Him: well what's your big brain idea to eliminate food assistance fraud?
Me: universal food assistance
Him:
Me: because there wouldn't be a system to cheat, everyone would just get a check
Him: and who does that benefit?
Me: family farmers and human beings who rely on food for nutrition
Him: what about rich people?
Me: what about them?
Him: you would give them food assistance too?
Me: that's what universal means
Him: you can't do that
Me: yesterday you said I couldn't tax them and now you won't let me feed them either?
Him: they can afford food
Me: then it should be fine to tax them
Him: but if you tax them they won't have as much money
Me: I'm willing to offer universal food assistance
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Urban Hermit
in reply to Quenby • • •I like the conclusion. "Aw, the poor billionaire would have less money? Don't worry free food assistance!"
The government says an adult needs $297 to eat for 1 month, and I have found this to be 100% adequate in my state (yes I am on SNAP right now).
I am pretty sure a billionaire sometimes tips an amount bigger than that just to impress someone.
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Nathanael C
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •Urban Hermit
in reply to Nathanael C • • •Extra_Special_Carbon
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •reshared this
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Urban Hermit
in reply to Extra_Special_Carbon • • •I started my young adult life without a car. There is bus service in the city I lived in, but carrying groceries on the bus usually meant 2 bags of groceries at most, so a lot of canned and dried foods.
Now I have a car and can buy 5 bags for 2 weeks, and fresh produce is 80% of my shopping trip and is not only healthier, but cheaper.
Buying a 5lb bag of potatoes and 3 lb bag of onions is a cost savings, but one you have to have a little privilege for.
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Urban Hermit
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •@Extra_Special_Carbon I might have had some of the milder food allergies, like gluten, but at that age and minimum wage I just had chronic inflammation, obesity, swelling, and I spent my whole life not knowing I wasn't absorbing Magnesium and Iron because of it.
Caring about my health was a luxury I couldn't afford, and other people judging me thinking I was lazy was a thing I couldn't help.
It will probably shorten my life by 20 years.
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Maier Amsden
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •Urban Hermit
in reply to Maier Amsden • • •@MaierAmsden @Extra_Special_Carbon I was in a similar way. Putting a can of tuna in raman was fancy and a way to get some protein in when I could afford it.
The number of times I tried to substitute something, like mayo, for expensive milk and butter in generic mac and cheese. Yeach.
The barely meat $1 bag of hot dogs - 1 hot dog, removed and cut up, to "spice up" a pot of mac n cheese.
So much macaroni, which I am probably allergic to, and so much cheese powder.
Not good times.
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Urban Hermit
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •@MaierAmsden @Extra_Special_Carbon yeah, 5 years in and a few raises, plus getting a car which caused my employer to jump my pay by $1/hour (suddenly they knew I could drive to some better job) and I could afford to hit those super cheap Chinese buffets.
So much sweet and sour "meat".
Eating healthy was a thing I had to be able to afford more than a decade later.
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Bernie Newly Does It
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •gkrnours
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •@Urban_Hermit 300 is like 10% of my income. Yeah, I'm doing well. 300 is like 0.001% of the income of a billionaire.
if it means no one is left behind, I don't see an issue with giving to those who don't need it and won't notice it.
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Quenby
in reply to Urban Hermit • • •@Urban_Hermit
It's ridiculous to me that we have the ability to feed everyone and we won't because a bunch of people that aren't rich are so worried about the few who are.
If capitalism requires hungry kids, I don't need it.
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Richard Barrell
in reply to Quenby • • •Sheeb
in reply to Quenby • • •Impenetrable.
Wait until these skeptics hear about the tax breaks that all these wealthy folks also don't need
Greg Bell
in reply to Quenby • • •@wendynather Means Testing is always *always* a bad approach. It comes from the same reflex "what if someone undeserving benefits from this" that led to our whole "money=virtue" problem in the first place, and it is the ruination of many good ideas.
Repeat this until you see it behind your own eyelids: The *most efficient* way to help everyone who deserves it, is to help *everyone*.
bjb
in reply to Greg Bell • • •@wendynather @ferrix
True ... also, less bureaucracy.
Hamish Buchanan
in reply to Greg Bell • • •But it's one the LPCβ’ entrance exam!
@ferrix @Quenby @wendynather
Alsy
in reply to Greg Bell • • •Worik
in reply to Alsy • • •@Alsy @ferrix @wendynather I do
Sales tax is regressive
Consumptiontaxes are the only taxes the rich pay, so not all bad
Balancing consumption taxes with universal dividends is my favorite transfers policy
Mike Mayak
in reply to Quenby • • •StarkRG
in reply to Quenby • • •Erik Ableson
in reply to Quenby • • •google stapler quartermaster
in reply to Quenby • • •David Bramian
in reply to Quenby • • •ShadowInTheVoid
in reply to Quenby • • •StuartB
in reply to Quenby • • •(Him, obviously!)
Hiker Geek π²π»π²
in reply to Quenby • • •Hopefully someday the rich will realize that at some point the increasing wealth gap creates an unstable society, endangering their position. Just ask Marie Antoinette.
At least here in the US I am not going to hold my breath waiting for that.
captain acab
in reply to Quenby • • •Mitsunee | ε ι³
in reply to Quenby • • •Sensitive content
yep, the same rich people keep yelling about overpopulation, yet have 21 kids somehow to spread their wealth between, somehow dodging inheritance taxes. if there was overpopulation that would just be a symptom of us not actively trying to just feed everyone.
If the tax curve actually was exponential to some degree (there's probably a better curve here, idk maths that well) we could likely easily feed, house and insure every single lifeform on this planet to at least a basic degree that is comfortable to live under for everyone. Anyone who wants more can work for it, anyone who wants to be excessively rich can deal with diminishing returns.
Rob Zazueta
in reply to Quenby • • •HowToPhil
in reply to Quenby • • •Eliza MB
in reply to Quenby • • •Regdar and the Fighters
in reply to Quenby • • •haui
in reply to Quenby • • •That is a great idea. Problem being that this has been brought up for decades if not centuries. It is a myth that you can implement progressive change in a regressive system. The only really progressive changes like the 8 hr workday and five day workweek and womens voting rights and abortion have been brought because the soviets made it law (most of those they did first, they also had the first female minister on the planet).
You are being lied to.
Sasyecat
in reply to Quenby • • •If you tax anyone, they won't have as much money. This isn't the argument Him thinks it is.
The usual trope, "But then the rich won't create more jobs." Wake the hell up they're cutting jobs as you read this, AND they just got a huge tax break.
The rich build their mega yachts, compounds, and bunkers, not because they can but because they are afraid what might happen if they don't.
Carolyn
in reply to Quenby • • •leon
in reply to Quenby • • •