by Andre Coelho | Mar 7, 2015 | News
Francisco Louçã. Credit
to: DN Portugal
On the 7th of February, Francisco Louçã, a long time left-wing public figure in Portuguese politics, wrote an article named “How to pull the PS policial party to something civic [De como puxar o PS para qualquer coisa de cívico]“. This extensive article deals with many political aspects and analysis, but at a certain point cuts a clear criticism on the fact that the political party LIVRE has inserted (a reference to) Basic Income on its draft political program for the upcoming elections. The arguments being that LIVRE has not detailed a way to finance Basic Income, and that this unconditional income should not be given to rich people, since they clearly do not need it.
This first article was extensively commented on the website where it was published, the Público newspaper blog “Tudo Menos Economia [Everything But Economy]”, where Francisco Louçã regularly writes. Comments came from Basic Income supporters (like Roberto Merrill, António Dores and Dario Ferreira from the Basic Income activist group in Portugal) and many others, arguing on moral terms and supplying some numbers which might cover Basic Income expenses for the Portuguese social reality, rejecting the idea that it might not be fundable.
Rendimento Básico Portugal group logo
The original critic by Francisco Louçã and this first round of discussions around Basic Income encouraged André Barata, a LIVRE militant to compose an answer to Louçã’s arguments. As a long time Basic Income defender and political activist, he framed Basic Income as a human right, alongside Education and Health, and so justified it as a guarantee for all citizens, independently of their present income. As for the necessary funding calculations, he argued that first a new idea has to stand on its own, then its defenders must think of ways to inspire public policy and then, finally, financing calculations must be performed.
André Barata. Credit to: iOnline
Inspired by the flood of comments on his first article and André Barata’s response, Francisco Louçã published a second article titled Basic Income: how, how much and for whom [“Rendimento Básico Incondicional”: como, quanto e para quem], where he laments having been judged by Basic Income defenders but reinforces his opinion that financial practicability must be performed now, so that the Basic Income can gain, from his point of view, concrete credibility for action and not degenerate into an utopian illusion. He also reinforces his standpoint that it is fundamentally inacceptable to give a Basic Income to the wealthy, as well as to the poor, since he argues these are not the same and thus should not be treated equally. As for the financing effort itself, he further argues that the Basic Income bill would still be enormous, something around an extra 50 000 million €/year, which means an increase of 2.4 times the present taxation burden on work, although he concedes that other sources of income maybe at the State’s disposal (e.g.: taxation on fortunes, resource and pollution taxes, further curbing tax evasion). He concludes that it would be better to maintain the current system, albeit getting better at collecting taxes.
This second article generated a new flood of comments. The Basic Income public discussions in Portugal have finally started.
More information at:
André Coelho, “Portugal: Social movements and political party together for basic income“, BI News, February 2 2015
Language: Portuguese
Francisco Louçã, “How to pull the PS policial party to something civic [De como puxar o PS para qualquer coisa de cívico]“, Tudo Menos Economia (blog), February 6 2015
Language: Portuguese
André Barata, “An income for everyone – answer to Francisco Louçã’s arguments [Um rendimento para todos – resposta aos argumentos de Francisco Louçã]“, O Irrevogável (blog), March 5 2015
Language: Portuguese
Francisco Louçã, “Basic Income: how, how much and for whom [“Rendimento Básico Incondicional”: como, quanto e para quem]“, Tudo Menos Economia (blog), March 2 2015
by Andre Coelho | Mar 6, 2015 | News
Picture from NABIG Conference (from live stream video)
There is a community of Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) supporters in the United States. To prove it, a small crowd of enthusiast and concerned citizens have got together in New York, the past weekend, to discuss BIG on the Fourteenth Annual North America Basic Income Guarantee Congress.
The event started on Thursday, the 26th of February, with a preconference public discussion at the Long Island City Art Center, followed by almost three days of a fulltime schedule conference, featuring 43 speakers and an audience of a similar size. These speakers formed a wide international panel of academics, city officials, government servants, union representatives, social movement activists, authors and even bank officials, not only from the USA, but also from Ireland, Brazil, Canada, Australia and Germany.
The live audience plus all those following the sessions online, through live streaming, listened to and actively participated in the discussion of a variety of subjects directly or indirectly related to BIG. The latter ranged from robotics and its influence on human society, to dealing with poverty, welfare programs, income distribution, BIG economical and social implications, labor transformations and also tax politics, human rights, social emancipation and involvement. Other important issues were addressed, like the failure of social assistance programs in the USA, corruption at charities, job precariousness, and clues were highlighted as to how to introduce BIG into mainstream discourse and political discussions.
All along participants were encouraged to express their motivations, ideas and suggestions, in a thinking together kind of general environment, which culminated at an activist meeting at The Commons Brooklyn, moderated by Karl Widerquist and Steven Shafarman. At this meeting, held on the evening of March 1st, other activists like Scott Santens, Mark Witham, Jason Burke Murphy, Michael Bohmeyer and Mary Bricker-Jenkins were present, among other 24 who signed up for this encounter, which had the intent of starting a political movement for Basic Income in the United States. Although not named yet, this political movement is already working in BIG economy and social policy, establishing local BIG chapters, content creation (news and research media) and legally formalizing itself into two groups (a U.S. non-profit and a social welfare organization).
Picture from The Commons Brooklyn NABIG meeting (from live stream video)
More information at:
Karl Widerquist, “Brooklyn, NY: Report from the meeting to create a political movement for basic income“, Basic Income News, March 4 2015
“NABIG sessions“, Basic Income Project, March 2 2015
“BIGS Commons“, Basic Income Project, March 2 2015
by Andre Coelho | Mar 1, 2015 | News
Daniel Raventós. Credit to: eldario.es
Ever since the Spanish political party Podemos has introduced Basic Income in its political program for the European Parliament elections, in May 2014, the discussions around this issue have risen to unprecedented heights, turning it into a “hot” topic in the Spanish political-economic public debate. One of its main defenders, Dr. Daniel Raventós, has even said that “the place on Earth where the debate around Basic Income is most advanced is here [in Spain]“.
Although a much debated topic at the moment, the issue has been of interest for many years, although mainly among academia circles. More recently, it was re-ignited by the publication of a financial model for the Basic Income implementation in Catalonia, which served as a basis for a nationwide study of the kind (in Spain).
This has spurred the interest of more generalist media, and radio and television interviews followed, during 2014 and up until now. Daniel Raventós has been the leading figure in these communication efforts, but others have supported the (Basic Income) cause, in close connection to Daniel, as Jordi Arcarons and Lluis Torrens.
Credit to: Sin Permisso (III Monográfico Renta Básica 2014-2015)
Since May 2014, a series of articles published by Daniel Raventós’s Sin Permisso magazine have spurred discussions, which definitely contribute to the widening reaching of the Basic Income concept in Spanish society. Ongoing experiences like Podemos may have temporarily retreated from Basic Income, due to persistent notions as Full Employment, but the underlying interest still exists, while there are other political organizations which are defending it at the moment, such as Equo, Pirata, Bildu (coalition of parties in the Basque Country), Esquerra Republicana and the ICV (Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds).
More information at:
Language: Spanish
Arcarons, D. Raventós, Ll. Torrens, “A financing model for the Basic Income technically feasible and not redundant politically [Un modelo de financiación de la Renta Básica técnicamente factible y políticamente no inerte]“, Sin Permisso, December 1 2013
Language: Spanish
Interview with Daniel Raventós, Radio Euskadi “Mas que palabras”, Radio Eusaki, January 2 2014
Language: Spanish
Daniel Raventós, “Candidacy to the European Parliament and Basic Income [Candidaturas al parlamento europeo y renta básica]“, Sin Permisso, May 18 2014
Maciej Szlinder, “Basic Income in the Spotlight in Spain: Interview with Daniel Raventós”,Praktyka Teoretyczna, October 30 2014.
Language: Spanish
“Summary of a discussion on Basic Income (BI) and Full Employment (FE), between Uduardo Garzón and Jordi Arcarons, Daniel Raventós and Lluís Torrens team [Resumen de una discusión sobre renta básica (RB) y trabajo garantizado (TG) entre Eduardo Garzón y el equipo formado por Jordi Arcarons, Daniel Raventós y Lluís Torrens]“, La mala política Blog, November 23 2014
Language: Spanish
Jordi Arcarons, Antoni Domènech, Daniel Raventós, Lluís Torrens, “A basic income finance model for all Spanish Kingdom: yes, it can be done and is rational [Un modelo de financiación de la Renta Básica para el conjunto del Reino de España: sí, se puede y es racional]“, Sinpermisso, December 7 2014
Language: Spanish
Daniel Raventós, “Three present day debates about Basic Income and…is it a right of left wing proposal? [Tres debates actuales sobre la Renta Básica y… ¿es una propuesta de derechas o de izquierdas?]” Sin Permisso, January 11 2015
Language: Catalan
“Parlem de la renda bàsica amb l’economista Daniel Raventós (UB)“, Live on Televisió 3 Channel, January 23 2015
Language: Spanish
Siscu Baiges, “Interview with Daniel Raventós: “All parties are interested in the Basic Income, until they reach the government” [Entrevista a Daniel Raventós: “Todos los partidos están interesados en la Renta Básica hasta que llegan al Gobierno”]“, eldiario.es, February 7 2015
Language: Spanish
Several authors, “3rd monograph on Basic Income 2014-2015 [III Monográfico Renta Básica 2014-2015]“, Sin Permisso, February 2015
by Andre Coelho | Feb 6, 2015 | News
The article aims at criticizing Basic Income Guarantee (BIG), while praising a Jobs Guarantee (JG) system. However, it is relevant that some of the reader’s comments provide counter arguments supporting BIG, exposing frailties of the JG system.
Yves Smith, “The failure of past Basic Income Guarantee, the Speenhamland System” (and following discussion), Naked Capitalism, January 15 2015
by Andre Coelho | Feb 6, 2015 | News
In Basque Country, left-wing seperatists from Euskal Herria Bildu and the ecologist coalition Equo Euskadi keep supporting basic income.
In Spain, the basic income concept has recently been brought back into the spotlight by Podemos political party. Although meanwhile basic income has been taken out from Podemos economy orientation project (replaced by other social economic measures), other Spanish social and political organizations have cuddled the concept, particularly in the Gipuzkoa part of the Basque Country, know in Spanish as Euskadi.
In Gipuzkoa, the party EH Bildu defends the basic income implementation, on the basis of a thorough economic study conducted, among others, by Daniel Raventós, which concludes that 75% of the regional population would benefit from the measure, whilst the 10% richest citizens would finance most of it. In Euskadi, the party Equo Euskadi has also written the basic income in its electoral program, for which has also relied on Raventós study to backup its defense.
Just past week, a symposium on basic income has been organized by the municipal house of representatives in Gipuzkoa where yet again the basic income implementation simulation cited above was at the center. One of the delegates, Ander Rodríguez, which heads the social policy group in Gipuzkoa parliament, besides defending basic income as a concept and economic innovation, has suggested it could be implemented in a progressive way, though not immediately.
Despite the results presented in the referred study and the interest picked up by local politicians and parties, other parties and government representatives are still against it, accusing the basic income scheme of being utopian, unconditional (as seen from a negative perspective) and unfair for allegedly transferring money from workers to others that just choose not to work. In fact, recently approved legislation in the region actually hardens conditionality for accessing social inclusion transfers, plus limiting its validity for two years. However, at the same time, such social programs are widening the number of people covered, plus increasing spending.
More information at:
Language: Spanish
Natalia González de Uriarte, “Basic income for all citizens: reality or utopia? [La renta básica universal para todos los ciudadanos, ¿realidad o utopía?]“, eldiarionorte.es, October 2014
Language: Spanish
EHBildu, “Each Gipuzkoa inhabitant could be receiving an yearly 7.902 € basic income, covered by a single income tax [Cada Gipuzkoano podría una renta básica de 7.902 € con un tipo único de IRPF]“, Euskal Herria Bildu online magazine, February 1 2015
Language: Spanish
S. López, “The Basque government hardens the conditions to access conditional basic income, plus limiting its duration for two years [El Gobirno Vasco endurece los requisitos de la renta básica y limita su cobro a dos años]“, Noticias de Gipizkoa, November 2014 (?)
Language: Spanish
Vincent Navarro and Juan Torres López, “An economy project for the people [Un proyeto económico para la gente]“, Podemos, November 2014
