At one time, "moderate" Republicans like Nixon proposed things themselves like a negative income tax.
For example today - a family of four might receive a minimum of $ 1500-2000/month if they did not have that much income. This ideas would eliminate: unemployment, welfare, AFDC, housing credits, and on and on.
It could be administered by the IRS, or a new govt. dept, with very low overhead. Think of the tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of current govt. employees that administer unemployment, welfare, child aid, etc. - that could now get other jobs.
This would be more efficient, and could provide more income to anyone unemployed.
Would some people abuse this - of course they would! But - there are abuses at all levels - from the top of our govt. down (witness the recent triple charges for gasoline by Halliburton in Iraq...)
People would have a base living standard, that included enough income for basic housing, food, and their healthcare would of course be covered.
Few of us with live with these basics alone - as this would provide no luxuuries, vacations, big screen TVs, nicer homes and furniture, but it WOULD provide a basic existence for people in our rich country, and I believe it WOULD reduce some of the social tension we see now.
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