I find it extremely interesting that UBI is considered a left policy. It's actually more right-leaning/libertarian IMO.
Firstly, a $1,000/mo UBI is essentially free if you roll the various other welfare into it (excluding food). Housing, part of disability and social security, medicare, medicaid, student loans, etc all go away. This would also greatly simplify the bureaucracy and reduce overhead for the programs leaving more people to do jobs actually productive to society.
The central theme of UBI is individual economic freedom. The general idea is that the government is going to be involved helping others regardless. Instead of shoving everyone into the same box, let people choose. No being stuck in government housing. Let the markets play that out. With guaranteed income, getting a housing loan should be much easier.
The US government already pays out on average $550 per month per person via healthcare alone. UBI goes a long way toward subsidizing health insurance and it could be garnished if "free" healthcare services like ER are used.
It's a moral call, but I don't believe we should spend millions to keep a person alive (and miserable) for another year or two when that money could help hundreds or thousands of other people. If a person can afford millions to keep theirself alive and miserable, go for it, but don't expect everyone else in the country to pay for it. This handles a lot of medicare and medicaid issues and would probably save money overall. With the boomer generation getting close to tapping out the system for those last couple years of life, the savings could be enormous.
Food subsidies remain separate simply because some people will always make foolish decisions. Foolish decisions with medical costs can be garnished, but food is a more immediate need. Separate food-only subsidies would be necessary to ensure against these decisions.
Another great outcome is children. Rather than giving the total sum over to the parents, a portion could be set aside for healthcare ensuring every child has healthcare no matter the circumstances. Another portion could be used to subsidize K-12 education which would undoubtedly result in improved resources in under-privileged districts.
Another portion would be set aside in savings to be paid out upon turning 18 or graduating. $300 per month for 18 years would give $64,800 in principle alone. No more student loans would be necessary. Student loans are perverse incentives that encourage colleges and universities to inflate bureaucracy and price (at a rate hundreds of times faster than cost of living and inflation combined). Moreover, colleges would have to justify why a potential student should spend their savings in school rather than getting a head start in life or opening a business.
Finally, a little money would be sent directly to parents to help raise children. This would not only help struggling families, but would help solve foster-care costs and give foster kids a huge leg up when they finally leave the system where savings and UBI would give at least some kind of support.
As you can see, UBI offers right-wing's push for more economic freedom, less bureaucracy, eliminating student loans, reducing government involvement in healthcare choices, eliminating government housing, etc.
If there were ever a right-wing proposal for social welfare, I imagine UBI is exactly what it would look like.
Firstly, a $1,000/mo UBI is essentially free if you roll the various other welfare into it (excluding food). Housing, part of disability and social security, medicare, medicaid, student loans, etc all go away. This would also greatly simplify the bureaucracy and reduce overhead for the programs leaving more people to do jobs actually productive to society.
The central theme of UBI is individual economic freedom. The general idea is that the government is going to be involved helping others regardless. Instead of shoving everyone into the same box, let people choose. No being stuck in government housing. Let the markets play that out. With guaranteed income, getting a housing loan should be much easier.
The US government already pays out on average $550 per month per person via healthcare alone. UBI goes a long way toward subsidizing health insurance and it could be garnished if "free" healthcare services like ER are used.
It's a moral call, but I don't believe we should spend millions to keep a person alive (and miserable) for another year or two when that money could help hundreds or thousands of other people. If a person can afford millions to keep theirself alive and miserable, go for it, but don't expect everyone else in the country to pay for it. This handles a lot of medicare and medicaid issues and would probably save money overall. With the boomer generation getting close to tapping out the system for those last couple years of life, the savings could be enormous.
Food subsidies remain separate simply because some people will always make foolish decisions. Foolish decisions with medical costs can be garnished, but food is a more immediate need. Separate food-only subsidies would be necessary to ensure against these decisions.
Another great outcome is children. Rather than giving the total sum over to the parents, a portion could be set aside for healthcare ensuring every child has healthcare no matter the circumstances. Another portion could be used to subsidize K-12 education which would undoubtedly result in improved resources in under-privileged districts.
Another portion would be set aside in savings to be paid out upon turning 18 or graduating. $300 per month for 18 years would give $64,800 in principle alone. No more student loans would be necessary. Student loans are perverse incentives that encourage colleges and universities to inflate bureaucracy and price (at a rate hundreds of times faster than cost of living and inflation combined). Moreover, colleges would have to justify why a potential student should spend their savings in school rather than getting a head start in life or opening a business.
Finally, a little money would be sent directly to parents to help raise children. This would not only help struggling families, but would help solve foster-care costs and give foster kids a huge leg up when they finally leave the system where savings and UBI would give at least some kind of support.
As you can see, UBI offers right-wing's push for more economic freedom, less bureaucracy, eliminating student loans, reducing government involvement in healthcare choices, eliminating government housing, etc.
If there were ever a right-wing proposal for social welfare, I imagine UBI is exactly what it would look like.