Two of the more ambitious ideas that have gained traction in Democratic circles over the past number of years are providing individuals with a guarenteed income or, alternatively, witht a guarenteed job. The ideas are not new ones, necessarily, in various iterations they date back at least to the depression and likely earlier, but interest in them has increased dramatically.
Policy proposals from the Center for American Progress and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, both progressive think tanks, have provided both strong plans and equally strong justifications for why a Guaranteed Job Program could work. Recent polling by the Nation suggests the public is open to this idea.
Kirsten Gillibrand floated the idea just over a month ago, noting that the 1.5 trillion dollars given away to the rich and to corporations by Republicans could be better spent providing jobs to all Americans able and willing to work.
Cory Booker’s plan would initially target areas with higher than average unemployment as “test cases” to demonstrate the efficacy of the idea. Both rural and urban areas would be targeted and the program would be run through the Department of Labour. The exact nature of jobs made available would come from local communities in proposals made to the department. Should the program prove successful, it would be expanded across the nation.
Significantly, wages would be set at a minimum of $15 per hour, or the prevailing wage for similar work whichever is higher. Benefits packages including paid leave and health care would be included. The advantage is that this would require local employers, if they want to be competitive, to increase their own wage and benefit packages to attract good employees.
Cory Booker has, though his own legislation and sponsorship of fellow senators bills, demonstrated a commitment to new, progressive ideas. He, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris (through her work on health care, bail reform, immigration and criminal justice reform) and Chris Murphy (who recently introduced a bill allowing individuals to buy into Medicare and his work on gun control) represent a new wave of younger, bold progressives ready to move the Democratic Party forward.