Don't think I really like this idea either and I LIKE Hilary!! I would definitely need more details before I could make any kind of real decision. I don't even know if she was really suggesting it or it was just an off hand comment, either. I would definitely have to do more reading before I would support the idea or before I held it against Clinton.

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

We have a child tax benefit here in Canada. $100.00 per child each month. Wish it could be a little more, however I can't complain, we don't have to worry about medical costs. My son has a wonderful pediatrician and we're very thankful for that.
I wish I could understand the disdain that some of you are expressing toward senator Clinton's proposal. Someone had figured $20 billion would be needed for this proposal to happen...(and now I'm thinking about the $200 billion dollars that Bush just asked for for the continuance of the Iraq war)...IMO, I would be more outraged about the $200 billion.
Any monies that would go to the children of our countries is worth every penny. Our children will be our future leaders some day. For a great many children and families those monies will mean the difference between life and death(this is no exaggeration) .

Our child tax credit is already more than $100 per month. So would support your government giving each child $5000 at birth? You do pay medical costs too you realize don't you?? You just do it through higher taxes. Someone from Canada posted on here once what the tax rate was and I remember thinking how much higher it was. So medical costs are still paid by the people....just through another method.

__________________

I am outraged and appauled. Thanks Tristansmom for your post. I wished the powers that be in our country cared as much for our children as yours do. I will never understand how they can think it's fine to spend that kind of money on this war and tell our children they aren't worth the money it would take to keep them healthy.

__________________
The mighty oak started out as a nut that held its ground.

Greenspan did something in regard to this the other day -- I read an article somewhere and he, as a Republican, was very disappointed in his party and actually spoke very highly of Clinton. But I don't remember exactly what he said -- I'll see if I can't find it.

A lot of us are enraged about Bush wanting another 200Billion for the war. However, there's not much we peons can do, and, the way he worded it, was to pay for better armor and protection for our soldiers. SO...anybody who speaks against it will look like we don't want our soldiers protected, which is so far from the truth.

It all goes back to spin.

There has to be truth in lending. Don't you wish there was full disclosure and truth in how our taxes are spent?

__________________
Make someone's heart smile today.

Brings back memories of the good ole days when I was a kid growing up in housing projects in the Bronx. Girls I went to school with and their sisters as well as mothers were always planning their next baby - the $600 they got from welfare during the month of the due date already spent and never on what it was intended for - buying stuff the baby would need.

Being born in this country does not entitle you a bank account. Education is free, we all have the choice to do well for ourselves.

Perhaps a better option would be to offer some kind of affordable college education for those that would like to go.

__________________
The mighty oak started out as a nut that held its ground.

Definitely!!!!

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

I like that idea Treehugger!

My earlier post said education was free - I know what I meant but in my haste to get it typed before the baby hits the mystery key on my keyboard that closes all windows I did not communicate it well. Education beyond 12th grade is not free but it is available for everyone via grants loans and scholarships - all you need is the will determination.

An alternative is to put $23 and change aside in an account every month for 18 yrs starting the month your child is born to save $5000