Basic Income Article

[ndrosen]

Jesse Walker has an article in Reason magazine about the idea of the Basic Income, sometimes known as a Citizen's Dividend, and mentions Henry George. Some Georgists, notably Jeff Smith, are big on the idea of a Citizen's Dividend; we are all equal owners of the world's land, and should all get a share of the land rent. I agree, and being on the more libertarian end of the Georgist spectrum, I think that the government should not necessarily be trusted to spend its revenue wisely. Therefore, land rent revenue not duly appropriated for other purposes should be distributed as dividends; among othe benefits, this should give people a stake in the system, and give them an incentive to demand frugality in government.

Alaska does something along these lines with money from oil revenues; it could also be done with rent from valuable city building land.