by Dawn Howard | Sep 12, 2019 | News
by Dawn Howard
Jonathan Herzog is a Democratic candidate currently running for US Congress in New York’s 10th District. He is attempting to unseat Rep. Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in next year’s election.
Herzog is a former Iowa campaign staffer for US Presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who is currently polling in sixth place according to the polling average by RealClearPolitics.
Herzog has adopted many of Andrew Yang’s policy positions, including Yang’s central campaign pillar – The Freedom Dividend – where all Americans above the age of 18 would receive $1000 each month, regardless of their income or employment status.
Jonathan Herzog holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard, an MBA from NYU Stern, and a JD degree from Harvard Law.
Dawn Howard: When did you first become aware of basic income?
Jonathan Herzog: I learned about Universal Basic Income a long while ago, but first committed myself seriously to fighting to make it a reality when Andrew Yang launched his bid for President.
DH: Have you been in touch with the Yang campaign or Andrew Yang himself since you announced? If so, what has the response been?
JH: Andrew and the entire Yang campaign have been so awesome and supportive!
DH: Do you believe that others will follow your lead in running for office on a platform of Universal Basic Income because they were inspired by Andrew Yang’s campaign?
JH: A number of folks in New York and across the country have already announced their runs for Congress on Universal Basic Income, such as James Felton Keith and Chivona Newsome in NY, as well as David Kim in Los Angeles. It’s incredible to see the momentum – 2020 is the year to bring it across the finish line.
DH: Given that poverty is typically considered a bipartisan issue, how feasible would it be to implement a small-scale basic income pilot in one of the boroughs of New York City, given the state’s current budget concerns and overall political climate?
JH: We’re seeing a number of local basic income pilots arise in cities across the country, but they’re mainly privately financed. No single entity has the requisite scale or scope to pass basic income other than the U.S. federal government. It’s why I’m running for Congress. The goal is to implement Universal Basic Income nationwide in 2021.
DH: One of the things that has been so fascinating to watch as Andrew Yang’s campaign grows is the way that many Trump supporters and conservatives gravitate towards his message and ideas – particularly The Freedom Dividend of $1000 every month. Have you been receiving a similar response from conservative voters in your district?
JH: The message truly is “not left, not right, but forward.” My district is heavily Democratic, but even so, the bipartisan appeal of the Freedom Dividend is resoundingly clear.
DH: Many activists within the basic income community posit that our current economic system (capitalism) is inefficient and unsustainable and that eventually, we must transition to a system that better addresses the core needs of humanity and the planet’s ecosystem. Do you see basic income as a type of incremental step toward this transition?
JH: I think Andrew Yang offers us a meaningful way forward with what he calls “Human-Centered Capitalism,” which essentially refers to a more inclusive set of measurements to measure economic progress and growth, including environmental sustainability, mental health, and freedom from substance abuse, and other quality of life metrics. Basic income is part and parcel of this transition to a more sustainable, healthy, human-centered economy.
If you would like to learn more about Jonathan Herzog, you can visit his web site: www.herzog2020.com
Follow him on social media:
Twitter/Instagram @jonathanherzog5
Facebook: facebook.com/Herzog2020
by Andre Coelho | Sep 10, 2019 | News
On wednesday, the 2nd October 2019, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, professor Guy Standing will be presenting his new book “Plunder of the Commons: a manifesto for sharing public wealth” at the London School of Economics (LSE) Joining him will be Caroline Lucas (MP for Brighton Pavilion) and David Lammy (Labour MP for Tottenham), in a discussion that will be chaired by Mike Savage (Professor of Sociology at LSE and Director of the International Inequalities Institute).
From the event’s page at the LSE website, it can be read:
This presentation will draw on a new book to show how all forms of commons have been taken in the neo-liberal era, through enclosure, commodification, privatisation and, most shockingly, colonisation. It will highlight how this has increased inequality. It will conclude by outlining the key components of a 44-Article Charter of the Commons that could be an integrated part of an ecologically progressive politics in Britain and elsewhere.
Entrance in the event is free.
by Alastair Dunning | Sep 9, 2019 | News
Floyd Marinescu
The Canadian pressure group UBI Works is continuing its mission to demonstrate the benefits of basic income. The latest piece of work it has commissioned will research the benefits of the Canada Child Benefit.
The Canada Child Benefit offers a tax-free payment to eligible families with children under 18 years old, and according to UBI Works: “Over 1.2 million families are currently receiving an average of $680 per month which has already lifted 300,000 children out of poverty.” While the benefit has no strings attached, it could be disputed whether the Child Benefit can fully be considered a basic income given that applicants are assessed according to their income tax and benefit returns.
UBI Works is a coalition of Canadian business leaders, economists, artists, and other engaged Canadian citizens. Back in 2018, spurred by the heavily disputed cancellation of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot, UBI Works assembled 120 Canadian CEOs to declare their support for the Ontario Pilot.
The latest investigation joins three current pieces research commissioned by UBI Works – on the impact of UBI on the Candian economy; an investigation of different costing models for a national basic income, and a definition of a specific basic income policy for Canada.
by Andre Coelho | Sep 6, 2019 | News
It’s called the Workers Strength Fund, and is financially and operationally backed by Commonwealth, Google.org, the Rockefeller Foundation and Prudential Financial. This new organization is unconditionally giving $1000 to 500 (randomly selected) precarious workers living in the cities of Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco and New York. The cash is intended as a one-off payment, much like an emergency package to face unexpected expenses that many Americans cannot afford (the Federal Reserve estimates that 40% of Americans cannot face an unexpected 400$ cost).
This particular unconditional cash transfer pilot project, running since July and going through the end of this year, is collecting data on how subjects spend the money, as well as trying to understand how their feeling of security is affected by knowing they can draw on an emergengy 1000$ if the get the need for it. Proponents of the pilot are convinced people will feel less burdened and hence better able to make informed decisions, if their feeling of security increases.
Not being an Universal Basic Income experiment, since, in this case, it doesn’t provide a regular payment, nor covers monthly basic needs, nor the beneficiaries sample covers the whole of American society (but only a small subset of precarious low-wage workers), it is nonetheless an experiment on unconditionality, hence trust.
Rachel Schneider (economy expert, author of “The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty”) and David Weil (Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and the Worker Strength Fund’s Lead Policy & Research Advisor) are two of the main thinkers and movers of this project.
More information at:
Sarah Holder, “A Free $1,000 That Isn’t Andrew Yang’s UBI“, Citylab, September 2nd 2019
by Andre Coelho | Sep 3, 2019 | News
International Basic Income Week is starting on 16th September. Posters and flyers can be found here.
This year, there will be 3 worldwide SYNCHRONISED Basic Income Week actions:
- Facebook Profile Pictures
Overlay your Facebook profile picture or add a frame
- 2nd international “Basic Income Beer” – Friday, 20th September 2019
Meet with local ubi supporters in a relaxed atmosphere for food & drink in cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, etc. (beer only optional!) to exchange, network and inform interested locals. Link up with the initiators in Berlin and Stockholm
- Basic Income March – originally scheduled for Basic Income Week – has been changed to 26th October 2019
Join the New York initiative with your own march (in your town). The Basic Income March, led by Basic Income NYC, is set for 26th October 2019. It will already be accompanied by a Basic Income March in Berlin. To join, instructions can be found here, and here.
All Basic Income Week 2019 events can be found and added on the global event’s calendar.
by Andre Coelho | Aug 30, 2019 | News
Nohad A Nassif recently self-published her first book “Arab Humanist: The Necessity of Basic Income“. It is an unashamedly autobiographical story, which talks about how she ran away from her family while living in Austin, Texas, and what happened to her when she became homeless. The book contains story art and commentary sections on Basic Income.
Nohad believes that everyone deserves to live with basic dignity. In order to achieve that, she insists that a Universal Basic Income is a necessary and fundamental human right, which will protect people from exploitation, harassment, and violence.
Michelle Heron has written an article on the book, included in the Arab Humanist website.
