Letter to the editor published in response to: Guaranteed Annual Income – the good, the bad, and the ugly: By Sarah Sheridan and Jean Swanson

I am so annoyed about the article in general and I felt patronized when I read the position that Sarah Sheridan and Jean Swanson take on a Livable4All Income they call the “Guaranteed Annual Income.” I was also taken aback by the obvious ignorant cartoon stating a Kapitalist idea that MOST Livable4All Income supporters do not adhere to and are actually against: In the cartoon the scorpion asks the frog “what do you think of the GAI? More Money For All?”

Frog answers: “Really? The GAI will make us rich? Sign me up.”

Stop the press. The Livable4All income movement I follow and lobby for makes it clear that we need to slow down production and stop destructive oil, gas, mining resource extraction, and possible destruction of our water and futures. Don’t just read the kapitalist versions of a Livable4All Income. In the cartoon the frog gets screwed by lying Scorpion (aka government) just like current practices that Christy Clark and Rich Coleman enact regularly!

Why is it we never are able to quite whip up a frenzy for the Raise the Rates as we did those first few years? Well, I can tell you why. Fighting FOR Welfare SUCKS when it almost kills you and needs to be abolished! People know it. Raise the rates is a mute point given the experience of us poor over generations who drop like flies on streets, are murdered in homes isolated and unsafe in current living conditions given to us by this system!

You know we ought to never trust ANY ministers in this system as it is flawed, we MUST rise up no matter what. Do we really need middle class managers anymore? No! We do need people to print cheques, not managers/workers who decide whether or not you are eligible for one. Everyone would be eligible for a Livable Income. Not an income that makes you rich, it’s about Livable income, a roof, food, family and community, health care needs met, simple.

With all due respect,

Kym A. Hines
Committee to End Homelessness Victoria
*The full version of this letter is online at ctehv.wordpress.com