Time contribution as a fairer system for society

[thenewssa]

Time is our ultimate resource not money.  Utilizing a system already in place to record our earnings we can tweak it to account for time rather than earnings.  Currently, during your working years, earnings covered by Social Security are posted to your Social Security record and you earn credits based on those earnings. Using time as a measure of one's earnings over money can be an easy transition.  Hours are already being recorded by most employers.  Who then report those hours to the Social Security Administration (The SSA). The SSA currently measures the amount of earnings in credits to determine eligibility for social security.  Therefore, little needs to change to effect implementation of a record keeping program for validating hours accomplished.

Example of the model:

People work (or study, community service, etc) and have their hours posted to their Social Security record.

You earn credits for time worked. For illustration, let's say 20 hours of work = 1 credit. There can be several levels of benefits for the credits accumulated such as:

Level 1 Benefit (2 credits) = Food
Level 2 Benefit (3 credits) = Clothing
Level 3 Benefit (5 credits) = healthcare
Level 4 Benefit (10 credits) = car
Level 5 Benefit (15 credits) = home
Level 6 benefit (20 credits) = 1 additional credit
Level 7 benefit (30 credits) = vacation

We can add that missing work would subtract 1 credit for every x hours missed. There can be many variables that can be tweaked to make it a fair system.  Bean counters would have a field day working this out.  This wouldn't be nearly as complicated as our current system is now with how we handle compensation packages, taxes, entitlement programs, etc.. The logistics aren't important right now so I don't need go into any further details on that.

Once you reach a level, you have the choice to procure the goods or services that come with that benefit at no additional cost to you.  We as consumers are free to choose where we take our business.  This is no different than our current system.  Only now we prove this with a social security card that tells the business what level benefit we have reached.  For example, you go to a restaurant show them your card, they swipe it to verify and provide you with the service and food.  If you don"t like the food or service, you don"t return to that business.  If no one returns, they go out of business.  The owners may or may not be allowed to start a new business.  That will be up to either the Small Business Administration or the Fairness Review Board or both. Conversely, business failure will be reduced because of proper preparation for success and the ability to hire business managers and mentors will have increased.  Nonetheless, there is still a risk of failure and a reward of success, although not as devastating when a loss in our current system is experienced.

 

check out the debate: http://www.debate.org/debates/Abolishing-and-Eliminating-Currency-is-a-viable-proposal./1/

 

http://thenewsocialsecurity.org/blog.php

 

#thenewssa

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Fleming]

Why is central planning required for the market to work?

[Alan C.]

What about people who spend their time doing nothing productive? You know, like working for the Fairness Review Board.

[ThomasDoubts]

If I work 18 hour days painting manure pink, how many credits will I earn?  How many credits should I sell my pink manure for?

[JamesP]

Why is fairness important?

[thenewssa]

Why is fairness important?

Ask the 99%.

 

Why is central planning required for the market to work?

 

Why is central planning required for the market to work?

The market does not need a central planning only a central recordkeeping system such as our current social security system to do so.  

What about people who spend their time doing nothing productive? You know, like working for the Fairness Review Board.

In order to subscribe to this time contribution system a person must perform a productive function.  As far as the Fairness Review Board, we have to have the former bankers doing something, right

If I work 18 hour days painting manure pink, how many credits will I earn?  How many credits should I sell my pink manure for?

Credits are earned based on amount of hours worked period.  But, in the case of an artist, where art has a subjective value, you the artist would be subject to maintaining a minimum number of customers, subscribers or fans as prescribed by a peer review or artist association etc.   

[Alan C.]

In order to subscribe to this time contribution system a person must perform a productive function.

 

Who determines what is productive and unproductive, and how is this determination made?

[ribuck]

Why is fairness important?

 

Oh, fairness is very important. But, as James knows but the original poster doesn't, fairness requires that that you take no more value than you give. Money is a great way of accounting for this.

[tasmlab]

One of my main personal goals in economic terms is to spend as little time possible working while making as much as possible, which is why I'm a big fan of hiring employees and selling things for less than they cost me.  I'm not sure this system would work well for me.

 

Sounds like it might be terrible for landlords or people who owned parking lots.

[PatrickC]

Time is our ultimate resource not money.  Utilizing a system already in place to record our earnings we can tweak it to account for time rather than earnings.  Currently, during your working years, earnings covered by Social Security are posted to your Social Security record and you earn credits based on those earnings. Using time as a measure of one's earnings over money can be an easy transition.  Hours are already being recorded by most employers.  Who then report those hours to the Social Security Administration (The SSA). The SSA currently measures the amount of earnings in credits to determine eligibility for social security.  Therefore, little needs to change to effect implementation of a record keeping program for validating hours accomplished.

 

Example of the model:

 

People work (or study, community service, etc) and have their hours posted to their Social Security record.

 

You earn credits for time worked. For illustration, let's say 20 hours of work = 1 credit. There can be several levels of benefits for the credits accumulated such as:

 

Level 1 Benefit (2 credits) = Food

Level 2 Benefit (3 credits) = Clothing

Level 3 Benefit (5 credits) = healthcare

Level 4 Benefit (10 credits) = car

Level 5 Benefit (15 credits) = home

Level 6 benefit (20 credits) = 1 additional credit

Level 7 benefit (30 credits) = vacation

 

We can add that missing work would subtract 1 credit for every x hours missed. There can be many variables that can be tweaked to make it a fair system.  Bean counters would have a field day working this out.  This wouldn't be nearly as complicated as our current system is now with how we handle compensation packages, taxes, entitlement programs, etc.. The logistics aren't important right now so I don't need go into any further details on that.

 

Once you reach a level, you have the choice to procure the goods or services that come with that benefit at no additional cost to you.  We as consumers are free to choose where we take our business.  This is no different than our current system.  Only now we prove this with a social security card that tells the business what level benefit we have reached.  For example, you go to a restaurant show them your card, they swipe it to verify and provide you with the service and food.  If you don"t like the food or service, you don"t return to that business.  If no one returns, they go out of business.  The owners may or may not be allowed to start a new business.  That will be up to either the Small Business Administration or the Fairness Review Board or both. Conversely, business failure will be reduced because of proper preparation for success and the ability to hire business managers and mentors will have increased.  Nonetheless, there is still a risk of failure and a reward of success, although not as devastating when a loss in our current system is experienced.

 

check out the debate: http://www.debate.org/debates/Abolishing-and-Eliminating-Currency-is-a-viable-proposal./1/

 

http://thenewsocialsecurity.org/blog.php

 

#thenewssa

 

More Leftist drivel.. When will it end! (rhetorical)

[Seleneccentric]

Pardon me, but we already have the system you describe. When I get a bill at a restaurant, the waiter accepts a piece of plastic which communicates to him all of the faith and value that my employers and customers place in me. The plastic card informs him in fact, of the sum total of value that others have assessed for my work, less that which I have already spent elsewhere. The price system takes care of all of this business about "levels" and "credits" by aggregating everyone's needs and desires, with a little bit of information exchanged with every purchase, hire, and loan.

[NoTreason]

I can't tell if the original post was serious or not.

 

I hope it was not...