It’s basically a basic income…basically…

Todd Coleman Explains the Future of COVID-19 – The 905er Podcast

As the Omicron variant continues to paralyze the 905 and all of Ontario, we asked epidemiologist Dr Todd Coleman what we should be doing to live with COVID-19 as we enter the third year of this pandemic. Todd Coleman received his PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in 2014 from the University of Western Ontario. After his PhD studies, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Ryerson University, then, as a Public Health Epidemiologist with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he teaches courses in Epidemiology and Population Health. His research focuses on issues of social inclusion and health equity in terms of health outcomes and health care access in minority groups. This episode of The 905er is brought to you by our sponsor: South River Brewing.  Listen to this episode to see how you can save money on your next order by visiting the link below: South River Brewing It takes money and time to create two podcasts a week. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills. Why not buy us a coffee? Or you can support us by becoming a patron for a month, for six months, or forever. See https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Patreon listeners also get to hear our episodes without commercial interruptions. Thanks to our existing patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure it reflects your priorities. Please consider joining our growing team. Nicholas Paul: sound editing. The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes! Don’t forget to check out 905er.ca, even if you get the podcast delivered to you automatically. We post additional news and stories there when we can, and welcome submissions and ideas for additional content.

1. Todd Coleman Explains the Future of COVID-19 39:38
2. The 905 Round-Up – Poor Media & Last Development of Mississauga 40:21
3. Brenda Agnew Tries to Fly the Pride Flag at the HCDSB One More Time 38:26
4. The 905 Round-Up: Covid Deja Vu, Lawn Sign Loopholes and More Pride for HCDSB 37:17
5. The Year 2021 in Review 46:19

I missed the chance to promote the latest episode of The 905er yesterday. I got busy, my bad. This week we were talking about Hamilton’s basic income experiment, the previous provincial Liberal government instituted. It’s a great discussion on what actually happens under a universal basic income to those who are on it. I highly recommend you listen to it, as it’s more than relevant these days with the federal CERB program winding down.

What do people have to say?

How Universal Basic Income Will Save the Economy – By Max Fawcett

Why Canada is now debating a basic income model – By Aaron Burnett

Has guaranteed basic income’s time arrived? Canada may find out. – By Sarah Miller Llana

Has the time finally come for UBI?

As CERB winds down the question is how do we prevent wide spread catastrophe of an anemic economy and to stop the spread of COVID-19? New programs have been implemented to begin soon. The question is what happens though once these plans end?

We are in the beginning of a second wave ripping through the Canadian economy. Our economy hasn’t fully recovered from the initial lockdown in spring. Many Canadians are unemployed or employed in precarious jobs. These jobs are focused on the retail and hospitality sectors. All of which are under heavy pressure from health professionals to be closed until the curve flattens. Whether or not the provincial government will abide by their recommendation is yet to be seen. Regardless, hearing from these industries, it is apparent that consumer confidence has yet to return to the economy as a whole.

Canadians on a whole are timid to enter into restaurants and retail spaces for the time being. Should our COVID-19 numbers continue to increase, the pressure may mount to invoke a second lockdown as a draconian last ditch measure to save lives. There is no crystal ball to use here. There is no clear cut policy decision that outlines if A happens, then you must implement B.

Instead, we need tools which are flexible enough to handle the ups and downs of an economy tied to the COVID-19 case curve. The economy will recover, new systems of commerce and business models will emerge from this pandemic. Human beings are inventive and resourceful. I have no doubt about that. However, it doesn’t mean we don’t need some help. A mechanism to help cushion the changes that we are all experience. To help cushion the economic falls due to lock down.

This seems to be our economy for the foreseeable future. At least until a vaccine has been developed and administered widely enough. Coming up with patchwork policy options for each economic downturn is wildly inefficient and doesn’t work to build up confidence in our economy. It is time to seriously take a look at instituting a permanent basic income model for Canada. It might prove to be as important in dealing with COVID-19 as wearing a mask.