by Josh Martin | Feb 11, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
Coyne’s article largely serves as a critique of raising the minimum wage as a policy to combat poverty. Debates over how high the minimum wage ought to be seem arbitrary, and Coyne argues that those in poverty face employment issues from a lack of hours, not wages. Coyne classifies raising the minimum wage as trying to do “social justice on the cheap” and instead calls for efforts to enact a minimum income.
Andrew Coyne, “Raising minimum wage won’t help end poverty but giving the poor more money will,” National Post, January 27, 2014.
The minimum wage is particularly ineffective at fighting poverty, partly because few people in poverty are employed at any wage, Andrew Coyne writes. (Leah Hennel/Postmedia News/Files)
by Josh Martin | Feb 11, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
Wray’s article compares his job guarantee plan to the basic income guarantee (BIG). Through his analysis, he finds that the job guarantee does a much better job at combating poverty than the BIG.
L. Randall Wray, “Let’s Compare the Job Guarantee to the Alternatives, NOT Against Some Distant Utopian Vision,” Economonitor, January 27, 2014.
L. Randall Wray is a Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Senior Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, NY.
by Josh Martin | Feb 10, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
Tchnerneva writes in response to a post by Matt Yglesias where Yglesias criticizes the idea of a job guarantee. Tchnerneva’s article focuses on defending the job guarantee and, in the process, attacking the basic income guarantee.
Pavlina Tcherneva, “16 Reasons Matt Yglesias is Wrong about the Job Guarantee vs. Basic Income,” New Economic Perspectives, January 16, 2014.
by Josh Martin | Feb 9, 2014 | News
Rob Rainer, Director of The BIG Push Campaign in Canada, has called upon Canadian basic income supporters to send him brief testimonials on the difference basic income could mean in their lives. By collecting these testimonials Canadians everywhere will learn about the merits of a basic income.
Rob Rainer is Director of The BIG Push campaign. (The BIG Push Campaign)
Read his full letter below:
Dear basic income colleagues,
I am pleased today to share Toronto-based artist Graham Kent’s beautiful, short testimonial on the importance of basic income to unlocking the creative impulse within us all. I also wish to acknowledge Graham as one of the newer members of the growing national team of activists aligning with The BIG Push campaign – welcome Graham!
On behalf of the campaign I warmly invite further testimonials on the difference basic income could mean in your life and/or the lives of your fellow Canadians. If you would like to provide such a testimonial please send to me a short narrative (up to 400 words) or short video (1-3 minutes). We aim to collect several hundred such testimonials from across Canada to help reflect the need for and opportunity of basic income.
Best regards,
Rob
Rob Rainer
Director, The BIG Push Campaign
www.thebigpush.net
On Twitter: @Push_for_BIG
613-314-7755; rob.causeworth@gmail.com
by Josh Martin | Feb 8, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
The recent poll from the Trudeau Foundation found that 46% of Canadians are in favor of a guaranteed annual income, while 42% of Canadians are opposed. Rainer, however, raises caution over these numbers because the poll’s question suggested that the guaranteed annual income would replace current economic assistance programs. Rainer strongly believes in the necessity to continue economic assistance programs like unemployment insurance, among others, while using the guaranteed annual income as the foundation of Canadian social security.
Rob Rainer, “The Trudeau Foundation Poll: A Closer Look 1.0,” The BIG Push Campaign, January 29, 2014.
Rob Rainer is Director of The BIG Push campaign. (The BIG Push Campaign)
