Slightly different take: bsky.app/profile/chev...

Ha, hope so!

I just threw up a little. And cried a little. What happened to Trump voters?

It's about creating real opportunity, not just survival. Foundation + genuine choice = actual freedom. When basic security is guaranteed, people can take real risks and markets work better for everyone.

Full framework: chevan.info/opportunity-...

UBA is part of a larger policy framework I call "Opportunity Economics." Dignified subsistence guaranteed to all enables real choice. Compete in markets when you want, step back when you need to, pursue whatever path works for you.

Bottom line: UBA (housing, healthcare, education) + UBI (cash flexibility) > UBI alone. The latter on its own just feeds rent-seeking markets. The former builds capacity while the latter enables choice. We need both, but foundation comes first.

The OpenDemocracy piece makes good points about poorly-designed UBS (targeted = not universal) - what I'm calling UBA. I agree!

That's why my framework emphasizes actual universality: public housing available to all, Medicare for All, free public universities... not means-tested scraps.

The flexibility argument is valid. That's WHY I support UBI supplementing UBA. Once housing/healthcare/education are publicly provided, cash supplements become actual discretionary income, not just landlord subsidies. Foundation first, then flexibility works.

On rent capture: landlords adjust to known income floors over time, not instantly.

Evidence:

Section 8 vouchers → rents rise ~50% of voucher value over several years.

Student loans → tuition up 180% (real terms) across decades.

Universal pre-K → childcare prices up 8-15% over rollout period.

Thanks for engaging! I think we mostly agree. My essay explicitly says UBI could work on top of UBA. I'm not rejecting cash transfers, just warning they fail alone without addressing inelastic markets. UBA provides foundation, UBI provides flexibility. 🧵

Thanks! Both sound great, let's "get with the program" and get popular support for it!

Nice to hear from you and thanks for the repost!

As far as being a great communicator goes... you got my attention.

I voted for him twice in the primaries. America will never know the greatness it missed.

The genius is in the ideas. Thanks for riding that horse for a LONG time! Your commitment is inspiring- I'll make sure it keeps going.

Sadly Trump's journey to authoritarianism has destroyed my family's Thanksgiving plans. I guess that's on-brand.

"Everything Trump touches, dies."