https://www.thenation.com/article/a-basic-income-would-upend-americas-work-ethic-and-thats-a-good-thing/
" But
there will also be popular resistance. In June, a Swiss referendum
resulted in only 23 percent support for a nationwide basic income. This
skepticism was not unique to that prosperous and fairly conservative
nation. Basic income will generate resistance because of practical
matters, like a rise in taxes. But even if those challenges are
overcome, the reform will confront resistance because of the cultural
upset it will generate. There will be deeper fears in play, not easily
assuaged by wonkish arguments showing how the bills can be paid.
Could it be that people are afraid of being freed from wage work,
even from a portion of wage work? What would they do with their
newfound free time? Watch television or play with their iPhone? A
shorter work week, or no work week would make a rich leisure life
possible, and it would make a dense social life possible. There would be
time to invest in our communities, and time to care for one another,
and especially to care for the young, the old, and the sick. But if the
patterns of that leisure, the elements of that community, have become
invisible to us, well, maybe everyone might as well go to work for
whatever camaraderie the workplace provides."
This article covers some of the skepticism of the plan. I am a firm skeptic of current economic theory and think this will actually help economies in the long run.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Have we built an infrastructure that's too big to maintain?
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/why-one-vermont-town-tearing-asphalt-instead-repairing-potholes
"Simply, un-paving is less expensive than repaving as petroleum-base asphalt isn’t cheap. Faced with dwindling annual road repair budgets, rural towns like Montpelier are finding that regressing saves a significant amount of cash — cash that might be better used for larger and more urgent infrastructure needs. Case in point: by un-paving in lieu of repaving Bliss Road, a notoriously pothole-y lane just outside of town, Montpelier saved $120,000. With a population hovering just above 7,000, the city’s annual road repair budget is a mere $1.3 million.
If Montpelier’s happens to become flush with dedicated funds for road repair projects in the near future, workers can always go back and repave."
This article fits into my concern that we have built an infrastructure that's too big to maintain. Here in my home town, the main street needed to be rebuilt. It will take 3 years to accomplish. That's 3 years with the 4-lane road reduced to 2 lanes. And then it's good to go for 30 or so years. But also, it's on to all the other roads in town that need maintenance.
Have we built our infrastructure without thinking about how or whether we can maintain it all? Roads, bridges, equipment, on and on?
"Simply, un-paving is less expensive than repaving as petroleum-base asphalt isn’t cheap. Faced with dwindling annual road repair budgets, rural towns like Montpelier are finding that regressing saves a significant amount of cash — cash that might be better used for larger and more urgent infrastructure needs. Case in point: by un-paving in lieu of repaving Bliss Road, a notoriously pothole-y lane just outside of town, Montpelier saved $120,000. With a population hovering just above 7,000, the city’s annual road repair budget is a mere $1.3 million.
If Montpelier’s happens to become flush with dedicated funds for road repair projects in the near future, workers can always go back and repave."
This article fits into my concern that we have built an infrastructure that's too big to maintain. Here in my home town, the main street needed to be rebuilt. It will take 3 years to accomplish. That's 3 years with the 4-lane road reduced to 2 lanes. And then it's good to go for 30 or so years. But also, it's on to all the other roads in town that need maintenance.
Have we built our infrastructure without thinking about how or whether we can maintain it all? Roads, bridges, equipment, on and on?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)