I lived in Dublin on the dole for a year in the early 90s while playing in a band. From a practical perspective this isn't really much different
Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
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Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#22> two thousand arts and culture workers for a span of three years … earmarked €25 million for the plan … top recommendation … €10.50 per hour 3 years × 2,000 hours per year (estimate of full time employment) × €10.50 per hour × 2,000 people = €126 million, five times as much as is earmarked (even ignoring administrative costs). Perhaps it’s 400 rather than 2,000, perhaps it’s not full-time, perhaps the mention of the…
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Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#23Not to be overly cynical, but could that create a surge of people claiming to be artists, given the lack of means testing?
If it's anything like the way Tories designed universal credit to be in the UK it'll end up disqualifying real artists and qualifying people who learn how to game the system.
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#24This was received very well by the artistic community in Ireland so it's odd to see people remarking it's not much or will do little. Certainly better than tolerating the open secret that many of them weren't' "actively looking for work" when claiming the dole.
People being given free money say it's good they've been given free money. News at 11.
> Certainly better than tolerating the open secret that many of them weren't' "actively looking for work" when claiming the dole.
I agree there. The real move forward is the (re)acceptance that certain sectors of society are a poor fit for the salaried-work/commercial-enterprise model. It's the good part of socialism, which should be par for the course in an European social democracy - the fact that we don't expect it anymore is a very sad result of 30 years of political decline in the West.
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#25> two thousand arts and culture workers for a span of three years … earmarked €25 million for the plan … top recommendation … €10.50 per hour 3 years × 2,000 hours per year (estimate of full time employment) × €10.50 per hour × 2,000 people = €126 million, five times as much as is earmarked (even ignoring administrative costs). Perhaps it’s 400 rather than 2,000, perhaps it’s not full-time, perhaps the mention of the…
Sounds basically like a grant program, not UBI.
However, slapping the phrase UBI on your program while it’s trendy is a genius way to “rebrand” something most governments already do. Politicians are the best marketers.
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#26This was received very well by the artistic community in Ireland so it's odd to see people remarking it's not much or will do little. Certainly better than tolerating the open secret that many of them weren't' "actively looking for work" when claiming the dole.
> This was received very well by the artistic community in Ireland so it's odd to see people remarking it's not much or will do little
Well, yeah. The community gets offered free money, and receives the news well. All others aren't so enthusiastic.
What were you expecting?
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#27Well that's not really universal by any metric (you have to be an artist, there can't be too many applicants or you'll get subjected to lottery) but I'm still enthusiastic. It's always nice seeing countries look to support their artists in building their cultural heritage. These feel more like government artist in residence grants.
> It's always nice seeing countries look to support their artists in building their cultural heritage. But, at the end of the day it's still worth close to nothing, right? I enjoy art and music as much as anyone else but the reason those professions are so poorly paid is because the supply outstrips the demand considerably[1]. What value is there in asking taxpayers to pay for an increase the supply when there's alre…
Art and cultural heritage may have worth outside that represented by short-term supply and demand?
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#28I suppose now is the time to invest in art materials suppliers, and exhibition/performance venues, since this will function as a subsidy for them.
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#29> two thousand arts and culture workers for a span of three years … earmarked €25 million for the plan … top recommendation … €10.50 per hour 3 years × 2,000 hours per year (estimate of full time employment) × €10.50 per hour × 2,000 people = €126 million, five times as much as is earmarked (even ignoring administrative costs). Perhaps it’s 400 rather than 2,000, perhaps it’s not full-time, perhaps the mention of the…
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For background "Diane Abbott" is a bit of a UK meme for when any political/government does bad maths. This if from a few instances of such maths:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWYIkhJdOZI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxjkvjHn6Qg
But we all have such moments, she just did it publicly a few times and with that, a meme was born.
Re: Ireland to launch basic income program for artists
#30There was a debate regarding this topic just recently in Poland, where they wanted to introduce something of this kind. This is wrong in so many ways. It will encourage people to basically pretend they're doing some kind of art even if they're not. If someone is a real artist imo, they will manage. It will be part-time but eventually they will get better and can start making money out of it, and if not then well it c…
It will be part-time but eventually they will get better and can start making money out of it, and if not then well it can just be their hobby right?
Except that's not what actually happens. People working a full time job (or more than one job) don't have the time or energy to also be a part-time artist until they make it. This is especially true for people who have other responsibilities like raising children or caring for elderly relatives. Leaving it up to "the market" only works if a single part time job is enough to live on, and it isn't.
UBI for artists means they can work a little less to make time for making art. Society is essentially paying them to make art. That makes society better. Ireland has decided it's a worthwhile investment.
I'd love to live in a society where everyone is paid to do something they love, to make society better, but doing it for artists to start with is a great first step.