This really pisses me off...sigh....?

[Mand 1]

The US is not a socialist country. Who is going to pay for this? Perhaps the parents should have saved a little money before deciding to have a baby to fund this time off of work? Why haven't you saved money for their college education?

If you want to be a mother, than be mother. If you a want to work, then be a worker. Exit the workforce and search for a new job when you are able to work. Fathers, this goes for you too...It doesn't always have to be the mothers who stay at home with the baby.

Come on people, get the government pacifier out of your mouth, support your own decisions, and quit sucking on the government teat for your choices because Immaculate Conception doesn't happen very often! Quit being such babies yourself... oh yeah, get a haircut while your at it because I know all the liberals are going to flame this!

Geez.

I really hope you never reproduce. Maybe you'll stop being such a narrow-minded bigot and consider the issues some day. I can recommend some very good books.

But then with a whole 5 posts on the boards so far, you're obviously so au fait with the political landscape here....

I have to claim short-term disability to get paid maternity from my company. It sucks.

I didn't see anything is that post that shows bigotry... and is he narrow-minded because he doesn't agree with you?

It's a different view ... he's not the only one advocating that people should take care of themselves. I see narrow-mindedness in disregarding this point of view with such aggression.

I disliked his post because generalizations and euphemisms don't make for a convincing arguement

[ChristinaM 0]

The US is not a socialist country. Who is going to pay for this? Perhaps the parents should have saved a little money before deciding to have a baby to fund this time off of work? Why haven't you saved money for their college education?

If you want to be a mother, than be mother. If you a want to work, then be a worker. Exit the workforce and search for a new job when you are able to work. Fathers, this goes for you too...It doesn't always have to be the mothers who stay at home with the baby.

Come on people, get the government pacifier out of your mouth, support your own decisions, and quit sucking on the government teat for your choices because Immaculate Conception doesn't happen very often! Quit being such babies yourself... oh yeah, get a haircut while your at it because I know all the liberals are going to flame this!

Geez.

I really hope you never reproduce. Maybe you'll stop being such a narrow-minded bigot and consider the issues some day. I can recommend some very good books.

But then with a whole 5 posts on the boards so far, you're obviously so au fait with the political landscape here....

I didn't see anything is that post that shows bigotry... and is he narrow-minded because he doesn't agree with you?

It's a different view ... he's not the only one advocating that people should take care of themselves. I see narrow-mindedness in disregarding this point of view with such aggression.

To suggest that a woman can either be a mother or a valuable part of the workforce shows discrimination against a very large proportion of mothers who also work, for one.

I'm also going to assume that this guy is, well, a guy and therefore has no concept of how difficult it is to just drop out of the workforce, pop out a baby and then return four years later when you've suddenly "finished" being a full-time mother.

Bush proposed a record $439.3 billion defense budget for 2007 aimed at fighting unconventional terrorism and any major international conflict. But this total does not include an extra $50 billion the administration will seek in added funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in fiscal 2007.

The administration is also seeking another $70 billion for the current fiscal 2006 year for the two wars.

(Reuters)

If they can find the money for that, they damn well should put some down to help people in their own country. The US should get it's finger out of everyone else's pie and deal with making their own taste better.

I understand that people should enter into making a family once they are in a fiscal position to do so, but we're talking about maternity leave. We're talking about women who are already working a full-time job. We're not talking welfare here. We're talking about it being possible for a woman to be able to do more than simply stop working the week before she gives birth, push a baby out and then, just as she's caught her breath, go back to work. What about women who are not supported by a man during this period? How are they supposed to function with no money coming in?

I think the implications are huge, and to say "everyone should look after themselves" is narrow-minded because it makes no compensation for the myriad of circumstances which arise.

And to top it off, it took a man to help make that baby. I don't see him being punished by losing 12 weeks pay. If men HAD to take time out of work to have a child and then didn't get paid fairly for it, I think there'd be more said about maternity pay, don't you?

Edited February 6, 2006 by clmarsh

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I don't think it's possible to raise a family on one income any more. In Southern California, the median price of house is $500,000 - for most people that requires 2 incomes and even then it's an almost impossible stretch.

[Mand 1]

Maternity Benefit is a payment made to women in Ireland on maternity leave from work and who have paid a certain amount of PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance). You need to apply for the payment 6 weeks before you intend to go on maternity leave (16 weeks if you are self-employed). The amount of money paid to you each week will depend on your earnings. If you are already on certain social welfare payments then you will receive half-rate Maternity Benefit.

In effect, taxes you pay are paid back to you through this benefit....we pay for this ourselves through the taxes we pay.

[Welshcookie 17]

But then with a whole 5 posts on the boards so far, you're obviously so au fait with the political landscape here....

there are plenty of ppl on here who would rather produce a 'new' user name to say something they really want to say rather than just say it under their everday name....

[Mand 1]

there are plenty of ppl on here who would rather produce a 'new' user name to say something they really want to say rather than just say it under their everday name....

Really? Jeez I never even thought of that...I AM naive But seriously....really??

[Sister Fracas 5]

In effect, taxes you pay are paid back to you through this benefit....we pay for this ourselves through the taxes we pay.

That's the thing, people are not willing to pay more in taxes! And then trust the government on top of that, to administer these social programs.

there are plenty of ppl on here who would rather produce a 'new' user name to say something they really want to say rather than just say it under their everday name....

*looks suspiciously at welch cake* are you really Wog??

[SteveLaura 0]

In effect, taxes you pay are paid back to you through this benefit....we pay for this ourselves through the taxes we pay.

That's the thing, people are not willing to pay more in taxes! And then trust the government on top of that, to administer these social programs.

But if people don't trust the government (whichever it is) to administer social programs, why do they ever trust them to defend the country? Why is that trust so narrowly focussed?

No one likes paying tax, obviously, but you can't avoid paying somehow - whether that be private health insurance (instead of a National Health Service) or from your own savings to support yourself (instead of maternity leave). I know which I would choose.

[Mand 1]

In effect, taxes you pay are paid back to you through this benefit....we pay for this ourselves through the taxes we pay.

That's the thing, people are not willing to pay more in taxes! And then trust the government on top of that, to administer these social programs.

Taxes in Ireland have actually gone down in the last 20 or 30 years, whilst the average maternity leave time and pay has gone up...I guess for all our complaining about them (the Irish Govt), they must be doing something right!...maybe GWB needs to go back to school to study up on his maths!!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

But if people don't trust the government (whichever it is) to administer social programs, why do they ever trust them to defend the country? Why is that trust so narrowly focussed?

Because private militias are scary

[KiKi 0]

It's a matter of priorites, and it's obvious where the U.S priorities lie, or don't as the case may be.

We pay lip service to caring about our kids, and the importance of parenting etc, but we don't put our TAX money where our mouths are.

Edited February 6, 2006 by KiKi

[Welshcookie 17]

*looks suspiciously at welch cake* are you really Wog??

ROTF!!.....I couldn't try to be THAT much of a chopfuck if I tried.....

[ChristinaM 0]

Two really interesting books are The Price Of Motherhood by Ann Crittenden and The Two-Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren. I would recommend both to anyone who is interested in these issues. They're good reading, and not just for women either.

[Sister Fracas 5]

In effect, taxes you pay are paid back to you through this benefit....we pay for this ourselves through the taxes we pay.

That's the thing, people are not willing to pay more in taxes! And then trust the government on top of that, to administer these social programs.

But if people don't trust the government (whichever it is) to administer social programs, why do they ever trust them to defend the country?

A million dollar question....

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Can I be honest?

Please don't flame me.

I, and I suspect many people like myself, always have have this nagging feeling that people who want higher taxes so they can have things I already have.... really just want to rip me off and take away whats mine. That is why, no matter how strongly I feel women should have paid maternity leave and poor people should have some form of free health coverage (catastrophic, at least), I think about it some more and the thought that this might just be a boondoggle meant to take away whats mine and give it to those who (IMO) did not work for it... and that bothers me.