Portside

“This campaign is only the beginning of a campaign about fighting back,” Teachout said. “We have to be very clear with our elected officials in Albany—including the governor, the senators, the members of the Assembly—that we are not going away. Our agenda is not going away. We’re not just voting, we are organizing, we are grassroots lobbying and we are holding our elected officials’ feet to the fire.”

Housework is a necessary labor for families, but it is largely unpaid, except when others are hired to do it. Families may pay others to cook, clean or take care of their children, but they don’t pay themselves. This year, Italy considered a proposal in which the government, or in some cases the husband or partner, would pay wives for this thankless task. And a few years ago, India considered a similar bill. Should housekeeping be compensated?

Health Affairs study says single-payer reform could save $150 billion annually on hospital overhead