Dave, This is an important thread and one I touch on in a book I am finishing up, called "Mind from Matter". I think a basic income is inevitable and could be relatively painless, as I think you have overestimated the outlay required and underestimated the return. My calculations (as an amateur) are based on about $2000/month per household. Assuming 90 percent of 115 million US households would need it, that would amount to roughly $2.5 trillion needed annually. At present, direct Government outlay for basic 'welfare' programs is at minimum $.5 T, much of which would be 'saved'. Private welfare charity amounts to at minimum $125 B per year, again some of which could be saved (especially by the lower incomes, which actually give to charity at higher rates than the very wealthy). There is a total of $17 T in public and private pensions, again some of which would become redundant. The government also pays $1.3T annually for healthcare, which might possibly then be reduced by some amount. The added income would also result in some amount of increased taxes paid by some of the recipients, again reducing the extra taxation imposed on the upper taxpayers. So all in all the direct extra outlay might not be that far out. Not to mention, of course, the real reason to do this. ken deboer
On Sun, Dec 14, 2014 at 11:43 PM, H Veeder <hveeder...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I did not mean to play the scare card. In fact anybody, no matter their > age or health, could wake one morning and find themselves in need of long > term care. Everyone deserves to live, grow old, and die in dignity. Since > careworkers play a huge role in making that possible it is important that > their dignity be recognized too and a guaranteed basic income would help in > that respect. These remarks are motivated by my personal experience which I > will describe. > > In July my mother died from complications due to advanced dementia. Almost > eight years ago she was diagnosed with vascular dementia. > When my mother her broke her hip six years ago I moved back into my > parent's home and became heavily involved in mother's rehabilitation and > care. I tended to all her needs as you would do for any child or infant. A > number of factors made this possible. I was unemployed, single with no > children so I had the time, my fathers pension could support us both and we > were fortunate enough to become clients of a new pilot program in assisted > living. That program provided us with regularly scheduled help as well as > extra help when ever we needed it. In the last two and half years the > personal support workers were coming 4 or 5 times a day. > > Harry > > > On Sat, Dec 13, 2014 at 6:28 PM, Orionworks - Steven Vincent Johnson < > orionwo...@charter.net> wrote: >> >> Harry, >> >> >> >> The more I think about it, I don't think you were trying to play a scare >> card. This is just an issue that concerns me deeply. As I get older I >> suspect it will concern me even more. Hopefully I will be in a position do >> to something about it on my own terms. >> >> >> >> Depending on my circumstances, as I approach the end of my useful life, I >> would like to have the option of being able to invite all my best friends >> over to my abode, and perhaps a few irritating foes as well, for one last >> get-together. It should be party. There I would like to casually and >> perhaps with some humor give out a few of my most cherished possessions to >> the appropriate. I hope someone asks me, "Steve, can I have your bike?" It >> should be a happy feast of remembrance with some nice music playing in the >> background. Then, on my signal, I want the "cup barer" to bring the potion >> over to me. By law he or she will be required to warn me "If you drink this >> potion you will die." I'll take the potion and I will drink it. Then, I'll >> lay back listening to soft music... maybe a little Beethoven... or maybe >> Enya, while holding hands with loved ones. >> >> >> >> Time to die. >> >> >> >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOW4QiOD-oc >> >> >> >> But in the meantime, just so most Vorts don't end up with the impression >> I'm romanticizing the process a tad too much, the following clip best >> expresses my current attitude about dying. >> >> >> >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPatfgoNBRo >> >> >> >> Regards, >> >> Steven Vincent Johnson >> >> svjart.orionworks.com >> >> zazzle.com/orionworks >> >> >> >
