foolmenot.comIn the article below, the Detroit News talks about how Michigan will [spend] federal dollars to “teach birth control and provide contraceptives to women who can't afford them”…
Money down the tubes, so to speak; the answer is right in front of them, in fact it is in the article!
“unwanted pregnancies among low-income women”
"Most of the Medicaid babies are born to single mothers and will go immediately on the welfare rolls, where they'll often remain until adulthood and beyond”
The proof is in the pudding… They are getting themselves pregnant because they will get paid to get pregnant; forever! I’m not saying this, the article says it!
A cynic would respond by suggesting we just give each of them $200 a week as long as they don’t get pregnant; but not me… I will suggest that we monitor the effectiveness of this latest vote-getting, dollar give-away for the next 5 years and then implement the cynic suggestion!
p.s. Do you suppose that any aspect of this give-away will go to the Kilpatrick/Granholm friendship program?
Full article follows…
Birth control plan will cut welfare costs
Governor's program will try to prevent unplanned pregnancies
The Detroit News / March 5, 2006
Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to spend $183 million to prevent unwanted pregnancies among low-income women is a good investment in reducing Michigan's burgeoning welfare burden.
The plan, approved last week by the federal government, would use federal dollars to teach birth control and provide contraceptives to women who can't afford them.
It's drawing fire from religious groups, who raise concerns about the state promoting sexual promiscuity and absolving women of responsible behavior.
But that horse is already out of the barn. Michigan pays for 52,000 Medicaid births each year. If that number could be cut by one-third, the savings would be roughly $274 million.
That's just the start of the obligation for taxpayers. Most of the Medicaid babies are born to single mothers and will go immediately on the welfare rolls, where they'll often remain until adulthood and beyond.
The state has a stake in cutting these costs. Education and prevention offer the best opportunities for reducing the number of children born into poverty and thus the burden on taxpayers.
Michigan's Medicaid burden is already consuming nearly 20 percent of the state budget and is growing every year.
That growth must be slowed if Michigan hopes to improve its education system and rebuild its crumbling infrastructure. The governor's plan is one answer.