On Thu, 2 Feb 2012 06:57:37 -0800 (PST), Ste
wrote:

Seeing myself as being both a consumer and a producer, it is obvious
that in general I want some sort of balance between the two. And even
as the builder, I don't really want individual consumers to be stung
with covering the full cost of my family emergency. But clearly I want
some general power to take time off to deal with irregular
emergencies, without total collapse of my lifestyle and reduction to
penury.

Can you not see that for a great many employers, paying an extra
salary every month to someone who does not actually do any work can be
just as devastating, and could easily result in bankruptcy for the
employer? That would especially be the case if such a thing became
law, because for every genuine case there would bound to be several
chancers who did not *really* have to stay at home as a carer.

If money were to be taken from someone (I suspect you would like it to
come from myself and other taxpayers) to pay for you to look after a
disabled relative, how about a situation in which your partner leaves
you or dies and you are left literally holding the baby? You will
have to find a way to care for your infant in that situation.

I see two perfectly reasonable solutions. The first is as I mentioned
- friends and relatives who do not work step in and help. The second
is for you to take out insurance to cover the possibility that you
will have to give up work due to your own or someone else's
disability.

--
Cynic