Work and Family Bill of Rights

I argued in my May 4 post that the primary goal motivating those who favor progressivity in taxation is, first and foremost, a concern with the poorest among us.  Rather than posting a long essay tonight, I’ll instead bring to your attention a new campaign that is directed at fighting some of the conditions that create and perpetuate poverty (especially among women).

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Take Care Net is an educational and advocacy group that has recently issued a Work and Family Bill of Rights, which includes:

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·         The right to annual paid family, medical and personal leave for full- and part-time employees.

·         The right to negotiated flexibility over work hours and place.

·         The right to quality, affordable child and elder care.

·         The right to a minimum wage set at a living wage level and indexed to inflation.

·         The right to adequate health insurance for all.

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This past Thursday, Take Care Net joined with the Progressive Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Working Group to present a congressional briefing in Washington DC on the Work and Family Bill of Rights.  Although I was not able to attend, the conference program indicates that the work of the group is timely and important.

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There are many ways to fight poverty, and this group does not have a monopoly (nor do they pretend to) on ways to carry on that fight.  It is good to know, though, that there are still people who remember that poverty is a compelling social policy issue and who are willing to work toward ending it.

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Neil H. Buchanan, guest blogger

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