No, obviously there is a child deduction on income tax. But there is also a child benefit which consists in a monthly payment of about $100 for the first child, then I think it goes down a little for each more child. Twice a year, that payment is doubled (to help with sending kids to summer camps, and to help with the back to school expenses). Currently, it is not means tested, everyone gets it. . .but I believe this is or one of the cuts that will occur, and it will become means tested (I know that is the plan that was discussed in England's austerity measure).
It is CURRENTLY at 99 weeks. . .because Obama fought for it! And what are those people suppose to do after the 99 weeks? In time of HIGH unemployment, it shoudl be extended much longer. Belgium goes too far in the other direction. . .there is no limit. People can potentially stay on unemployment for 20 years. . .and they get "vacation pay" and then retirement. . .This is excessive in my opinion. The government also provides a sort of "clearing center" for people who are unemployed and still want to make a little extra money through occasional work. This helps keep a lot of elderly people in their home, because they basically pay half the minimum wage to get domestic help from that pool of unemployed people, and the government pays the other half. . .but it is only for about 10 hours per week per unemployed person.
Not quite. I believe that it is healthy that a government offers a non-profit option for health care but still allows private health care to compete. It is working very well in Belgium. I just checked on this a year ago (when I was visiting my family, I went for information in one of the for profit insurance company --- called "mutuelle" to see what the cost of insurance would be. A year ago, there were three levels of coverage, based on income. The lower level was basically free, the middle level cost about $200 a month for a couple, and the higher level --- for income above $85,000 --- was about $300 a month for a couple). In the other hand, if you want a private room in a hospital, you will have to pay a co-payment (about $50.00 per day) IF a private room is not needed for your condition. Otherwise, most rooms are 2 or 3 beds.
Taxes are obviously higher (top level is about 45 %. . .but it differs by country), but people are actually complaining LESS than in the US about taxes because people do realize they get a LOT MORE from their taxes (including very good infrastructure)
If so, where is that money going to come from?
I believe that slave labor, or working just to get enough to barely survive, when a father had to take a child out of school to send them to work in a factory in order to have just enough food for the family not to starve is a stage of development for a civilisation that, as a "wealthy," developped country we should have outgrown a long time ago (I thought we had. . .and it didn't hurt us under Clinton, did it?). The time of Sinclair's "The Jungle" should be gone for ever, but apparently you believe that these were the "good old days?
Santa Cruz, California passed a "living wage" law about 10 years ago for all government workers, and obviously, private industry followed. That area, as well as Silicone Valley has not suffered from this. Money comes from LOWER profit, few huge bonuses to CEO, and local taxes.
Labor laws should cover both the workers and the owners, and should be sensitive to the SIZE of the business. Obviously, a small business shouldn't have as many constraints as a large corporation.
Prior to the existence of Unions, the business owners had ALL the rights. . .and many excess were reported. Unions have changed the playing field, and if unions are outlaws, it takes away "bargaining power" from EVERYONE, not just the unionized workers. Toyota has been successful at keeping union out BECAUSE THEY TREAT THEIR WORKERS AS WELL OR BETTER than unionized shops. . .but if union disappear, how long will it be, especially in this high unemployment period, before workes suffer?
By the way, don't talk to me about union affecting our chances to "compete in the global economy," once again, unions do exist in Europe as well, AND the labor laws in Europe (especially Germany) are much more stringent than in the US. Still, Germany in particular is doing much better than we are in the global labor market competition!
