Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, “absolutely sympathetic” to basic income approach

[Newest Reality]

In an interview with Ezra Klein of Vox published on July 28, U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was asked pointedly about basic income. His response this time was more specific than his answer when asked about basic income on Reddit a year ago, but it was still rather vague.

http://www.basicincome.org/news/2015/07/bernie-sanders-absolutely-sympathetic-basic-income/

[bluestateguy]

1. I'm for a guaranteed minimum income, but not a maximum income rule

Nixon proposed a guaranteed minimum income in 1969 called the Family Assistance Plan. It could have passed, but Democrats in Congress thought the payments were too low.

[jwirr]

2. The closest we come to a GMI is what many of us call minimum social securty level. I get $748

a month. $278 of that is actual Social Security. At that level most of us are still eligible for food stamps and energy assistance. Plus we get Medicare AND Medicaid. This is still poverty and while I can live on it in rural MN with the help of family I do not think people in large communities could. And I can guarantee that families could not.

When I say live on that amount it means - I live in one small room in my grandson's home and I do not own a car. I am finally getting most of my bills paid off but it has taken my a while to do that. However any type of economic trouble can throw me for a real loop.

I have no idea what it would have to be to survive in an urban setting. More than this for sure. I really do not care how rich someone else is but I do not want people allowed to live in squalor and hunger so they can be rich.