Forget The Flowers, Fix The Fairness

I remember Terry Neese speaking at political events in Oklahoma almost 20 years ago, telling people what it was like growing up at the end of a dirt road in Cookietown, Okla. Today, she’s still sharing good stuff like that, but she does it on a national scale as a Distinguished Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis.

With Mother’s Day coming soon, she says, “Forget The Flowers. Fix The Fairness,” and offers ten ideas — better than the typical bouquet of flowers — for making a woman happy:

1. PORTABLE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS… so that mothers aren’t penalized when they switch jobs.

2. A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD UNDER THE LAW… so that stay-at-home moms who save for retirement, purchase health insurance, long-term insurance, day care, etc., receive just as much tax relief as people who obtain these benefits at work.

3. NEW RULES REGARDING EMPLOYER-PROVIDED BENEFITS… so mothers can freely choose between taxable wages and non-taxed benefits, selecting the combination that best meets their family’s needs.

4. TIME… so mothers can work 80 hours over a two-week period in any combination (by changing the 1938 Federal Labor Standards Act).

5. BETTER TREATMENT UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY… so shared earnings between spouses could easily be applied to a new system of personal retirement accounts (where payroll tax contributions are divided like community property).

6. A NEW APPROACH TO THE TAXATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS (for grandma)… so marginal tax rates are not raised and there is no earnings penalty for seniors who work.

7. THE ABILITY TO PROTECT ASSETS BY BUYING LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE… so Medicaid can be utilized only for catastrophic costs.

8. PERSONAL EMPLOYMENT ACCOUNTS… so moms have more control and ownership, while having unemployment protection. Personal employment accounts could be used during periods of unemployment and any unused funds could add to retirement incomes.

9. A FAIRER SYSTEM FOR TWO-EARNER COUPLES… so both spouses are able to file completely separate tax returns without penalty. Mothers and grandmothers also want to bury the estate tax for life.

10.  COMPENSATORY TIME OFF… so it’s easier for workers to choose alternatives to the traditional 40-hour work week. Adding flexibility to labor laws especially helps parents with young children and caregivers with elderly parents.

The National Center for Policy Analysis is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization, established in 1983. The NCPA’s goal is to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. Topics include reforms in health care, taxes, Social Security, welfare, criminal justice, education and environmental regulation.

-- Bob McCarty Writes