Institute a Social Dividend

Institute a Social Dividend
Distribute some of the profit from corporate use of the common wealth back to citizens - giving everyone their equal share as owners of the commons. This could reduce inequities and engage citizens (with financial incentive) in attending to how best to use, care for, and improve the commonwealth.

Instead of the use of our shared wealth leading only to private profit or government revenues, with the public and future generations left to pick up any externalized costs.

older longer draft version

In Alaska, each citizen gets a dividend check for their share in the State's oil revenues. Distributing even some of the profit from use of each State's or Nation's common wealth (such as natural resources) back to citizens—giving everyone their equal share as owners of the commons—could help to illeviate extreme poverty, free economic choice and creativity, help those in lower income brackets adjust to higher prices for goods with less welfare (as the system provides the same dividend to all), and ease the transition to a steady state economy.

Instead of: Allowing private profit to be made from use and depletion of our common wealth, or simply putting funds in government hands, both of which aggregate and centralize wealth and power while reducing our shared wealth. Think of citizens as the "stock holders" of our natural resources—deserving of some combination of a regular dividend check and knowledge that the resource base is being well managed and is accruing in value.

OR

Instead of: Use of our shared wealth leading only to private profit or government revenues.

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