How much of the increase in the cost of child care is due to private equity buying up child care businesses? Costs have ballooned in other types of businesses as private equity bought them up and became monopolies.
Child care is but one of many expenses that have skyrocketed in the past couple of decades. Others include home ownership, education, and health care, with things like food and insurance closing in fast. The majority of American workers have seen their share of national wealth either stagnate or decline and this has been trending consistently since the 1970's.
This battle over wealth goes back to the beginnings of human "civilization". Every now and then, there are protests or revolts and things get better for a decade, maybe even two, but the wealthy always find ways to hold on to and usually expand their wealth at the expense of everyone else. With AI and the increasing cost of climate change, things will get worse, much worse, unless a sense of fairness overtakes the greed of the billionaires.
Trump owes his election to those who've found themselves on the short end of the economic stick. He is a portent of the future unless we get serious about sharing the dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And that threat applies to the ultra rich as well. They need to keep in mind what has happened to "royalty" when the people's patience reaches its end.
The Democratic party has an unparalleled opportunity to get our society moving in the right direction. It needs to abandon its fear of being called socialist by putting forth humanistic programs that will allow anyone to achieve a healthy, intelligent, and rewarding life no matter what their race, religion, ethnicity or economic status may be. If we do this, there will be untold benefits for all of society as everyone finds a productive way to contribute to something they believe in. The alternative is what I really fear.
The costs of childcare, I’ve heard is more than college tuition for one or more than one child. That’s a double or triple whammy on families who are also already saving for college as well as childcare expenses. Affordability is not something Republicans are going to talk about unfortunately. They want to pad their pockets without regards for anyone else. They talk about how people should be having bigger families (JD Vance) but they don’t want to talk about affordability. Until they can put their money where their mouth is then they can just shut up about it.
Comments here talk about how not only childcare but many other expenses like education and health care have skyrocketed. What these things have in common is that none of them can be imported. So to what extent is our reaction to them caused by the fact that prices for goods that CAN be imported have actually gone down, whereas goods that require significant human labor at point of delivery have soared in comparison? And still, we know teachers aren't being paid enough. I agree that health care and housing represent additional problems not easily tackled in our political system, for sure. Then when candidates come up with solutions to this or that, they are attacked by the people for whom THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES are not salient! Crabs in a barrel, with that attitude progress will be impossible. (Does anyone remember that Harris had a plan for addressing housing affordability? But that issue did not come to the forefront of the news until JANUARY 2025!)
There are more than enough childcare programs in the US. There are not enough AFFORDABLE ones. Childcare shouldn't cost more than a monthly mortgage payment or more than one months college tuition. Want to make it more expensive? Try having a child in diapers. I have multiple lists to help families in need at a local nonprofit childcare if anyone can afford to help. Even before covid19, many families struggled with the cost of putting enough food on the table, enough clothing, books, birthday/holiday gifts for the kids. That's when they felt safe going to work. It's different under the second regime. Things are even worse.
Rotary, JUF, and National Council of Jewish Women are great sponsors of nonprofit childcare.
If you want to help? Find your local one. Make a donation there. Volunteeer there. Drop off gently used/new clothes, toys, books. You can drop off nonperishable food too. Drop off basic paper goods. Old newspapers they can use for art projects that get messy.
In the greater Chicago area, you can also donate books to Bernies Book Bank. They are then sent to kids in need. (They despise the orange thing.)
How much of the increase in the cost of child care is due to private equity buying up child care businesses? Costs have ballooned in other types of businesses as private equity bought them up and became monopolies.
Child care is but one of many expenses that have skyrocketed in the past couple of decades. Others include home ownership, education, and health care, with things like food and insurance closing in fast. The majority of American workers have seen their share of national wealth either stagnate or decline and this has been trending consistently since the 1970's.
This battle over wealth goes back to the beginnings of human "civilization". Every now and then, there are protests or revolts and things get better for a decade, maybe even two, but the wealthy always find ways to hold on to and usually expand their wealth at the expense of everyone else. With AI and the increasing cost of climate change, things will get worse, much worse, unless a sense of fairness overtakes the greed of the billionaires.
Trump owes his election to those who've found themselves on the short end of the economic stick. He is a portent of the future unless we get serious about sharing the dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And that threat applies to the ultra rich as well. They need to keep in mind what has happened to "royalty" when the people's patience reaches its end.
The Democratic party has an unparalleled opportunity to get our society moving in the right direction. It needs to abandon its fear of being called socialist by putting forth humanistic programs that will allow anyone to achieve a healthy, intelligent, and rewarding life no matter what their race, religion, ethnicity or economic status may be. If we do this, there will be untold benefits for all of society as everyone finds a productive way to contribute to something they believe in. The alternative is what I really fear.
The costs of childcare, I’ve heard is more than college tuition for one or more than one child. That’s a double or triple whammy on families who are also already saving for college as well as childcare expenses. Affordability is not something Republicans are going to talk about unfortunately. They want to pad their pockets without regards for anyone else. They talk about how people should be having bigger families (JD Vance) but they don’t want to talk about affordability. Until they can put their money where their mouth is then they can just shut up about it.
There’s a split screen in Congress right now: Republicans want to burn money on tax cuts for billionaires
Let's call that what it is-- WELFARE FOR BILLIONAIRES, paid for by taxes on and removal of benefits for people who actually need to WORK for a living!
Comments here talk about how not only childcare but many other expenses like education and health care have skyrocketed. What these things have in common is that none of them can be imported. So to what extent is our reaction to them caused by the fact that prices for goods that CAN be imported have actually gone down, whereas goods that require significant human labor at point of delivery have soared in comparison? And still, we know teachers aren't being paid enough. I agree that health care and housing represent additional problems not easily tackled in our political system, for sure. Then when candidates come up with solutions to this or that, they are attacked by the people for whom THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES are not salient! Crabs in a barrel, with that attitude progress will be impossible. (Does anyone remember that Harris had a plan for addressing housing affordability? But that issue did not come to the forefront of the news until JANUARY 2025!)
There are more than enough childcare programs in the US. There are not enough AFFORDABLE ones. Childcare shouldn't cost more than a monthly mortgage payment or more than one months college tuition. Want to make it more expensive? Try having a child in diapers. I have multiple lists to help families in need at a local nonprofit childcare if anyone can afford to help. Even before covid19, many families struggled with the cost of putting enough food on the table, enough clothing, books, birthday/holiday gifts for the kids. That's when they felt safe going to work. It's different under the second regime. Things are even worse.
Rotary, JUF, and National Council of Jewish Women are great sponsors of nonprofit childcare.
If you want to help? Find your local one. Make a donation there. Volunteeer there. Drop off gently used/new clothes, toys, books. You can drop off nonperishable food too. Drop off basic paper goods. Old newspapers they can use for art projects that get messy.
In the greater Chicago area, you can also donate books to Bernies Book Bank. They are then sent to kids in need. (They despise the orange thing.)