[chongli]

If BI is 1000, that 1200 paying job will become a 200 paying job... I just can't see where's the incentive to work. Who wants a 200 paying job when you get paid 1000 for just breathing ?

You've got it backwards. The incentive is not to work, the incentive is for employers to offer market value for their wages. When people have the power to choose not to work, the market will have to adapt. If nobody wants a 200 paying job, the pay will have to go up.

The current system we have forces people to work unfair wages just to support themselves. Basic income will make it a competitive, voluntary labour market.

[neltnerb]

Definitely. I do think that with a guaranteed income, minimum wage laws as well as welfare in most other forms should simply be eliminated. Pay a market rate for the work, if you don't pay enough, you don't deserve an employee. But you can also charge less for easy work and get away with it because to the employees it's basically just spending money to use for luxury items.

How much should a garbage man get paid? Arguably (to me) more than many other professions. The free market for labor is badly broken, and I think that a guaranteed income will help (although not perfectly). Besides, I for one think that giving people the freedom to raise their kids for a while, or do art, or start a company, is more valuable to society than having them work a very likely unnecessary job just because we incentivize working over value generation.

[weddpros]

"The incentive is not to work": I meant to contest that assertion made by previous commenter. Actually I really don't think there's any valid incentive.

"the incentive is for employers to offer market value for their wages" You might put pressure on employers, for sure -> more unemployment. Maybe wages will go north. Then inflation.. then BI will have to increase too.

It's the first time I read that BI might cause wages to increase. Most advocates say "it will not change anything for you" if you already have a job :-)

Lastly, keep in mind that workers ARE the ones who will support the cost of BI. Not employers, not the government... Only workers.

So you'd better not increase unemployment :-) or the cost of work will raise a lot