Thoughts on a basic income

Re: Fundamental problems with a universal basic income, Stuart Thomson, Sept. 16; and Universal basic income not coming, no matter what the Liberals say, Chris Selley, Sept. 16

In the lead-up to next week’s throne speech, several National Post columnists have circled like guard dogs around the idea of universal basic Income (ubi), nipping at its heels and howling alarm in the public interest. I disagree with their reasoning.

more than ever, we need to rethink how we do things and take definitive action to reset our economic social safety net and tax structures. Like the great policy leaps forward after World War Two, now is indeed the time.

If even half the energy spent in fear and fretting was more entrepreneurially invested in working the details through of all the many spinoff social and economic cost-benefits of ubi: most importantly, to the conservative-minded, it’s the most efficient investment in productivity and innovation measures by giving our economy’s greatest asset (its citizens) room to breathe, plan, leave tenuous dead-end jobs (which consequently accelerates business investments in automation and capital upgrades), buy better food, childcare, and pay off credit card bills and student debts. In short, ubi at even $750 to $1,000 per month will give millions of Canadians a chance to have more than a tenuous future.

And it needs to be universal to be transparently fair and not a disincentive at some cutoff point. (The Jimmy Pattisons can opt out and get a tax credit for not collecting it.)

John Kenneth Galbraith once said “all successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door.” I am certain those on the inside of the castle of corporate economic experts, big Five banks, the super wealthy and politically powerful, are incapable of truly looking outside their door, to see just how rotten it is and how many of us are standing outside it, starting to grab pitchforks.

Ken P. Gurr, Gabriola, B.C.