Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 7 sepTember 2017
As robots edge into workplace, free money idea takes hold

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ ing a universal income
Associated Press by increasing the federal
HONOLULU (AP) — Driver- debt would expand the
less trucks. Factory robots. economy because of the
Delivery drones. Virtual stimulating effects of the
personal assistants. additional cash.
As technological innova- WHERE DOES UNIVERSAL
tions increasingly edge into BASIC INCOME EXIST NOW?
the workplace, many peo- Not on a large scale in the
ple fear that robots and United States. But the idea
machines are destined is being pursued in small tri-
to take jobs that human als overseas. The program
beings have held for de- that New York-based Give-
cades. For many affected Directly has established in
workers, retraining might Kenya is distributing $22 a
be out of reach —unavail- month to residents of a vil-
able, unaffordable or inad- lage for the next 12 years
equate. — roughly what residents
What then? need to buy essentials.
Enter the idea of a universal The group says one goal is
basic income, the notion to assess whether people
that everyone should be will change their behavior
able to receive a stream of In this Aug. 17, 2017, photo, Hawaii state Rep. Chris Lee poses in front of the capitol. if they know they will en-
income to live on, regard- Associated Press joy a guaranteed income
less of their employment or for an extended time.
economic status. said state Rep. Chris Lee, nity colleges and retraining its $20 billion in unfunded GiveDirectly is distributing
It isn’t an idea that seems who introduced legislation centers could find it difficult pension liabilities. money to 100 people and
likely to gain traction na- to consider a guaranteed to keep up. Supporters of a “Basic income is such a plans to expand to 26,000
tionally in the current po- universal income. universal basic income say broad subject, it could en- recipients once the group
litical environment. But in Lee said he felt it’s impor- the money would cushion compass hundreds of dif- reaches its $30 million fund-
some politically liberal cor- tant “to be sure that every- the economic pain for the ferent kinds of mechanisms ing goal, said Paul Nie-
ners of the country, includ- body will benefit from the affected workers. to help families,” Lee said. haus, a co-founder.“We
ing Hawaii and the San technological revolution WHERE WOULD THE MONEY “You don’t have to en- had someone say, ‘I used
Francisco Bay area, the that we’re seeing to make COME FROM? act the entire thing in one to work this job in Nairobi as
idea of distributing a guar- sure no one’s left behind.” In the long run, that would massive program. You can a security guard because
anteed income has begun Here are some questions likely be decided by politi- take bits and pieces that it was the only way I could
to gain support. and answers: cal leaders. For now, phil- make sense.” pay for my kids’ education,
Over the past two de- WHAT IS A UNIVERSAL BA- anthropic organizations Karl Widerquist, co-founder but now that I have this ba-
cades, automation has SIC INCOME? founded by technology of the U.S. Basic Income sic income I can afford to
reduced the need for In a state or nation with entrepreneurs have begun Guarantee Network, an move back and actually
workers, especially in such universal basic income, ev- putting money into pilot informal group that pro- live with my family again,’
blue-collar sectors as man- ery adult would receive a programs to provide ba- motes the idea of a basic “ he said.In Oakland, Cali-
ufacturing, warehousing uniform fixed amount that sic income. The Economic income, suggests that Ha- fornia, Y Combinator, a
and mining. Many of the would be deemed enough Security Project, co-led waii could collect a prop- startup incubator, is giving
jobs that remain demand to meet basic needs. The by Facebook co-founder erty tax from hotels, busi- about $1,500 a month to a
higher education or ad- idea gained some curren- Chris Hughes and others, nesses and residents that handful of people selected
vanced technological cy in the 1960s and 1970s, committed $10 million over could be redistributed to randomly and will soon ex-
skills. It helps explain why with proponents ranging two years to basic income residents. pand distribution to 100 re-
just 55 percent of Ameri- from Martin Luther King Jr. projects. “If people in Alaska de- cipients. It eventually plans
cans with no more than a to President Richard Nixon, A trial program in Kenya, serve an oil dividend, why to provide $1,000 monthly
high school diploma are who proposed a “negative led by the U.S. group Give- don’t the people of Ha- to 1,000 people and study
employed, down from 60 income tax” similar to ba- Directly, is funded mainly waii deserve a beach divi- how recipients spend their
percent just before the sic income. It failed to pass funded by Google; the dend?” he asked. time and how their finan-
Great Recession. Congress. Omidyar Network started Other proponents suggest cial health and well-being
Hawaii state lawmakers Recently, some technology by eBay founder Pierre replacing part of the na- are affected.
have voted to explore the leaders have been breath- Omidyar; and GoodVen- tion’s web of social support Finland is distributing mon-
idea of a universal basic ing new life — and mon- tures, co-led by Facebook programs with a universal ey to 2,000 randomly se-
income in light of research ey — into the idea. Mark co-founder Dustin Moskov- basic income. lected people. It hopes to
suggesting that a majority Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and itz. Some, like Natalie Foster, learn how it might adapt
of waiter, cook and build- others have promoted the Providing a basic income co-chairwoman of the its social security system
ing cleaning jobs — vital idea as a way to address in expensive countries like Economic Security Proj- to a changing workplace,
to Hawaii’s tourism-de- the potential loss of many the United States would, of ect, say they think that if incentivize people to work
pendent economy — will transportation, manufac- course, be far costlier. universal income took off and simplify the bureau-
eventually be replaced by turing, retail and customer Tom Yamachika, president in the U.S., it would begin cracy of benefits.
machines. A crucial ques- service jobs to automation of the Tax Foundation of incrementally — perhaps In India, which is also con-
tion — who exactly would and artificial intelligence. Hawaii, a nonprofit dedi- by taxing carbon emissions sidering distributing a uni-
pay for the program? — Even some economists cated to limited taxes and and distributing the money versal basic income, the
has yet to be determined. who welcome technologi- fairness, has estimated that as basic income, an idea transportation minister has
But support for the idea cal change to make work- if all Hawaii residents were explored in California and said the country would
has taken root. places more efficient note given $10,000 annually, it Washington D.C. ban driverless cars be-
“Our economy is chang- that the pace of innova- would cost about $10 bil- A study by the Roosevelt cause they would imperil
ing far more rapidly than tion in coming years is likely lion a year, which he says Institute, a left-leaning think people’s jobs, according
anybody’s expected,” to accelerate. Commu- Hawaii can’t afford given tank, found that distribut- to The Times of India.q