LETTER: Handing out free money discourages work
The Review-Journal didn’t need to look at Finland to see the effects of providing able adults with a free basic income (Saturday editorial). I’ve talked to people in my community who prefer not going back to work because state and federal unemployment benefits combined are now nearly $1,000 a week. While that is substantially more than Finland’s $600 a month, it shows how paying people not to work can affect their desire to return to work, especially if the benefit is more than they were making on the job.
The Review-Journal recently highlighted excerpts from a letter a casino company sent to employees about to be furloughed, telling them they would be better off financially filing for unemployment than drawing their salaries. Interestingly, someone mentioned to me that the additional benefit of the unemployment program is not having to pay for child care, as they and their children are both now home. While this is comforting to those on the receiving end, those working and paying taxes to provide these benefits likely feel differently.
Anyone who may have been lured to former presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s minimum income scheme may now want to take pause.
