What follows is a suggestion for guaranteed income the basis of which is
not only compassion for poor people, but the basis of which is economic
justice. Its implementation would put an end to poverty. The goundwork for
it was laid by Tom Paine over two centuries ago (1797) in his "Agrarian
Justice." We at the Tom Paine Institute have carried it to maturity.
We are sending it in text form. below, and also as two Attachments, which,
if you can download them, will be much more satisfactory, because they
contain the full formatting.
We look forward to comments. Here, then, is the statement in text form:
Workers of the World: Here's Something to Really Unite On
With new technologies replacing yet another form of human labor every day,
the workers of the world are forced to compete with each other in offering
their labor at ever lower wages and salaries. Only those who have something
to contribute to exploding technology and its globalization have economic
leverage sufficient to demand adequate reward for their services. The
ordinary worker has no such leverage. But a more basic, and lasting,
leverage, previously overlooked, is now within reach! Bear with us as we
explain what we mean.
We hold this truth to be self-evident: that every sentient resident of this
earth (non-human as well as human) has a natural, inalienable right to a
fair share of the financial and other benefits from our common-heritage
natural wealth. Included in this common-heritage natural wealth is all land
surface, all natural resources contained in land, water, air, and
cyberspace; indeed, the entire physical environment ought to be considered
our common-heritage, natural wealth. It should not be privately owned. It
should be held in democratically controlled local, regional, national, and
global Trusts. The renewable parts (land, water, airspace, cyberspace, and
acceptable impact on the environment) should be leased out (but for
socially and environmentally responsible uses only) and the financial and
other benefits distributed in some fair way among the earth's sentient
inhabitants, human and non-human. Income from selling non-renewable
resources (fossil fuels, etc.) should not be distributed, but should be
used to pass on to future generations substitute resources (such as solar,
wind, and water-power technology and facilities). All other kinds of
wealth, both financial and material (tools, factories, homes and consumer
goods) and all income from them, should be the private possession of those
who generate them, but with social and environmental restrictions on their
generation and use.
What dollar amounts are involved? The dollar value of the common-heritage
dividend is calculated on the following Web Site:
<http://csf.colorado.edu/sustainable-justice/CH-App.htm> The conclusion
reached there is that if the present income from our common-heritage
natural wealth were to be distributed in some fair way among all U.S.
residents (rather than, as at present, among the elite few who presently
have private ownership of the most productive parts of it), then the
average U.S. family of four would be receiving between $30,000 and $40,000
per year as a common-heritage dividend, in addition to income from fairer
wages, fairer because that basic income would give workers economic
leverage to bargain for truly fair wages. Also, that dividend plus fair
wages and salaries would generate surplus capital, which could then be
invested in Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and Mondragon-type
worker cooperatives.
The common-heritage dividend in the U.S. may turn out to be at the lower
part of this range when due compensation is given to people in other parts
of the world who have suffered under the dominance of western colonialism
and neo-colonialism. But this much seems clear: With such a basic income
every person on earth would have economic leverage for bargaining for truly
fair wages and salaries over and beyond their common-heritage dividends.
Technical advances would not only reward the innovators but everyone,
because with every such advance the natural wealth upon which all must be
built also increases in market value, and therewith, also, each person's
common-heritage dividend.
In the meantime: Until this vision becomes a reality, safety-net programs
should be increased rather than decreased -- not as a "hand-out" but as a
substitute for our common-heritage inalienable right until the latter is
established. Safety-net programs should be paid for by taxing those who
presently benefit inequitable from their private ownership of the most
income-producing parts of our common-heritage natural wealth.
So, again, this is a call for The Workers of the World to Unite under a new
banner, a banner which will benefit not only workers but all sentient
residents of this earth, human and non-human. We invite all readers of this
statement to help "spread the word." It has been said that "there is
nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." With your help
that time can be very soon!
Responses to Tom Paine Institute, 2308 Willamette St., Eugene, Oregon;
Attn. Alfred F. or Dorothy N. Andersen
541-342-4709; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<http://csf.colorado.edu/sustainable-justice> January, 2000
Alfred F. Andersen, co-director
Tom Paine Institute
committed to truly just economic and political structures
http://csf.colorado.edu/sustainable-justice
----------
From: S. Lerner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: FW guaranteed income meeting
Date: Monday, January 17, 2000 6:53 AM
>From: "Michael Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Organization: HSC, SUNY Stony Brook
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], en16@columbia,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:29:35 -0500
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Subject: guaranteed income meeting
>Priority: normal
>
>Hi All,
>
>On Thursday January 20 at 5:00pm Charles Clarke of St John's
>University will give a talk entitled, "How the Irish Might Save
>Civilization Again: A Basic Income Proposal for Ireland. The talk
>will be followed by a discussion of how to build support for a basic
>income in the United States. The discussion will be held in room 919
>on the 9th floor of the Hunter College School of Social Work on 79th
>St. and Lexington Avenue. Go right after getting off the elevator. It
>is a large conference room with a large table. Hope to see you there.
>
>Michael A. Lewis
>
workers3.doc (Microsoft Word Document)
paine-t.doc (Microsoft Word Document)
