Thread by @TaliOsteen

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren Childless citizens will end up paying for it one way or another - either proactively with #universalchildcare or to cover the loss that comes from its absence - decreased productivity & economic (& tax) contributions of the parents probably covers it alone, but there’s also the

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren collateral effects on the children who grow up without adequate childcare bc both their parents have to work to make ends meet - the likelihood of their success in school falls, the rate of criminality rises (so you pay by being less safe + $$ for the Justice & prison system) &

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren you lose out on these children reaching their full potential to contribute with innovation, skills, productivity & economic contributions. Health costs increase as well as the rate of financial stability declines.

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren We’re all a part of this society & we all pay for things that don’t apply to us personally. On a macro level, certainly blue states are sending more $ to the federal funds than they get in return, thus covering the deficits of red states. On a micro level, we all pay for K-12 for

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren kids regardless of if we have them ourselves, precisely because we understand the greater benefit to society as a whole. If we didn’t educate our youth, who would pay into social security to make sure you get yours when your time comes? Who would find the cure to cancer? Who’d

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren invent the next industry that employs everyone when automation takes over most of the manual labor work?

Isn’t K-12 enough? Where do we draw the line?

We draw the line where it makes economic and moral sense.

If #universalchildcare works to improve lives, improve the economy &

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren decrease inequality, we should do it. And there’s lots of evidence to show that it does just that.

Win/win. It’s an investment in our collective future.

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren “A rising tide lifts all boats” as they say.

ted.com/talks/timothy_…

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren That Ted Talk addresses your question “why should I pay taxes for other people’s children?” directly. Highly recommend giving it a watch.

1 highlight illustrates my point above, but goes further to say, not only do we pay for it either way - we pay substantially more without it

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren He goes on to say that the investment in #universalchildcare pays off 16x more if you include the costs of crime, health care, wealthcare, etc.

That’s an incredible return on an investment. I’d much rather pay 1/16th upfront for someone else’s kid to go to preschool than pay

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren more for jail time (& other costs) that could have been avoided.

Then you add all the other benefits without the $ signs next to them, and we just have a better, happier, safer, more productive & inclusive community.

How do we say no to that?

@HughesShera @billy_peacock @ewarren @threadreaderapp please unroll