Just a family of pirates
An unusual thing happened earlier this month. It wasn’t a big news event that rocked the country, and if you don’t follow California news you might have missed it. Gov. Gavin Newsom decided to stay home and not attend the U.N. Climate Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.
There was lots of speculation on social media about why he canceled: he had a reaction to the COVID vaccine booster; the family had decided to set sail with pirates since Newsom had posted a pic of the entire family dressed as pirates. But the truth was far more refreshing and surprising.
At a family dinner before his departure to the conference, his kids all under the age of 13, “kind of had an intervention.” They explained that they couldn’t believe that he and mom were leaving and would miss Halloween. Halloween is a very important celebration to the Newsom kids. Newsom awoke the next morning and had a huge change of heart.
He later said, “I had no damn choice – I had to cancel that trip.” Instead, he sent a top aide.
As you might have noticed in the news the last 10 days, the Climate Change Conference has been a big deal. It was the place to see and be seen. California, going back several governors, has been in the forefront of seeking ways to reduce greenhouse gases and slow global warming. Imperial Valley has seen solar fields and wind farms sprout up faster than a crop of alfalfa as regional utilities seek to add green energy to their portfolios. Why would California’s current governor not attend a key climate change conference if only to brag about his state’s leadership in environmental policy?
Newsom has mentioned on several occasions that the past year plus of the pandemic has been challenging especially for parents. How to explain pathogens to a 4-year-old, how to juggle work and family with your spouse, how to recreate in healthy and safe ways.
In one major respect, Newsom has it much easier than many parents. As governor, he can mostly set his own agenda. If he decides not to fly to the U.N. conference, he can do so. I think he’d be the first to agree with this.
For other families in the United States, it’s an issue of family leave to be able to take off from work and spend time with family, but only during periods of medical importance. If one lives in California, family leave is paid for up to eight weeks for about 60 percent to 70 percent of one’s weekly pay. For other American workers, about 77 percent have no paid family leave, and 22 percent have no paid sick leave.
Under recent federal law, employees who have worked for a year even at a small business can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Reasons for their absence can be a serious health condition, caring for an ill family member, the need to bond with a newborn, adopted child, or foster care placement. This is in addition to four months of pregnancy disability leave that employers must provide to qualifying employees.
Recently, the Biden Administration sought to include 12 weeks of paid family leave in its federal social infrastructure bill. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia forced the elimination of this provision from Biden’s infrastructure bill. Manchin left open his support for its inclusion in a future bill.
Currently, the U.S. “is the only nation that does not offer some paid leave to new mothers among the 38 members” of the OECD, an organization of developed countries. Pretty amazing for the richest county in the world. Also amazing is the steadfast opposition by Republicans to paid family leave and child tax credits while fighting abortion and extolling the sanctity of life. What’s the message here? Have the child, but then you are on your own in finding paid family leave and tax supports for your newborn. It just doesn’t make sense.
We need to become a family-supporting nation and paid family leave is a step in that direction. It’s a matter of steering this country’s riches to support this policy.