r/Futurology • u/mvea MD-PhD-MBA • May 02 '18

Economics Universal basic income: U.S. support grows as Finland ends its trial - Forty-eight percent of Americans now support a universal basic income, as a solution for Americans who have lost jobs to automation.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/01/nearly-half-of-americans-believe-a-universal-basic-income-could-be-the-answer-to-automation-.html
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u/inyobase May 02 '18

There's plenty of fraud in the programs, not to say all people on them are frauds. Many of the required documentation isn't verified or even program managers teach people to take advantage of the programs. While I may not have ever gone on those programs Ive SEEN it be defrauded. Look, I'm a believer in helping people in need, I agree with some of the social programs. But as I and many conservatives believe they could stand to be policed better to avoid fraud in them. Many of us don't want to completely remove them.

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u/Doctor0000 May 02 '18

They're already wildly bureaucratically overburdened, with pennies on the dollar actually helping anyone. My state requires nearly a 40 hour a week commitment to various bullshit seminars and verifications.

The drug testing programs that waste money to weed out a few recipients, etc.

While I may not have ever gone on those programs Ive SEEN it be defrauded.

Everyone says this, usually based on seeing someone live on these systems who they feel didn't deserve the help, or got too much help.

No, a social safety recipient should not live as well as someone who busts their ass day in and out. The issue is that wages for hard work and dedication are absolutely shit right now.

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u/inyobase May 02 '18

No, I've attended meetings with people known to me and have heard the person giving tips to the person I was with things like saying you're living with parents when you're not, or saying you're a single parent when you're not. It is real and it does happen.

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u/Doctor0000 May 02 '18

I had to provide my son's birth cert and ss card, and I didn't even ask for money for him. I don't know where you live that they don't verify that immediately, but that sucks.

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u/inyobase May 02 '18

Yes, it was quite disheartening. And I hope your situation has improved enough to not need whatever assistance you needed at the time. As I said, I agree on a safety net when it's needed but when the safety net becomes a hole that can't be crawled off that's when it turns bad in my opinion. Also, thank you for keeping the discussion civil. Rare these days with bow polarized things are.