tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859345528889981553.post4013846319399706524..comments2023-10-19T01:44:50.017+01:00Comments on Liberal Polemic: Welfare is a product of state failure. It is time for ReformLiberal Polemichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002372579024659424noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859345528889981553.post-11272937853916341082006-11-29T22:50:00.000+00:002006-11-29T22:50:00.000+00:00This "replying to my own blog" thing is becoming a...This "replying to my own blog" thing is becoming a habit!<br /><br />I have struggled with the idea of a citizens basic income for a number of years. On the one hand it seems both fair and simple, two features of which one cannot accuse most current tax and welfare policies. It would also effectively replace welfare, though it would subsidise non-contributors.<br /><br />On the other hand, it is hugely expensive. The only countries that I know have managed it are oil-states such as Kuwait that effectively distribute out the petro-dollars to all citizens. In poor old Blighty we'd have to fund it from Income Tax which would be expensive and potentially harmful.<br /><br />Negative Income Taxes do have promise, though Gordon Brown's Tax Credits have been a disaster. <br /><br />In the long run, of course, lighter taxes at the bottom and an unregulated economy that therefore booms should bring massive benefits to the poor, but voters have traditionally been resistant to the laissez faire approach.Liberal Polemichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05002372579024659424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859345528889981553.post-20553422341391047122006-11-29T13:55:00.000+00:002006-11-29T13:55:00.000+00:00I think we can squeeze expenditure, and we should ...I think we can squeeze expenditure, and we should be doing so.<br /><br />Also, sorting out the tax and regulation mess should bring in more tax money at the same overall level of taxation.<br /><br />Two ideas which attract me (and have been suggested by both the 'left' and the 'right') are negative income tax and a citizens basic income.<br />If done correctly, these would replace any need for benefits for the most part (excepting extreme circumstances)<br />This could lead to some people not working and subsisting off that income, but that wouldn't be much different from the current situation, and the opportunities for fraud would be greatly reduced.Tristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395992764678278326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859345528889981553.post-73092650419702666952006-11-27T16:19:00.000+00:002006-11-27T16:19:00.000+00:00Jock,
It's the former. The Liberal Democrats have...Jock,<br /><br />It's the former. The Liberal Democrats have agreed that it is an ambition, but have not yet got the money to fund it. <br /><br />I agree with the party's commitment not to raise the overall level of taxation any further. <br /><br />However, I think that we could find the money by squeezing extraneous expenditure. There is so much waste and pointless spending by Labour that I think finding a few billion would be easy.<br /><br />I like the Green Tax Switch paper, but I think we need to be bolder.Liberal Polemichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05002372579024659424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859345528889981553.post-27800321536481249442006-11-27T15:20:00.000+00:002006-11-27T15:20:00.000+00:00You know, incidentally, that your proposal regardi...You know, incidentally, that your proposal regarding minimum wage earners paying not income tax by raising the threshold is one of the aims of the Green Tax Switch policies. I can't remember which way round it was - they either couldn't quite fund exempting up to the minimum wage while remaining within their brief of revenue neutrality and expressed it only as an "ambition" or they were trying for a higher figure and couldn't fund that. Either way it's pretty much party polcy.Jock Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550558005508328017noreply@blogger.com