From the Times-Picayune:
Worried that welfare costs are rising as the number of taxpayers declines, state Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, said Tuesday he is studying a plan to pay poor women $1,000 to have their Fallopian tubes tied.
"We're on a train headed to the future and there's a bridge out," LaBruzzo said of what he suspects are dangerous demographic trends. "And nobody wants to talk about it."
LaBruzzo said he worries that people receiving government aid such as food stamps and publicly subsidized housing are reproducing at a faster rate than more affluent, better-educated people who presumably pay more tax revenue to the government. He said he is gathering statistics now.
....
He said his program would be voluntary. It could involve tubal ligation, encouraging other forms of birth control or, to avoid charges of gender discrimination, vasectomies for men.
It also could include tax incentives for college-educated, higher-income people to have more children, he said.
....
He acknowledged his idea might be a difficult sell politically.
"I don't know if it's a viable option," LaBruzzo said. "Of course people are going to get excited about it. Maybe we'll start a debate on it."
Even in Louisiana, I don't think this will go anywhere. LaBruzzo serves the district that voted David Duke, the white supremecist, into the Louisiana legislature. However, LaBruzzo does not want us to think this idea is based on racism, because, as he says, more white folks use the programs that concern him than African-Americans.
Think we'll hear anything on this from the RC bishops who have been throwing hissy-fits about Biden and abortion?
ReplyDeleteI don't really see the connection between sterilization and poverty.
ReplyDeleteSurely it's the shape of the economy (= employment) which makes people able/not-able to support themselves?
Not the ability to reproduce?
Lapin, I'm not sure about Labruzzo, but most New Orleanians of Italian heritage are Roman Catholic. The RCC reaction should be interesting, if they do react. Of course, they can hardly speak in favor of sterilization or education about birth control, can they? That would be hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteGöran, that's right. In addition, New Orleans and other large cities in the US have poor public education systems with high dropout rates, which contributes to the problem. The illiterate or barely literate have more difficulty obtaining jobs that are available.
Yeah, the guy is disturbing. But I'm certainly all for free birth control (of whatever sort) being offered to the poor if they desire it.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that should come as part of a decent, overall health care plan. And I'm sure the Republicans will get right on that after election season.
Right ?
::crickets::
Of course they won't react, Mimi. The man's a conservative Republican and as such exempt from the RC Church's policy of "denial of the Sacraments to liberal Democrats". Have you heard any serious suggestion that Supreme Court justices (five of 'em; all RCs) who ignore the Church's ruling on the death penalty, ought to be denied the Sacraments? Hardly - they all troop of to a "mass of the Holy Ghost" at the beginning of each court session and receive the Sacrament at the hand of the Archbishop of Washington.
ReplyDeleteNo hypocrisy here.
David, I'm definitely for free birth control info, and a health care plan would be good, too. This bill won't go anywhere. This is for show, for his constituents - the ones he thinks should be breeding more.
ReplyDeleteLapin, of course. The death penalty doesn't count against you if you say you're pro-life. In New Orleans, the lawyers' gathering is at St. Louis Cathedral, and it's called the Red Mass.
Lapin is right on. When I heard this last night I had the same reaction. Of course the RC bishops will do nothing. They have very selective hearing. I don't believe they ever denied Communion to anyone who supported the war or the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteRed mass is the other name, on account of the not inappropriate color of the vestments worn.
ReplyDeleteThis proposal, voluntary or not, has disturbing echoes from past atrocities.
ReplyDeleteWTF?????????????????????????????
ReplyDeleteHow many children does Labruzzo have? If he does, those genes are going to be passed on. How sad.........
ReplyDeleteDuring the Cold War, I was amused each year by the gathering of staid and sober judges and lawyers in the cathedral for a Red Mass.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article, LaBruzzo has one child. As I was posting, I thought of starting a fund to raise money to offer to LaBruzzo to have a vasectomy so he doesn't breed any more.
Let me know. I'll contribute. This kind of intellectual deficiency is surely genetic!!
ReplyDelete