And how can I blame anyone for not being 100% sold on the idea of Universal Basic Income when in-fact the jury is still out on if it works or not?
You see, every single effort to implement or study Universal Basic Income in the history of the world has met one of two fates. Every effort was deliberately sabotaged by opponents bent on continuing the current status quo system or the funding was deliberately cut by scared politicians before the study ended.
Every single time.
Do the research and you'll find out that what I am telling you is true.
So how can we honestly say yes or no to a system that has never been thoroughly tested?
How do we know UBI leads to a welfare state when we have no conclusive evidence?
How do we know UBI leads to people bettering themselves when we have no conclusive evidence?
How do we know UBI creates a better and stronger economy when we have no conclusive evidence?
How do we know UBI drives our economy down when we have no conclusive evidence?
So again, how can we honestly say yes or no to a system that has never been thoroughly tested?
GREENSBORO NEEDS TO DO A STUDY.
Greensboro needs to set up control groups, give them an unrestricted Universal Basic Income for a guaranteed amount of time, and compare them to others who were just like them before the study began-- apples to apples, oranges to oranges. Determine how much money is needed and just do it.
"But Billy," you're screaming at your device, "you claim to be a fiscal conservative, the taxpayers can't afford to foot this bill and shouldn't have to afford to foot this bill."
Well, you are partially right. If in fact Universal Basic Income is to the overall advantage of the taxpayers as many leading conservative economists have claimed since the 1960s, then it becomes our fiscal responsibility to support UBI. And if UBI is a loser then our responsibility is not to fund UBI.
"But Billy," you're still screaming, "we still get stuck paying for the study."
No we don't.
My thinking is that if our local elites can raise enough money to build a downtown performing arts center that the recipients of Universal Basic Income will never be able to afford to attend, then those same people should be smart enough to figure out how to find funding for such a study.
As a matter of fact: if you will read the charters, mission statements, and visions published by the very same foundations who are funding the Steven Tanger Center For The Performing Arts you will see this study more closely aligns with their claims as to why they are not paying income taxes than almost anything else most of them have ever done.
I'm not telling them what to do with their money. I'm saying they should prove their worth by finding money for a truly worth cause. To know the truth.
To know the truth. Is there any cause greater than truth? That's all I want. That's all I've ever wanted. And for Greensboro to be a leader, the first, a beacon of hope and light the rest of the nation can look to rather than forever remaining at the bottom of the list, doing what everyone else has already done. Being fiscally conservative requires that we take care of infrastructure first and foremost, and with our people being the most basic infrastructure any city has, it only makes sense to learn and study what is best for the most people.
And nowhere did I mention using your tax dollars.
And if Greensboro's elites and elected leaders cannot get behind knowing the truth then what do we need them for? Hamburgers?
For those who haven't read it yet you can begin with the beginning of Universal Basic Income For Greensboro and follow the links back to here.
And as always, please share.
