Please ask Gov. Brown to sign the "diaper bill" for poor families.

[silverweb]

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I remember this expense being a huge burden when I was a divorced, low-income mom on my own. Glad to see that there's hope for others now:

Please sign and share: https://www.change.org/p/jerry-brown-sign-first-ever-state-bill-helping-poor-families-buy-a-basic-need-for-babies-diapers

[JonathanRackham]

1. Wouldn't cloth diapers be better for the environment?

As a kid I washed them for my younger brothers and sisters. As a parent I washed them for my kids.

I see people leaving disposable dispers around the parking lots around Walmart often. They can't be good in land fills either.

[yeoman6987]

2. Not sure because of water and soap usage plus electricity

It's a toss up probably.

[JonathanRackham]

3. Water is a renewable resource.

Soaps have evolved to be biodegradable.

I see it as the opportunity to store less things in landfills.

[yeoman6987]

4. In California, water is like gold.

[JonathanRackham]

6. I'm sure there's water and electricity used to manufacture disposables.

Modern washers are much more water and energy efficient. As a kid I'd hang the diapers out to solar dry.

[yeoman6987]

8. I loved the smell of clothes outside

I wish I could today but my HOA forbids it. Ugh!

[JonathanRackham]

11. As a kid the whole neighborhood did it.

People afforded washers but no driers. Now I suppose people's iPhones have apps to monitor the laundry.

[kcr]

28. How is it you're managing to communicate with us on DU?

Green engery thought-waves?

[JonathanRackham]

29. Solar off grid..

Trained cats in the hamster wheel.

[LeftyMom]

42. HOAs are not allowed to forbid line drying in CA

State law as of 2015

[yeoman6987]

43. Nice but Florida they can.

Maryland too. Your lucky.

[JonathanRackham]

47. I figured out where all the water is.

It got soaked up in all those super absorbent diapers.

[yeoman6987]

5. The landfill is a problem for sure

A smart invented needs to figure a way to recycle diapers.

[JonathanRackham]

7. I'm sure they're being studied.

I hope.

[yeoman6987]

9. Me too!!!

[silverweb]

12. I believe this includes all types of diapers.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I know cloth and "hybrid" diapers were included in an earlier version of the bill, but I'm not sure about the final version that was passed. Cloth diapers are a fairly large initial investment and create a LOT of laundry to be done, which may not be practical for many situations. Also, daycare centers require that disposable diapers be brought in by the parent and have no accommodation for cloth diapers.

[JonathanRackham]

14. I hope we move in the right environmental direction.

For years after my siblings were grown we had a good supply of high quality cleaning rags.

I hear ya on the daycare thing. It certainly would be problematic with a large quantity of children.

[silverweb]

17. "Hybrids" are the way to go for home.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]They include a cloth diaper with a waterproof outer coating and snaps built in, as well as a disposable "stay-dry" liner that mimics the best features of disposable diapers. The initial outlay is steep, but the price plummets after that, since only the liners need to be replaced.

When away from home and for daycare situations, disposables are still going to dominate. I read some time ago that there's work being done to develop a fully biodegradable disposable diaper, but haven't seen an update lately on that. I'll have to research that further as my opportunity to become a new grandmother gets closer.

[JonathanRackham]

20. Sounds like a nice compromise.

[silverweb]

33. Yes, it does.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]My daughter says she's going that route when the time comes.

The wedding's next year, so there's probably close to 2 years for the developers to come out with any improvements before she'll be buying them.

[JonathanRackham]

39. Best wishes to your daughter.

[silverweb]

41. Thanks!

[wordpix]

23. I'll buy stock in that biodegradable disposable diaper

We can send spaceships to Jupiter and Saturn, but can't figure out biodegradable products to replace plastics. Absurd.

[silverweb]

34. Right?

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]What makes me mad is that we have figured out products to replace plastics.

Biodegradable plastics can already be made from grain, hemp, bamboo, and any number of other plant-derived sources.

It's already happening, but undoubtedly meeting quietly fierce resistance from - guess who? - the petrochemical industry.

I can't wait to see this new product hit the world market and expand!

[JonathanRackham]

40. That's cool.

[LeftyMom]

44. People don't usually stick with those systems long term.

They're really bad for infants because their runny poops get on the shell almost every change.

[silverweb]

46. I'm sure they'll improve over time.

[wordpix]

21. I'm with you 100%. I used cloth for my son

at one point, living on a farm I found a small electric washer I could put on a table. I wrung and hung the diapers myself.

Then we moved to a city and I found a diaper service, which worked great. It was much less expensive than those damn disposables.

[Iggo]

22. Probably.

The point is getting diapers to people who are having a hard time affording diapers.

[xmas74]

25. Many day cares do not accept cloth.

It's still that way to this day, depending on where you live.

[kcr]

27. For parents who can afford it, sure.

But not everyone can afford to stay at home or day care options that allow for cloth diapers.

[CreekDog]

48. poor people shouldn't be required to solve the environmental problem of diapers for...

everyone else.

[JonathanRackham]

49. The issue was cloth or disposible.

They could be given either.

[CTyankee]

10. This should have happened LONG ago in every state!

If more women were in state and federal offices, his would have been a done deal and old news by now!

Damnit!

[silverweb]

13. Agreed.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]But let's look forward, not back.

[CTyankee]

15. Yes, I can't help wondering if HRC's presidency would stimulate more girls to get into politics.

Already in my lifetime women have made huge leaps forward. My granddaughters (and grandsons, I might add) could benefit significantly from the presence and authority of a woman in our country's highest office...

[silverweb]

19. The right kind of women certainly would help.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]However, we do not need more judgmental, authoritarian women like Palin, Bachmann, Schafly, Thatcher, and others having influence.

Just being a woman is not necessarily enough. We need progressive women in office and in other positions of influence. I believe Hillary will be a power for good when it comes to many women's issues (although she's not progressive enough on other issues for me), so there's certainly hope there.

[mrmpa]

16. The other day I left an Aldi's........

a man walked up to me and asked if I was driving by another store. I was & drove him & waited for him. He had a bag of change he was putting into a machine to be sorted. When he came out he asked if I had $3, I didn't I had only my food stamp card. The reason he needed $3, was even because he had a $5 coupon, he was still short & he needed to buy diapers for his daughter.

[silverweb]

18. How sad - and how common a situation.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Almost 30 years ago, I was also that poor. I remember waiting for the mailman to bring the check I depended on, even walking blocks to intercept him early in his route, because I was out of diapers and had no money until that check came. It's a state of anxiety I wouldn't wish on anyone.

This bill must be signed by Governor Brown.

[philosslayer]

24. What about clothing?

And other supplies like cribs, strollers and car seats? This is a good proposal but doesn't go far enough.

[JonathanRackham]

30. We found quite a few safe thrift items that helped our budget.

I always try to reuse.

[silverweb]

38. Gotta start somewhere.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]The reason this passed the legislature easily is that it's not just an economic issue, but a health issue. Other shortcuts can be taken for baby clothes and accessories, but diapers are a universal hygienic necessity.

[JI7]

45. it's not as difficult to get clothing for free or low cost since can be reused

[KamaAina]

26. To be clear, that's Gov. Jerry Brown of California.

Oregon also has a Gov. Brown, namely Kate.

[silverweb]

37. Thanks, I forgot about that.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Maybe Gov. Kate Brown will get petitioned to do something along the same lines for Oregon!

[Warpy]

31. Republican men think you should boil them on top of the stove

the way women did in the 1950s, their idea of the US Golden Age.

No comment on men trying to eat their dinners in a kitchen that reeked of boiled baby shit.

[silverweb]

36. ...

[democrattotheend]

32. Does it look like he might veto it?

I assumed he would sign it. Is there speculation he might not?

[silverweb]

35. I don't know.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]It certainly doesn't hurt to have a show of public support, though.