[ExI] Basic Income - Basic Housing?

[spike]

After searching, there seem to be a lot of Housing Projects going on.
Some failing, some reasonably successful.Supportive Housing is more
expensive, but the external cost savings
pay for it, by reduced Medicare bills, police & jail costs, etc.).

The full report is here:
<http://shnny.org/images/uploads/Charlotte-Moore-Place-Study.pdf>

BillK

_______________________________________________



BillK, since you are British I wish to explain one point of view of a severe
American problem: poverty in a rich nation.

 

In some ways it comes down to the federal government vs state governments
doing welfare (and medical care, but that is a discussion for another time.)
Our constitution allows the fed to "promote the general welfare" but it is
vaguely worded and often contested.  Each state has its own constitution,
and each state has its own welfare system.  In general, US-ian welfare
programs are administered at the state level.

 

I would argue this needs to be the case, and that all welfare programs
should be administered at the state level.  Reason: the US federal
government is already bankrupt by my definition anyway.  It spends more than
it takes in, and there is no clear path to a balanced budget.  Sooner or
later, lenders will stop lending.  Then evolution help those who are
dependent on the federal government.  We see a huge crisis shaping up
currently with the federal government taking on the burden of subsidizing
health insurance for the poor.  What happens when the fed is forced to
announce that it can no longer pay?  What happens when the fed is
responsible for housing that it can no longer pay for?

 

My notion is that all these programs should be administered at the state
level, for the simple reason that states have a balanced budget requirement
and the federal government does not.  I hear so many advocates of a single
payer health care system, but they persistently fail to acknowledge that the
proposed single payer is bankrupt.  Why do we never hear of a 50 payer
system, where health care for the poor is paid by the states?  If we had
that, then they would bring costs in line, because they need to.

 

Poverty in America is a problem which cannot be solved at a federal level:
our federal government is bankrupt, with no clear path to solvency.

 

So my suggestion is that we create a 50 payer system for the poor in
housing, food and health care.  Make each state decide what constitutes
basic housing, basic food subsidies and basic health care.  Then with 50
competing systems, we will find which way works best.

 

spike

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