scottsantens

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Anyone who has ever dealt with the bureaucracy of proving you are in sufficient need of assistance to get assistance should recognize how huge of a difference unconditional basic income would be in our times of greatest need.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Dismantling myths about Universal Basic Income one fact at a time:

UBI isn't about giving money to do nothing. It's about money to do ANYTHING. This is in stark contrast to traditional welfare benefits that require people to keep their incomes sufficiently low to keep getting it.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

A pilot in Vancouver that provided unconditional cash to homeless people not only saved more money than it cost; it also reduced drug and alcohol use by 39%.

In the India Universal Basic Income pilot, where entire villages got UBI, drug and alcohol use went down by 12% compared to control villages.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

"Looking at the early findings of [the basic income for artists] pilot a compelling case is already emerging to justify rolling out this basic income to all artists – and make no mistake – this is my absolute goal.”

Universal basic income will spark the next Renaissance.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/04/20/catherine-martin-signals-ground-breaking-basic-income-scheme-for-artists-to-be-expanded/

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

New Income To Support All Foundation newsletter fresh off the presses for anyone interested in the latest biggest basic income news, but want it more bite size.

https://itsanewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/itsa-newsletter-april-2024-edition

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

We already have 1,000 would-be Mozarts who instead of learning music and honing their skills are doing shit jobs for shit wages. They're spending their time just surviving instead of blessing the rest of us with music we'd love.

What these would-be Mozarts need is basic income.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Think Unconditional Basic Income is about handing out free money? Think again. It's a universal investment in unlimited human potential. We can forge a world where every dream has the runway it deserves, no matter the person's starting point at birth. UBI isn't just fair; it's strategically brilliant.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Let's dispel a myth: Universal Basic Income isn't about funding idleness; it's about funding potential. We can have a world where every mind has the means to chase their bliss. That's not simple charity; that's an investment in human capital at its finest. Imagine more Einsteins! And da Vincis.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

I dream of a day when financial stability isn't an exclusive club but a universal right. Unconditional Basic Income isn't about giving handouts; it's about handing back dignity and the freedom to innovate. Let's all shift from survival mode to thrive mode together. It's time.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Every single one of us should be in the business of planting trees whose shade we know we will never enjoy ourselves. That shade is for our kids and our kids' kids. So to me, it's profoundly selfish to suggest anyone doesn't deserve having it easier than we had it with stuff like unconditional basic income and universal healthcare because "ThEy DiDn'T eArN iT."

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

At the federal level, taxation does not fund anything. It doesn't go from your wallet to the government to be spent again. It gets deleted. Taxes delete money to counteract the spending (that is always new money) that would otherwise be more inflationary.

https://www.scottsantens.com/how-money-is-born-out-of-public-spending-and-dies-by-taxes-mmt/

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

A natural basic income experiment began in the mid-1990s and how the kids (now in their 30s and 40s) are doing is incredible. As adults, they have fewer drug problems and their average IQ is higher. By age 26, the benefits of the UBI exceeded its cost by 3-to-1 thanks to better educational outcomes and reduced spending on crime and medical care.

https://academicminute.org/2014/06/jane-costello-duke-university-sharing-the-wealth/

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Here's a thought to simmer on your mental stovetop:

Unconditional Basic Income isn't just about putting money in more pockets and security in more souls. It's about acknowledging that our greatest resource isn't gold, oil, or data—it's human potential. Unleashing that? Priceless.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Myth: Universal Basic Income is a magnet for the idle. In reality, it's the catalyst for unleashed potential. Visualize a world where your next meal isn't your next worry. That world is one giant leap closer to solving the puzzles of poverty and unleashing collective brilliance.

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

Unpaid caregiving contributes more to society than the jobs many people are paid to do. We should recognize and support all unpaid care work with universal basic income. UBI would also boost the incomes of paid care workers too, who are often grossly underpaid.

https://www.scottsantens.com/unconditional-basic-income-is-a-pigovian-subsidy-for-unpaid-work/

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

Fresh results from another guaranteed basic income pilot. This time from Seattle's King County where 102 people got $500/mo for 10 months.

Employment nearly doubled from 37% to 66%

Average income from jobs went up by $410/mo

Retirement plans nearly tripled

Percent with any savings of those with kids went from 0% to 42%

Percent with any savings of those without kids went from 24% to 35%

Participants also reported gains in health and well-being
https://www.seakingwdc.org/latest-news/gbi-report

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

A conservative group is suing to stop a pilot program in SF that's providing $1200/mo to 55 trans people to better determine the effects that a fully universal basic income would have on all trans people - a group who experiences poverty at higher rates.

https://www.businessinsider.com/judicial-watch-sues-san-francisco-basic-income-program-trans-people-2024-4

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

Unconditional basic income is how to best counter this. Someone with UBI can refuse a job until the offer is good enough. It can also subsidize the offers that aren't good enough but where someone really wants to do the job anyway for reasons other than just money, like teaching.

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

When you are poor, in many ways you can't afford to work, which is why so many basic income pilots focused on low income households show increased work.

When you have some non-zero amount of money, UBI assists work.

There is then some amount of money high enough to reduce work.

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

Let's flip the script on Universal Basic Income fears: What if UBI isn't the end of ambition, but the beginning of fulfillment? Imagine a world where people engage in work that they CHOOSE, not because they're scared of going hungry, but because they like the pay or the work.

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

The narrative around Universal Basic Income often gets twisted into a saga of laziness. But here's food for thought: UBI will be the most significant productivity booster we've yet to embrace. Freed from survival stress, innovation and creativity will flourish like never before.

scottsantens, 2 months ago to random

I'm frequently asked to give talks about Universal Basic Income which I create a deck for, and talk for about 15 to 45 minutes, but I'd like to spend more time on each slide. So in this video I spend a full hour going through everything. Consider it more like a UBI seminar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqJq9pnZxDc