Poverty In America

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Pages: 5

Thousands of homeless people are scattered across America. Seeing people sleeping next to a convenience store begging for donations sure is a devastating sight. Unemployment rates are ridiculous, and some people just cannot get a job. It is sad enough that job availability will continue to worsen as life progresses. The solution to this, you may be wondering? The answer to these painful situations that America suffers from is the implementation of a utopian idea known as a basic income guarantee. A basic income grants income to an individual without the requirement of a job. Simply put, the people would not have to work a typical, stressful office job in order to survive in this world. The amount granted to basic income individuals would be …show more content…
Homeless people all over America are being ignored every day. It gets even worse when they ask for donations and get denied or hazed in public. Taking into consideration the lack of job creation over the past few years, a solution must be proposed to help those living on the streets without their dignity. Herbert Gans states that, “In theory, the basic income makes it possible to live without having to work, albeit modestly, although in practice, its recipients are assumed to work for the rest of their livelihood as in any other economy” (Gans 2). Those living in poverty, without a job or the inability to obtain a job, will no longer have to suffer on the streets. Basic income provides a minimum living standard for everyone. This includes food, clothing, housing and most social services. A minimum living standard ensures that the amount of homeless people will reduce to zero, or at least to a tiny amount. However, this does not mean that these people should not look for a job. Instead, these people should still look forward to getting a job that pays more than basic income, if basic income is not enough for them. Overall, basic income will definitely cut poverty rates by a significant amount. As long as the homeless receive a minimum living standard from an annual basic income guarantee, citizens of the United States will definitely not be seeing much of them on the streets any