Re: More benefits

OK, you're in danger of making me in favor of this idea. Basically I'm against paid child leave for all the reasons readers gave that were stated in the article. But, the hope of socialism that would give money to real people at a lower lever than giving it all to multinational corporations sounds like a great idea to me. I'm also tired of the lower taxes are good myth--look around--that just isn't true.

Re: More benefits

Socialism? It tells me more about your right wing reactionary politics. Socialism is not liberalism. Socialism is the government ownership of busness on a regular basis. It is communism without the dictatorship and it's leaders are democratically elected. There are none in Europe. In fact, there is only one socialist country in the world. It is venezuela. BO is proposing a strong social liberal infrastructure like Western Europe, Japan, Austrailia and New Zeeland, and Canada. If you dont like strong liberal social states go to Africa, Asia, and Africa.

Re: More benefits

I am for this bill. 10% of the private sector provide paid maternity leave for employees (that does not include annual or sick leave). In addition, there are A LOT of other countries that give these types of benefits to their employees. Federal employees are not given any type of short-term disability insurance options to help substitute the income lose. This bill will also help retain employees that would have otherwise left; which will decrease retraining cost and help keep the knowledge gained from experience that can not be transferred to a new employee.
Whether it's parental leave, short-term disability, or something else, Federal Employees (and all of the US) need an option to be with their child without facing increased financial difficulties.

Re: Additional Paid Leave for other Illnesses

I agree with you that we need short-term disability (like the rest of the industrialized world gets) but I also think that a sensible amount of maternity leave (like the rest of the world gets) is a good start in bringing the U.S. into the 20th century.

Eventually, we can work on joining the rest of the industrialized world in the 21st century. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Re: Additional Paid Leave for other Illnesses

Actually we do offer short term disability, it's called Sick Leave. Unfortunately, with the advent of FERS employees were encourage to fritter it away and now we have TONS of them on the leave transfer program. Most do not have a chronic illness and are long term employees who made a conscious choice NOT to take advantage of the unlimited carryover of a very generous leave progam. I have worked for the government for almost 25 years and if something happens to me, I have amost an entire year of sick leave saved just for that purpose, or to care for my son in the event something happens to him. It's called planning for the future.

Re: uh oh

Have to partially agree with you. For a columnist who makes his living covering issues regarding federal employees...we have witnessed Ralph Smith turn decisively anti-federal whenever any increase in benefits to those employees is discussed in congress. The addition of Bob "I never met a good federal employee" Gipson is also discouraging. Would love to see more balance in the reporting that goes on her vs the extremes we see in FOXNews and MSNBC. How about a move to the middle Ralph?

Re: uh oh

I went back and read the article. I don't expect cheerleading for or against federal employee benefits.

This article does not do that. Apparently a number of federal employees are against this expansion of benefits for understandable reasons. So why should the author sugar coat that and jump on the bandwagon for spending more money when many federal employees are against it. The article also gives arguments for and against the proposal by using quotes and comments.

We are used to seeing nothing but favorable articles about new programs. Some in the Post, Federal Times, etc. sometimes sound like they were written by the advocates for the programs.

Personally, I like having a different point of view than the blatant cheerleading, unquestioned restatement of union positions as if they were the universal opinion of federal employees, and an assumption that our workforce of 2 million or so thinks with one mind.

So, in this man's humble opinion, please don't fall into the usual mode of just telling us what the advocates for a particular program want to hear. Apparently, in the view of some, not jumping on the cheerleading bandwagon is "decidedly anti-federal employee." That is nonsense.

Re: Maternity Leave

Selfish is exercising the choice & ability to have children, then expecting extra benefits for doing so.

Re: Maternity Leave

This is for the ignorant comment from the DOI clerk. Selfish is the choice to have children? Are you nuts? Having a child is a blessing from God. Raising a child to be a responsible caring citizen is a never ending task, but a task that has tremendous rewards for EVERYONE, not just the parents. My daughter is a responsible caring individual that worked exceptionly hard to achieve a degree in nursing caring for some of the small minded people like DOI clerk. Who takes care of you when you are sick, older and unable to be fully sustainable? The children of the people you are calling selfish. Thank you lucky stars you did not stand in front of me and spout that ridiculous verbage. Look in the mirror and tell me what you see.

Re: Maternity Leave

I do enjoy comments from the deliberately obtuse!

Anyone with a grasp of third grade English could read my comment & know that it's not the choosing to have children that is selfish, it's the expectation of extra benefits being attached that is so.

As for what I see in the mirror: a mother of 4 who didn't use one hour of federal leave for childbirth. I was in the private sector with no benefits when each was born.

Re: Maternity Leave

To the DOI Clerk, I'm right there with you. It is selfish to make choics AND WANT OTHERS TO PAY FOR THOSE CHOICES. It should be part of your PLAN to have a family, one of the "can I afford" to take the time off, not holding out your hand and saying "now that I've done this, YOU PAY FOR IT TAXPAYER....I too have a child, but I saved my leave for YEARS to do so.....I didn't ask for anyone else to pay for it.