Outbreak reignites idea of universal basic income
“The federal stimulus package (USA)that will provide relief checks to some families impacted by the pandemic, has reignited the idea of universal basic income. One testing ground for UBI is in Stockton, California, where a pilot program is underway. Hari Sreenivasan spoke with Stockton's mayor, the program's director and several researchers studying UBI as part of our series, "Chasing the Dream."“
Watch this PBS interview about the UBI pilot in Stockton, California, USA.
PBS News Hour
Weekend
“…One of the biggest learnings for me just this past week was how, just given the world we live in, where this year it's coronavirus, next year or the year after it could be some natural disaster, couple years after that could be another public health emergency, that it's more important that we get the foundation set and ready now.
So I was already sold on a guaranteed income, but now I'm more than sold because I see now, particularly in a world that move so fast, where things like this are becoming more and more commonplace, that folks need a firm foundation and, as my mom always says, if we get–if we stay ready, we won't have to get ready, so that folks are in a better position and next time some sort of pandemic or natural disaster happens, that this has to be part of our national resilience strategy. How do we make sure that every American has at least something to persist through what's becoming more and more common.”
