By: J

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 05:22:53 +0000

What about a slightly different spin on this … a BIS Job.
Basic Income Service Job.
Anyone can be accepted straight away into a BIS Job. A BIS job is paid as minimum wage, whatever it is the job entails, and the hours you can work are capped so that your income is equivalent to the proposed ‘universal basic income’ idea.
You don’t get the income if you don’t work the hours (sick days can be worked another day… there should be a BIS Award. )
You don’t have to prove that you need it, you don’t have to prove you are looking for other work, you don’t have to look for other work if you don’t want to…

The government is the employer, you can’t do BIS work for a private for profit or even a private not for profits company.

BIS job could potentially be any of the following public service related work…

Litter collection and street cleaning (eg, scrape up all that chewing gum, pressure clean the concrete, Graffiti cleaning, etc)
Abstract and pictorial Mural paintings in public spaces (on walls, bus shelters and pavements etc) that could be changed out regularly for an ever changing, colourful, interesting cityscape. They could be created for special events, to celebrate the new year, or the change of seasons, or be linked with the real plant based landscaping to create the illusion of forests all through the city.
Creation and maintenance of city landscaping …. along all verges and in other currently wasted spaces. (Less grass and more trees and plants etc)… the inner city could have big planter boxes along edge of every pavement. Much of this could potentially be food related as well…
Creation and maintenance of community food gardens.
Working in the new tree and plant nurseries that will be needed to support the new gardens.
Track building and maintenance in parks and reserves
Building and maintaining networks of bike tracks.
Spending time with the elderly and the bedridden as a conversational companion, book reader, game player, etc
Building and maintaining public recreational equipment and facilities (eg, skate and bike parks, fitness and play equipment, adventure based playgrounds for children, etc)
Environmental restoration works along rivers and in other damaged areas.
Older, more experienced people could be mentors for students.

By: Larry Wendlandt

Larry Wendlandt — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 22:31:20 +0000

UBI won’t work, because-of “whatever the market will bear”. Give a UBI (used for necessities, and never luxuries) to handle survival goods, and the price tags on survival goods will rocket-up, until the UBI folk need an increase. Increase UBI, and the price tags on survival supplies (necessities) will increase to match. I think it’s a no-win situation.

What is needed is to abolish economies/money. Eliminate all ownership (but allow custodianships by teams) and say goodbye to price tags, because nothing can be owned anyway. Everything on the planet… is “owned” by Team Earth. All shared fairly, under strict fairness laws, and guided by wise (and kind) resource management teams. Don’t think of it as “economic rights”. How about survival-supplies rights?

Not a single other living creature on the entire planet uses money or entitles of ownership. Why do capitalists? Why are they rat-racing up the sides of a pyramid? Didn’t the caps see the childhood farmyard pyramids ALWAYS collapse and hurt everyone, no matter on top or bottom? Didn’t they learn that basic childhood lesson? :o

Comments on: Why Australia needs a universal basic income

By: J

By: Larry Wendlandt