JI

Means-testing is mean

by jonkle

With COVID came the CERB, and now we all get a real-time reminder of why means-testing is dumb and universal support is cool:

With a means-testing CERB you need to meet the criteria such as: you have lost work due to COVID (but not if you quit due to unsafe work conditions—but also maybe if you did?), are not on EI (or, maybe, but only if you’re a fisher?) and have made at least $5000 in work-related income the 2019 tax year, and have not or will not make $1000 in the upcoming two weeks or maybe month (you can still see the future, right? It’s not just me?). Then next year you’ll have to pay the government back because it’s all considered taxable income. If you don’t know if you check all these boxes, but really need the money, don’t worry—a false application will just get you fined $5000 and/or six months in jail for fraud. If you know you don’t qualify, well…

With a universal CERB, you’d just get the money. It’s all good. No, no questions, do what you want with it. It’s just your money. Pay the government back? Sure, let’s do that with, I dunno, something like a 79% tax on all income over $5 million dollars? Maybe we could even try a 100% tax on all wealth over $5 million dollars a year? People can get by with $4.9 million dollars a year, right?

Yeah. So you’d be covered. You’d be fine. You’d be safe.

• Image credit: u/MidnightTokr