A hypothetical question about UBI...

[clarice]

If there were an added line on our tax return forms that would allow individuals to
voluntarily pay extra money toward a UBI fund...how much extra would you be willing
to donate?

[tkmorris]

1. Meaningless question

If there were a line on everyone's tax form to voluntarily pay for ANY of the things in the Federal budget it would go woefully underfunded. That's just human nature at work. It does not reflect the true value of the thing requiring funding in any way.

[clarice]

2. Agreed... that's why it is a hypothetical question.nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. There's a difference between 'hypothetical' and 'meaningless'

A hypothetical question can still have meaning. "Would you donate to a life-saving charity on your tax form?" is a hypothetical question that is meaningful - because a few small donations can still save one life, and so some people would do it, even if they knew plenty of people wouldn't. Yours is meaningless because when it's voluntary, there's no way you can scrape enough together from people to provide a universal income that is a basis for everyone's life. Because by the very nature of that, it has to involve trillions of dollars at minimum ($6,000 per American would be about $2 trillion).

[clarice]

8. Fair enough...but nobody can or WILL tell me how UBI will be funded.nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Out of general taxation, and by some decreases in other payments

Every Swiss adult resident would have the right to guaranteed basic monthly income of 2,500 francs a month, if a proposal to be submitted to voters this summer is accepted.
...
Each child would receive 625 francs a month.

The federal government estimates the cost of the proposal at 208 billion francs a year.

Around 153 billion taxes would have to be levied from taxes, while 55 billion francs would be transferred from social insurance and social assistance spending.

http://www.thelocal.ch/20160127/swiss-to-vote-on-guaranteed-income-for-all

Five propositions have been scheduled for referendum election on 5 June 2016:[6]

A popular initiative for a basic income.
...
Even though the initiative official text submitted to the vote does not specify any level, the campaigners have proposed is 2,500 Swiss francs for adults (about 1,650 USD at PPP in 2014) and 625 francs for children per month.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_referendums,_2016#Basic_income_referendum

[clarice]

10. Yes..but they also have one of the most penurious tax codes in the world...

I guess the crux of what you are saying is that people who work hard and are successful, should gladly
give more of THEIR OWN money to fund anyone and everyone in the world....even the people of totalitarian
regimes? I think the point that most people miss is that your income is YOUR money, not the Governments.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. I have no idea where you have just conjured that up from

but it's no way to encourage someone to talk to you. I gave you some information about the most realistic universal basic income proposal in a country, and you then constructed a tale about "what I'm saying", and what I think people "should" do. You added in "everyone in the world" and "totalitarian regimes" for good measure.

There's absolutely nothing in your post that's worth replying to. Would you like to try a normal conversation again?

[clarice]

13. Yes certainly...please forgive my abruptness. nt

[clarice]

3. Also...if that is indeed human nature.....

Is it any more ethical to take by force (under penalty of imprisonment) money to fund a program
that is anti-ethical to ones beliefs?

[clarice]

4. I thought so.nt

[LanternWaste]

5. The depth of that thought is underwhelming.

The depth of that thought is underwhelming, but I'm quite certain it validates your biases.

[clarice]

6. LANTERN..WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? I've missed you. nt

[clarice]

11. Come on Lantern....let's talk... what have you been up to?

I haven't heard from Kingdom, or Randy for a while..have you?