by Alex Solari, Staff Writer
On September 13, a new childcare plan from Donald Trump emerged, and as most things with Trump, it has caused lots of controversy.
If you are unfamiliar with this plan, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Here is a brief summary of the plan that Donald Trump has proposed.
According to Donald Trump’s website, he is proposing to cut taxes for childcare expenses for anyone making less than 250,000 dollars a year, or 500,000 dollars a year as a couple. This includes tax deductions for stay-at-home parents as well.
He is proposing to give rebates to low income families for childcare spending, six weeks of paid maternity leave, adding incentives for workplaces to provide child care, and providing new “Dependent Care Saving Accounts” so that families can set money aside for their children and elders in a new way.
There are currently “Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts,” but these accounts are only available if an employer offers it.
These “Dependent Care Saving Accounts” Donald Trump proposes will be available to everyone, regardless if an employer offers it.
When I first read this proposal, I was taken aback by how logical it seemed and how much I actually agree with the values that Trump seemed to be proposing. However, I figured there were people out there disagreeing with the new proposal, and boy was I right.
In CNN’s article, Donald Trump’s ‘child care’ plan is a trick that will cost you, writer Edward McCaffery explains why he disagrees with this plan.
He claims that this policy is catered toward women rather than helping all people, and only helps stay-at-home parents. He goes on to say how this encourages people to stay home rather than work.
This argument by McCaffery seems a bit sexist to me. In the proposal, there is no mention about mothers or women in particular for that matter, so saying that this policy caters to women is quite confusing. The only part of the proposal that happens to single out women is the promise of paid maternity leave.
Though I agree that paid paternity leave is also incredibly important, women need time to physically recuperate from birthing a baby. Because of this, paid maternity leave is a bit more important, and this stride seems like a good first step for all mothers to have paid leave after having a child.
Also, what’s so wrong with people staying home with their children? If they have the means to do it, let them do it.
I understand the want for mothers to get out in the workplace and have careers, but there are some parents who simply want to stay home and spend time with their children, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
CNN is just one example of a media outlet criticizing Donald Trump’s new plan, with others like the Washington Post and Fortune joining in as well. But CNN is a prime example of a liberal news outlet doing whatever they can to make Trump look bad.
I’m a liberal myself, with views so liberal, that some could call me radical.
But I think it’s incredibly unfair to judge a candidate’s proposed policies simply because they have a questionable past.
I will openly admit that I very much dislike Donald Trump. I can only hope he stays out of the White House, and in that case, we won’t see this policy anyway. As much as I really, really dislike Trump and all he stands for, I can’t pretend that I hate this childcare policy.
As a society, I feel that people often put down anything a politician we don’t like says, and it’s damaging to our progress as a country.
I think Trump’s childcare policy is flawed, but has a decent basis, and there’s no denying that.