Main Blog Page

Progressives push guaranteed income plan to woo working class

Progressives push guaranteed income plan to woo working class

The idea offers a window into how some progressives are attempting to deal with the aftermath of President-elect Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton last month, and broaden the appeal of liberal policies to frustrated working class voters. (iStock Photo) A liberal coalition is pushing for the implementation of a basic salary for all Americans that would be funded by federal taxpayers.

The Economic Security Project, unveiled this week, said its proposal addresses the question of how to undo the rigged economic system in the U.S. and improve the well-being of everyone struggling to get by financially.

The project plans to invest […]

Why now is the time to cash in your final salary pension

Why now is the time to cash in your final salary pension

Simon Major decided to take the cash from his scheme The millions of people who save into final salary pension schemes have always faced the temptation of transferring their savings to an alternative pension.

While final salary or “defined benefit” pensions pay a guaranteed income for life, they are not as flexible as the alternative “defined contribution” plans.

Under the latter, you can take multiple lump sums and pass any unused savings down the generations free of inheritance tax. In a final salary scheme income is typically not paid after the death of the member’s spouse.Transferring from a final salary to […]

Discuss universal basic income

SunburnCostanza posted… otisanime posted…
I personally think it’s a stupid band-aid to avoid the bigger problem is that when you run out of workers to exploit, Capitalism basically collapses on itself, but no one really seems to want to admit that.

(Nevermind that if all people get a basic level of income, it’s just going to make prices go up. Better to give people life-basics, like a home, running water, communication, transport, education, food, health services, etc. The stuff to thrive and not die, and the tools to get a better life, freely.)
That being said… it’s probably better […]

Is Amazon Go a sign of the downfall of a retail workforce?

Is Amazon Go a sign of the downfall of a retail workforce?

Any time a disruptive technology with industrial or productive applications comes into play, the question arises as to whether or not that technology will result in the loss of jobs. This issue has been tackled extensively in the manufacturing sector, but what about retail? Are robots and IoT technologies putting our retail workforce at risk?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 7% growth in the retail workforce over a period of ten years, ending in 2024. This is a positive sign for the 4.8 million retail workers in the United States. However, what impact will technologies like those […]

Canadian province votes to trial Universal Basic Income

Canadian province votes to trial Universal Basic Income

In the face of growing automation which many governments and analysts believe will lead to a rapid rise in global unemployment levels a Canadian province has unanimously voted in favour of trialling a Universal Basic Income (UBI), a form of social security where all the citizens of a given state or country are guaranteed to regularly receive a sum of money in addition to the money they earn elsewhere.

As a concept UBI is naturally controversial which is why most governments, such as Finland, Holland, Japan, Scotland , the UK and USA are taking baby steps and voting on whether […]

Robot Labor Vs College Degree For Job Employment? The Answer To Unemployment?

Robot Labor Vs College Degree For Job Employment? The Answer To Unemployment?

President Obama Speaks About Manufacturing Innovation Institutes In East Room Of White House (Photo : Alex Wong/Getty Images) There is a common fear everywhere that pretty soon robots are going to take everyone’s jobs. In a way, it is somewhat happening. In manufacturing industries, manual labor is being replaced with machinery that are more faster, precise and efficient. It also means there are minimal errors and little to no risk of injury and harm.

However, the biggest fear is not the fact that robots are starting to take over. The biggest fear is that people may soon be unemployed. Automation […]

Elon Musk says robots will push us to a universal basic income—here’s how it would work

Elon Musk says robots will push us to a universal basic income—here’s how it would work

Initially it’s easy to be opposed to the idea of UI, but it actually starts making sense when you think about it.
-Without a UI the masses of unemployed workers will just turn to crime or riot, and society will need to spend a huge amount of money fighting against this and locking people up in prison. The amount of money currently spent to incarcerate a prisoner for a year could easily be used to instead pay them a UI and avoid the financial motivation for crime in the first place.
-Without a UI, how would our […]

3 ideas to fight global and US poverty are gaining traction

Feeling bummed out about the new study showing growing income inequality in the United States — with half the country going without a raise since 1980?

Buck up.

Here are three big wins this week for those fighting on behalf of the economically underprivileged. Portland, Oregon, will tax companies with overpaid CEOs to support the homeless. On Wednesday, the city council of Portland, Oregon, passed a new measure aimed at stemming income inequality: taxing disproportionately well-compensated CEOs, the Portland Business Journal reported.According to the Guardian , it’s the first measure of its kind, and would basically add a surcharge of 10% […]

The Basic Income and Job Guarantees are Complementary, not Opposing Policies. – The Minskys

The Basic Income and Job Guarantees are Complementary, not Opposing Policies. - The Minskys

I get into a lot of arguments with JG supporters but it’s not because I hate the idea of JG, it’s because I hate the idea of JG without UBI. If you want to push for a JG in addition to UBI, so that everyone with a UBI has the opportunity, if they so choose, to earn additional income through paid work, fine, and if the population desires that enough to pass it into law in addition to a UBI, so be it.

However, a JG without a UBI is like giving someone the choice between Coke and Pepsi. Yeah, […]

The Debate About Job Loss from Automation Is Missing the Point

The Debate About Job Loss from Automation Is Missing the Point

gualtiero boffi / Shutterstock.com Nearly every day, we see another news story or think piece about how automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence will change the way we work. Some of these stories are frightening in that they predict significant job losses associated with these new technologies. On Thursday, for example, Quartz’ s Michael Coren warned that the development of self-driving vehicles may happen so fast that it upends the trucking industry: The US trucking industry has few dominant players, and most survive on thin margins, so there is little appetite for splashing out on new technology. That implies new […]