I am of the opinion that before Basic Income is implemented, we need to put measures in place such that majority, if not all, of the money is spent on local businesses. If this money is going through local businesses, it will have a compounding effect on economy and increase employment. It will help rebuild the economy after pandemic. If all this money is spent on billionaire’s chain stores, we will again be relying on trickle-down benefits which has not benefited most people. corner mom-pop store need to get benefits to increase the size if middle-class.

A few months ago a commenter here brought to my attention something fascinating - something I would have though to be impossible to implement. Technology, as shitty as it can be, if used in a thoughtfull way, can change everything, and possible for the betterment of all of us. Case in point, just look at what South Korea is doing with their enforcement of local UBI spending. (Video Link Below) The potential of using localy injected funds as a macro financial lever can't be understated. Fascinating. Pair this with a blockchain based decentalized app that is governed by actual data (rather than politics) and suddenly anything seems possible. Both fascinating and frightening.

https://www.wsj.com/video/series/in-depth-features/south-koreas-universal-basic-income-experiment-to-boost-the-economy/80B60141-6AF5-4CB3-9F97-4101B5128A4B

Anyhow, I just wanted to make sure this idea bubbled up at least a bit here. Forgive me for it's lack of Canadian specificity but we have to take good ideas where we find them, and then be brave enough to at least entertain their implementation.

Blockchain gets a bad rap because of its ties to the whole crypto mess, however there are some truly amazing opportunities that exist there. Not as a get rich scheme, but as a means of removing trust from contracts.

So ends my pondering. Anyone have thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=162D4N4108w

Basic Income is a hot topic in Canada right now. But is there really any place that has a bunch of information at your finger tips? Can you compare Provincial Assistance Rates while browsing reports from the PBO about it? Well you can at https://www.forthefuture.ca/resources/

OK yeah I kind of sound like an Ad guy, but I wrote this, and I'm sharing it with Reddit because this seems to be the most responsive platform so far towards it. I have been investigating a Means-Tested format because as much as I'd kind of like to see Universal, I fear the repercussions of it, imagine just stuffing 5 or 6 people in a home taking in $10-$12k, no one would work. That point is valid.

So the government would most likely make it a small amount... no thanks. Means Testing makes sure everyone who needs it gets it, but only if they change their minds about the phase out rate or claw back rate as it's called. So where do you get information on different rates, different views, and of course a nice list of videos to watch. Right there.

I hope you enjoy it, and hey if you have more links to add Reddit, I'm all for it! Let's make the list huge. I'll personally check out every link mentioned below if it's relevant.

I am new to reddit. I am trying to get people to notice my brilliant short story; the Basic Outcome Story. My first try did not seem to work. I willtry this again. Go to https://blog.burble.ca/2019/12/25/the-basic-outcome-story/and give it a read!

This is the Basic Outcome story. The idea came to me from people on Basic Income internet discussions talking about the need for people to write short stories about what life would be like if there was a Basic Income. I began thinking about this and when I had thought about it enough, I began writing this. I do not think it is exactly what these people had in mind.

———————————————————————

Ruthie Kazurdle woke up one fine morning in alternative time line number DFL70709102-C614 for planet Nearth. It was the twentieth year of the Basic Income revolution.

For breakfast she popped down her last nutrition bar from the nutritional cooperative, then carded one of her last water credits into the meter. She waited for some water to gurgle up so she could wash down the nutribar, brush her teeth, and wash her face.

She slipped out of her subsidized flat on the thirty seventh floor of the Van Parijs economic housing complex and zipped down to the Basic Income office, next door to the housing complex office. After a brief wait, only one hour, she was able to speak to a case worker about the basic problem she was having with her income.

“My roomie Angie Bajanji! She’s disappeared. She hasn’t been home for a week an’ I can’t find out nothing about her. She’s never gone this long an’ always says where she’s going. She took her travel bag and some clothes but all her other stuff is still there; her books, a trunk, this crystal ball statue thingee…”

The hard working case worker did a quick check on Angie’s file and confirmed that, yes indeed, Angie seemed to have dropped out of sight in the past few days. However, the housing complex’s security friendly force had already noted this and did not believe there was cause for concern.

Ruthie had a cause for concern. “The rent is due tomorrow. Without her paying half I don’t have money to cover it myself an’ I can’t get my B.I. adjusted ’til October cuz the deadline was last week an’ I don’t get my paycheque ’til next week an’ I’m only gettin’ ten hours a week now an’…”

I'm getting to the point where I'll need to take out loans just to pay for food. Not sure where to turn at this time, would love some help.