What do you think about with current News and Opinions?

toomuchbaloney · Dec 13, 2021

14 minutes ago, Tweety said:

I appreciate being pointed out that the Biden plan for childcare doesn't raise taxes. I was expressing my frustration as a heavily taxed middle class person (with no dependents) that the burden to support the poor parents falls of us. People with children get tax breaks, and the poor pay no taxes., the rich get tax breaks and cuts.

I think it bears consideration or at least acknowledgement the burden on the middle class as Beerman mentions. To some it might be worse the costs. To me obviously it doesn't matter but to working parents who already pay high costs it does.

Of course it bears consideration. The wealthy members of our society have made certain that the middle income citizens experience the biggest impact of economic tax policy...that way they can point to that hardship and use that as a motivation to do nothing to help those with the greatest needs. Of course, the middle classes weren't saved from the woes of taxation in quite the same way that the wealthy were in 2017...that was intentional, but they are a good excuse to maintain the unsustainable economic status quo. There's no reason that our tax policy can't protect the workers rather than the wealthy.

Beerman, BSN · Dec 13, 2021

1 hour ago, Tweety said:

I agree that if the Republicans are going to criticize the plan, they can make some better proposals.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/12/09/republicans-should-one-up-dems-with-a-better-child-care-proposal-heres-how-523971

Also it would be nice to stop the rhetoric.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democratic-child-care-plan-churches-synagogues_n_618ad731e4b06de3eb7bbec6

I agree that Republicans should make a better proposal. Others here don't to want to concede that Biden's plan is bad. Instead, they seem to be OK with a very bad idea over doing nothing

I don't know that day care access and costs are truly keeping that many woman out of the work force. Havent seen data on this.. Articles I've read seem to focus on career advancement is often deterred because of children. That's probably true. However, men and women have declined promotions and advancement for many reasons, oftrn family related. Why should the taxpayer be responsible for giving these folks everything and all they want?

Anyway, if you want to improve childcare access and decrease costs, you need to increase the number of daycare providers. Biden's plan is instead to assist the parents in paying for daycare. This isn't helpful, especially when in many areas there already aren't enough providers. Increasing demand only exasperates the problem when there isn't enough supply.

toomuchbaloney · Dec 13, 2021

8 minutes ago, Beerman said:

I agree that Republicans should make a better proposal. Others here don't to want to concede that Biden's plan is bad. Instead, they seem to be OK with a very bad idea over doing nothing

I don't know that day care access and costs are truly keeping that many woman out of the work force. Havent seen data on this.. Articles I've read seem to focus on career advancement is often deterred because of children. That's probably true. However, men and women have declined promotions and advancement for many reasons, oftrn family related. Why should the taxpayer be responsible for giving these folks everything and all they want?

Anyway, if you want to improve childcare access and decrease costs, you need to increase the number of daycare providers. Biden's plan is instead to assist the parents in paying for daycare. This isn't helpful, especially when in many areas there already aren't enough providers. Increasing demand only exasperates the problem when there isn't enough supply.

Are there some specific initiatives to increase the number of childcare providers that you would like to see in the legislation?

https://www.ffyf.org/faq-on-the-child-care-and-preschool-provisions-in-the-build-back-better-act/

"Over the first 3 years, 25% of the funding states receive is dedicated to activities that improve the quality and supply of child care services and 25% to direct child care services, supply and quality building, or administration. In FY2025-2027, states must reserve between 5 and 10% of total funds for activities that increase the quality and supply of eligible child care providers.

These activities include startup and supply expansion grants for child care providers, with priority given to those providing or seeking to provide child care in underserved communities and for underserved populations. Funds could be used to support startup and expansion."

In my view, if congressional republicans wanted to improve upon these ideas they could. That's not the message they're sending.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Dec 13, 2021

https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-child-care-availability-statistics/

toomuchbaloney · Dec 13, 2021

52 minutes ago, nursej22 said:

https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-child-care-availability-statistics/

From the article:

Quote

The cost of child care has led to a 13% decline in the employment of mothers.

Over the past two decades, women’s participation in the labor force has been declining, and rising child care costs are partly to blame. The United States’ lack of federal child care and paid family leave policies is tied to at least one-third of the decline in female employment.

This is a social issue that deserves honest and earnest debate.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2021

2 hours ago, Beerman said:

Ise costs, you need to increase the number of daycare providers. Biden's plan is instead to assist the parents in paying for daycare. This isn't helpful, especially when in many areas there already aren't enough providers. Increasing demand only exasperates the problem when there isn't enough supply.

Biden's plan doesn't seem to address that issue. But it also creates an opportunity to solve that problem. I know republicans wouldn't want government run day care centers as a solution. I would in the past say that an increase in demand would be met by our capitalistic society and business minded people creating more daycares because there's an opportunity to make money there and the usual economics would eventually take care of the situation.

But was we are seeing in this odd economy that's not always true. For example the need for more truck drivers has created bottle necks and problems but not necessarily more truckers.

The demand for nurses hasn't produced more nurses.

I don't necessarily think it's my job to take care of your children. Most people work it out when they are having children as to what they are going to do. It does fall mostly on women and families to take care of children but men too. I have a coworker with toddlers and he and his wife have to coordinate schedules to take care of their kids..it's just what parents do. He gets tax breaks that I don't get, but should he get daycare paid by me too?

Anyway, lifting poor women out of poverty isn't going to happen without childcare options and I'm not a total cold hearted person.

Beerman, BSN · Dec 13, 2021

1 hour ago, toomuchbaloney said:

From the article:

This is a social issue that deserves honest and earnest debate.

Yes, it does. But, that's not what is happening is it? We have a massive spending bill barreling our way.

Cclm, LPN · Dec 13, 2021

23 minutes ago, Tweety said:

Biden's plan doesn't seem to address that issue. But it also creates an opportunity to solve that problem. I know republicans wouldn't want government run day care centers as a solution. I would in the past say that an increase in demand would be met by our capitalistic society and business minded people creating more daycares because there's an opportunity to make money there and the usual economics would eventually take care of the situation.

But was we are seeing in this odd economy that's not always true. For example the need for more truck drivers has created bottle necks and problems but not necessarily more truckers.

The demand for nurses hasn't produced more nurses.

I don't necessarily think it's my job to take care of your children. Most people work it out when they are having children as to what they are going to do. It does fall mostly on women and families to take care of children but men too. I have a coworker with toddlers and he and his wife have to coordinate schedules to take care of their kids..it's just what parents do. He gets tax breaks that I don't get, but should he get daycare paid by me too?

Anyway, lifting poor women out of poverty isn't going to happen without childcare options and I'm not a total cold hearted person.

I have children and I agree with everything you said.

toomuchbaloney · Dec 13, 2021

28 minutes ago, Beerman said:

Yes, it does. But, that's not what is happening is it? We have a massive spending bill barreling our way.

The information that I provided suggests a somewhat different narrative and perspective. We need investment in this country. We need to invest in our infrastructure and in our population.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Dec 13, 2021

I get that middle-class workers without dependents don't want to pay for other peoples' children. But then, I hope they then don't complain when there are worker shortages because minimum age workers can't afford to pay 1/3 to 1/2 of their take home pay for childcare.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2021

10 minutes ago, nursej22 said:

I get that middle-class workers without dependents don't want to pay for other peoples' children. But then, I hope they then don't complain when there are worker shortages because minimum age workers can't afford to pay 1/3 to 1/2 of their take home pay for childcare.

Childcare for lower incomes has always been an issue. Most work it out with their relatives or parents. I understand that not everyone has this kind of option and must go on public assistance because they can't work. Or that they remain in poverty paying for childcare.

Like I said, I'm not a total cold hearted person. I do want to help. The middle class does seem to get screwed. We don't get food assistance, we have to take our huge student loans, pay high rents, high taxes, on and on.

The current labor shortages don't seem to be defined by people not having daycare for their children, although I understand that is a driver for a certain percentage of it.

For the most part while republicans are against "this massive spending program" I'm not that objectionable to it. Like TMB says, we need to invest in ourselves.

Beerman, BSN · Dec 13, 2021

21 minutes ago, Tweety said:

Childcare for lower incomes has always been an issue. Most work it out with their relatives or parents. I understand that not everyone has this kind of option and must go on public assistance because they can't work. Or that they remain in poverty paying for childcare.

Like I said, I'm not a total cold hearted person. I do want to help. The middle class does seem to get screwed. We don't get food assistance, we have to take our huge student loans, pay high rents, high taxes, on and on.

The current labor shortages don't seem to be defined by people not having daycare for their children, although I understand that is a driver for a certain percentage of it.

For the most part while republicans are against "this massive spending program" I'm not that objectionable to it. Like TMB says, we need to invest in ourselves.

Yes, but we need to invest wisely. Biden's childcare plan is not a wise investment, IMO.