Peaceful Revolution: Mothers' Five Questions for Palin/Biden Debate

Sometimes our kids know more than we do. Children know that if they keep asking their parents the same question, over and over, they might just get the answer they are looking for.

For the past two weeks, MomsRising.org, has been asking the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates to address questions of concern to American mothers and families. We'd like to see these questions answered in Thursday's debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin:

- Right now, the birth of a child is a top cause of a "poverty spell" in America, and one quarter of families with young children are living in poverty. Do you support a policy to provide paid family and medical leave to parents following birth or adoption of a new child?

- Nearly one-half of all full-time, private sector workers in the U.S. have no paid sick days. Do you support a policy to provide paid sick days for workers to use when they or their children get sick?

- In most American families, both parents work outside the home. Please tell us what your administration would do to help parents secure excellent, affordable childcare and early learning opportunities?

- Studies show that moms are paid 73 cents and single moms are paid about 60 cents to every dollar made by men. Do you support the Fair Pay Restoration Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?

- A child is born every 41 seconds without healthcare. What kind of healthcare policy could Americans expect in your administration?

Let's ask our leaders to lead us toward solutions to the very real concerns mothers and families have today. Perhaps if we keep asking we will finally get an answer.

- From the MomsRising.org Team

A Peaceful Revolution is a blog about innovative ideas to strengthen America's families through public policies, business practices, and cultural change. Done in collaboration with MomsRising.org, read a new post here each week.

Comments

[BlackHeli]

Just a Suggestion! if you can't afford to feed yourself, why not wait a bit to Start a Family??? Oops!
sorry I know Families are OUT. Just pop one out, then find a New daddy & do it again. DeJaVu style

[RightWingMarine]

why is any of those things the responsibility of the federal govenment?

Q1: Who is going to pay for this paid leave? Why is it the employers responsibility to pay for the care of your child? If a person can't support the child, why did they have them?

Q2: Who gets to pay for these sick days? Why should the employer be forced to pay this charge? Since the business is going to pass this charge on won't it result in either lower wages or higher prices? Does this help anyone?

Q3: Why is it the taxpayers responsibility to secure childcare? Wouldn't the parents be able to do a better job? Do you really want the same organization that has trouble delivering your mail to find child care for you? Who knows your area better, you or someone in Washington?

Q4: If this were true that a woman was being paid less for the same work as a man wouldn't a competing company be able to fire all their male employees and hire only female employees at only 80% of what the men made? The women would take the job because it paid them better. The company would offer that extra little bit to get the women to come over and save on payroll costs.

Q5: Why is it the taxpayers responsibility to provide healthcare? Why did the parents have a child they can't care for? Why is this someone else's fault?

[mamacat]

Why is the U.S.A. the only Western Democracy without any form of socialised medical care for all of its citizens? What are my tax dollars going for, if not to provide medical care for my family?

[LizM]

It seems to me that MomsRising.org should already know the answers to these critical questions and be using all of their time and effort to spread the word about why moms everywhere should be vociferously supporting Obama/Biden.

[justobserve]

Obama is for personal responsibility so his help program wouldn't be without conditions. Without government's affirmative action earlier, where would women have been today? Must be much lower on the scale of things. They couldn't be able to suddenly burst on the scene and broke the glass ceiling, could they?