Faithfully Raising the Floor --With GLI

 

This morning we headed out of town early so we weren't part of the gathered faith community of Trenton United Church. We did have something of a religious experience with two UCC ministers though. One was the Rev. Isaac Mundy of Trention UC and the other was the Rev. Cathy Russell-Duggan of Bloomfield UC. Isaac is our kid and Cathy was a co-worker for several years and a colleague in Belleville for several more.

The two of them have brought their smarts to exploring the important subject of Guaranteed Livable Income, or GLI. They've recorded a couple of podcast interviews with people who can 'splain GLI, which is essentially establishing a modest financial baseline for all Canadians with the purpose of lifting the most vulnerable out of cycles of poverty and despair. 

The interview which we heard, the first in the series was with Dr. Evelyn Forget, author of Basic Income for Canadians. She speaks clearly about the reservations some have about GLI  --won't people who receive it be reluctant to work and carry their own weight? She reminds us that we do have certain forms of guaranteed income in this country, including child benefits and pensions for seniors. 

Forget describes how consolidating some programs could be cost efficient  and points out that there could be considerable reductions in healthcare costs and child welfare programs if everyone had a livable income. Then there is the possibility that GLI will create opportunities for people to lift themselves out of poverty through education in various forms, not to mention the increase in purpose and dignity for those living in the despair of poverty. 

We also appreciated that Cathy and Isaac spoke about the biblical and theological basis for "raising the floor" for all. They play on the phrase "Glee Club" in their podcast title, encouragint us to believe that there can be joy in ensuring that everyone realizes a degree of security and hope. 

I highly recommend listening to this first episode and I'm sure the second with the Rev. Ed Bentley will also be worthwhile.https://gliclub.podbean.com/?fbclid=IwAR3wk-9orqgMnQOKXH0D3L_AUvuux5Rujp7KGfgZ41UkxyD_Ccl9G3chcl8

Am I biased because Isaac is our son and Cathy a friend? Why not make your own evidence-based decision?