Original article from: Yahoo! News
Davina Kelly, 39, knew she was taking a risk when she left her Florida home to see her daughter in Ohio at the start of a pandemic. She never expected it would leave her homeless.
The downward spiral began in late March, with a text message from her daughter threatening to commit suicide because of an abusive relationship. That sent Kelly scrambling to find a one-way Greyhound bus ticket from Jacksonville, Florida, to Youngstown, Ohio.
LEFT VIEWPOINTS
UBI and universal healthcare would be sustainable stimulus.
- Gridlock in Congress blocks desperately needed stimulus. As Republicans and Democrats battle over details in what is sure to be a pitiful stimulus plan, ordinary people are suffering, and people are losing their homes. Businesses are failing, and the real economy is suffering.
- Even if the stimulus is passed, it will not be adequate to sustain the economy for long. Congress will need another round of stimulus almost as soon as they pass the next one. Then, the battle will begin again. Each side will insert things in the bill they want, giving scraps to ordinary Americans, as they disguise it as stimulus.
- To fix the real problems in the economy, we must have a more sustainable economic system. Stimulus packages are essentially a cycle of neverending band-aids that promote the need for more stimulus. The stimulus must be permanent to stop this problem. Permanent stimulus should come in the form of universal healthcare and universal basic income (UBI).
- Public-funded, universal healthcare would free up disposable income for millions of people. It would empower small businesses to hire people without the burden of providing health insurance. It would give people the flexibility they need to change jobs without worrying about losing health coverage. Lastly, it would be cheaper than we pay now because the United States pays more in healthcare costs per capita than any other country.
- Universal Basic Income (UBI) would give more cash flow to almost every American. People would be able to spend it as they wish, without bureaucracy. Best of all, people would no longer be held hostage, waiting for Congress to approve a mediocre stimulus package that barely provides enough money to get by for a month.
How does UBI compare to welfare?
Compared to other welfare systems, UBI is much easier to manage. This is because there is no means-testing. Traditional welfare requires people to prove they are poor. If they work, they lose their welfare benefits. UBI does not do that. Whether a person is rich or poor, UBI would be the same.
What are some of the other benefits of a UBI?
UBI could stimulate the economy during economic downturns. It could alleviate homelessness and extreme poverty. Additionally, a UBI could be used to fade out other government-run programs, like student loans, Medicaid, other forms of welfare. As jobs get disrupted by AI (Artificial Intelligence), UBI can soften the blow to families and allow them to restructure their lives.
How can universal healthcare help grow the economy?
The United States has the highest health insurance costs in the world. Roughly 20% of our GDP goes to healthcare. Businesses spend a lot of time negotiating healthcare programs to offer employers. Small businesses may not be able to offer health insurance because it’s financially impossible for them. Workers often work jobs they dislike for the sole reason that the job they work at offers insurance. Universal healthcare solves all of those issues.