Originally posted by jmmom80
for me, it's because we already pay plenty in taxes, and because i don't believe it is the responsibility of the government to provide a new mother the means of CHOOSING to stay home with after she has a baby.
If its a matter of taxes are already too high, then I think we all can relate, particularly those of us in Canada...but that's what's at the heart of both this debate and a much broader "role of government in society"-kind of question. The more programs that your government wants to implement to benefit the greater good, the more taxes you as an individual are likely going to have to pay.
But as to having people live with the choices, if the U.S. tax sytsem is anything like Canada's -- I know our rates are higher, but the concepts are probably similar -- its not like your tax system does not already give preferences to people to "soften the blow" for making certain choices that the U.S. government believes is beneficial to the country. For example, in the U.S. (but not in Canada ironically), my understanding is that spouses can file a consolidated tax return. In effect, this allows a husband and wife to "income split" where only one of them is working and pay lower income tax per person because on a consolidated basis they are put into a lower tax bracket. Presumably, the social policy underlying this U.S. tax measure is not that far from the EI debate in this thread because it relieves the income tax burden on the working spouse in recognition that s/he is actually earning income for two and that, as a society, there is benefits to having one of the spouses stay at home. I am also assume that the U.S. tax system allows individuals to deduct tuition paid for a college education (which Canada does have) and deductions for dependent children (which Canada does not) and in connection with the costs incurred to provide childcare (which Canada has).
Anyways, IMO its a matter of how much tax should be collected and what it should be spent on.
The examples above are intended to illustrate that, IMO, it doesn't boil down to the principled question of "not having others pay for my choices" because even your tax system may already be giving substantial preferences for the same choice (to have kids) and other choices (college education, marriage).
That's it for me on this thread. Have a great day on both sides of the border and will see y'all on another provocative Canada/US debate in the near future.
Kind of like the fact that I hate mayonnaise because it was never put on my sandwiches when I was a child 
The one thing that I do wonder though, and this is based on the experience of my friend who lives in OH and had to return after 6 weeks ... do the mom's out there really LIKE the fact that they are, if financial situations dictate, required to go back to work, when your body hasn't even recovered yet. And you're still getting up every 3 hours to feed the baby ??? I know that I was still totally exhausted at my 6 week checkup, and cannot imagine how I could have functioned. To be honest, my employer wouldn't have wanted me there ! 
