Poverty is a Distribution Problem

Put a floor under Poverty.

                           

The poverty line is the level at which you can have sufficient food, adequate shelter, effective medical care, and the opportunity to learn any necessary skills. Above the line, you have the freedom to live by choice. Below the line, you are trapped in wage- slavery and little opportunity to make a choice of lifestyle.

The money is the method we use to distribute Goods & labor to the point of need.    If you have income above the line of poverty, you have the freedom to live by choice. If your income is below the line, you are trapped in wage- slavery and little opportunity to make a choice of lifestyle.

To eliminate Poverty all you need is to give every citizen a guaranteed income that is above the poverty level. There is no limit to the amount of money available to accomplish this any more than there is a limited number of points for a scorekeeper to score an athletic contest. Congress can get all the money it needs from the Federal Reserve banks at zero interest.  It just needs to authorize the Fed to use the same tool used to balance money circulating in the economy or to do quantitative easing in times of economic stress.  

The only limit is the productive capacity to perform the task. When the Society cannot produce enough to meet the need for food, shelter, medical care, and education, the capacity to produce Goods & Services needs to be improved. Do that and you can then create and distribute the money that distributes the Goods & Service.  

Money is just the tool of distribution, just as the plow is used to turn the soil or the loom to weave the cloth.  The person who has the money can get the goods. The amount of Goods & Service you have an entitlement to depends on the amount of money that you have to spend. The amount of money available is unlimited.

                                               copyright © William Hodge 2014