Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
1–10 of 108 posts
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#2I continue to see this idea grow in merit. It definitely seems if the trend towards automation continues that governments around the world will have to start providing a minimum income level to all their citizens.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#3I continue to see this idea grow in merit. It definitely seems if the trend towards automation continues that governments around the world will have to start providing a minimum income level to all their citizens.
Well something will have to be done - as jobs become increasingly "automated". I'm curious if there will be a large tax increase...
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#4It certainly makes a lot of sense. Just consider the reduction in crime it could bring about. That alone is nearly enough to make it worth it.
However, 20k is a bit too high. You don't want to discourage people from working altogether. After considerable thought, I think the equivalent of a part-time job at minimum wage makes the most sense.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#5It certainly makes a lot of sense. Just consider the reduction in crime it could bring about. That alone is nearly enough to make it worth it. However, 20k is a bit too high. You don't want to discourage people from working altogether. After considerable thought, I think the equivalent of a part-time job at minimum wage makes the most sense.
> You don't want to discourage people from working altogether.
20k is basically poverty, you are not going to remove any desires at that level.
> I think the equivalent of a part-time job at minimum wage makes the most sense.
The idea is to make sure that when all else fails, you can still cover the necessities of life, things like eating and a place to sleep. Part-time minimum wage doesn't come close to that.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#6It certainly makes a lot of sense. Just consider the reduction in crime it could bring about. That alone is nearly enough to make it worth it. However, 20k is a bit too high. You don't want to discourage people from working altogether. After considerable thought, I think the equivalent of a part-time job at minimum wage makes the most sense.
It has to be livable on in order to prevent the crime people are forced to do when they aren't making enough to live on though.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#7As much as I like the idea of a basic income, it's hard to make the numbers work.
Canada has 34,880,000 people in it, so a CAD 20,000 basic income would cost CAD 697,600,000,000.
According to http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2013/report-rapport-eng.asp#a3, Canada's total government revenue (at the federal level) was CAD 256,600,000,000.
So Canada would have to raise taxes by 170% to provide this basic income, and raise them again if they want to provide any of the services they do today. (National Defense, Healthcare, etc.)
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#8As much as I like the idea of a basic income, it's hard to make the numbers work. Canada has 34,880,000 people in it, so a CAD 20,000 basic income would cost CAD 697,600,000,000. According to http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2013/report-rapport-eng.asp#a3 , Canada's total government revenue (at the federal level) was CAD 256,600,000,000. So Canada would have to raise taxes by 170% to provide this basic income, and raise…
You're including people who do not need the wage - people who already have a job that pays higher than the $20k would not receive it.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#9As much as I like the idea of a basic income, it's hard to make the numbers work. Canada has 34,880,000 people in it, so a CAD 20,000 basic income would cost CAD 697,600,000,000. According to http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2013/report-rapport-eng.asp#a3 , Canada's total government revenue (at the federal level) was CAD 256,600,000,000. So Canada would have to raise taxes by 170% to provide this basic income, and raise…
Is it per person of per family?
If it's per person then 20K is WAY too much. A family with 3 kids making 100K per year?
If they actually did that watch the birth rate in Canada skyrocket.
Re: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians
#10As much as I like the idea of a basic income, it's hard to make the numbers work. Canada has 34,880,000 people in it, so a CAD 20,000 basic income would cost CAD 697,600,000,000. According to http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2013/report-rapport-eng.asp#a3 , Canada's total government revenue (at the federal level) was CAD 256,600,000,000. So Canada would have to raise taxes by 170% to provide this basic income, and raise…
You're including people who do not need the wage - people who already have a job that pays higher than the $20k would not receive it.
Is that the plan? Because that's not what basic income is. What you are describing also exists, but it has a different name (Welfare, Earned income credit, to list two examples).