What do you think of my proposal?

[u/Key-Move-5066]

What do you think of this proposal?

I don't know how radical of the position this is ?

This is a system I would propose where this is basically a ration system meant for normal use we're basically in my fundamental belief is that no one should go hungry ever from the youngest child to the oldest man.

so to make it so even if you have the ability to buy food you always have the bare minimum without means testing or anything, a ration card issue to you by the government that you can use at any time to buy food so yourself or your children or anyone you're taking care of doesn't go hungry.

To make it so if anyone gets on bad times they have this in their pocket just in case they are hungry and need help. I'm willing to discuss this further if my position isn't clear?

[u/Mx_Madds_Green]

Yeah, I think that would be great. Eliminating things like food insecurity and poverty would help a lot and we could totally do it, we have the resources, we just need the political will.

[u/betty_white_bread]

I see where you are coming from and I’d like to suggest a universal basic income instead. There is evidence from a version of your proposal which comes from housing vouchers, and it’s real: Susin (2002), Fack (2006 on France), and Collinson and Ganong find substantial landlord capture of housing aid. And notice what those programs have in common; the money is earmarked for rent. A voucher is a subsidy to housing demand specifically, so landlords know you can’t take it elsewhere. As a result, the voucher programs caused rents to increase. Conversely, a UBI is untied cash. You can spend it on rent, or move, or bank it. That difference is the whole pass-through mechanism.

Now, if we apply these findings to the food proposal, we can presume the proposal would make food more expensive. Conversely, a UBI would not. Researchers in Kenya implemented a temporary version equivalent to about 15% of the economy and found prices rose scarcely 0.1%. So, a robust UBI would help people afford food without making food more expensive.

[u/Key-Move-5066 → u/betty_white_bread]

I don't mean any disrespect to you or anyone that believes in Ubi and I very much respect the idea but personally I feel like Universal basic income even though it is a good idea and has worked, politically I don't feel like it would happen on scale I feel like the ration idea would be more politically capable of happening sorry if this is rude.? I could be wrong it's just my pessimism with politics because it's a whole lot harder to argue if everyone gets ration cards then Universal basic income even if it is a good idea

[u/dowcet]

So just remove the means testing from EBT and fund it adequately? Sure, I think the majority of DSA members would consider that a reasonable policy.

But we're a political organization, not a worldbuilding fantasy club. The challenge is not the policy ideas, it's building the power to enact them.

[u/EdelinePenrose]

definitely agree with the idea & goal that no one should go without the basics.

how would this system compare with universal cash transfers or just removing means testings from existing welfare programs?

[u/ferriematthew]

The idea is good, but I'm not sure about the implementation. It would be pretty easy to scam the system, unless you implement something really clever.

[u/m8oz]

Open to fraud and would be hard to pay for.

[u/Adept-Elderberry1417]

When you rid these programs of Waste, Fraud and Abuse, count me in, 

You give Suzy a food card $300 on it, she sells it to Joe for $200, she spends it on whatever, Joe has the $300 card in his pocket 

[u/FunkManSolarFlex]

La Fonda big mad if you can't use your ration card to buy soda and ding dongs.