Robert Reich
Robert Reich, Former U.S. Secretary of the Labor and now a popular author and commentator, recently endorsed a basic income guarantee (BIG) in response to a question from the floor during a talk about San Francisco State University. His first answer to the question of whether he would support a basic income large enough to eliminate poverty was simple, “yeah.” He then went on to discuss how technology is replacing so many jobs that they are making some level of income guarantee “almost inevitable.”
Reich’s remarks on BIG can be seen at the 46-minute mark of this video: San Francisco State University. “Inequality for All: A Q & A with Robert Reich” YouTube.
CORRECTION: In the original version of this article, Reich was misidentified as former Treasury Secretary. He is in fact the former Labor Secretary.
UPDATE: To see just the part of the talk in which Reich discusses BIG, go to:
Jack Saturday, “Robert Reich on Basic Income in the USA.” Jack Saturday. Sunday, March 16, 2014.
