…….I was right. The reaction to my column on children in the workforce was strong. I was wrong in that I advocated a blanket decision. (The fact I have three bulging disks for which I’m seeing a neurosurgeon Tuesday may explain the grammatical error and meant I didn’t express my thoughts very clearly). I also should have told those people complaining to me to go to Council and air their complaints in a public forum because it’s Council that needs to say yay or nay and if the decision is “yay” then make sure the proper procedures are in place for all involved.

…….I know first- hand how hard it is to work and arrange childcare. And, I also know that sometimes childcare is so expensive, you’re paying more in childcare than you are making. When we lived in the apartment above my Dad’s office, eight-year-old Shannon had two hours between she got home from school and I got home. Luckily, my sister Marsha was Dad’s secretary and she watched her. Shannon didn’t walk to her home after school, she walked to the Courier where she spent an hour with me before going home. When I worked at Mountaineer, we investigated Day Care for the employees. Try as we did, we couldn’t make it work. I am a proponent of universal health care and universal day care and believe no mother should have to choose between taking care of her child and keeping a job to feed them.

……..Mayor Wil White shared with me his concerns as has another council member. If the employee is doing her job (and I have heard no complaints on that end) and Council is in favor then they need to take the appropriate steps to make it safe and legal.