Andrew Yang proposes a Basic Income. Bernie Sanders proposes Guaranteed Jobs. What is better? In this video I explore the potential pitfalls of both policies and what maybe a more pragmatic alternative than promising FREE and GUARANTEED.

Bernie Sanders was asked if he supported a universal basic income and here was his response…

I understand that idea and I have a better idea…

I think in a nation in which there is so much work to be done… just think about it…

You got an infrastructure which is crumbling, we can put millions of people to work doing that, transforming our energy system, in terms of weatherizing homes all over this country, building a more efficient transportation system, putting more money into wind and solar and other sustainable technologies we can create millions of jobs doing that.

You want a world-class child care center? You need well-educated, well-trained, well-paid child care workers. We need more doctors in rural areas and in urban areas we need more nurses. We have a dental crisis all over this country. We need to train dentists and get them out there. We need more social workers. You want to reform our criminal justice system? You are gonna need people to start working with prisoners. You want kids not dropping out of high school? You need mentors working with them.

There is an enormous amount of work to be done and what we believe in is guaranteeing a job in this country to anybody who is prepared to work. I think that's the better approach!

I think Bernie is 50% correct.

As I wrote in a previous answer: AS LONG AS THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD THERE IS A JOB TO BE DONE.

Bernie Sanders highlighted some of those problems…

And for fun I’ll throw a few more into the mix:

We have HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people illegally crossing the border between legal ports of entry every year. Let’s hire thousands of more border patrol agents.

We have courts that are so backed up by legal cases that defense attorneys often pressure their clients to take plea deals, “You can take this plea deal and spend 1 year in prison or we can go to court and if found guilty you can face 25 years in prison.” Obviously, a lot of innocent people won’t want to gamble with their lives so they’ll take the plea deal, which means more people are getting locked up for crimes they didn’t commit and more people are getting lighter sentences than they should for crimes they did commit. Let’s hire more judges so our legal system can be more just.

We have police officers who are overworked and undertrained, especially in our inner cities. Let’s hire more police.

We have cities covered in rust, graffiti, and liter. Let’s put people to work beautifying our cities through the use of artwork and cleanup and reimagining unused public spaces.

Who will rule the world depends upon who will win the AI arms race between the United States and China. We MUST train and hire more engineers.

Let’s explore space! This alone has the potential to create as many jobs as there are stars.

Those are just a few ideas. I welcome you to include more in the comments.

And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been writing for years about the threat automation presents to the labor market, but let’s not ignore the problems right under our noses by becoming fixated on the horizon.

Where I disagree with Bernie is on a “Job Guarantee”.


The idea of a Job Guarantee…

Its aim is to create full employment and price stability, by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an employer of last resort E.L.R.

On paper this sounds like a good idea, but in reality it would destroy our economy.

Here’s why…

The American political left would NOT use the federal government strictly as an ELR.

No, no, no.

You could be guarding a garbage can and Bernie Sanders would want to pay you a “living wage” plus benefits.

“Sanders wants the government to provide guaranteed jobs at $15 an hour, plus benefits.” — Chicago Tribune

Private companies wouldn’t be able to compete with such cushy offers from the federal government.

44% of Americans make under $15 an hour.

50 million Americans will line up for a government job.

Businesses will be forced to dramatically raise their pay, especially in rural areas, in order to keep their workers from leaving to work for the government, but labor is already the largest cost for business with 50% of businesses failing in their first 5 years.

The first businesses to close won’t be Walmart and Amazon. It will be Mom & Pop shops and startups.

Walmart ACTIVELY lobbies for a higher minimum wage because they know it kills their competition.

Big business loves big government.

If Bernie gets his way we’ll all live like small cogs working for a highly inefficient bureaucracy or a highly inefficient corporate monopoly.

Then after the small fish die the big fish will leave/die too.

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