universal child care?

[dazzleman]

I don't believe in universal child care.

Why should stay-at-home mothers, who are making a financial sacrifice to be more involved in raising their children, pay higher taxes to subsidize working mothers, who might be financially better off than they are?

I don't think we should tilt the balance in favor of more mothers working, as opposed to being more involved in raising their children.  I also have concerns about the quality of care that would be offered by government-run day care.  I suspect it would be similar to what is offered in some lower-end public schools.

I think this is a well-intentioned idea that would have unforseen negative effects.  I also don't think that taxpayers should be forced to continously expand their subsidies of the personal choices of other citizens, and this is another example of people being forced to pay for the lifestyle choices of others.  To the greatest extent possible, people should make their own choices, and also pay for them.

[dazzleman]

Most people make pretty good parents. WIth that in mind, I would much rather encourage parents to spend more time with their child as opposed to encouraging parent to foist the kid off on someone else.

I agree.  To increase taxes in order to pay for universal child care could make it harder for many working families, and force parents to spend even less time with their children because they have to work harder to pay the taxes.  It could even force some mothers who currently stay at home into the workplace.  I don't think this is the direction in which we should move.

Currently, society has accepted the responsibility to educate children from Kindergarten to 12th grade.  It's up to the parents to do the rest.  I don't agree with pushing more responsibility off onto society rather than parents, because the more government tries to raise people's kids, the less parents do, and the worse off the kids are.  Government is NOT the answer in this case.  Government cannot do the job of raising kids, nor should fellow taxpayers be expected to pay for it.