A Compromise with Drug Law Supporters

As a compromise with drug law supporters, I have begun to propose that we legalize the sale of all drugs, to make the supply safer, but make the use of certain recreational drugs without a prescription illegal. This would be to reduce the collateral damage from drug use, including spouse abuse and child abuse and street crime. That way if someone calls the police because a drugged up guy in behaving bad, the police can arrest and jail him and it is an easier conviction.

I would say that they could then force him into treatment but from the evidence that I've seen forced treatment doesn't work. Of course in the future it might and so we should keep it as an option.

A UBI Design Again

I support a $260/week UBI given to all US citizens over 18 years old but it would replace TANF, SNAP, minimum wage laws, housing subsidies etc. and yes Social Security also. There would no longer be a reason to have those programs if we had a UBI. And I think giving more money to parents for there children would dangerous in that a very few but not 0 might have children that they neglect to get more money and that would look bad for the UBI and in fact be bad. Children are already subsidized through schools and free lunch programs and charities like to help children and the UBI would make the problem of child poverty small enough that charity could cover it. I would also start taxing the 1st dollar earned at 33% instead of 15.2%. The tax rate/bracket could lowered once income goes about enough to pay for the UBI ($40,969.70/year). 

If it reduces would too much a work requirement can be added.

Factors in Increase in Homelessness

What has contributed to the increase in homelessness in the USA 

One factor seems to be deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill.

From google AI: “Studies from the late 1980s suggest that homelessness is related to deinstitutionalization”

Another factor especially on the west coast is the increase in voters ability to block the rights of land owners to build for frivolous reasons like increased traffic, neighborhood character etc. See Euclidian zoning.

Which BTW is an extreme form of democracy. It is related to Social Democracy which is a system where workers and citizens get to vote on much more. In a socialist Democracy employees would get to vote on how corporations are run and voters in an are would get to vote on what gets built and much more.

Another factor is the reduction of police power and courts standing up for the rights of those who end up homeless who might in an earlier time been put in jail. One might look at this as a good thing but can lead to more people living on the streets.

Homelessness is a common problem now in most developed countries. Japan seems have overcome it by putting zoning in control of the national government. The national government represents the people in a given area but also the people who would like to live in that area.