I had planned to write today, about the distinctions between 3 similar-in-meaning words. But, this post’s new subject is more pertinent and pressing now, than the 3 words post would have been.

Californian’s are really suffering in many ways (have been) as a result of heavy-handed management of ‘COVID-19’. For years, prior to it, we’ve been under threat of property tax rises. And, so naturally whenever we hear about calls from our elected leaders to finance anything at all, it becomes a highly suspicious demand of us. CA’s voted for many high priced bonds. Going from state surplus to state debt, is not going to ensure a re-election of state head. Pandemics certainly aren’t a source of income stability either; quite the opposite, as we observe now. Friends and neighbors are complying most diligently with county and city guidelines, and want nothing more than to earn their livings by making their customers happy again through their services. Taxpayer revenue is not unlimited in supply. And yet, politicians demonstratively wish it were, so that they can look good and get anything done in their imagination. Or, they’re simply trying to drive us out, so that they can bamboozle others less informed.

I thought it would be more pertinent and helpful to talk about business interruption; and thereby, the man-made creation of new disparity while trying to diminish other disparity. As a direct consequence of tamping down on pandemic, our momentum is at serious threat today. Sometimes “the cure is potentially, or, even vastly more detrimental than the cause.” Dragging the productive ones down, is not going to help the state. I recently heard someone quote Winston Churchill, who said, ““The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” Dragging us down, is not going to help you.

[In the next blog post, I will feature an article about how CA homeless are gaining homes thanks to our dollars]. This blog, though, is mostly about women in the workforce.

Many of America’s professional women have penetrated the available US workplaces (at increased net volume for many decades now); contributing of themselves to the labor market. Many of our heroes, are and have been women (in positions of law, medicine, government, clerical work, artistry, engineering, education and more). Often their own children had to suffer as a result of mom being at workplace away from home. Without women in our workforce, our country would lose its competitive position over other nations (ones that might other than us, more effectively deploy its own women). That would allow those nations to in some way come to dominate our own. In response to decades of their calls upon men in power, women have demanded equal representation in the labor market (across all sectors and industry), military service, and also in government. Women have become characteristically more self reliant (as a direct result), and more productive in the economy for their own benefit and for GDP gains. They’ve also become more attractive thereby, to men. They become role models for their daughters. Many of such women have acquired skills in areas, that men have let go of, in order to give the ambitious women a workplace. Hopefully, they (women) have as a result become more sympathetic to their male counterparts today – who in years past were the ones: the ones to primarily fulfill the tasks that women were not as widely inclined to challenge themselves with (or unable to step into for whatever reasons existed).

Clearly, now in 2020, many American women are still every bit as capable of performing the jobs of our present day – which require intellect, talent, strength, ethic, competency, and combinations of those attributes.

But, women are once again suddenly attracted to the idea of working at home again. One of the singular most significant deterrents to such choice, does however remain health benefits that the workplace offer them and their families. There are couples today, where both man and woman work away from their home; and, each of the two contributes to health and benefits that are provided by their employer, as a team.

While it could be easy to simply depend on their male husbands to go to the workplace, in order that the woman receive health benefits from him, women should understand a few things about men. I say this as if they don’t already know, for argument sake.

Men require momentum. Men cannot start and stop abruptly. Men cannot be reliable, when too many disruptions and crises are occurring; or made worse than they would be without extra stressors that don’t need to be dumped. When disruptions in the economy occur, momentum is lost. Disruptions such as economy shut-downs, that are mandated in order to control something [such as a pandemic (ie. “Covid-19”)], directly impact the labor market from “day 1” – causing problems in business and family operations. Over-corrective action and tweaking of our lives, causes extreme discord in another area of our lives that only then gives women a bad day too. That’s dysfunction.

This disruption in momentum, translates directly to net lost jobs. While jobs are then subsequently open and available to other (perhaps more eager) job seekers (men and women) unlike as they were before (due to occupancy by husbands/men), what happens when women largely, in the majority, and collectively decide, that they do not want to fill those positions they previously fought so hard to acquire? What if there were a “male strike”, or a “female strike”? What would this accomplish? Not anything good. I can tell you that.

When women decide once again, and suddenly so, that it seems more attractive to them that they would rather be at home, there is a direct problem for those men who suddenly are asked to go back to their job. And, the society that suddenly loses its women employees, has paperwork piling up with no one able to accomplish it. Unless, each or either of them has a business from home that is providing for both of their needs (this is still a very rare reality). Perhaps they are both operating a business together? That would work. Or, perhaps one of the two is making sufficient money that the other does not have to go out and find that job again.

Hmmm, but does it seem right that a women just up and decide, that she’s leaving the workforce unilaterally? Does that seem equitable to the husband? Does that seem responsible of them (after having demanded for decades for better jobs and higher wages)? Like I said, men require momentum. We cannot start and stop, like a machine can.

So, this post is a compliment (and voices my gratitude) to all those women who: stick to their ambitions, who go out and get that job, who go out and get health benefits, who demand fair amount of maternity leave from their employer. And, this post is for that heroic woman who takes her husband’s opinions seriously, weighing them into the decision making process for their household, courageously moving forward, in interest of the stability her family will gain.

For those, who find ways to work at home. Good for them too! After all, it is a fair dream to have – working at a home business. And, it is increasingly possible to do, with our modern technology… for certain kinds of jobs. Especially if one’s costs of living are not extravagant. Remote work is possible too. And therefore, women can keep their jobs and work from home like was never possible before. So, think twice about where your dream job takes place, and commit to your obligations.

Women, like men, should be able to find their “groove”; and to be accustomed to reliable work – whether they choose home or away-from-home work. What matters, is that they are respectful of their partner… sharing responsibility, and not looking for an easy way out. Be decisive, be bold, and be RELIABLE, to your partner.

You cannot derive esteem from the labor market, without participating in it. And, you cannot have esteem from your family, without being a good mom or a good dad.

If “we’re all in this together”, that means that we do our work. It also means that we should have understanding for the needs of our partner. Momentum increases productivity. Let’s stand up together, against policies that disrupt our families’ lives unfairly and/or in extreme measure.