Empowering Communities & Strengthening Democracy (Political Reading Recap)
Exploring Basic Income Initiatives, Democratic Reforms, and Innovative Sustainability Solutions
Hello Political Reading Recap readers,
I hope you all had a fantastic July 4th! Thanks to the holidays and battling a head cold, this week was a bit slower for me regarding news reading. Despite that, I’ve gathered some insightful articles for you. Don’t forget to check out last week’s opinion piece, “Universal Basic Independence,” where I explored the connection between Universal Basic Income and the spirit of July 4th.
Here’s a brief look at what’s covered this week:
Basic Income: Chicago’s mayor plans to tackle violence with guaranteed income, a personal story of how basic income helped one individual become an activist, and a study showing how no-strings-attached cash improved housing stability in Denver.
Democracy: Pennsylvania’s campaign finance bill, calls to reform the UK’s first-past-the-post system, election reform debates in East Bay, and Pope Francis’s critique of populism.
Sustainability: Making sustainability commercially viable, Biden’s new heat protection rules, innovative wastewater treatment solutions, advancements in water filtration, nuclear power pricing, Walmart’s tech innovations in farming, and the FDA’s ban on brominated vegetable oil.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any news tips or questions you’d like to see featured in future newsletters, please send them my way.
Basic Income
This week in Basic Income, we explore how guaranteed income initiatives are making a tangible difference in communities:
Chicago’s Approach to Violence: Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to address violence by investing in guaranteed income programs, aiming to tackle the root causes of crime by providing financial stability to residents
Personal Success Story: Hope Davis shares her journey from struggling to becoming an activist in her community, thanks to a basic income program that provided her with the financial support she needed
Denver’s Cash Assistance Study: A study from Denver reveals that no-strings-attached cash payments significantly improved housing and financial stability for participants, showcasing the potential of basic income to create lasting change
These articles collectively highlight the transformative power of basic income in fostering community stability and personal empowerment.
Democracy
In Democracy, we delve into significant legislative and ideological shifts:
Pennsylvania’s Campaign Finance Bill: The PA House passed a bill targeting corporate political spending, aiming to reduce foreign influence in elections
UK Election Reform: Disproportionate election results in the UK have reignited calls to abandon the first-past-the-post system in favor of more proportional representation
East Bay Election Reform: Richmond voters are debating between ranked-choice voting and run-offs, reflecting broader discussions on how to ensure fairer elections
Pope Francis on Populism: Pope Francis decries populism and warns of its detrimental effects on democracy, urging a return to cooperative politics
These pieces underscore the ongoing efforts to refine democratic processes and address the challenges posed by current electoral systems and political ideologies.
Sustainability
Our Sustainability section this week covers a range of innovative solutions and regulatory changes:
Commercial Viability of Sustainability: An article discusses how businesses can make sustainability commercially viable by integrating it into their core operations
Heat Protection Rules: The Biden administration proposes new rules to protect workers from extreme heat, highlighting the increasing impact of climate change on workplace safety
Innovative Wastewater Treatment: Advances in wastewater treatment technologies are providing sustainable solutions for urban areas facing water management challenges
Water Filtration Innovations: New methods in water filtration are making clean water more accessible and sustainable
Nuclear Power Pricing: An analysis of how nuclear power can offer cost advantages in the energy market
Walmart’s Farming Tech: Walmart’s technological innovations are boosting sustainable local farming practices
FDA Ban on Brominated Vegetable Oil: The FDA’s recent ban on brominated vegetable oil in food and beverages marks a significant step towards safer consumer products
These articles highlight the diverse approaches to address sustainability challenges, from regulatory measures to technological innovations.
Jon, nice work here. I am all for trialing Basic Income programs to evaluate their effects on crime and poverty, but I hesitate to support this program for three reasons.
1) “the program is aimed at enrolling residents of Chicago with a history of economic difficulty.”
If the program is not universal, it is going to breed resentment. Full stop. There is no reasonable means of determining who is disadvantaged from who is not.
2) What is the funding source?
Here the funding is leftover stimulus money. Ultimately, it will be paid via taxpayers’ income tax. Essentially, taking money from one person’s pocket and putting it in another. I don’t support this. UBI should be funded out of social wealth, like Land Values or Distributed Profits, wealth that is collectively created, not individual labor.
See my essay on LVT: https://www.lianeon.org/p/just-tax-the-land
3) Basic Income programs should replace existing welfare programs.
The benefits to the poor already provided are broad. SNAP/WIC, Medicaid, housing assistance, Pell Grants…etc. Basic income is intended to be more effective than these programs, but it only can if it replaces them.