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one thing that feels almost paradoxical to me is the apparently accepted notion that llms are especially good at writing software, combined with people who know how computers work thinking this is a remotely good way to interact with them

I was told by someone a few years ago that it was only ever worth it when the sun was out (they had solar). They have also since sold their rig. It's an increasingly expensive problem.

If anyone uses Stripe to get payments, go to your Settings (Gear icon) > Plans and Fees > Radar (View plan details) > View Plans > Scroll to "More Options" and select "Lite" I want none of the money I earn to go to AI if I can help it.

I thought they had defined those top ups in their full policy, but that must have been an assumption on my end! Genuinely think ALL benefits are removed under their plan and replaced with the UBI. Student living costs are, for example! If they aren't...they are talking like they will be.

Same! 💚

Yeah, their UBI is about the same as the max jobseekers pay after tax I think. Should be matched to living wages!

Also, no way in hell will Nats or Labour go for their plan! Greens plan is less radical a change than theirs, and Hipkins has entirely ruled it out. The UBI is TOP's main thing, and it's not going to happen any time soon, so I feel like we should look at the rest of their policies first.

My main take with TOP is that they seem to be banking on automation saving the day and they are woefully underestimating how much MSD and IRD would still need to function properly. Hard to trust them as a Wellingtonian with a redundant PS partner.

I've been jabbering on about TOP today and getting lots of likes and responses so feel compelled to just say: I am pro UBI or guaranteed income. Either should strive to match the living wage. I don't think lower income folks should have their income taxes raised for either. Tax the rich baby.

I don't personally feel like raising taxes on lower incomes is the only way to do this. I did check out their calculator and while a couple on high wages individually would get less extra $ in hand than a single person on a low income, together, they would get more back than the single person.

UBI is their benefits replacement. It's not a reverse tax so it shouldn't be lumped together w/ taxes. The UBI and tax brackets could easily be changed independent of each other over time. Like I am pro a UBI and this might be a good way to do it, but I think their framing is...not my favourite.

Yep. I don't like how they have framed that pretty much everyone's tax will go down under their tax policy. They want to lump the UBI under their tax plan, but they are different things. Taxes will go up across the board in their plan, though most people would get more $ in hand with the UBI.

Also, on paper, you can say that you aren't reducing head count, but if you eliminate roles and create an equivalent number of new ones, that often will result in many people losing their jobs because...the offered new role is too different.

Doubt that's how that's going to work in practice as the easiest way for government departments or really any employer to save money after budget cuts has always been to reduce head count. So will be interested to see how they can make that claim.

LEGAL ACTION jeez Louise

There are top ups, and I believe citizens and residents all get the UBI without exception, but they're calling it a "Citizens Income" which makes it sound like it's just for citizens

*cuts...I mean more cuts at the end there

If you are suddenly made redundant and own land, however, you will also get pinged with a new land tax, which will eat into that UBI. The UBI is of course there for everyone, but the cost of that is more public service (and servant) costs.

The cuts to MSD will partially come from eliminating the entire benefits system and replacing it with the UBI and some other top ups. Their UBI is $19.4k per year ($373 per week) which is almost exactly the same for a single person over 25 on jobseekers right now.