What would it take?

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

You'd still have to provide the healthcare on top of living wage. $20K per year gets you bare essentials like shelter and food, but not healthcare. Those folks would still need Medical Assistance.

There would have to be a way to create a real LW wage number. I used 20K for ease of numbers, but yes LW would need to include shelter, food, and very basic healthcare entitlement.

The point of the LW is that you have basic security needs met (the bottom of the pyramid), but you are still working. Currently nearly 50% of the US population makes under $25K(same link as before). If minimum wage were reset to $4/hour and still assuming a $20K LW then every person in the US working a 40hr job would make $27.5K (with the tax scheme i made up). And a person making $10/hour would make nearly $40K.

LW for 1 person $800/mo rent, $400/mo food, $400/mo basic healthcare =$1600/month or 19,200 per year,
so 2 adults together, would have 1600/mo rent, 800/month food 800/mo basic healthcare

again, theory is simple, and talking in a forum blog is even simpler. The deepest fact is that politicians would never give up all the power they have by controlling the purse strings.

One thing I would add is that as a back check, in order to be given your 2017 LW you must provide proof that you used some or all of your 2016 LW to provide you with stable residence, and healthcare. I would think rental receipts and insurance payment stubs would do that but of course the devil is always in the details.