Correction, please!

Taking Leave of Your Cents

ITEM: California Governor Gray Davis signed a bill "creating the nation's first comprehensive paid family leave," reported the Los Angeles Times for September 24th. The governor and other "advocates of the bill said ... that the new law will fairly balance the needs of workers and employers.... 'I don't want parents in California to have to choose between being a good parent and a good employee,' said Davis...."

ITEM: Ashleigh Banfield applauded the move on MSNBC on September 24th, saying: "Great news in California! If you're a brand new mom or dad, you can take some time off with your brand [new] newborn and you're gonna still be getting paid for it."

CORRECTION: It's great news only if you favor more absenteeism, higher business expenses, and piling greater burdens on the disability insurance system in a state laden with horrendous budget problems.

While the smallest businesses aren't required to partake in the family leave program just yet, rest assured there will be pressure to corral them, just as there was after unpaid leave was pushed through by the Clinton administration. Nor is this simply a California aberration. "For organized labor, the California law is just a start," observes Investor's Business Daily. "The AFL-CIO and other unions are pushing for similar laws in nearly 30 states and they want employers to foot the bills."

Economist Thomas Sowell cut to the quick: Davis imposed costs on private companies "to carry out a policy that the state government wants -- but is unwilling to pay for. He has confiscated private property without compensation, transferring it to those more likely to vote for him."

Crazy Coverage