HuffPo: Clinton’s Child Care Plan Could Get Very Expensive And Be Totally Worth It

[apnu]

Clinton’s Child Care Plan Could Get Very Expensive And Be Totally Worth It
Jonathan Cohn
Senior National Correspondent, The Huffington Post

Hillary Clinton has said that helping working parents would be one of her primary goals as president and, last week, she let the country know what she has in mind. If she’s president, Clinton said, she’d work to make sure no family has to spend more than 10 percent of its income on child care expenses.

That’s a big goal. And it’d come with a big price tag.

Earlier this year, when the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget analyzed the campaign agenda of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), it assumed that his own, less detailed call for universal child care would end up costing the government about $35 billion a year. When Make It Work, an advocacy group, put together proposal for universal child care that would include children up to age 12, it suggested that it would eventually require $100 billion a year in new money.

Neither projection was particularly precise and, as the vast gap between the two suggests, the ultimate cost of any program could vary dramatically depending on program details that Clinton has yet to provide. Would the program cover all children, or just younger ones? Would it take effect quickly or gradually? And so on.

Still, the figures convey a sense of scale. Fully realizing Clinton’s goal would likely require the federal government, and thus the taxpayers, to come up with tens of billions of new dollars every year. That’s real money, even by Washington standards — less than what the federal government spends on Medicare’s prescription drug benefit, most likely, but still a vast increase over what the federal government currently spends on Head Start and other federal programs for young children.

More at link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-child-care_us_573c5555e4b0646cbeeb88d1?section=politics

[NCTraveler]

1. Sanders has stood behind Clinton on children's healthcare before.

Let's do it again and expand affordable access.

[apnu]

2. Indeed! This is one of many examples where Bernie and Hillary agree

Which, to my mind, shoots dead the notion that Hillary is a Republican. A notion many espouse around DU.

[Baobab]

29. How could it possibly be free, that would be stealing from corporate child care chains.

Childcare and gestational surrogacy are services. And will be covered by our trade agreements. (Internationalized)

They are already on the verge of becoming world trade. I know I have read several articles about gestational surrogacy in that context. Stealing their investments, Hillary, since she is such a strong advocate for globalism, would never do that.

Although I don't see gestational surrogacy work being performed by men in the near term, for obvious reasons, both men and women will likely be employed as childcare professionals in the global childcare industry.

Instead of carve outs for women and minority owned businesses we will have special rights for firms from developing countries to discriminate. The focus will shift to not discriminating against foreign staffing corporations and their workers.

If the lack of childcare has been preventing young American women and men from working, soon the highly skilled among them will be able to work here in the US, and if their employers tell them to go elsewhere, in other countries, possibly at the higher of the two countries minimum wages. (The US proposal, I understand, although its not clear how popular it is since US wages are considered to be so high they were (In Geneva to the panel on disciplining domestic regulations in 2006) being framed by a number of other countries as a deliberate trade barrier.

Now transportation and vanishing jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers are likely the only obstacle.

#HillaryUnrealisticallyOptimistic

That said, yes, we should have had childcare 20 years ago. Thanks to the 1994 GATS and its rules against inconsistent domestic regulations, it can't be offered by governments (state owned enterprises are one of the things the US has been fighting aggressively in other countries in FTAs) so it cannot be free though - nor could it be given to anybody who might conceivably be able to pay for it because that would constitute a cause of "crowd out" under neoliberal ideology.

Childcare seems as if it likely would be an area where foreign firms would utilize their competitive advantage, much loser wages.

There are NEW deals in the pipeline to further globalize services- TiSA, which has been worked on since 2006 under the aegis of "Friends of Services" and now "Really Good Friends of Services" organization led by the US, is almost ready to be signed in Geneva (TiSA, and perhaps soon also a WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement on Services being pushed by India) that use the US NAFTA style "negative list" model (opt out) which will include new non-enumerated emergent services by default.

see

for a short explanation of negative list.

[apnu]

34. Uhh....

[Native]

3. We desperately need a child care plan, and that's why I'm voting for Hillary

she's been a tireless advocate for children's benefits for ages, and she has actually gotten things done. She's a realist and knows how to work the system, and she also knows how to get things done by going around the system. I don't think Bernie has the personality to get done what he'd like to see happen. He hasn't been able to play well with others over the years, and he has said on many occasions that as president he won't be able to accomplish much of anything without a revolution. As much as I'd like to see America rise up and demand change, if we didn't rise up during the economic collapse, I seriously can't see it happening just because Bernie snaps his fingers.

[Robbins]

10. oh bullcrap

She supported wellfare reform which hurt familys with single mothers.I hated back in 1996 that her husband signed republican
wellfare reform.nothing in last 20 years has changed my mind.

Clinton indicated during primarys no new taxes.she makes vague promises but won't do anything but what her corporate donors
want.and social safety net will be cut to pay for more war.

Bernie by the way got a lot of amendments passed under gop congress.but again clinton supporters want to bash him.

[Native]

23. Not "bullcrap"

Hillary has been a tireless advocate for children since the beginning. Ever heard of the Children's Defense Fund? http://www.childrensdefense.org/newsroom/cdf-in-the-news/press-releases/2013/honoring-hillary-clinton.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Additionally, "ALL of the western European countries (and even nearby Canada) provide maternity, paternity, and/or parental leave during the first year or more after the birth or adoption of a child, typically funded through some combination of national sickness, maternity, and other social-insurance funds. Throughout much of Europe, normal workweeks have been shortened to 35 to 39 hours, and legislation and/or collective-bargaining agreements prohibit employers from treating part-time workers less favorably than "comparable full-time workers." In western Europe, policies that protect parental time are coupled with high-quality, public early-childhood education and care. Together, these policies support the provision of safe, developmentally nurturing care for children from birth until the start of primary school." - and this is from a paper on the European model back in '04. The differences are more stark now.

Hillary gets this. And Hillary will find a way to change things for the better. And women get this. Men, not as much. I'm guessing you're a guy.

[Robbins]

27. oh look another clinton supporter male bashing

and people wonder why bernie supporters won't vote for her.

Clinton helping children? what a load of crap.

As disabled whole health insurance is medicaid which she would cut to pay for more war this is personal.

[Native]

28. Getting a little defensive?

Don't know how you'd consider that to be male-bashing. It is simply a fact. There are things that more women understand than men and vice-versa. For example, I applaud the the inroads and media attention penis transplants are now getting, but I'll never even pretend to understand what vets who have been injured in the groin area are going through, emotionally and physically. And white men, in general, can't understand what it is like to be a single mom discriminated against in the workplace. Fact.

[Robbins]

30. so now if a guy has been raised by single mother

and doesn't support clinton.then me and others are now all sexists.

[Native]

31. Wow, you really do know how to "go there." nt

[Baobab]

33. And there was SCHIP in 1996, thanks to John Kerry and Edward Kennedy

So that children could be insured.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/28/us/expanding-children-s-health-care.html?pagewanted=all

Thank God they passed it before GATS' Understanding on Commitments in Financial Services in 1998 (with its standstill clause prohibiting new financial services - which explicitly limited subsequent Federal involvement in health insurance to no higher than the 1998 level, unless the US was willing to compensate injured foreign firms, of which there as far as I know still are none, but likely soon TiSA will make similar promises and be negative list prohibiting it from the beginning.)

[Baobab]

42. That welfare reform was instrumental in getting poor countries to sign onto GATS

They saw how prosperous that we were, under Clinton, getting rid of our subsidies to the poor, so they were responsive to Bill Clinton and his WTO, which promised a "progressive liberalisation" (one way privatization) of the world under the successful American private model, where countries could specialize in what they did best.

High skill, high value countries like the US could build supercomputers and space stations, and they could supply cheap high skill labor and cheap raw materials and farm.

Since they have now used up a lot of the raw materials and the farming part has run into US agribusiness problems, they are depending on us to come through with the jobs.

They have been told we have big labor shortages in areas like nursing, academia and IT. And so they are gearing up to supply the high value, low wage workers. And trying to be sensitive to our emotional needs at the same time by not talking about it. Since its been represented from the beginning as a very very sensitive subject for Americans.

[Baobab]

12. This is assuming something about job creation which may no longer be true.

Its assuming that jobs are opening up that people need to be able to do.

I am all for free childcare but I think that certain segments of the world economy are shifting to automation. Hillary has promised to endorse progressive liberalisation of services which means one way privatization of public sectors like teaching and nursing, and guest workers, mostly male will likely replace many of what she considers overpaid American workers.

When she talks infrastructure, too, she means guest workers. Lowest qualified bidders. Thanks to WTO GPA we are stuck with this.

Thanks Hillary.

[Baobab]

38. She will globalize jobs, though.

Not to say that unemployed people still need childcare when they need to do things. I am just saying that with her strong commitment to globalization that many of the higher skill jobs likely will be taken by people from other countries - here to help us with our labor shortages in healthcare, teaching/higher education, construction and IT, working for much less.

Ultimately, its possible millions of guest workers could be here.

Their competitive advantage is low cost and the new trade agreements being finished in Geneva will give them a legal right to take the work if they are the lowes qualified bidders. At the same time, big chunks of the public sector down to he municipal level will be rquired to be privatized if there is any money involved in that service sector at all now. Similar to what GATS did in 1995, but negative list (opt out) instead of GATS positive list (Opt in and I think the only sector specified at the beginning in 1994 may have been health insurance).

being so gung-ho about opening up our services, putting those high perceived value jobs on the table presumably gives the US much more leverage in trade negotiations.

In 2015 the Indian media seems to me to have been broadly hinting that some back channel US promises were being made- On he strength of such rumors, the neoliberal Modi government in India was able to take decisive (and quite divisive) steps towards eliminating their "right to higher education" - likely because of quiet US commitments to opening up our services markets to large numbers of temporary Indian academic and nursing /medicine/IT pros.

I think that Hillary is nuts to do this. Once globalized those jobs will never come back.

[Autumn]

4. Wait a minute. Is "free stuff" okay now? I don't like it, I have no kids so I will say, as many

of our good democrats here do when Bernie talks about free college tuition ( I paid for my college they can pay for theirs ) and a healthcare public option that Bernie thinks might be good for the people. As Hillary and so many democrats here love to tell Bernie supporters it will “never ever happen"
We can't afford to give those moochers "free stuff". "Tens of billions of new dollars every year" They wanted to have those kids they can damn well pay for their own childcare. This country can't afford that

I think I got it right. It's been a bit since some of the FFR have been here to weigh in on things like this but I'm sure they would consider this to fall under the "free stuff" we don't like banner if they were here posting.

Seriously this idea of hers really is bullshit and she knows it. Pandering is all it is.

[apnu]

5. I don't think the two are related.

Secondary Education != Child care.

Plus you're mixing what hot headed supporters (and chaos actors) say with what Hillary says and taking much of that out of context.

Bernie and Hillary largely agree on college, but come at it by different paths.

See: http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-education-college-affordability-2016-2
and: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2016-03-11/sanders-and-clinton-arent-that-different-on-debt-free-college

Both have the goals of making college basically "free" or lower costs.

Much of your statement is a a reaction to things Republicans say but attributing that as a sweeping generalization of Democrats on DU.

If Hillary is pandering to working class mothers on child care, show me she is not sincere.

[Autumn]

14. Yes they are related, Hillary is pandering with "free stuff" to working class mothers on child care

Prove to me she is sincere, because she isn't not for a second. If health care for all Americans and free college are not feasible and will never happen why should tax dollars go to pay for someones childcare when they are the ones who decided to have children? My statement, what I bolded is exactly what many Hillary supporters here on DU ,not republicans, Hillary supporters have said about Bernie's solutions to issues of concern to many of his supporters. Bernie supporters who are for Medicare for All, and free college tuition so that young people are not crushed by debts are moochers who want 'free stuff". College tuition mind you that was free when I was young, is now "free stuff that moochers want", health care that other civilized countries provide for their citizens is "free stuff that Bernie mooching supporters" want.

[auntpurl]

9. Her idea is "bullshit"?

The government helping to pay for childcare, a cost that approaches the level of housing for many families, is bullshit?

Ok. That's...reactionary. And not a very nuanced argument. Considering Bernie supporters like to complain Hillary supporters don't want to discuss issues, your response doesn't seem to invite intelligent debate.

[Autumn]

20. Coming from a person who thinks people in the UK who have healthcare should have to pay for

doctor visits because they go to the doctor for every little thing to show why Bernie's Medicare for All just isn't practical is just too cute.

reactionary...? You have a good day And by that I do mean have a good day.

[auntpurl]

21. Yeah, along with a whole bunch of GPs in the UK too.

You, not living in the UK, have only a tenuous idea of how the NHS actually functions.

You are being very rude. My reply to you was not rude. Why can't you have a civil discussion?

[Autumn]

22. Here, have a hug. I do have friends in France who enjoy theirs.

And have a good day.

[auntpurl]

25. France has insurance, which you have to purchase.

I should know, I used to live there.

You have a good day too.

[Baobab]

17. "public option" cant work because of GATS- its prohibited.

So is ACA, once it becomes world trade they have to roll back to health insurance's 1998 state. So we will lose all the good things in ACA and just keep the bad.

You should have spoken up in 1994 when they were setting GATS up. "Don't trade our right to have public services like health care and education" - "don't give our ability to have affordable health care away to corporations irreversibly forever with your WTO, Bill!"

But he did. He signed the URAA and the rest is history.

Look at all the commotion last year in India when they signed away their right to education! (i.e. GATS).

Luckily for them the rich the US wich has a labor shortage in skilled labor promised them jobs!

[frylock]

36. ikr? What happened to all the folks here who are Taxed Enough Already?

[auntpurl]

6. Excellent article.

Thank you for posting it. Hillary has always been an advocate for children and working families. Her proposal is much more comprehensive than Bernie's and would make a real difference in millions of people's everyday lives.

[lagomorph777]

7. According to Hill supporters, only the cost matters; benefits are irrelevant.

Anything that could benefit ordinary Americans is a useless expense; only the MIC and Wall Street should get Free Stuff.

A "Cost Analysis" will show that the cost of this is greater than zero and therefore should be prevented.

[apnu]

11. Who cares what HRC supporters say? They don't make policy nor control Hillary's campaign.

Clearly Hillary's campaign is serious about this, which would put her at odds with your premise that only MIC and Wall St. "should get Free Stuff"

[frylock]

37. Where the fuck you been for the last year?

FREE STUFF!!1!2

[apnu]

41. Been all over the place, heard "free stuff" and mostly from Republican mouths

However, why does it matter what supporters say on a small message board who may or may not be Freepers sowing chaos.

I do know that I've not heard of one IRL Hillary supporter say "free stuff" And I know a lot of them. I have heard that from just about every Republican I know and work with.

How is digging up an old meme connected to Hillary's stance on this issue at all?

[frylock]

43. The calls of FREE STUFF is coming exclusively from wealthy Hillary Supporter here.

They're Democrats.

[apnu]

44. One supporter or a few?

and do these supporter(s) speak for all democrats? I don't think so.

And shouldn't we be discussing the policies and proposals of the candidates instead of masticating what a group of people are saying on a tiny liberal message board?

I don't care if some fools cry "FREE STUFF", I'm concerned with the candidates and their policies and proposals. The rest is noise. I refuse to be caught up in a shit throwing contest.

[frylock]

45. Several supporters.

[apnu]

46. OK, so back to my post #11. Why do you care what they say?

[frylock]

47. I care what they say because they're peddling this crap here.

It's framing the debate. Should we just roll over and ignore it like John Kerry, or call it out?

[apnu]

48. That's a fair point. By all means push back.

I think Hillary's proposal here shows she and Sanders are closer in mind than people say.

But about "free stuff", she appears to have flip-flopped or did she?. First she attacked Jeb in 2015 for saying it, but then in 2016 jabbing at Bernie using the similar language. That's pretty confusing on her part. I've been trying to find the context of her saying "free everything" back in Feb. 2016 but I haven't found any transcripts of her speech that day, only tightly edited youtube videos that are 8 or 14 seconds long. She seems to have said that once and no other time I can find. I'm thinking she made a gaff and Bernie people are running with it. Which is par for the course in politics in general. Especially Internet and Social Media driven politics.

I can be considered, then, that Bernie people are trying to frame the debate that Hillary and the Democrats that support here are actually Republicans.

If "free stuff" is disingenuous to Bernie and his supporters, so too are claims that Hillary and her supporters are DINOs.

[fleur-de-lisa]

8. Sounds like rainbows and unicorns to me.

[apnu]

13. So as a Bernie supporter you're against this?

I don't get your point at all.

[fleur-de-lisa]

16. Apparently you don't understand sarcasm.

[apnu]

19. You didn't use the sarcasm tag, how can I tell?

[frylock]

39. Because that's been a common theme here for the last year.

Have you missed all the posters here who believe that they are Taxed Enough Already?

[apnu]

40. apparently so.

[BootinUp]

15. My kids are older now, but wish there was something

like this a long time ago.

[liberal_at_heart]

18. single payer health care is also worth it and she has said that will never happen.

So we're expected to believe we can't have single payer health care but somehow she will make this happen?

[apnu]

24. let's look at the context and see if Hillary has flip-floped OK?

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-single-payer-health-care-will-never-ever-happen/ Published on 1/26/2016

"I want you to understand why I am fighting so hard for the Affordable Care Act," she said at Grand View University after hearing from a woman who spoke about her daughter receiving cancer treatment thanks to the health care law. "I don't want it repealed, I don't want us to be thrown back into a terrible, terrible national debate. I don't want us to end up in gridlock. People can't wait!"

She added, "People who have health emergencies can't wait for us to have a theoretical debate about some better idea that will never, ever come to pass."

Is Hillary saying she's against Single Payer or is she saying the political climate right now makes Single Payer impossible?

[auntpurl]

32. +1

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. I think it would be a good program, and well worth the taxes.

[frylock]

35. Ah, so Hillary's costly proposals are totally worth it.

Sanders' costly proposals are pie-in-the-sky dreams.