Thanks, I saw that a little earlier in the day. Of course the Nixon
administration proposed the Guaranteed Annual Income. Alaska pays its
residents profits from oil leases. I know the idea twiddles the minds
of conservatives but what are you going to do if there really are no
jobs for everyone? Let's hope that Switzerlands bills pass and it goes
viral in the world.
On 10/11/2013 06:42 PM, judy stein wrote:
Swiss to vote on 2,500 franc basic income for every adult
(Reuters) - Switzerland will hold a vote on whether to introduce a
basic income for all adults, in a further sign of growing public
activism over pay inequality since the financial crisis.
A grassroots committee is calling for all adults in Switzerland to
receive an unconditional income of 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,800) per
month from the state, with the aim of providing a financial safety net
for the population.
Organizers submitted more than the 100,000 signatures needed to call a
referendum on Friday and tipped a truckload of 8 million five-rappen
coins outside the parliament building in Berne, one for each person
living in Switzerland.
Under Swiss law, citizens can organize popular initiatives that allow
the channeling of public anger into direct political action. The
country usually holds several referenda a year.
In March, Swiss voters backed some of the world's strictest controls
on executive pay, forcing public companies to give shareholders a
binding vote on compensation.
A separate proposal to limit monthly executive pay to no more than
what the company's lowest-paid staff earn in a year, the so-called
1:12 initiative, faces a popular vote on November 24.
The initiative's organizing committee said the basic income could
partly be financed through money from social insurance systems in
Switzerland.
The timing of the vote has yet to be announced, pending official
guidance from the government.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/04/us-swiss-pay-idUSBRE9930O620131004
