> An enormous tax increase only if you figure there would be no compensating decreases in government expenditures. Unemployment benefits (60B$), medicare (600B$), social security (800 B$), welfare benefits (300B$) are just a start.
That's one of the more compelling arguments for BI: it's more sensible than the piecemeal programs we have. And don't forget the various tax credits and deductions that could go away, too. If done well, BI could be revenue-neutral or better.
But in practice, unless you delete all of those in the same bill that introduces basic income, you're going to find yourself stuck with both the basic income and those welfare programs.
Without trying to be too flip, there is a poverty industry who benefit from every dollar that passes through the social service programs. Its naive to think that these bureaucrats NGO officers are going to sit idly by while their livelihood is taken away.
That's one of the more compelling arguments for BI: it's more sensible than the piecemeal programs we have. And don't forget the various tax credits and deductions that could go away, too. If done well, BI could be revenue-neutral or better.
But in practice, unless you delete all of those in the same bill that introduces basic income, you're going to find yourself stuck with both the basic income and those welfare programs.