McCabe proposes test run for Basic Income program
"This could pave the way to Social Security for All nationally."
FEBRUARY 20, 2018 – Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe said today once elected he would move to start a small-scale pilot program to test whether establishing a Basic Income for vulnerable workers could help ensure that everyone shares in Wisconsin’s future economic growth, making Wisconsin a state-level testing ground for moving nationally toward expansion of Social Security eligibility to all age groups.
The experiment is needed to prepare for the future as the global economy rapidly transitions to industry providing less human employment, with automated factories and robotized production and driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence making many jobs of the past disappear. Wisconsin is especially vulnerable as the state’s economy relied more on heavy manufacturing than most states, and manufacturing employment here has been on the decline.
“We can’t afford to stick our heads in the sand about how the economy is changing. Robots are here. Driverless vehicles are coming. Many of yesterday’s jobs are in jeopardy today and are going to be gone tomorrow,” McCabe said. “Working people aren’t blind, they can see what’s coming. It’s why most Americans believe our kids will be worse off than their parents. That bleak future can be avoided if we renegotiate the social contract. Totally new approaches to maintaining financial stability and social cohesion in an increasingly jobless economy are going to have to be considered. The sooner we figure out which approaches work best, the better. We’re all in this together.”
McCabe’s proposal calls for a $9-million-a-year program for 1,000 participants, with 500 people receiving a Basic Income of $1,000 a month and another 500 individuals receiving $500 per month for comparison purposes. The experiment will evaluate how participants fare economically compared to the rest of the state’s population.
“If it has a positive impact, great. This could pave the way to Social Security for All nationally. If it doesn’t work or it has too many negative side effects, then we take what we learn and develop better ways to create economic and social stability so no one is left behind,” McCabe said.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Mike McCabe
3 times around the world . . . without leaving Wisconsin
Jul 3rd, 2018 by Mike McCabeThe Principle Over Party campaign emphasizes volunteer-driven grassroots campaigning as McCabe is the only candidate in the race refusing to take the huge political donations candidates for governor can legally accept.
McCabe: Take state government to the people
Jun 12th, 2018 by Mike McCabe"People shouldn’t have to travel to the State Capitol to be heard and served by their state government."
Mike McCabe’s People Powered Campaign turns in 4,000 nomination signatures on his 58th Birthday.
May 23rd, 2018 by Mike McCabeVolunteers in every part of the state circulated nomination papers for McCabe.
…but instead all the old, fat, white, sick, bitter, angry, alcoholic, Trump loving, Big Government mooching Republican career politicians in Wisconsin are determined to make sure that the working class, former middle class, the meek, the poor, the powerless and downtrodden subsidize their mega-rich campaign donors and slave away the rest of their lives in Chinese factories as wage slaves while they hand the same corporations 4.5 BILLION of our tax dollars. Enjoy life in Walker’s Wississippi folks!
“Universal” – Every SSA number gets 1000/mo, 12,000/yr. That’s the poverty level. No more poverty. It should be tax-free. That matches the current tax bill, the Standard deduction is 12,000 per individual. Taxes start with the first dollar earned, and the rate can be flat. Income tax becomes very simple with every dollar taxed the same. no deductions or exemptions, or loopholes. Most of the IRS goes away, employees, infrastructure, computer systems, buildings, etc. In fact, for an employee relationship, the taxes can just be withheld, no need for any filing by the individual. Finally, to help pay for it, eliminate the 120+ govt handout programs, welfare, food stamps, housing assistance, aid to dependent children, etc. Nobody needs it when they have direct deposit of poverty every month for basic living cost. Lastly, 1000/mo is the average Social Security benefit. Over time that could be rolled in, eliminating the entire Social Security Administration also. The Right should like it, less Govt, the left should support the basic living wage.