Uber for Welfare, a crank welfare scheme promoted by Twitter libertarian Morgan Warstler, has been thoroughly debunked. But that doesn't mean it can't be salvaged!
With a few minor tweaks, I have developed a brilliant alternative to UFW 1.0 that actually solves the problems it sets out to solve. Here's how Uber For Welfare 2.0 actually works.
THE BASIC PLAN
First, the federal government should establish a guaranteed income. Around $280 a week would be a good start. On the condition that they enroll in the program, participants will receive the funds in a state-of-the-art Electronic Benefits Transfer card, which works exactly like an ATM card.
Enrolling in the program will automatically register users to a futuristic jobs portal. This futuristic site will work like a combination of Monster.com, eBay, and LinkedIn, allowing employers to market themselves to potential workers. All colleagues and companies that have worked together can rate each other.
Companies must hire all of their employees through this site as a condition of incorporation. Employers are welcome to compete in the labor market outside of this site, but they will not be granted the special legal benefits of incorporation if they do so.
...and that's it!
VERSION CHANGELOG
As you can see, Uber For Welfare 2.0 is infinitely simpler than the original. Like the original, it is a far from perfect solution. But it is certainly a better solution, improving nearly all of the problems of the previous version.
* Previously, UFW encouraged relatively employers to be free-riders in the system, offering them free labor with no buy-in. In this version, UFW is still exposed to the free-rider problem, but now the potential beneficiaries are the poor rather than relatively wealthy business owners.
* UFW now only replaces other welfare programs if it works. All existing programs remain in place, but their eligibility requirements are obviously only met insofar as UFW has failed. This exchanges the unacceptable prospect of Americans lacking any form of welfare for the much preferable problem of temporary budgetary redundancies. Obviously as UFW accomplishes its mission, other welfare programs will simply wither away.
* By transferring payments through an EBT card, UFW avoids the inevitable handouts that would accompany any private-public payment process (through PayPal or Visa or whatever) which positions business to charge fees and profit at taxpayers' expense.
* UFW now frees job portal users from the artificial restriction of only allowing employers and employees to rate each other. All coworkers and companies that have worked together can rate each other, ensuring a much more robust and accurate reputation system.
KNOWN PROBLEMS