> there is not enough difference in quality of life between "working poor" and just being on public assistance and unemployed.
> My position is that, from experience, yes there are able-bodied people who are choosing not to work, it is a problem, and the proper way to deal with it is to make sure there are substantial benefits to having a job.
This is the fundamental appeal of the UBI to me as a replacement for means-tested benefits. If the benefit is truly universal, then every bump in income actually does give you an increase in your personal revenue. Some people will choose not to work and just live on UBI. But I don't actually care all that much about them. UBI isn't enough to make anyone rich, and realistic proposals are still pretty minimal. The fraction of people who will take advantage of it to live a better life are the ones I care about.
> My position is that, from experience, yes there are able-bodied people who are choosing not to work, it is a problem, and the proper way to deal with it is to make sure there are substantial benefits to having a job.
This is the fundamental appeal of the UBI to me as a replacement for means-tested benefits. If the benefit is truly universal, then every bump in income actually does give you an increase in your personal revenue. Some people will choose not to work and just live on UBI. But I don't actually care all that much about them. UBI isn't enough to make anyone rich, and realistic proposals are still pretty minimal. The fraction of people who will take advantage of it to live a better life are the ones I care about.