US: Continuing Publicity for Andy Stern and Raising the Floor

US: Continuing Publicity for Andy Stern and Raising the Floor

Former SEIU leader Andy Stern and his book Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream have received a considerable amount of publicity since the book’s publication in June. Here are some highlights.

Over the past two months, Andy Stern has been interviewed in many notable podcasts, journals, and other media outlets. In June, for example, Bourree Lam interviewed Stern in The Atlantic about his background with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) among other topics, and Stern summarized his argument for UBI in video interviews for the American television channel CNBC and the international news agency Bloomberg.

The Guardian also published a piece on self-driving trucks that drew upon Stern’s work, describing future automation in the transportation industry as an example of the impending “tsunami” of job disruption that Stern discusses at length.

Then, in July, Stern appeared as a guest on the Diane Rehm show, a long-running talk radio show sponsored by the National Public Radio, followed by Vox’s popular The Weeds podcast. (The latter included an invigorating discussion with journalists Matthew Yglesias and Ezra Klein, both of whom have recently written about UBI for Vox, along with Sarah Kliff.) Shortly thereafter, Stern participated in a UBI-themed episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s podcast The Money, along with journalist Megan McArdle (US) and public policy researcher Henning Meyer (UK).

During the Democratic National Convention, Stern joined Salon’s Josh Zepps for a Facebook Live chat about the new direction American politics.

Most recently, Stern appeared on the August 8 episode of NPR’s Think podcast with Krys Boyd.

51XVLWVO7KL-1Reviews of Raising the Floor also appeared in a variety of publications, including TIME, Psychology Today, AlterNet, and Co.Exist.

One reviewer, psychologist Michael Bader, had once worked as part of group hired by Stern to help local unions “develop visions and long-term planning processes which were unfamiliar in many local union cultures” — an experience that made clear to Bader that “Stern broke the mold of a traditional union leader and was willing to experiment, take risks, and anticipate future trends.” In reviewing Raising the Floor, Bader remains impressed by Stern’s vision and ambition; however, he shows some hesitance to accept the forecast of a “tsunami” of job disruption:

If you buy Stern’s analysis of the magnitude of the catastrophe coming our way in the form of skyrocketing unemployment and underemployment driven by automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other new technologies, then you have to question whether traditional progressive solutions—stronger unions, a redistributive tax and regulatory system, a more activist government, and a broader and more effective social safety net—are sufficient to meet the challenge. If the answer is no, then radical ideas like the UBI start to break through our cynicism. In that case, we owe Andy Stern a debt of gratitude.

On the other hand, TIME editor Rana Foroohar is willing to accept that massive job disruption will take place, but she questions whether Stern has been too pessimistic regarding the future of organized labor:

The book fails to acknowledge another possibility, namely that the economic disruption it sketches, which will destroy both blue and white-collar jobs, could actually create a bigger, broader labor movement in the long run, perhaps the very long run. … Tech-related job disruption will affect all of us. That in itself may provide fresh impetus, and a big new market, for the next generation of labor organizers.

Meanwhile, Ben Schiller, a reporter at Co.Exist and known supporter of UBI, agrees with the main ideas expressed in the book, and commends Stern for getting into the “nitty-gritty” of implementation: “In the last chapter, he offers a blueprint for introducing UBI, covering the funding side, the politics side, and the out-in-the-streets mobilization side.”

As would be expected, reviewers, interviewers, and callers to radio shows have all varied in their willingness to accept both Stern’s forecast of cataclysmic economic disruption and his proposed solution of a universal basic income. In any case, the far-reaching publicity has helped to bring the idea of UBI, and some of the major arguments in its favor, to many people throughout America and the world.


REFERENCES

TEXT

Olivia Solon, “Self-driving trucks: what’s the future for America’s 3.5 million trucks?”, The Guardian; June 17, 2016.

Bourree Lam, “The Case for Unions to Support a Universal Basic Income“, The Atlantic; June 27, 2016.

Michael Bader, “Is Universal Basic Income a Powerful Strategy Against Job-Killing Automation? Andy Stern Thinks So“, AlterNet (also published in Psychology Today); July 1, 2016.

Rana Foroohar, “We’re About to Live in a World of Economic Hunger Games“, TIME; July 19, 2016.

Ben Schiller, “You Want A Basic Income? Here’s How We Might Actually Do It“, Co.Exist; July 25, 2016.

AUDIO

Basic Income and Police Shootings”, Panoply Media (originally recorded for The Weeds by Vox); Jul 15, 2016.

Andy Stern: ‘Raising The Floor’”, The Diane Rehm Show; July 11, 2016.

A universal basic wage?“, ABC; July 21, 2016.

Samantha Guzman, “The Case for Universal Basic Income”, KERA News; August 8, 2016.

VIDEO

The Argument for Universal Basic Income in the U.S.“, Bloomberg; June 17, 2016.

Andy Stern, “Why we should give every adult $1,000/month for free“, CNBC Power Lunch; June 22, 2016.

Reinvent, “A Proposal for Universal Basic Income from the Former President of SEIU”, YouTube; July 20, 2016.

Michael Garofalo, “A little isn’t enough: Tackling big problems with big solutions at the DNC”, Salon; July 26, 2016.

Basic Income Interviews: Jennifer Lawson

Basic Income Interviews: Jennifer Lawson

Jennifer Lawson studied philosophy and psychology at Stetson University and the University of North Florida. During graduate school, she suffered several psychotic breaks, and now lives on disability. Jennifer has been an advocate and activist for over twenty years.

How did you hear about Basic Income?

I studied political philosophy in graduate school. This means being fluent in all stripes of political argument. One day, while perusing the blogs, which I did quite often as a blogger for my university, I found some Libertarian arguments for Basic Income. This was a flavor of Libertarian who understands that poverty should be alleviated, but wants small government, too. I found the arguments compelling.

Why do you support a Basic Income?

I support a Basic Income because I am now disabled, and receive disability. There was a time, when I was applying for disability, where I had no income whatsoever. People who apply for disability often have a long waiting period during which time they have no money. This was a struggle for me because I still had bills and needs. I figured that if a Basic Income existed, there wouldn’t have been a time where I had no income coming in.

Photo used by permission of Jennifer Lawson.


Basic Income Interviews is a special recurring segment of Basic Income News, introduced in July 2016 by Jason Murphy and Kate McFarland. Through a series of short interviews, we aspire to display the diversity of support that basic income receives throughout the world.

Have your own thoughts to contribute? Want to see yourself in a future Basic Income Interview? Visit our interview form.

Gary Herman, “The New Unionism—Part 1: Precarity, Work and the Basic Income”

Gary Herman, “The New Unionism—Part 1: Precarity, Work and the Basic Income”

Writing in Union Solidarity International, Gary Herman recommends that unions add universal basic income to their list of demands.

The basic income is a response to increasing job insecurity and the spread of various forms of on-demand employment, from conventional freelancing to zero-hours contracts. Its supporters argue that unions wishing to fight for a fairer economic settlement should adopt BI as a key demand, although there is certainly evidence of ambivalence towards it within the union movement.

In making the case for unions to promote a basic income, Herman draws from the work of economist (and BIEN cofounder) Guy Standing and sociologist Erik Olin Wright.

Read the article here:

Gary Herman, “The New Unionism—Part 1: Precarity, Work and the Basic Income,” Union Solidarity International, May 18, 2016.


Photo CC Raymond “Dmitri” Beljan (flickr)

UNITED STATES: Black Lives Matter endorses UBI in official platform

UNITED STATES: Black Lives Matter endorses UBI in official platform

The Movement for Black Lives, the network of organizations behind the United States’ Black Lives Matter movement, released its first official platform on Monday, August 1. The platform calls for a universal basic income for all Americans, with an additional amount distributed to Black Americans as reparations.

The Movement for Black Lives (MBL), a collective of over 50 groups affiliated with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, released its official platform on Monday, August 1.

The platform is constructed around six core demands: Ending the war against Black people; Reparations for past and continuing harm; Investment in education, health and safety, and divestment from exploitative forces; Economic Justice for all; Community Control of laws and institutions; and independent Black Political Power.

The platform is explicitly radical and visionary, aspiring to a “complete transformation of the current systems”, but its authors have also written policy briefs that outline intermediary steps to reach these visions.

The Movement for Black Lives’ demands include universal basic income, as described in its policy statement on Reparations. The document makes clear that MBL endorses a basic income for all Americans, with an additional amount (a UBI “PLUS”) given to Black Americans as reparations for harms ranging from colonialism and slavery to mass incarceration.

Political scientist Dorian T. Warren, a Fellow of Roosevelt Institute and Board Chair of the Center for Community Change, authored the policy brief. Its section on universal basic income is reproduced below:

What does this solution do?

A Universal Basic Income (UBI) provides an unconditional and guaranteed livable income that would meet basic human needs while providing a floor of economic security. UBI would eliminate absolute poverty, ensuring economic security for all by mandating an income floor covering basic needs. Unlike most social welfare and social insurance programs, it is not means tested nor does it have any work requirements. All individual adults are eligible.

No other social or economic policy solution today would be of sufficient scale to eradicate the profound and systemic economic inequities afflicting Black communities.

As patterns and norms of “work” change rapidly and significantly in the decades to come – no matter how profound those changes are – it is likely that Black America and other populations that are already disadvantaged will bear the brunt of whatever economic insecurity and volatility results.

A pro-rated additional amount included in a UBI for Black Americans over a specified period of time.

The revenue saved from divesting in criminal justice institutions could be pooled into a fund for UBI; this revenue could be earmarked for the “PLUS” aspect of the policy that would be targeted toward Black Americans. If combined with other funds, it would effectively function as reparations, in a grand bargain with white America: All would benefit, but those who suffered through slavery and continuing racism would benefit slightly more.

Federal Action:

UBI would have to pass both houses of Congress and then be signed by the president. The revenue could be generated by multiple sources which would require structural reforms to the tax code including higher taxes on the wealthy, taxes on public goods like air (carbon tax) or on certain industries (financial transactions tax), or a dividend based on distributing resources from a common-owned asset (like oil).

State Action:

Similar to national policy, UBI would have to pass through state legislatures and be signed by governors. Other instances might require amendments to State Constitutions. The precedent here is the Alaska Permanent Fund, set up in the late 1970s/early 1980s. All residents of Alaska receive an annual dividend based on the invested revenue from the publicly-owned oil reserves.

How does this solution address the specific needs of some of the most marginalized Black people?

UBI would then provide an individual-sustaining basic floor for people who are formerly incarcerated upon re-entry that does not currently exist.

UBI would be an improvement on portions of today’s current safety net and would benefit cash poor Black people the most. Some benefits, such as food stamps, are replete with paternalistic restrictions that rest on racist tropes about recipients and their consumption habits. Others, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), are significantly tied to work, which is problematic when structural racism continues to create so many barriers to Black employment. UBI lacks these flaws.

Dorian Warren; the Roosevelt Institute

Dorian Warren, Roosevelt Institute

The document also links to Warren’s essay “Universal Basic Income and Black Communities in the United States“. In this short paper, Warren describes the problem of racialized economic inequalities in the American economy, and proposes UBI as a solution. He emphasizes that most forms of UBI would benefit the black community, and that “even an equal income could disproportionately benefit black Americans” since white Americans presently earn more on average.

Warren goes on to argue, however, that a “Universal PLUS Basic Income” model, with an additional pro-rated cash transfer specifically for African Americans, would be preferable as a way to “take into account the historical and cumulative disadvantages of income, wealth and inheritance afflicting black communities”.

The Black Lives Matter movement originated in July 2013, after a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges surrounding the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin. The movement spread on social media via the use of the hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter”.

Tuesday, August 9 marks the two-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, another unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The fatal shooting launched a series of street protests that brought widespread national publicity to BLM to a point where the topic of raising the Black Lives Matter flag was discussed in various circles of the government to show solidarity against racism. The BLM flag may not be flying atop a monster flagpole anytime soon, but the discussions in several mediums have definitely carried forward the cumulative fears and concerns of the African American populace.

Ferguson Protest in Seattle CC scottlum

Ferguson Protest in Seattle CC scottlum

Monday’s release marks the first time in its history that BLM has issued a single, comprehensive set of policy demands.


MORE INFORMATION

The Platform is available at The Movement for Black Lives’ website: policy.m4bl.org.

Dorian T. Warren, “Universal Basic Income and Black Communities in the United States“.

General news about the release of the BLM platform:

Yamiche Alcindor, “Black Lives Matter Coalition Makes Demands as Campaign Heats Up“, The New York Times; August 1, 2016.

Eric M. Johnson, “Slavery reparations sought in first Black Lives Matter agenda“, Reuters; August 2, 2016.

Amée Latour, “How To Read The Black Lives Matter Agenda & See Its Comprehensive Plan For The Future“, Bustle; August 1, 2016.

Trymaine Lee, “Black Lives Matter Releases Policy Agenda“, NBC News; August 1, 2016.

Jamilah King, “The Movement for Black Lives’ New Policy Platform Looks Beyond the 2016 Election“, Mic; August 1, 2016.

Tess Owen, “Black Lives Matter reveals a policy platform that includes reparations and breaking up banks“, Vice; August 2, 2016.


Featured Image CC Gerry Lauzon

Thanks, as always, to my supporters on Patreon

Daniel Hemel, “The Case Against a Universal Basic Income That Isn’t”

Daniel Hemel, “The Case Against a Universal Basic Income That Isn’t”

On Thursday, July 7, President Obama’s head economic adviser, Jason Furman, created a stir when he dismissed universal basic income (UBI) in a speech delivered at New York University, as part of a workshop on automation co-hosted by the White House.

Furman presented UBI as a potential response to technological unemployment but rejected the strategy, declaring that “We should not advance a policy that is premised on giving up on the possibility of workers’ remaining employed.”

Writing in Medium, University of Chicago law professor Daniel Hemel dissects Furman’s arguments against UBI and replies to each.

Hemel emphasizes that, at base, UBI has nothing to do with the fear of robots taking our jobs; instead, “all it takes to support a UBI is to believe that low-income individuals are entitled to some level of state support — with no strings attached — in the form of cash.”

Read Hemel’s full reply here:

Daniel Hemel, “The Case Against a Universal Basic Income That Isn’t,” Medium, July 10, 2016.


Photo of Jason Furman (Feb 2016) CC Brookings Institution (flickr)