Diaper legislation generates rash of criticism

[The Straight Story]

Diaper legislation generates rash of criticism

Proposed federal legislation that would make it easier for child-care providers to use federal funds to provide diapers to low-income families has drawn criticism that the nation is becoming, uh, a nanny state.

The chief sponsor of the Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery, or DIAPER, Act has portrayed it as a jobs measure -- as just about every bill introduced in Congress seems to be portrayed these days -- saying it would help parents get their children into daycare so the parents can work.

"For families struggling to pay for rent, to have enough gas to get to work, or even to put food on the table, spending an average of $4 a day -- or over $100 a month -- on diapers is beyond their means," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said in a letter to House colleagues seeking their support for the bill.

"But without a sufficient supply of diapers, children cannot attend day care. In fact, over one in five mothers have had to skip an obligation and stay home with their child because of lack of diapers. And losing out on day care makes it even harder for parents to put in a full day's work. And so they fall further behind."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/11/diaper-legislation-rosa-delauro-rush-limbaugh.html

[baldguy]

1. Of course, it's RepubliCONS who are putting up a stink about it.

[ensho]

2. cloth diapers - where have you gone?

paper diapers are a hazard to the earth

cloth diapers use water, soap and bleach, but you only buy them once. yes you need a plastic or rubber pants to cover the cloth. which you only buy once.

I think paper diapers are moving global warming along at a faster pace.

however, tree/paper Barons make piles of money off paper diapers.

[CTyankee]

4. But you have to have a washer/dryer to do so and how many poor people have them?

They usually have to go to a local laundromat or to a basement coin op washer. Have you ever slogged dirty diapers around? I did, when my kids were babies. It wasn't easy and I was a stay at home mom with my own washer and dryer and that was fine, I was young and strong. I can't imagine people having to do the diapers and work a couple of jobs. Plus, are day care centers going to let you send your baby in cloth diapers to their centers?

[ensho]

6. I hear you - and yes I've done cloth diapers by hand

and yes some childcare places won't do cloth.

global warming will and is trumping all that.

[Javaman]

3. Just what will Vitter do??? nt

[Orrex]

5. Rather than subsidizing childcare, why not pay a living wage to the parents?

For that matter, why not provide a stipend for stay-at-home parents who sure as hell have to work at least one full-time job simply by caring for their kids.

It's criminal that professional childcare providers barely learn a living wage. It's even worse that circumstances force parents to leave their kids and return to the workforce against their will.

[ensho]

7. agree - a baby is 24 hr. job. and that job is mostly ignored

and thought of as a woman's thing. thus less important.