[enjo]

There are a couple ways to view this. By covering "essential services" you really are just guaranteeing a lot of inflation in those sectors (they are now on a fixed minimum income as a group). Some would argue that many of the same cost run-ups we've seen in university education (with government loans and other programs) will affect those essential service sectors in the same way.

One of the benefits of a basic income is that it serves as a really effective wealth redistribution program. It is partly a social safety net, but it's also something that can potentially give the economy as a whole a boost thanks to a lot of spending on the bottom (as opposed to income hoarding at the top).

I'm not sure I agree with those positions. I think I lack enough knowledge of economics to form a good opinion. I have definitely seen both of those arguments made in support of a simple basic income, however.