Proposed merge for: Replacing the expensive welfare state with cheaper direct cash payments (guaranteed income)

[JayMudholkar]

I propose these two policies, both around guaranteed income, get merged:

1

Written by @iBringBalance

Universal Basic Income (UBI), aka Guaranteed Income

Replace all welfare programs with UBI, as suggested by Milton Friedman in Capitalism and Freedom This would result in some immediate benefits: Reduction of government: no overhead/employees to check for welfare qualification Reduction of poverty: bare-minimum required to survive is available to all citizens Protection from automation: as automation of jobs continues to increase with AI/ML, a safety net is in place if job availability starts to plummet

2

Written by @JayMudholkar

Implementing Milton Friedman's Capitalist Guaranteed Income Proposal: The Negative Income Tax in the Trump Administration (2025-2029)

Replace all welfare programs with UBI, as suggested by Milton Friedman in Capitalism and Freedom This would result in some immediate benefits: Reduction of government: no overhead/employees to check for welfare qualification Reduction of poverty: bare-minimum required to survive is available to all citizens Protection from automation: as automation of jobs continues to increase with AI/ML, a safety net is in place if job availability starts to plummet

Justification

Because the 2nd proposal is a Detailed Contribution, and the 1st proposal is an Observation, I recommend merging the 1st proposal into the 2nd proposal to make it overall a Detailed Contribution.

[ShaneVeldhuizen]

Thanks for this merge proposal. We have successfully merged these here:

Implementing Milton Friedman's Capitalist Guaranteed Income Proposal: The Negative Income Tax in the Trump Administration (2025-2029)

By Jay Mudholkar Introduction The 2025-2029 Trump administration stands at a crossroads in economic policy, particularly in light of shifting political dynamics highlighted by the 2020 election. In that election, approximately 70% of wealth holders voted for Biden, while only 30% supported Trump. This significant realignment indicates a growing opportunity for economic help for working class Americans. As these changing demographics reshape political affiliations, the administration has an oppo…

[patrick (Patrick L Klodt)]

End the welfare state. All it does is increase the cost of everything and discourages innovation. Finally, if I or you are not willing to voluntarly donate our resources to the needed then it is theft from those we take it from.

[TheProudAmerican (Ishita Ganguly)]

I believe welfare should consist of only 3 months of assistance, while you are looking for a job, then 4 weeks of job training. If you don’t have a source or means of income by then you can be placed in a government utilities or infrastructure job until you find another job.

[Annelizly14 (Anne finley)]

While working in the system I noticed one glaring injustice when it came to welfare. A single mother with children who LIVED with her children’s father but was not married to him was given benefits as though she was raising her children and living alone!
When you see welfare moms driving escalades with the newest iPhone and freshly manicured nails this was likely the scenario.
Baby daddy could be pulling in over a hundred grand a year, paying all expenses and all kids were on Medicaid and 1000k a month in food stamps. Essentially allowing that father to escape the cost of providing health insurance for his own children and the expense of feeding his own children. That left a lot of expendable income for vacations and toys.
It’s also a marriage penalty. If they were to get married they would lose those benefits And that is a built in marriage penalty from the government and it needs to stop!
I propose that welfare only be given after everyone living in the homes income is taken into account.
There also has to be a way for people to report on welfare cheats, SSI cheats, immigration cheats that insures an investigation will happen.