The 433-page report formally commits to the testing of a basic income in France, through three-year pilots involving up to 30,000 citizens. The report also concludes that if the pilots showed successful results, the potential implementation of a nationwide basic income should meet the following criteria:
- Be paid only to adult residents registered by fiscal authorities;
- Be higher than the current minimum income scheme in France;
- Be unconditional, although the money could be targeted to specific uses (in the form of vouchers);
- Be financed by an important fiscal reform and partial replacement existing social benefits in a manner that favors the recipients.
http://basicincome.org/news/2016/10/france-senate-report-milestone-basic-income/
I just can't see how this doesn't push the prices up on everyday items.
ReplyDeleteJust looking at their logo (basicincome.org - www.basicincome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BIEN_logo_horizontal-350.png) every company is going to want to get a slice of that new purple block in the chart.
Somewhat addressed here :
ReplyDeletehttps://medium.com/basic-income/wouldnt-unconditional-basic-income-just-cause-massive-inflation-fe71d69f15e7#.7e4rzg1d3
"Meanwhile, owners will want to compete for this money with other owners. Those offering the lowest rents will win." - I'd love to believe this but in the UK there's a large housing shortage. Rent would absolutely be the first thing to go up.
ReplyDeleteYes, I found that the least convincing part. I don't think it would be a magic bullet - I don't think there are any magic bullets. Hence more trials to see what actually happens in practise. A solution that works for one country may not work (or need modifications) to work in another, given the existing circumstances. However, I refuse to believe that there isn't a better solution to help those at the bottom of the social pile than the one we have now.
ReplyDeleteRhys Taylor keeping in mind that the "bottom of the social pile" is going to steadily grow until it is the majority of the population, as technological unemployment takes its course.
ReplyDeleteThat's good news. French authorities perfected the art of turning great ideas into awful implementations. Other nations will simply have to watch and take notes on what not to do!
ReplyDeleteI am cynical about the French administration's ability to pull such reforms correctly, though if done well, it could still cost less that today's schemes by the huge simplification of the system.
Among other things, I expect a multiplication of indie videogames. RSA (minimum income scheme) is already considered the greatest videogame patron of the nation.
Also, the Senate actually doing work? First success for Basic Income!
One solution I think could work is 'spending vouchers'.
ReplyDeleteThese vouchers are issued by the government, and are restricted in what they can be spent on. Basically, the store can accept the voucher and register the amount to be converted into cash in their account. A renting agency cannot do the same, preventing inflation in vulnerable areas.
What do you think?
Matter Beam Given that meal vouchers are already used in many professions in France for meal compensation, this could work...
ReplyDelete• Juan Ramón Rallo. "La renta básica no puede funcionar." (May 22, 2015)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeEQk8dG75M (4 min)
Full debate:
• Juan Ramón Rallo vs. Daniel Raventós. "La renta básica a debate." Students for Liberty Barcelona. Facultat d'Econòmiques i Empresarials UB (May 22, 2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6h6NoFQhn4 (124 min)
I myself do not believe UBI solves anything. We will simply end up with the same income distribution. But I would love to try it out.
ReplyDeleteSimply need to figure out how to finance it.
ReplyDeletehttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dLQIqY76eGTzeeEww6bfN9jX8USaCVgVjGGBTQNuTx666O7I9KdIjCVgaQLuDJqGzgp_i2al1oolM8gV5R0DSOvLlXKgtErn0pG1=s0