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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	921
Proposal	2018 Platform Amendment Proposal - Livable Income
Presenter	Platform Committee - Sponsored by Nebraska Green Party
Floor Manager	Gloria Mattera
Phase	Closed - Failed
Discussion	07-02-2018 - 07-29-2018
Voting	07-30-2018 - 08-05-2018
Presens Quorum	Two Thirds of Active Accredited States/Caucuses
Consens Quorum	Two Thirds of Yes and No Votes

Background

The reason for these changes to is amend the current UBI sections to instead call for a fully employed populace at a living wage as is referred to at other places in the platform, with a decentralized model to maintain the local productivity needed to take care of those who do need a basic income assistance.

Proposal

Replace “1. We call for a universal basic income (sometimes called a guaranteed income, negative income tax, citizen’s income, or citizen dividend). This would go to every adult regardless of health, employment, or marital status, in order to minimize government bureaucracy and intrusiveness into people’s lives. The amount should be sufficient so that anyone who is unemployed can afford basic food and shelter. State or local governments should supplement that amount from local revenues where the cost of living is high.”

With “Greens support the Government providing a full time or part-time job at a living wage with standard government fringe benefits to every person wanting either - with decentralized control of the jobs created. We also support an expansion of the social safety net to eliminate poverty in the US through a basic income. Those who are out of work and want a job deserve one even if local governments and the private sector cannot provide one.

There are far too many needed service jobs that the private sector is either unwilling or unable to fund for Public Purpose. These only need Government investment to put people to work. As the issuer of the currency, it is the role of the federal government to maintain a deficit large enough to meet the savings and spending needs of those in the economy whose needs are not being met by the private sector.

A Job Guarantee is the final piece of the social safety net. Providing the Right to a Job takes away the ability of corporations to threaten workers afraid of losing their job, while protecting communities from being coerced into accepting corporations providing dangerous jobs or ones with harmful environmental impacts.

The US has long been willing to spend our sovereign currency on the war on drugs, or wars overseas, but has not been willing to do the same to eradicate poverty. In areas that have long since lost the industries, jobs, and public interest that used to maintain and support the local economies, a new option is available: to create sustainable infrastructure, meet community needs, and decentralize control of the workforce back down to the local communities.

1. We favor deficit spending for a federal jobs program to put the unemployed to work; rebuilding communities, and giving access to education, job training and healthcare. We also support the expansion of social security to provide a Basic Income to those who either choose not to work or are otherwise unable to participate in their local economies.”

Amend “2. Job banks and other innovative training and employment programs which bring together the private and public sectors must become federal, state and local priorities. People who are unable to find decent work in the private sector should have options through publicly funded opportunities. Workforce development programs must aim at moving people out of poverty”

To say “2. Job banks and other innovative training and employment programs which bring together the private and public sectors must become federal, state and local priorities. People who are unable to find decent work at a living wage in the private sector should have publicly funded job opportunities. Workforce development programs must aim at moving people out of poverty without subsidizing poverty wages.”

Amend “3. The growing inequities in income and wealth between rich and poor; unprecedented discrepancies in salary and benefits between corporate top executives and line workers; loss of the “American dream” by the young and middleclass—each is a symptom of decisions made by policy-makers far removed from the concerns of ordinary workers trying to keep up.”

To say “3. The growing inequities in income and wealth between rich and poor; unprecedented discrepancies in salary and benefits between corporate top executives and line workers; loss of the “American dream” by the young and middle class—each is a symptom of decisions made by policy-makers far removed from the concerns of ordinary workers trying to keep up. We affirm the importance of a limiting ratio on executive pay. If Executives want a bigger paycheck, they will need to start by giving their workers one.”

Resources

Approval of this proposal will amend the 2018 GPUS Platform,

CONTACT:
Platform Committee: Bruce Hinkforth, co-chair, bhinkforth@milwpc.com, 262-569-1370; Linda Cree, co-chair, creelinda@hotmail.com, 906-942-7076
Nebraska Green Party: Charles Ostdiek, iconofcharles@gmail.com; David Long, fraterdavid@cox.net

References

Current language of Chapter IV-Section D-Livable Income
D. Livable Income
We affirm the importance of access to a livable income.
1. We call for a universal basic income (sometimes called a guaranteed income, negative income tax, citizen’s income, or citizen dividend). This would go to every adult regardless of health, employment, or marital status, in order to minimize government bureaucracy and intrusiveness into people’s lives. The amount should be sufficient so that anyone who is unemployed can afford basic food and shelter. State or local governments should supplement that amount from local revenues where the cost of living is high.
2. Job banks and other innovative training and employment programs which bring together the private and public sectors must become federal, state and local priorities. People who are unable to find decent work in the private sector should have options through publicly funded opportunities. Workforce development programs must aim at moving people out of poverty.
3. The growing inequities in income and wealth between rich and poor; unprecedented discrepancies in salary and benefits between corporate top executives and line workers; loss of the “American dream” by the young and middleclass—each is a symptom of decisions made by policy-makers far removed from the concerns of ordinary workers trying to keep up.
4. A clear living wage standard should serve as a foundation for trade between nations, and a “floor” of guaranteed wage protections and workers’ rights should be negotiated in future trade agreements. The United States should take the lead on this front—and not allow destructive, predatory corporate practices under the guise of “free” international trade

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