Opinion of Universal Basic Income

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I oppose it.

Here's why.  I support doing more to lift to the quality of life for those struggling and especially those on daily direct income support. It could work in other societies, as Nix correctly highlighted, where the expectation and burden (not burden in a negative sense) of the provision of  education and health is on the state, through general revenue and higher taxation. The reason why I think it's dangerous for the left in the United States and countries, even like Australia, Canada and the UK to support this is that its purpose is not to place more economic power into the hands of the poorest, but shift the economic weight of the welfare state off the Government. Not only is it designed to reduce the expenditure on public health and education, let alone direct income support, but an excuse to shred the bureaucracy and shift more and more people, because lets be honest the UBI in the United States would be VERY basic, toward private charity because they won't be able to cover the costs of the services they'd now be losing.

Remember, this is not an alternative to employment or a real living income.