Obama rolls out sweeping benefits plan for workers, women

[babylonsister]

Obama rolls out sweeping benefits plan for workers, women
By Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers

* Posted on Wednesday, November 7, 2007

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is rolling out a cradle-to-grave tax-and-benefit program aimed at women and working-class families.

The sweeping subsidies and mandates reflect his past as a professional community organizer and his preference for government to take a stronger role in ensuring people's rights at their workplaces.

Campaigning on Wednesday in Iowa, the only early-voting state where polls show him competitive with Hillary Clinton, the Illinois senator proposed a 50 percent match on the first $1,000 a year of retirement savings for families earning up to $75,000, an expansion of the current "saver's credit."

He also proposed:

_ Requiring all companies — except those in their first two years of operation or with fewer than 10 workers — to enroll employees in retirement plans or direct-deposit individual retirement accounts. Workers could opt out.

_ A $4,000 annual college-tuition tax credit.

_ A major expansion of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which ensures that workers can take time off for various health or family reasons.

He'd extend it to cover:

_ Businesses with as few as 25 employees; the current law applies to companies with 50 workers or more. That could give hundreds of thousands more women a guaranteed 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.

_ Seven paid days of sick leave per year for workers at companies with at least 15 employees.

_ Leave to care for elderly parents or for individuals who live in a worker's home long term even if they aren't immediate family members.

_ Up to 24 hours leave per year for parents to participate in school-related activities.

_ Leave for workers to deal with domestic violence or sexual assault affecting them or their immediate families.

_ Federal aid to states such as California that provide paid family leave.

Obama's latest proposals would cost $26 billion a year, his advisers estimate. That comes atop an annual $85 billion middle-class tax-cut plan he introduced in September, which he planned to pay for largely by raising taxes on people with higher incomes.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/21201.html

[Parche]

1. Obama

I dont trust that 'Hussein' Obama...:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :hi:

[cuke]

2. Sounds just like Clinton, just weaker

"a 50 percent match on the first $1,000 a year of retirement savings for families earning up to $75,000,"

Clinton gives a 100% match for the 1st $1k

"_ Requiring all companies — except those in their first two years of operation or with fewer than 10 workers — to enroll employees in retirement plans or direct-deposit individual retirement accounts. Workers could opt out."

Just like HRC's, but when she proposed it, Obama supporters complained it didn't help the poor

" A $4,000 annual college-tuition tax credit."

HRC also offers tax credits, which Obama supporters complained about because it didn't help the poor

" A major expansion of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which ensures that workers can take time off for various health or family reasons"

Gee, I wonder who came up with the idea for FMLA? Could it be a Clinton?