by Dennis Myers
TiTus supporTs probe U.S. Rep. Dina Titus has become the 108th member of the U.S. House to support an impeachment inquiry. A statement posted on her website reads: “My decision isn’t based on my disagreements with the President’s policies or my disapproval of his temperament, though I have both. I’m calling for an impeachment inquiry because of the mounting evidence that Donald Trump has repeatedly broken the law to protect his own interests. To be clear, misleading the public and the press is not an impeachable offense. But lying to law enforcement officials who are investigating the Russian attack on our democracy—and ordering his staff to do the same—are serious crimes. … And on its own, greed is not an impeachable offense. But after his election, Donald Trump refused to divest from his businesses despite obvious conflicts of interests. So now he’s profiting from foreign government officials who are trying to curry favor by staying at his hotels—even though the emoluments clause of the Constitution prevents the President from accepting foreign payments. In the Constitution, those payments are called ‘emoluments,’ but today you can just call them ‘bribes.’ Either way, it’s unethical and illegal. The subcommittee I lead is going to recharge its investigation into those foreign payments when Congress returns to Washington in September. Rest assured I am going to demand answers.” There has been considerable debate over whether what the House Judiciary Committee launched following Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony constitutes an impeachment investigation, and House leaders have been unwilling to clarify things. Titus used the term inquiry. The administration tried to dismiss the Mueller testimony as falling flat. However, since congressmembers returned to their districts, they seem to have found it resonated with the public, resulting in momentum in the House for impeachment. As recently as July 17, the House voted 332 to 95 to block an impeachment effort by Texas Rep. Al Green. Titus then voted against the successful move to table Green’s resolution. Titus chairs the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management that has charge of the investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged breach of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, also known as the foreign emoluments clause (article I, section 9, paragraph 8) that generally prohibits federal officeholders from receiving anything of value from a foreign state or its officials. There is also a domestic emoluments clause in the Constitution. On April 30, a federal court rejected Trump’s attempt to block a lawsuit filed by 200 members of the House and Senate charging that Trump has violated the foreign emoluments clause. The emoluments issue has had a lower profile than other Trump scandals.
—Dennis Myers
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RN&R
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08.01.19
Average child care costs in Nevada are approaching the average rents.
Child care unaffordable?
Some parents who would like to be in the job market never get there because of child care costs. The depth of the problem in the state can be seen in the lives led by child care workers themselves: “A median child care worker in Nevada would have to spend 50.7 percent of her earnings to put her own child in infant care.” That does not create much of an incentive to go into child care work. “My granddaughter did that kind of work for awhile while she was where infant care is more expensive going to college, but it’s usually like than college. In Nevada, infant care that—temporary—to support yourself costs just 8.7 percent less than averuntil you get through school,” said age rent.” Marlene Lockard. And given Nevada’s heavy Lockard is a professional reliance on low income lobbyist and represented workers: “A minimum the Nevada Women’s wage worker in Lobby in the 2019 Nevada would need legislative session. to work full-time She said there were for 35 weeks, or a number of pieces from January to of legislation August, just to dealing with other pay for child care kinds of family for one infant.” issues, and that The report adds dealt with adminEconomic Policy Institute flatly, “Child care is istrative child care unaffordable for typimatters, but not much cal families in Nevada.” on availability. And the That might be shocking reason always came down except that the same thing is to money. often said of the United States. At least “There were bills, but they didn’t one survey has shown some parents make it,” she said. “There were a holding down the size of their families couple of bills at the 2017 legislature because of the cost of child care. that touched on higher salaries for
State cost through the roof Most child care legislation considered this year by Nevada’s new woman-majority legislature dealt with regulation or licensure, not access to care. Legislators went into the 2019 legislature with no expectation of many gains, to the point that in February the Nevada Current ran the headline, “Child care reform: Baby steps expected at Legislature.” Now, the Economic Policy Institute in D.C. has issued a new survey on child care in the state. It reported that in Nevada average child care for a 4-year-old costs $9,050 a year, or $754 monthly. That’s 72 percent of the average cost of housing in the state. Infant care is even higher—$11,408 annually. The Institute reported, “Infant care in Nevada costs $5,488 (92.7 percent) more per year than in-state tuition for four-year public college. That makes Nevada one of 33 states and D.C.
“Child care for two children—an infant and a 4-yearold—costs $20,459.”
