Jed,
You suggested our country should pay our citizens somewhere in the neighborhood $10,000. The idea would be that the amount, being modest would only be enough to pay for the bare necessities - but not enough to actually live on unless groups got together and "roomed" together in a dwelling to split the rent/mortgage, and/or to get jobs. I came to a similar conclusion myself some time ago. We can quibble about how much might be considered a minimum guaranteed income everyone should be entitled to get, but I get the idea. Personally, I think I'd make guaranteed minimum income base closer to $15,000. I'm still not sure about what kind of jobs such citizens would be willing to take. You think few if any would be willing to work at minimum wage. I'm not so sure about that. I think there might be some would still work at a minimum-wage job because they know it would nevertheless supplement their guaranteed base income. I'm also assuming such individuals might be somewhat disadvantaged (perhaps physically or mentally) in some way and would feel they might not be capable of getting any kind of a better paying job. That said, I also hope the vast majority would feel financially capable of looking for a far more satisfying jobs that pay a decent wage to supplement their guaranteed income base. And, yes, the conservative sectors of our countries would most likely blow a gasket. Why? Just because they think it's wrong!!! It might help their blood pressure if we could find out how much the government might save through the dismantling and streamlining of a number of welfare programs that currently cost billions of dollars to fund each year. I assume many government hand-out programs would no longer be necessary to be funded, or certainly not at the level they are currently maintained at. Indeed, it might turn out to be cheaper. If the cost saving concept could get through a conservative mindset I think they would quickly capitulate and start claiming it was their idea all along. In any case, problem solved. Hopefully more and more countries will start experimenting with this guaranteed income program, and hopefully we will soon see additional evidence that suggests doing so actually benefits society far more than fearing it will drain the coffers of the country and/or lead to hyperinflation. As for me, I look forward to doing new kinds of work in my retirement. It will be nice to be paid to do what I want to work on. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson svjart.orionworks.com zazzle.com/orionworks
