We just ran a huge unemployment experiment. Half the states reduced UI, it didn't increase employment compared to the states that kept UI. Then the UI expired and it didn't increase employment. Obviously UI isn't the issue but they REALLY want to force people to accept low wages.
These people want so badly to exploit others for their own benefit, that they don't seem to see that they're making things worse for themselves too. You can't cut incomes in a consumer economy and expect employment to rocket up. Consumer spending is what fuels our economy.
If we want to increase employment, we need to realize a pandemic still exists, and that's the main issue to tackle. We also need to make sure everyone has money to spend, and that they can afford things like child care to make employment make sense.

We should also automate more.
If a job isn't being filled at the wage being offered, either offer more until someone takes the job, or automate that job if that's an option. People aren't actually needed for a great deal of jobs and many jobs aren't being automated that could be because wages are too low.
Wages are too low because we lack a strong enough safety net. All of this comes back around to the problem being that government isn't doing enough, not that it's doing too much. What's needed is basic income. That would fuel the economy, raise wages, and put more robots to work.
Stop trying to force people to work. Stop using poverty as a weapon of fear + coercion.

Start providing everyone with the power to say no to conditions they're unwilling to accept and the freedom to say yes to the work and pay they're willing to accept.

Start UBI. Stop poverty.

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More from @scottsantens

13 Sep
I've never spent longer writing anything than I have writing this article. I'm excited today to finally present to you my explanation of why we need Modern Monetary Theory (#MMT) and why it needs Universal Basic Income (#UBI).

vocal.media/theSwamp/why-w…

#longreads @StephanieKelton Image
Targeting does nothing but create unnecessary bureaucracy, stigma, and holes for people in need to fall through. Pay 'em all and let taxes sort 'em out. Utilizing taxation instead of means-testing as a tool to shape policy leads to better outcomes with fewer errors of exclusion. Image
When it comes to federal policies, going from "can we pay for it?" to "can we resource it?" is the mindset shift needed to achieve a human-centered eco-friendly resource-based economy built with a mindset of abundance on a foundation of human rights.

vocal.media/theSwamp/why-w… #MMT Image
Read 4 tweets
7 Sep
I'm very proud to announce the launch of something I took part in over the course of 2020 and early 2021 where a vision document was collaboratively crafted as a North Star of principles, rights, and institutions to help guide the direction of the future.

socialcontract.fundforhumanity.org
Notice how we believe the future needs to recognize and uphold the INTRINSIC WORTH of every person and community. That's the North Star we should shoot for, where everyone is equally worthy of existing and everyone is provided with the means of participating in their communities.
"In our imagined future a generation from now, we have evolved from a society where we see our own and others’ dignity and potential as contingent on our job, income, wealth, and identity, to one where we respect our own and each other’s intrinsic dignity."
Read 8 tweets
31 Aug
Here's the fun bureaucracy I've experienced so far as an Ida evacuee:

1. Denied by FEMA for unknown reasons.

2. Denied coverage by my insurance because my evac from New Orleans wasn't officially mandatory.

3. Told that my insurance denial can be used to appeal FEMA's denial.
Anti-govt libertarians and conservatives love insurance as the solution to government safety nets, but in my experience, they never pay out. They always find an excuse. In this case, their excuse is that even though my city doesn't want me to return yet, it didn't mandate evac.
My insurance policy is supposed to provide $2,000 to help with hotel fees in this situation, but their legal loophole is that leaving was voluntary, but the thing is, mandatory evac wasn't an option, it was too late, so they just urged us all to leave.

nola.com/news/hurricane…
Read 8 tweets
31 Aug
We tend to only focus on the things that go wrong and not notice the things that go right. The levees held in New Orleans against a Cat 4 monster. For that I am thankful, because things could be much worse, but aren't because of that vital infrastructure investment that was made.
With that said, there is absolutely blame to be put on @EntergyNOLA for not investing in infrastructure improvements and instead building an emergency power station that was apparently a complete fucking waste of money for Entergy customers but not the pockets that got lined.
This company could've invested more in underground lines and in strengthening the 8 of 8 main towers that experienced catastrophic failure. But nope. Instead they focused on a new plant for emergencies that did nothing in an emergency. Why? Shareholders.

thelensnola.org/2018/06/21/doc…
Read 5 tweets
30 Aug
The left loves to think the right has a monopoly on assholes, but I tweet about homeless landlords and all I see are leftist assholes who believe that poverty is indeed deserved as long as people are doing something they disapprove of which is no different from conservatives.
Seriously. Fuck you for not caring about why someone is in poverty. It doesn't fucking matter why. Poverty shouldn't exist. Period. Poverty isn't something that should exist to punish who you don't like for doing something you don't like. It simply should exist. Don't support it.
I don't support the death penalty. It's wrong. It's immoral. My mind doesn't change based on not liking someone. Dylan Roof is horrible but I still don't believe we should execute him, because we shouldn't execute anyone.

Poverty shouldn't exist. It's immoral amidst vast wealth.
Read 4 tweets
12 Aug
Exactly this. If you don't like someone who supports UBI, and would never vote for them, that's fine. That candidate isn't for you. They are for others who might not like UBI right now, but who may soon like UBI because of that person’s support. As a result, UBI support grows.
If Dark Lord McConnell were to suddenly start talking up the Green New Deal, that's good, not bad. I'd never say anyone should vote for him, because he's possibly the worst person to have ever served in Congress, but I'd welcome his pushing for the GOP to support the GND.
There's a difference between saying "vote for this person because they support this" and "it's great how this person supports this." I encourage every Republican out there to support UBI, and to talk about UBI as capitalism and freedom. I want Fox News to push pro-UBI messaging.
Read 8 tweets

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