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Comment by jriot | Hacker News Reader

Correct. An example would be to look around military bases or colleges that cater to the military. Rents are often on par with BAH (Basic Housing Allowance) and college's per credit hour is often near the $750 rate.

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A key part of UBI is that the recipient can allocate the funds as they please.

If someone goes to a college that costs $500 per credit hour, can they spent the other $250 on whatever they want?

Another key part would be if a college charged 500$ per credit hour, can they now charge $750?

Its a free market. Folks imagine that prices will 'soak up' UBI magically. But the market doesn't work that way. In fact, when demand goes up and volume goes up, prices come down for most things.

Surely you realize that demand and volume for college has gone up in the US. Also, the US gives out unlimited "free" money to attend. (student loans) And "magically" the pice of college has in fact skyrocketed, or even "soaked up" the excess money.

Because colleges were in the 'money pipe', and could gatekeep. In a free market (which I guess colleges aren't) it would not work that way.

Would you have considered the pre-2007 housing market a part of the free market? Same exact thing happened there. "Free" money given out and the market figured out how to soak it up very quickly.

But with the UBI, the money isn't 'for' anything. Its just more money. It can be spent on donuts, or houses, or college, or hookers and blow. None of those markets has any 'claim' on the money. I doubt anybody will figure out a way to 'soak it up'

Agree to disagree. Giving people money will solve exactly zero problems.

Despite all the evidence to the contrary?

Its FUD that keeps the UBI from happening. Not logic, evidence nor sound economic principles. Old farts that can't let go of 1950's notions of how people should behave.

Did you read the link that created this thread? UBI won't solve anything. I hate to burst your bubble, but you're just ignoring facts. "Old farts" have nothing to do with it.

A single limited Finnish experiment of limited duration was loosely characterized. Not proving anything; not rational to deduce all that from 'an article'. No, this is more cherry-picking to support a preconceived notion - that the Protestant Work Ethic will always be the right answer to everything.

Read a dozen more articles, not from your bubble, and then get back to me.

Of course in Finland education is free, but yes the point of the UBI is that it is not constrained, and can be used to augment part-time work, etc, etc.

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