living and needs workers?
Barbara
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