Today’s comments were selected because they highlight the intense debate that exists around universal basic income.
From: Globe editorial: Cancellation of Ontario’s basic-income project is callous and wasteful
A board with the family's monthly expenses are posted on the wall at John and Brandy Childforever's Thunder Bay, Ont. home on April 20 2017. At the time, the provincial government in Ontario was developing the basic-income experiment the new provincial government has terminated.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
The editorial is right. Doug Ford disrupted 4,000 people's lives. It's about time somebody shook them up. Now they'll have to find work. Keep on chopping Doug. You're doing what we elected you to do. - gordonmacrae1
People who oppose universal basic income as a concept appear to be opposed to social assistance in general. One would think that fiscal conservatives would be lining up to study UBI, as it has the potential to be more efficient than our current systems. The opposition is based on misguided ideology that those of us with good incomes and in positions of privilege did it all ourselves with no help, so no one else should get help either. - smacshack
I give to charity and feel for those in difficulties but guaranteeing an income never seemed like a good idea to me. - yuknon
Interesting comment in this editorial about people building their lives around this project. One might ask in what way did they build their lives? Hundreds of thousands of people have built their lives around having a full-time job, only to find out their job is gone and their company is shutting down. The employees of Sears and Nortel built their lives around having a good pension, only to find out that wasn't case. The 4,000 participants had an advantage for a short while. It wasn't permanent. It isn’t their career or pension that is gone. The Globe needs to put things in perspective, instead of turning this into something more than it really is. - JeffSpooner
For the cost, and committed timelines, I would have kept it. At least then we would have known for sure if this idea is beneficial, as it reduces redundant government programs and the administration costs. When this government is eventually turfed this experiment will run again, and I assure you it will cost more the second time, especially since were already a year into this one - rosedaled
When I first heard about Basic Income I did not know what it meant or did. I then read this article The Globe printed on July 13 and received a pretty good lesson. Maybe it was too long for a politician to read and understand. Knowing what I know now, the Ontario Government is being very shortsighted in stopping this pilot program. They only looked at present dollars, not future dollars present worth. I suggest you provide those in charge - if there are any, a copy of the article.
From Toronto is no city for young people, a column by Rob Carrick
Toronto is a city for no one, as it has become overly expensive for almost everyone unless you make a lot of money and unless you are under a lot of debt. Very sad. - Stephanie Tsotsos
Toronto says it is a world class city, but it's not. They have been talking about transit for over 40 years, yet nothing gets done. The government keeps getting into the housing market then messing it up. Maybe our new government has the right idea, reduce the size of city council and get something done. We do need to try something new, the old isn't working. - Mandelbrot
Toronto is doomed if it can't figure out a way to reduce demand for housing. Increases in supply through densification or development of the greenbelt will be a band-aid at best and will have a negative impact on quality of life.
Both the province and the federal government need to start a concerted effort to encourage investment and population growth outside of the GTA and the GVA. And while Montréal remains affordable, the traffic woes mean further growth there is a bad idea too. Toronto and Vancouver now rank below New York City in terms of affordability. There is no way that this is sustainable. - WhistlingInTheDark
In response to WhistlingInTheDark:
Affordability erosion and its impact on youth is a serious issue; however, according to your post we are to believe that New York is more affordable than Toronto? Carrick is suggesting you can get by on $40.6k per year in Toronto (no savings etc.). So we are to believe that New Yorkers are doing okay living in that city for $30.5k US per year? I highly doubt it. When I visited London UK the average rent per person was over $3000 Canadian per month and that was back in 2010! Toronto is no New York or London but it is a top 20 financial centre in the world. By international standards dare I say that Toronto is cheap? - Tricky.
On response to Tricky.:
According to a recent study by Demographia, Toronto was the 5th least affordable city in the world. New York ranked 7th. - WhistlingInTheDark
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