There are many students who have the responsibility of balancing school, work and children. That’s why both presidential candidates are including this group of students in their economic plans.
Both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are promising to help parents with careers be more involved with their families.
Each of the candidates have fueled their campaigns with promises to improve the economy. The first of their promises is to help families spend more time together through the Family Medical Leave Act.
McCain’s campaign website has it posted that he plans to create the Commission of Workforce Flexibility and Choice.
The main purpose of the Commission according to the website is to make it possible for workers to find modern ways of working while still active in the lives of their families.
Obama’s website listed that he would expand the Family Medical Leave Act. The employer must grant employees a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave for a family emergency.
The act currently covers employers with 50 or more employees. The expansion that Obama is promising would decrease the amount of workers an employer must have to 25. It will also allow parents 24 hours of leave to participate in school activities.
Victor Oguledo, a Florida A&M University Economics professor, said that the proposed changes would be beneficial for voters.
“When it comes to the economics of it, it is socially good,” Oguledo said.
However, Oguledo wondered where the money to make the expansion and changes possible is.
“Where is the means of financing it,” Oguledo said.
McCain’s website listed that he doesn’t plan new tax increases or pro growth tax cuts. The Arizona senator’s proposals would cut the growth of the federal government. This information was collected from McCain’s website as directed by his communications department
Ian Bassin, Obama’s Policy director, said his candidate plans to help the middle class while funding his proposal.
Basin said Obama plans to do this by taking away the tax cuts from the top 2 percent of the population and bring the troops home from Iraq.
Bassin said that the war in Iraq is costing the American people $10 Billion dollars a month and that a tax cut given to the top two percent will add between $200 and $300 billion to the national deficit.
He said the expansion of the FMLA would be most beneficial to student with children.
“Its important to allow them to attend parent teacher conferences,” Basin said.
He also said people are working more for less and that the plan is to help.
“The goal is to give them more,” Basin said.
Christina Monford, 24, pre-dental student from Jacksonville, said that she thinks the proposed changes to the FMLA would assist her in being apart of her sons life.
“I sometimes catch myself because my time is limited the time I can spend with my son,” Monford said.
She also said she thinks that Obama’s proposed changes will help everyone.
“I agree with all of it. It’s going to influence everybody, every single parent and student,” she said.