Credits for the Union

When businesses and billionaires receive compensation, they invest it in themselves. People, however, need housing and food and goods and services, and they spend money which supports those businesses. A stipend for people does not stay in their pockets, it enriches the businesses which supply those needs.

Businesses have sped up and stripped down positions to where a single role handles multiple responsibilities at a rapid pace for minimal pay, while simultaneously outsourcing jobs to robots and AI. We are rapidly approaching a world where employment is much less of a necessity. We need to establish a system for people to provide for themselves which has the potential to adapt to a world without employment.

Rather than wages, we should distribute a credit line of approximately $3,000 monthly to each citizen. With a requirement that able-bodied citizens work for 30 hours a week to offset that stipend. And an exception that those with children can have one spouse stay home and still receive the stipend, to care for the children. Perhaps an additional credit of $1,000 monthly per child for expenses. Additionally, there could be credit increases as an incentive for in-demand work. And an expansion of the federal grant program to fully cover the tuition, books, and fees at all public universities, to support citizens to gain skills for more complex roles. 

A real credit, extended to citizens and offset through employment or community service or homemaking. As automation reduces demand for workers, the system could compensate by treating compensation as a credit to the economy. At the outset, in order to combat inflation from the increase in currency from the credit, we could have businesses pay what they would have paid in wages into a fund to provide the credits, gradually reducing their contribution over time. 

Without the expense of payroll, businesses could focus on reducing prices and improving quality. They could staff more people to lighten the workload without an increase in costs. And as automation removes jobs, people would still have the money to pay for goods and services, maintaining economic stability. And we would be creating a system which could provide for our citizens, even in a post-work society.