There was a discussion of Sally Lerner's proposal for a Basic Income in
The Long Haul, the newsletter of End Legislative Poverty. I was interested
to read the objections raised by Jean Swanson of ELP and Jim Stanford, an
economist with the Canadian Auto Workers. Very briefly, both compared
Sally's Basic Income proposal unfavourably with their own "more
generous" demands -- demands that have been on the bargaining table for
years and have yet to ignite a great deal of enthusiasm from government,
employers or even their own constituencies.
What disturbs me about these responses is that they fail to address the
strategic chances for advancing their own positions and thus to honestly
evaluate both the pluses and minuses of the different positions. I do have
to confess that I'm not surprised by such an uncreative and essentially
bureaucratic response.
Tom Walker
Sandwichman and Deconsultant
Bowen Island
(604) 947-2213
