Innovative policies needed to buttress families

I wonder how many working parents are trying to figure out how Amendment 3 will help put food on the table, make the mortgage payments, pay for kids' medical bills and gas for the family car.

Most parents don't need to be told of the importance of marriage. What they do need, however, is help in keeping their precious little families together in today's economy, not knowing whether one or the other will have a job tomorrow.

The overwhelming support for the passing of Amendment 3 (at least the first part) is an indication that most Utahns know the importance of marriage and the value of strong families. Every morning, when parents drop their children off with some caregiver, there is a tug at the heartstrings to remind them of the joy of family.

Politicians are quick to use the Utah code words — Utah values, family values — and have no qualms about amending the constitution to try to protect and defend these when it's for their political gain. After all, who could be against families?

Our families are under siege and fighting to survive in a fast-changing, global economy. Many families are trying to reach, or maintain, the middle class quality of life their parents had in the more stable industrial economy. Life, then, was predictable. You could count on being able to provide health care for your family, pay the mortgage, save for education and build a nest egg for retirement.

Today, working parents must be prepared to compete for jobs with workers from other nations, not just from other states. Now, the only security individuals have is what they bring that can add value to the job place. And, years ago, the documentary about America being a great place to live, but just don't get sick, is today's nightmare for parents.

Utah parents don't need to be reminded of the importance of families. They love their children and work hard to provide them with a good life. Matter of fact, Utah has more dual-earner married couples than the national average. Sixty-one percent of married women in Utah are in the work force, while the national average of dual-earner married couples is 39.2 percent. "The single-earner married couple household, once considered traditional, now made up 18.3 percent of all working households in 2003" (Center for Working and Family Balance).

With the reaffirmation of our state's commitment to families, and the election of a governor who has made economic development, good jobs and education major goals, there is a golden opportunity for legislators to create a set of coherent policies that support families as they struggle to have the quality of life we have come to know.