Andrew Yang’s Freedom Dividend is more than a giveaway. It’s about paying people for work often undervalued. Most notably, women who stay home and sacrifice careers and traditional income for no recompense.
One thousand dollars a month cannot sustain a single person, let alone a family, in the modern economy. But that small amount of money could empower a creative idea. It might plant the seed for an art project that adds cultural value to a family or a larger community. If a group of citizens pooled and saved their Freedom Dividends over time, those funds could plant a seed of entrepreneurship.
Yang’s campaign overflows with ideas on how to escape a reactive mindset and seize control of our destiny as we move into an uncertain future. We’re already reeling from shock caused by the intrusion of algorithms and budding artificial intelligence. Advancing technology compels us to reconsider how we compensate citizens for their services. The first step toward this goal is to ensure all are paid appropriately for the work they’re already doing.
The Freedom Dividend isn’t charity. The Freedom Dividend is an investment in the sacrifice and creative power of our most under-appreciated workers.
Shawn Montgomery, Cottonwood Heights
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