THANKS FOR SPENDING YOUR
TUESDAY WITH US ON "MID-
MORNING."
FINLAND IS ENDING ITS
EXPERIMENT WITH PAYING ALL
CITIZENS A UNIVERSAL BASIC
INCOME.
2,000 CITIZENS WHO WERE
UNEMPLOYED WERE GIVEN A MONTHLY
PAYMENT.
IN THE U.S., WHEN YOU COLLECT
UNEMPLOYMENT, YOU HAVE TO MEET
CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
THEY SAID WHAT IF WE JUST GAVE
PEOPLE MONEY AND SAID HERE IT
IS.
TRYING TO FIND A JOB.
THEY TRIED IT FOR OVER A YEAR.
THE POLITICIANS AND THE GENERAL
PUBLIC GREW WEARY OF IT.
THERE IS A LACK OF TRUST THAT
WHEN YOU GIVE PEOPLE MONEY AND
SAY FIND A JOB THAT PEOPLE
DON'T REALLY HAVE AN INCENTIVE
TO FIND THAT JOB.
I THINK SO.
I KNOW IT WASN'T THAT MANY
PEOPLE.
YOU SAID 2,000.
WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
GIVING OUT MONEY -- AND THEY
GET TO KEEP IT -- EVEN IF THEY
FIND A JOB.
I FEEL LIKE I WOULD NOT BE AS
MOTIVATED IF I KNEW I HAD A
CUSHION.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THE
REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM
DOESN'T GIVE PEOPLE ENOUGH OF
AN INCENTIVE TO GET OUT AND
FIND A JOB.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE
STARTING POINT IN A PROJECT
THAT WOULD WORK TOWARDS
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME.
THIS WAS JUST FOR PEOPLE THAT
WERE UNEMPLOYED.
MAYBE WE SHOULD UNDERSCORE
THAT POINT.
THE REASON THIS IDEA OF
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME HAS A
GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE
INTERESTED IN IT IS BECAUSE
THIS IDEA OF GIVING EVERYONE --
IF YOU GAVE EVERYONE AN INCOME
PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE
A RISK AND APPLY FOR A NEW JOB
OR QUIT A JOB WHERE THEY
WEREN'T GETTING PAID WELL.
THAT CHANGE IN THE ECONOMY
WOULD CHANGE SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES THAT
SHOW $6,000 A YEAR DOESN'T
NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE LABOR
FORCE.
IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO SEEK
HIGHER EDUCATION.
THERE IS ALSO DECREASES IN DRUG
USE.
YOU ARE NOT PAYING SOMEBODY A
SALARY TO GET BY ON FOR A YEAR.
BUT MAYBE IT IS ENOUGH WHERE A
SINGLE MOM CAN PAY FOR DAYCARE
SO SHE CAN GET BACK IN THE WORK
FORCE OR TAKE CARE OF BILLS
WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY FOR A
SCHOOL.
ON THE FLIP SIDE YOU HAVE TO
LOOK AT WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS.
THEY SAID 70% OF PEOPLE
SUPPORTED THIS UNTIL THEY HAD
TO RAISE THEIR TAXES MORE TO
PAY FOR IT.
THEN ONLY HALF OF THE NUMBER
WANTED IT.
I WONDER HOW MUCH OF THAT
WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT
SELECTED.
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA IS DOING A
SIMILAR PROGRAM IN AUGUST WHERE
EVERYONE WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO
GET THE MONEY.
THE COST IS TREMENDOUS.