IN America today, the term 'working family' is practically anoxymoron. You can work, or you can have a family life, but havingboth is a real stretch, as most people who have tried it know.
Women - who want to remain close to their children and alsoenjoy economic security - will support public policies that allowfamilies to 'work.'
Many groups that claim to represent women say that women wantmore and bigger government programs to protect their interests.Unfortunately the 'interests' protected by big governmentprograms are not those of women, but those of liberal advocacygroups, which are interested in taking money from the rest of us andusing government power to force us to conform our lives to theirideology. Thanks, but no thanks.We disagree with the premise that working women and familiescan't succeed without government help. While some women may believethat more government is the answer to their problems, many of us dounderstand that more government costs more money.The people who work and pay taxes can't afford and don't want topay more taxes. If the choice is between having more governmentprograms or keeping our money, we'd rather keep our money to spendonour families in the way we choose.Some of the most serious problems confronting families are moraland cultural issues. The anti-family ideology reflected in manygovernment programs has contributed to those problems, such as theincrease in births to unwed teen-agers. Many, if not most, womenrecognize that other social institutions, such as churches,communitygroups and families themselves, can address moral and culturalproblems far more effectively than government programs can.We believe that people should be free to do what they want to dowith their own lives, and be responsible for the choices they make.Every American family should have the freedom and the basictools to be able to work and live as they want; to keep more of whatthey earn; to borrow money, save and invest, and to own propertythatthey can use themselves or pass on to their children.These goals can be achieved by women, men and families, but onlyif government works for them and not the other way around. Here are10 simple things Congress can do now to help working women andfamilies get what they want and need.1. Problem: Because of federal labor laws, employers can't letemployees design their own flex-time work schedules and takecompensatory time in lieu of overtime pay. For parents, particularlywomen, this means they can't arrange work to fit family and personalneeds.Solution: Amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to permit privatebusinesses and state governments to give employees the same comptimeand flex-time privileges that federal employees have enjoyed foryears.2. Problem: Because of the cost of payroll taxes, unemploymenttaxes, workers' compensation and other mandated benefits, employers(especially small businesses) can't afford to hire additionalemployees. This has many adverse effects: Small businesses can'tgrow, existing employees are asked to work longer hours, andpotential new employees can't get work.Solution: Reduce the costs of payroll taxes and benefits tobusiness and workers. Experts estimate that a one point reduction inthe payroll tax would create 400,000 new jobs. Making payroll taxesdeductible (like state and federal taxes) would reduce the cost oflabor and increase take-home pay.3. Problem: Many people, especially those with familyresponsibilities, prefer to work on a temporary, part-time orconsulting basis. But under current IRS rules, businesses may beliable for payroll taxes if they engage part-time workers orconsultants.Solution: Amend IRS rules on independent contractors. Thecurrent rules are still too vague. Individuals should be allowed tovoluntarily declare themselves independent contractors and agree tobe responsible for their own taxes and benefits.4. Problem: Many people, especially mothers with small children,prefer home-based work, so that they don't have to send children today care.Solution: Amend labor rules on piecework and similar 'cottageindustries' and simplify IRS rules on home office and home computerdeductions.5. Problem: Medical insurance costs too much, and costs keeprising. Many people without access to employer-paid coverage can'tafford medical insurance coverage. Recent health insurance 'reforms'do little for the self-employed or those whose employers offer lesscoverage than they want or need.Solution: Amend tax laws on deductibility of medical insurance.There is no good reason why only employers can deduct insuranceexpenses. Workers should be able to contract for their own healthinsurance (including establishing their own medical savingsaccounts)and get the same tax treatment as if they received the benefit fromtheir employers. When patients can act like real consumers,insurance and medical costs will go down.6. Problem: Many mothers are forced to work, or work longerhours, because of the high costs of educating children.Solution: Bring school costs down by deregulating education.Many college degrees would not be needed if children received a highquality education in the K-12 years. Other ways to make a goodeducation more affordable include school choice, vouchers andtax-free savings programs ('individual college accounts').7. Problem: Family businesses, including farms, often have to bedissolved to pay estate taxes.Solution: Eliminate estate taxes on family-owned property andenterprises (better yet, eliminate estate taxes entirely).8. Problem: Generous welfare benefits for nonworkers demean theworking poor. A substantial part of their paychecks goes tosubsidize people who don't work.Solution: Increase adult and child exemptions to a realisticlevel, and index for inflation. Better yet, fundamental tax reform,such as a flat tax plan, could establish an indexed, fair earningsceiling that would be exempt from tax altogether.9. Problem: The marriage penalty and graduated tax rates takemore money from families with two earners.Solution: A flat tax would resolve these and many other problemsof inequity and needless complication in the tax code.10. Problem: Many people (especially women and families) wantto start or expand a small business, but find it very hard to obtaincapital.Solution: Eliminate government debt. Balance the budget. Ifpeople don't have to compete with the government as a borrower, theywill have access to more money at better rates. Also eliminateunnecessary regulations and reform the legal system - both of whichmake it too expensive to run a small business today.Well, we said our ideas were 'simple'; we didn't say they were'easy.' But American women and families work very hard - too hardfor all the good they get out of it. If Congress worked a littleharder and passed these kinds of reforms, working women and familieswould sit up and take notice - and vote for the folks who did it.Anita Blair is executive vice president and Barbara Ledeen isexecutive director of the Independent Women's Forum, aWashington-based policy organization.
