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0 pointsBurningFrog10y ago0 comments

I haven't listened to the episode, but the Basic Income that makes sense is one that replaces all/most welfare programs.

The existing programs are very distorting already, often giving poor people 100%+ marginal taxes.

Sure, Basic Income would be distorting, but far less than that. It should also save a lot of money since it requires almost no people to administer.

This is also the biggest problem with instituting it, since the people holding those jobs will fight to the death to keep them.

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dageshi10y ago

I don't believe it will replace all/most welfare programs. I think it will replace some and then politicians will be elected to top it up for select groups. "Fairness" will come into play, "I am disadvantaged compared to this other person, I should get more, it's only Fair". Plus regional top ups, cost of living in different places is higher than others, I expect there will be a demand for a top up based on cost of living on top of basic BI, again that'll need to be enforced and administered.

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