America's maternity leave problem

[JJ Husker]

6 hours ago, knapplc said:

I'm confused what the issue is.  Is it that we don't have the bandwidth to pursue this, because we should be working on other things?  That's the "walk & chew gum" argument, and I think we understand that a government as large and multifunctional as ours can accomplish writing a bill pretty easily.

 

Is it that it doesn't benefit society?  Study after study after study after study shows that it does. And those are just the first few I chose to link. There are dozens more. If nothing else, allowing women the

 

Is it the cost? Maybe we don't need to raise taxes, may we just need to cut the pork from the federal budget instead, although my taxes are too high is an awfully cynical way of determining what's best for the American family, and through them, society as a whole.

 

If higher retention rates and a better, more engaged workforce are the goal, and bringing America more in line with the rest of the world's wealthiest countries are desirable goals, something charitable like this that we can do for the women in our workforce is really a no-brainer. 

 

I thought I explained the walk and chew gum thing fairly well. I mean sure we have the bandwidth and time to discuss it but I just don't see the point in pursuing this one when we have the unresolved healthcare issue looming. Which one is going to improve quality of life more for everyone and also help poor people, families, and parents the most?  But I'm operating from the position that there is one place to draw the funding from for both of them (the taxpayer) so if my taxes are going to increase then I'd rather see that money being spent on fixing healthcare rather than some luxury item way down the list like paid maternity leave. I know some people may not choose to look at it that way and also that some people seem to think the US taxpayer is an endless source of federal revenue that can be spent on all kinds of new programs. I'm just not one of them.

[knapplc]

I answered everything you just wrote in the post that you quoted. 

 

ಠ_ಠ

 

 

[JJ Husker]

53 minutes ago, knapplc said:

I answered everything you just wrote in the post that you quoted. 

 

ಠ_ಠ

 

 

 

Well you didn't exactly answer my concerns but I agree that cutting some stuff out of the budget (like tons of military spending), without raising taxes, could provide revenue for all types of things. I'm just trying to keep it real though. Neither party has shown any willingness to cut anything that would begin to pay for health care or social security. But yeah, I'm sure they could find a way to fund paid maternity leave with either or a combination of cuts and increased taxes. I just won't be supporting that action until they cut and increase to cover existing problems and health care. I guess I view it as a much lower priority issue.

 

And I never said that my personal tax situation had any bearing on this issue so it's not me being cynical or unwilling to have my taxes increased. I actually think for the first time in a long time, after the recent tax cuts, that I could consider taking on an increased tax burden. All most all of my income comes in the form of a pass through so I'm expecting a much better situation beginning this year. But even still I'm looking at it as what's best for the country as a whole and I firmly believe we have at least a couple much more dire problems than maternity leave. JMO. It's not a bad idea, it's just way down the list.

[knapplc]

12 minutes ago, Comfortably Numb said:

 

It's not a bad idea, it's just way down the list.

 

I think that's probably the opinion of most everyone in this thread. It's  certainly mine.

[deedsker]

1 hour ago, knapplc said:

 

I think that's probably the opinion of most everyone in this thread. It's  certainly mine.

I disagree and would say this falls into family services that need more holistic approach and not just dollars and cents. Foster care, CHIP, family paid leave, SNAP, schooling, and etc. all come together to benefit youth and people providing services to them to help keep these children from being a drain to society later. So many dollar and cents things kill funding to these programs that don't have a dollar figure attached to society now, but sure do create societal issues that may be hard to correct later that cost society. Even one weak link causes the chain to break for a lot of these systems that can cause issues for a child that when they are developing, never get to go through again.

 

But maybe I am the only one here who thinks that.

[RedDenver]

4 hours ago, deedsker said:

I disagree and would say this falls into family services that need more holistic approach and not just dollars and cents. Foster care, CHIP, family paid leave, SNAP, schooling, and etc. all come together to benefit youth and people providing services to them to help keep these children from being a drain to society later. So many dollar and cents things kill funding to these programs that don't have a dollar figure attached to society now, but sure do create societal issues that may be hard to correct later that cost society. Even one weak link causes the chain to break for a lot of these systems that can cause issues for a child that when they are developing, never get to go through again.

 

But maybe I am the only one here who thinks that.

I agree.