Thread by @RealLitBulbs

A Universal Basic Income would not cause people to decide it wasn't "worth it" to work. You can't replace the intrinsic benefits of work. What it does do is allow people to consider OTHER work: entrepreneurship, art, child-rearing, etc. These have intrinsic value in society, too.

So...this is low-key blowing up. If you want to help some people get on their feet, consider a donation to @LivingSpaceHub. Timmins, like much if the country, is battling a homelessness epidemic, and every little bit helps.

While you're still here, if you want to help me and my business partner, a couple of ND writers and supporters of writers and #canlit, keep the lights on, you can support us here: writingcommunity.ca/support/

So now that the fervour had calmed down and I've read most of the feedback, I'm going to add some thoughts. (1) If your response is "lazy people need to get a JOB, not ask for handouts" then you don't get the point of this post. Running a business, being an artist, parenting,

are all types of jobs. They require work, HARD work, that sometimes goes unpaid for years (if ever). But they are all meaningful contributions to society. If a paycheck is all that defines work, then what about your commission-only real estate agent or car dealer who hasn't been

paid (yet). This post is about expanding how you define "work" to be more than just a pay check. 2) If your definition of what makes UBI successful is either job creation or short-term economic growth, then you don't know what UBI is or what it is supposed to accomplish.

UBI is designed to make everyone's lives better in the most basic of ways: take away the fear of not being able to afford rent or food this month, which opens a world of opportunities. Maybe they have a job but they want a better one. Now they have the freedom to take

a temporary pay cut while they break into a new industry, or risk the two-week holdover period that often comes with starting a new job. Or maybe they want to cut their hours to part-time while they learn a new skill, start a side business, or volunteer with an important cause.

Because they have the support of UBI, now they can. Maybe, they've been eating out of cans and cardboard boxes because they couldn't afford fresh foods, but because of UBI, now they can explore new meal plans and eat healthier. Maybe they want to run for local office but can't

campaign due to time/budget. Now they can and we end up with more diverse representation. These are just some of COUNTLESS ways that UBI improves lives. How does that help society? Short-term, it does NOT create jobs or economic growth, but it improves morale and BEGINS to create

a more robust society and economy. LONG-TERM what it does is:
- boost the creative/innovation economy. New artists and inventors will start to appear as people explore those ideas they'd put on the back burner until they had "time and energy"
- reduce hospital visits as a result

of reduced stress. Fewer mental health crises, fewer overdoses, fewer car accidents (people aren't driving tired or drunk as often), fewer workplace accidents (fatigue is a major cause), fewer health problems from unhealthy foods, etc.
- better quality jobs as employers

either have to pay employees more or improve working conditions to keep them, because now people aren't so afraid of losing hours or jobs for speaking up and demanding what they deserve.
- better educated population. People can afford

to go back to school, or take a class, or learn a new skills. Smarter people bring new ideas and innovations with them to work, at home, in their neighbourhood, resulting in a cycle of continuous improvement.
- less crime due to all of this ⬆️
- I could continue to list more ways

that UBI improves society long-term, but I hope by now you get the picture. 3) If your question is where does the money come from, the in addition to the long-term ways UBI improves society and saves the government money, it comes from a cash infusion by the government. It will

cost us short-term, but the investment will be paid back long-term. Plus future generations will live in a better country, a better world. Not sure where the cash infusion comes from? TAX THE RICH! Investigate the millionaires and billionaires who inexplicably have no taxes owing

year after year. No one needs billions of dollars at the expense of starving children. That is NOT a functioning society. If that's how YOU define a functioning society, then I hope you don't make the boat to Mars so you can enjoy your functioning society a bit longer.

This morning I checked the level of likes/RT it had barely budged overnight, so I thought the fervour was over. So toward the end of my workday, not checking for change, I wrote the additional tweets. Turns out the fervour has not does down. From 800 to 2000 since this morning!

Oh! 4) If your response is look what CERB did...people stayed home, please smack yourself upside the head. CERB was MEANT to keep people home. It's a pandemic! UBI is designed to be enough to pay basics needs but not to live on. CERB was meant as incentive to stay the F@$& home!