Did you catch Elizabeth Hovde’s anti-paid family leave rant in the Sunday Oregonian? (“A payday for no work?”)
Oh my… Where do I begin?
Briefly for those who are unfamiliar with the Paid Family Leave proposal currently before the Oregon Legislature, it would provide up to $300 per week (for up to six weeks) to workers who take leave after the birth of a child or to care for a sick relative. It’s funded by a two cent per hour payroll tax (which works out to $42/year for a full-time worker).
Hovde opposes the legislation for the following reasons:
It sends the “wrong message”. Hovde says “programs like this encourage people not to plan ahead and can create a false sense of security or an unwise reliance on government.” I guess the “wrong message” is that your government cares about your family? Ms. Hovde, can you explain why America, Liberia, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland are the only four counties in the world without paid family leave? Seems to be working out for the other 190 plus countries that have tried it.
Hovde also claims that the Family Medical Leave Act – which guarantees UNpaid leave for new parents – is sufficient. But more than three-quarters of those who are eligible to take time off under that law are simply unable to do so – because they can’t afford to.
Meanwhile, parents around the world must be scratching their heads in wonder at How We Do Things here in America. Here are a few Paid Family Leave factoids from abroad: Sweden gives new moms 16 months of leave at 80 percent of their salary for the first 390 days and at a flat rate after that. New Italian moms get 22 weeks of paid leave and dads get 13 weeks. In Turkey new moms get 16 weeks at two-thirds of their salaries. Even in Somalia a new mom gets 14 weeks of leave at half her pay.
Ironically, Hovde also expresses concern that low-income workers would be charged for a benefit that higher income workers could utilize. Her example is that a fast food worker would be taxed to pay for an attorney’s $300/week paid leave.
I for one would be okay with an amendment to the proposal that has the benefit phased out for higher income workers and/or taxes higher income workers more per hour. I doubt, however, that Ms. Hovde would support the plan with those changes.
Hovde’s final salvo had me seeing red: “The reality is taxpayers are doing their share when it comes to funding families.” Not even close, Elizabeth. Not even close…
February 23rd, 2009 | Category: Metro Parent
