I know, this is a green parenting blog. And my post is about politics. But the two are interconnected in so many ways that I could not resist writing about this.
I am proud that a woman is finally a vice presidential candidate in the Republican Party, as the Democrats had their first vice presidential candidate in 1987. Woman are making great strides in our country, and Gov. Palin and Sen. Clinton’s candidacy are evidence of that.
It is wonderful that she is a working mother of 5 children. But ask yourself, what will she do for families in poverty, and the middle class?
Will she protect our children from the barrage of chemicals in everyday products by signing the Kid-Safe Chemical Act?
Will she support a paid family leave for all workers?
Will she support health care for all Americans, especially children?
Will she support quality afterschool programs, and affordable and enriching childcare?
Will she demand equal pay for women and mothers by restoring the Fair Pay Restoration Act?
As a mother of a son with a disability, will she fully fund special education across U.S. public schools?
From what I have read, we can certainly not count on this. She supposedly has a reputation for taking on big business and even those in her party. So does this mean she will take on the chemical lobby? Will she stand up for the parents who are busy feeding babies, working late and trying to make the best choices they can for their familes? This is not clear. We need her to respond not through the strict speaking points of the campaign managers. Mere lip service to these issues will not do.
Of course, there are a host of other questions I want to ask Gov. Palin about the environment, but those have more clear answers. She is for drilling in ANWAR, is for offshore drilling and her town is now full of big box stores (according to Wasilla resident Anne Kilkenny).
Momsrising is asking similar questions, in a letter to Gov. Palin.
The question remains, what will she do to help families improve their lives?
image: on Flikr by the_real_cjs’ under Creative Commons
I’m sorry, I can’t help myself.
Should business owners really have to subsidize every child you decide to have?
I’m an environmentalist, to be sure. I’m also for bootstraps and personal responsibility.
Family leave? It’s called HAVE A PLAN.
Afterschool programs? Really? From the White house? How about raising your own kids? My kids spend too much time with other people already.
Environmentally she’s a disaster, I’ll give you that, but expecting the government to raise and pay for your children for you is an abomination. You might be opening a can of worms that belongs on another blog.
The biggest crisis we have with affording our families is that everyone thinks they’re entitled to everything. Credit cards are out of control and middle America has treated their homesteads like ATM machines.
It’s gonna hurt a little, but we need to take care of ourselves.
Okay, Jessica. Thanks for your comment. My questions were that, mere questions. I certainly am not suggesting that our government raises (or subsidize) our kids! I am simply suggesting that we throw some support to our working families who need quality after school care. Since we seem to support so many other things– like the endless war costs, tax breaks for mega companies, etc. etc. Business owners should not be allowed to poison our kids with chemicals, don’t you think?? I think you might be sweeping my comments up with an entitlement broom– and that certainly wasn’t where I was going with my post.
I agree that we need to take care of our children. I went into Motherhood with the expectation that NO MATTER what the cost, I would be the person raising my children.
However, there are programs that need to be implemented and other programs that need serious revamping. There should be ways to help single parents, parents sitting on the poverty line or below… self sufficiency plans, not hand outs.
I believe that we need to get EVERY eligible child enrolled in the public health plans that are available before we talk about implementing more. My opinion is to make the plans we have WORK. As much as it may suck to be an uninsured adult, I don’t believe that’s the governments responsibility. Get a job with benefits… manage your finances and buy a private plan… do what needs to be done.
Being behind better policy regarding chemicals is VERY important… though I am not sure we will see that as a top priority to any candidate.
I also believe that the VP doesn’t get to implement a lot of major change. The person is charge is the President. I don’t agree with every stance Sarah Palin has taken (nor do I agree with every stance of any other politician), but she does have a lot of positive points.
I’m an environmentalist that believes in finding better ways to do what needs done. I constantly push for conservation, less consumption, better practices. But we must face the reality that there are major oil, electricity and water needs that have to be met SOMEHOW. Now the question is to figure out how to meet those needs with the least amount of impact on the world around us.
Does Sarah have that answer wrapped up? Probably not… but then, I don’t see anyone who has the full answer.
Thanks for sharing this, it is an interesting discussion for sure. There will be a lot of heat and debate over the next couple months. In the end, our Country will pull through as it always does, regardless of who is at the helm.
Cheers!
Jamie
Why should we only reflect on what a person will do for the poor?
The poor need to do for themselves. Its called R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y.
Jessica — thank you for saying what you said. I am so sick of every liberal on the planet asking when rich people will end poverty. I pay the taxes of 100 Americans and nobody has ever thanked me — they have only said, “it’s not enough.” They have said, ” I want to be a drug dealer, or a prostitute, or a blog writer, and I want you to pay for my health care. I want to live in the mountains in a packed earth home without a job, and I need a government that will pay for my healthcare.
I say get a job.
Many of the poor are working poor that have jobs that don’t pay living wages or provide health benefits. Even with insurance, medical bills can break a family. The lack of compassion people feel shows they don’t truly understand. When my son was born, I had a job, that was grant funded, and did not provide health insurance. I had private pay insurance, which would not insure my son because of his congenital heart condition. Furthermore, the school district made me quit my job in order to take him to have heart surgery and care for him afterwards. They would not grant me a leave, and I had no rights as a First Five grant funded employee. Without California Children’s Services, how would I have paid for a half a million dollar surgery to save his life? I was fortunate we could afford for me to lose the job, but my husband could not stay then longer than three days after my son’s surgery, because he had to work. My son was in the hospital for two weeks. It would have been nice if he would could have been there too at this most difficult time in our lives and to help care for our three-year-old daughter. I was fortunate other family members came to help. I don’t think you can really plan for such things.
Wise Golden,
How can you lump blog writer in with prostitutes and drug dealers? Blogging helps me pay the bills beyond what my job can do. Blogging is one of my three jobs I work to stay out of poverty and be able to live in the mountains (my house is made of wood, just like yours). I pay taxes, just like you, and yes, I pay taxes on the money I earn blogging too.
OH, I must share another example. A good friend of mine lost her husband in a tragic accident at 32. She was left a single mom with a three-month-old and three-year-old. She was a stay at home mom at the time, but after her husband died, she went back to school to become a teacher. Without help with child care and after-school programs, she never could have afforded tuition and daycare to complete her post graduate work. She would have had to get a job that would not have supported her family. Instead, she was able to spend two years at school, get her credential, and is now working at a job that has health benefits and a salary that supports her family.
Wise Golden… thank you so much for lumping bloggers with prostitutes, it’s almost as cool as being called a lawyer.
I’m not getting into the political argument, I’m just tossing it out there that not all environmentalists are liberal democrats. In fact, I suspect most are free thinkers and cross party lines.
Wow, you did open a can of worms with this one. I must say, I agree with some of the previous comments. If everyone in the nation would take responsibility for themselves, most people would not be in the situation they’re in now, expecting the government to bail them out. I personally think that’s the job of family, church and community- not government. In my own life, I grew up extremely poor, had a child at 17 and had a very difficult early adulthood due to poor choices (my own). I now have a nice house in the suburbs and I’m able to stay home with my three beautiful children, because I didn’t sit back and wait for the government to take care of me- I took care of myself. (By the way, I don’t think everyone’s entitled to every privelege available in our country. If you work hard, you can possibly earn it. Or you might not, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to complain about what other people have just because they don’t have it. That reminds me of my two-year-old son).
I think the more we let the government put their hands into, the more trouble we’re going to have in the long run. It may look good now, but we will pay for it eventually.
Just my 2 cents.
I am a little shocked by the lack of compassion shown by some of my fellow commenters. I am a liberal Democrat and an environmentalist, however I strongly believe in personal responsibility AND a social safety net. I agree that there are many middle class (and every other kind of person) who believe they are entitled to a brand new car, designer clothes, a big suburban house, etc. And then they spend and borrow to make a show of what they own. Those people should not get a government “handout”. But you know who should? People who are working full time at jobs that just cover their bills; they need daycare subsidies, food stamps, etc. to help them save and pay for training classes, etc. A social safety net is necessary in a just and compassionate society. Paying your taxes is like paying the dues to be in the best club in the world, you know, being an American citizen. You reap the benefits of membership everyday when you can travel safely, express your opinions, practice your religion, buy cheap goods, etc.
Why are you asking Sarah Palin these questions? Why not Barack Obama, Hillary CLinton, etc???