The Things I Like the Most
Personally, I think this idea for a universal basic dividend is great. I think a lot of people will like the idea and many people will enjoy many benefits. However, I’m still seeing how the federal government will approve this. I think that they would take a look at this plan and will conclude that it’s not conducive, and that they will think that they are losing out on too much.
I also like the idea of it not being geographically inclusive. I like the idea of this encouraging people to move around and go where fits them best. I think it would be unfair to pay people differently based on the choice of where in America they choose to live. People move when things get too expensive now, so I think that it’s smart that this will stay the same.
The idea of making an amendment to the Constitution so this idea isn’t corrupted is also something that I like the idea of. If people had a flat tax rate and then a politician ended up adding a bunch more taxes on top of it, then this isn’t something that I, or I believe that many others, would support. Adding an amendment gives us more security that things will be done the way that they claim. You can’t fully support implementing an idea until you know all the facts, and that includes safeguarding any loopholes that could be found.
In terms of eliminating all the other welfare programs, this is something that I can’t claim to have an opinion on as my knowledge in this regard is limited. I don’t want to say anything when I don’t feel like I even know enough to have an opinion formed, so I don’t really have anything to say on this particular matter.
My Thoughts and Possible Concerns
When addressing the kids topic regarding the possibility of people having larger families in order to make more money, this is the part that makes me slightly concerned. While I think that inflation will cause more people to hesitate on having more kids, you never know what people will do if they think an extra nine-thousand dollars a year will help them. On the flip side, I liked what Dr. Trost said regarding the fact that more people may move to more rural areas creating and funding more specialized schools. If things could be more centered around the kids' interests. I think that’s a very positive thing, and cultivate a very healthy, enriching learning environment.
Something I do worry about though, is how will this influx of people to cheaper costs of living affect those who practice agriculture in these areas? So many suburbs are starting to feel like cities now, so I wonder how this will affect that. As much as I do like the idea, I wouldn’t want to throw off a lot of people who are already content in their community. However, I do agree with the idea not being geographically inclusive, so i’m not sure what to think/do about that.
But, it also makes me wonder what reason we have to incentivize people to have kids in the first place. As far as I know we aren’t struggling population wise, and while the cost of kids is high, that does kind of go with having them. Also, would this mean the parents receive the nine thousand dollars cash until the child is eighteen? Or is this something the child gets for themselves once they’re old enough to work? I’m not sure many eighteen year olds would know what to do if all the sudden at eighteen they were given nine thousand dollars.
It just makes me wonder if maybe it would be better if there’s a maximum? I think if people start to go on and have ten children to get the cash things can get tricky. For example, maybe the most you can get in terms of cash per family is thirty-six thousand, then at eighteen the cash then is separate and goes to the ‘child.’ I just worry that parents may start to depend on the funds they get from having children, and it could create some rough situations for the child once they turn eighteen.
I think that this idea is actually a very good one, but I worry that some people in the world may take advantage of it, or their kids, for the cash. I want to believe it will work, but that’s the only part I’m skeptical about. Overall, I really do think it is a good idea, I just think it’s possible some things will have to be tested and smoothed out.
