City of Seattle will take taxpayer money, give to future parents

Taken from Tuesday’s edition of KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show.

Here in the city of Seattle, they are talking about four paid weeks of parental leave. And there’s a difference here, because the city of Seattle is going to do it for its own employees, which means they’re spending other people’s money.

Related: City of Seattle employees may get 4 weeks off for new child

“We can afford it,” Mayor Ed Murray said. “We have the best economy in the world. We have the best economy of any of the industrialized nations.

“We can afford it if they can,” he said.

It’s just so funny, Ed Murray; we can afford it. It’s other people’s money you’re spending, Mr. Mayor. It’s the taxpayer’s money and you’re saying we can afford it.

It’s always easier to spend other people’s money, which is the way city government looks at every expenditure.

We’ll just take the money of all the taxpayers and give it to the new parents.

Murray said, “We are the only country in the industrialized world that doesn’t offer this benefit.”

The female city employees are thrilled by all this.

“It feels like it shouldn’t have to be a luxury to have a child,” a city worker said.

No, but you should be financially ready to take care of your kid. If you can’t afford four weeks unpaid leave, which is what the law provides for, it’s probably going to be difficult to afford having a child. Kids are very expensive.

But the City of Seattle, Ed Murray says he can afford it, he can take other people’s money.

I support private companies doing this. Because they have to compete to get the best workers away from other private companies.

But the city of Seattle already has very generous benefits, and for them to say we need this to compete; well, no, you don’t. You’ve attracted very good workers by your own statements.

It’s just another way to take money from one group and give it to another group.

This is just for government workers in Seattle, but their hoping other private companies will follow suit.

Taken from Tuesday’s edition of KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show.

KR