Mother of the Year Applauds Tax Break

In the lead letter to the editor published today in The Oklahoman, LaDonna Meinders of Oklahoma City, the 2007 Oklahoma Mother of the Year, applauds Oklahoma's trendsetting new tax break.

I was delighted to read in Brandon Dutcher's 'Help most important educators' (Opinion, Nov. 12) that Oklahoma has taken the lead in giving stay-at-home moms a token income tax credit. While $50 isn't much, this is a step in the right direction and can lead to doing something meaningful in the future. This tax break is great, but the best thing about Dutcher's article is the acknowledgement that a parent is a child's most important educator.

Oklahoma is where I was educated and where I reared my own children. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The people are friendly and Oklahoma's natural beauty is unsurpassed. But a state needs more than friendly people and pretty scenery. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving home and to step out into the world with the confidence that this kind of childhood develops.

I've known many women who worked full time and who turned out healthy, happy, well-adjusted children. But for those women who choose to stay at home and take care of their own children, a tax break is a positive incentive and an affirmation. Oklahoma can be a leader for the nation as we stand up for families, for motherhood and for the future of our children. Way to go, Oklahoma!