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  3. Canada finally reveals the results of its universal basic income experiment

Canada finally reveals the results of its universal basic income experiment

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  • mintiefreshM mintiefresh
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    ulrich_the_old@lemmy.ca
    wrote on last edited by
    #49

    Every study of UBI has been overwhelmingly positive also every study of UBI has ended without enacting UBI. They will continue to study it until they get the answer they want.

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    • salty_chief@lemmy.worldS salty_chief@lemmy.world

      To be real about it. Who is going to say it was bad receiving extra money a month? I understand the health data portion. Question remains is it sustainable and how would it be paid for?

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      canconda@lemmy.ca
      wrote on last edited by canconda@lemmy.ca
      #50

      Question remains is it sustainable and how would it be paid for?

      The money doesn’t disappear. People spend it and it goes into our economy. That increased spending gets taxed. That increased spending generates GDP. That increased spending fuels economies of scale.

      Captain napkin math’s $100B/year figure completely ignores the money cycle.

      Banks got a 114B bailout after the 2008 recession. If Canada can afford to spend billions bailing out failed businesses it can afford to invest in it’s economy with UBI.

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      • G gamegod@lemmy.ca

        Ah there it is. Knew you couldn’t post without somehow trying to undermine Ukraine and convincing us to stop spending on defense. (Look at their post history…)

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        humanspiral@lemmy.ca
        wrote on last edited by
        #51

        replied to wrong post, but if Canada is not subservient to CIA/US empire for Ukrainian war funding, it does have its democracy corrupted by the descendants of genocidal volunteer nazis fleeing USSR war crimes that our parliament gives standing ovations to.

        Back to the topic of UBI, instead of corrupt fascism that steals my money for demonic nazi support, you are free to use your UBI/other money for any nazi/geopolitical purpose you want, instead of improving your personal life and prospects. The other benefit of UBI is the end of divisiveness that occurs from fascist governance that never does what its campaigning suggests.

        “we need slavery, because otherwise, how would single issue Ukrainian Canadians help diminish Russia to the last Ukrainian” is a very weak argument against UBI. You will be empowered to use your own money to have Ukrainian rulership kill all Ukrainians.

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        • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

          The idea of UBI is a great one, and I agree with it in principle, but I have yet to run any numbers that make it viable and that is my number one issue.

          I just finished an edit to my original post going into more detail with the numbers. If you have any data that can show how the money can be made so that “you never earn less by working harder” and “everyone gets an even payment” I would be really interested to see it because I have not found anything realistic.

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          greyeyedghost@lemmy.ca
          wrote on last edited by
          #52

          This assumes that people wouldn’t take the same job for less pay if they were guaranteed a fixed amount that more or less made up the difference. If I work a job where I make $50,000/year, and I went to a world where I made $20,000/year UBI and $30,000/ year from my job, I could end up ahead under this scheme with the only additional cost to the economy being my possibly lowered taxes. Under this plan, raising taxes and lowering minimum wage/wage expectations means there would be at most a slight change to corporate taxes (and some jobs would have to pay more when you factor in UBI because desperation would be less of a factor for what people are willing to put up with).

          So, realistically, the only cost would be whatever is required to get whoever is below the set line up to the set line, for individuals, corporations, and the government. This would also depend on people who are already making more than UBI to take a “pay cut”, and for corporations to not resist paying more taxes to balance the lower payroll costs. So it’s never really going to happen.

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          • G greyeyedghost@lemmy.ca

            This assumes that people wouldn’t take the same job for less pay if they were guaranteed a fixed amount that more or less made up the difference. If I work a job where I make $50,000/year, and I went to a world where I made $20,000/year UBI and $30,000/ year from my job, I could end up ahead under this scheme with the only additional cost to the economy being my possibly lowered taxes. Under this plan, raising taxes and lowering minimum wage/wage expectations means there would be at most a slight change to corporate taxes (and some jobs would have to pay more when you factor in UBI because desperation would be less of a factor for what people are willing to put up with).

            So, realistically, the only cost would be whatever is required to get whoever is below the set line up to the set line, for individuals, corporations, and the government. This would also depend on people who are already making more than UBI to take a “pay cut”, and for corporations to not resist paying more taxes to balance the lower payroll costs. So it’s never really going to happen.

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            arkouda@lemmy.ca
            wrote on last edited by
            #53

            “Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a social welfare concept that proposes providing all citizens or residents of a particular country or region with a regular, unconditional sum of money, regardless of their income, employment status, or wealth”

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            • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

              UBI isn’t the best solution out there, it is a highly polarized idea, and funding for a program on scale would cost trillions Billions, requiring trillions in revenue to be a viable option.

              I think a better idea is a reform of taxation.

              First $50,000 of income is not taxed.

              $50,001-$100,000: Taxed at 15% $100,001-$500,000: Taxed at 25% $500,001-$1,000,000: Taxed at 40% $1,000,000-$10,000,000: Taxed at 50%

              $10,000,001+: Taxes increase by 10% per $10,000,000 earned to a cap of 80%

              This would essentially create the conditions of UBI, help to increase funding for support for those who cannot work or are unable to work full time, and the rich finally get to pay their share.

              These are also really rough numbers just as an example for the idea.

              Edit:

              For those who do not believe that UBI is unsustainable on scale:

              The idea of UBI: “Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a social welfare concept that proposes providing all citizens or residents of a particular country or region with a regular, unconditional sum of money, regardless of their income, employment status, or wealth”

              There are 32,708,656 Canadians as of 2024 aged 20 or older according to population estimates.

              Link Preview Image
              Population estimates on July 1, by age and gender

              Estimated number of persons on July 1, by 5-year age groups and gender, and median age, for Canada, provinces and territories.

              favicon

              (www150.statcan.gc.ca)

              The 2023-2024 total revenues for Canada was $459.5 billion.

              Link Preview Image
              Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2023-2024 - Canada.ca

              Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2023-2024

              favicon

              (www.canada.ca)

              The article cites the experiment where the participants received either $16,989 CAD/year as a single person or $24,027 CAD/year. UBI is supposed to be the same payment regardless of any status, so I am going to use the single person amount for scale.

              32,708,656 * $16,989 = $555,687,356,784

              $555,687,356,784 - $459,500,000,000 = $96,187,356,784

              Canada would need to make almost $100 billion more in revenue every year just to cover UBI, and that does not include anything else Federal revenue is used for.

              UBI is not sustainable on scale, and there are better options.

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              jason2357@lemmy.ca
              wrote on last edited by
              #54

              Ubi is just a reform of progressive taxation so that it goes slightly negative as you get closer to zero income instead of stopping at zero percent.

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              • J jason2357@lemmy.ca

                Ubi is just a reform of progressive taxation so that it goes slightly negative as you get closer to zero income instead of stopping at zero percent.

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                jason2357@lemmy.ca
                wrote on last edited by
                #55

                Also most of the studies of ubi show it doesn’t cost all that much because it allows a reduction in expensive to administer social programs - obviously less of an effect in the USA that doesn’t have those.

                gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deG 1 Reply Last reply
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                • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

                  “Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a social welfare concept that proposes providing all citizens or residents of a particular country or region with a regular, unconditional sum of money, regardless of their income, employment status, or wealth”

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                  greyeyedghost@lemmy.ca
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #56

                  That has no bearing on what your income from your job is. Pretending this won’t have any impact on the value of jobs to both employers and workers can only be intentionally obtuse. That’s like saying that raising minimum wage will have an equal impact on the hourly wage of all employees.

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                  • G greyeyedghost@lemmy.ca

                    That has no bearing on what your income from your job is. Pretending this won’t have any impact on the value of jobs to both employers and workers can only be intentionally obtuse. That’s like saying that raising minimum wage will have an equal impact on the hourly wage of all employees.

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                    arkouda@lemmy.ca
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #57

                    That is a false equivalency.

                    I am also arguing against UBI, so thank you for adding additional points to my argument.

                    Take care.

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                    • A antler

                      Unless I’ve misunderstood, what OP proposed is just increasing the tax rate of the existing system.

                      A progressive tax doesn’t result in earning less for working harder; it’s only the marginal income that’s taxed at the higher rate. So a worker who goes from making $50,000 to $60,0000 only pays 15% tax on $10,000 and has a net take home increase of $8,500.

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                      howrar@lemmy.ca
                      wrote on last edited by howrar@lemmy.ca
                      #58

                      I’m talking about various social benefits like welfare or disability that would ideally be replaced by a UBI.

                      I hear a lot of stories about this but I don’t remember if they’re Canadian or not; There’s a lot of people who are on disability and are still capable of doing part time work or taking care of their kids for an hour every day for example, but they can’t because if they’re found doing anything, they lose all of their disability benefits. We want a system that allows them to do what they can and be rewarded for contributing to the best of their abilities rather than punishing them for it.

                      It’s the same deal with welfare. You need to hit a certain income threshold before your take-home income surpasses what you’d get through welfare. Until then, you’re putting a bunch of energy into working to make less money when you could be lounging at home and making more. This actively discourages people from bettering their lives.

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                      • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

                        The idea of UBI is a great one, and I agree with it in principle, but I have yet to run any numbers that make it viable and that is my number one issue.

                        I just finished an edit to my original post going into more detail with the numbers. If you have any data that can show how the money can be made so that “you never earn less by working harder” and “everyone gets an even payment” I would be really interested to see it because I have not found anything realistic.

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                        H This user is from outside of this forum
                        howrar@lemmy.ca
                        wrote on last edited by howrar@lemmy.ca
                        #59

                        I haven’t seen any numbers either for or against it, so I can’t say anything about viability. If anyone knows enough to run the numbers, I’d like to see it. The problem with the calculations you show above is that you assume the value of money doesn’t change when the world around it changes, but it does. Especially so if you make a large change like implementing UBI. We need to think about this in terms of resources. The question you should be asking is whether there’s enough food / housing / labour within the country to fulfill everyone’s basic needs.

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                        • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

                          That is a false equivalency.

                          I am also arguing against UBI, so thank you for adding additional points to my argument.

                          Take care.

                          G This user is from outside of this forum
                          G This user is from outside of this forum
                          greyeyedghost@lemmy.ca
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #60

                          Once again, misleading to the point of being intentional. A implies B is not the same as B implies A. Having UBI be guaranteed regardless of income is not the same as income being guaranteed regardless of UBI. So why do you keep insisting that it must? At this point I have to assume intent rather than ignorance.

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                          • H howrar@lemmy.ca

                            I haven’t seen any numbers either for or against it, so I can’t say anything about viability. If anyone knows enough to run the numbers, I’d like to see it. The problem with the calculations you show above is that you assume the value of money doesn’t change when the world around it changes, but it does. Especially so if you make a large change like implementing UBI. We need to think about this in terms of resources. The question you should be asking is whether there’s enough food / housing / labour within the country to fulfill everyone’s basic needs.

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                            arkouda@lemmy.ca
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #61

                            I haven’t seen any numbers either for or against it, so I can’t say anything about viability. If anyone knows enough to run the numbers, I’d like to see it. The problem with the calculations you show above is that you assume the value of money doesn’t change when the world around it changes, but it does.

                            Especially so if you make a large change like implementing UBI. We need to think about this in terms of resources.

                            My calculations don’t assume anything. I literally used age statistics, the Ontario framework for the payout, and net revenue of the Federal Government to demonstrate the cost of UBI. Find me more data, I will give you better calculations.

                            Feel free to provide data on your claim about this massive shift you assume I didn’t account for. Preferably which countries have instituted UBI and demonstrated this outcome.

                            The question you should be asking is whether there’s enough food / housing / labour within the country to fulfill everyone’s basic needs.

                            There is more than enough food from waste alone to feed every single person on the planet, let alone a small country. There is enough housing if we factor in how many empty units, houses, and the like exist because of high cost; What we don’t have we have ways of providing. There is enough labour to go around when Citizens and residents take the available jobs. The reason why we need TFW’s and things of that nature is because citizens and residents refuse to work on farms even though that is constant seasonal work. The labour is there, the willingness doesn’t seem to be.

                            I don’t need to ask a question like that, because it has nothing to do with my point that the cost of UBI is excessive, unmanageable, and there are better ways to do things. We already have social safety nets that need improving for people in need. Every single person doesn’t need help, but the social services required by others do.

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                            • C cyborganism

                              It’s a crime to not have universal basic income at this point. People aren’t only unable to afford basic living expenses, but they’re losing jobs to automation and AI already. What are these people supposed to do? Go beg on the streets?

                              mintyfresh@lemmy.worldM This user is from outside of this forum
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                              mintyfresh@lemmy.world
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #62

                              Idk, I feel like landlords would just jack prices by whatever the ubi payments are. Ubi is a good idea for sure, but it’s only a piece.

                              G gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deG 2 Replies Last reply
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                              • A arkouda@lemmy.ca

                                If someone can make hundreds of millions of dollars while being taxed at 80% (Or 2 million net earned per 10 million gross gained at the top of my 5 minute tax structure) they either cheated and should be dealt with appropriately, or deserve it for never sleeping.

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                                showroom7561@lemmy.ca
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #63

                                Cheated, stolen it, and had other people break their bodies to “earn” it.

                                We’re about to see trillionaires in our lifetime, which is obscene. Cap wealth so the hoarding can stop.

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                                • S showroom7561@lemmy.ca

                                  Cheated, stolen it, and had other people break their bodies to “earn” it.

                                  We’re about to see trillionaires in our lifetime, which is obscene. Cap wealth so the hoarding can stop.

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                                  arkouda@lemmy.ca
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #64

                                  I disagree with the extreme measure, posit that a less extreme measure would work just as well or better, and await any kind of data and proper analysis to support your point of view like I have already done.

                                  I will not continue the conversation otherwise, so take care of yourself if you choose to respond differently.

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                                  • mintyfresh@lemmy.worldM mintyfresh@lemmy.world

                                    Idk, I feel like landlords would just jack prices by whatever the ubi payments are. Ubi is a good idea for sure, but it’s only a piece.

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                                    garbagebagel@lemmy.world
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #65

                                    Controlled rent would also be fantastic and has worked in economically diffuclt times like COVID. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work again during the recession we are spiralling towards.

                                    S gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deG 2 Replies Last reply
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                                    • U ulrich_the_old@lemmy.ca

                                      Every study of UBI has been overwhelmingly positive also every study of UBI has ended without enacting UBI. They will continue to study it until they get the answer they want.

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                                      brickhead92@lemmy.world
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #66

                                      Until it is peer reviewed and points out the glaring errors, which will promptly be ignored.

                                      F 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • C cobrachicken3000@lemmy.ca

                                        TL;DR - The document discusses the results of a universal basic income (UBI) trial in Canada, which was conducted in Southern Ontario between 2017 and 2019. The trial, which was cancelled prematurely, showed that participants experienced improvements in mental health, housing stability, and social relationships, as well as reduced visits to hospitals and doctors. The UBI payments, which were designed to reduce poverty and encourage work, were found to have a positive impact on participants’ physical and mental well-being, with many reporting decreased use of alcohol and tobacco. The trial also dispelled concerns that UBI would lead to unemployment, with only 17% of participants leaving their jobs and nearly half of those who stopped working returning to school or university to up-skill. The report suggests that UBI could be a useful public health strategy and that the safety net provided by the UBI project helped participants find better jobs with higher wages and improved working conditions. [AI Summary]

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                                        𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚘𝚠
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #67

                                        To be fair, if 8% exits the labour market that would have a pretty severe economic effect, no?

                                        L 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • G garbagebagel@lemmy.world

                                          Controlled rent would also be fantastic and has worked in economically diffuclt times like COVID. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work again during the recession we are spiralling towards.

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                                          stray@pawb.social
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #68

                                          Controlled rent is better than uncontrolled rent, but it suffers from the same problems as minimum wage. And why should landlords even exist? I’m not convinced private rentals should be legal at all. If you’re not using a property for personal use or a place of business, why shouldn’t it be seized and auctioned or rented publicly?

                                          S L 2 Replies Last reply
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