ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Last week I joined dozens of Democrats for our annual end of the year party. True to our All-American “D.E.I. values”, we wished one another a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Solstice. And in the spirit of true “elitists,” we ate hors d’oeuvres and drank a little wine. In addition, we enjoyed the festive music, fantastic art, and engaging conversation on hand. More importantly, we discussed the implications of the recent election and various paths forward.

What we resolved to do is to make Idaho a better place to live for everyone, not just the elitists.

But please don’t think this column will drift along as a fluffy feel-good piece.

ON A SERIOUS NOTE

Let me tell you about a sobering conversation I had with one of the party goers.

A middle-aged woman told me how tough it is for her to run her day care center since the state suspended the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) that had been helping keep the lights on.

“The (ICCP) cutoff has really hurt us,” she told me. “Of course, I’ll take care of my grandkids so my daughter can work her job. But I cannot afford to take care of other kids without that state money.”

A few days later, the Washington Post reported that Idaho has, indeed, caused itself a statewide daycare crisis due to its overly restrictive anti-abortion law.

The daycare center owner and the newspaper article reminded me of what I always knew. Owning and running a daycare center is not “easy or lucrative.” But I was not fully aware of how the loss of supplemental federal funding detrimentally affects the state’s daycare industry.

It is well known that Idaho’s legislature opposes taking federal dollars for anything. This includes social services that support family welfare. What is surprising, however, is that Idaho resists spending adequate state revenue on these services as well.

It is no surprise that most childcare workers are women, and women of childbearing age benefit the most from childcare. By relying on outside childcare, women have the freedom to work a paying job, finish school, or pursue other interests outside the home. Consequently, for women, childcare is at the top of the list of social services they rely on. 

Ironically, childcare, like other social services, is restricted the most in states with the strictest anti-abortion laws. The American Journal of Public Health has found that “children, and families that abortion proponents seek to “protect” are the populations that are left behind—with less access to health care and family social services—if pregnancy is continued.”

The Washington Post article reported that Idaho’s statewide childcare crisis is truly severe. One daycare operator from Nampa said the cuts forced her to lay off three of her 16 teachers. “It feels like the beginning of the end, if I’m being honest” she said.

Far right Republicans clearly want women in “traditional” roles. State Rep. Charlie Shepherd (R, Pollock) said he opposes any legislation that makes it “easier or more convenient for women to come out of the home.” (He later apologized for this).

Former Senator Chuck Winder obtusely believes that outlawing abortion can solve the shortage of service workers in Idaho. Consider Winder’s comment for a minute. Do Republicans really think women should produce more children to correct labor shortages? 

If so, the Republican concept of women is both backward, and unrealistic. Consider that women-led households make up 10.4% of the total households in Idaho. How can a woman head of household earn a living if she is producing babies and raising children? The Republican concept of a family does not meet with this reality. 

How might we begin to fix this crisis? One way is to expose it by doing more investigative reporting about the adverse effects of abortion bans on social services, single parents, and women who choose to pursue a career outside of home. Another possibility is to provide more positive news coverage of the social services that parents depend on like universal pre-school, counseling services, school lunch, and fully funded public education. Additionally, there should be more information available about how abortion bans negatively affect maternal and child morbidity and mortality. 

If more voters knew about the problems that stem from our government’s bad policies, they might become willing to support the needed changes.

The eventual replacement of three MAGA trustees on the North Idaho College Board is evidence of the fact that when given sufficient evidence, people will eventually make better choices.

In other words, once we reveal a problem and a realistic path forward to resolving it, we can generate sufficient support to do something about it.