It is indisputable that global population growth is the major reason the planet is in peril. Regardless of current or future technology, we cannot prevent a global disaster unless we manage to stop and reverse the increase in population growth. If you are not convinced, do the research or simply look around you. There are volumes and volumes of good research that explain the social, economic, psychological and biological reasons we are likely to breed ourselves into an existence of more cruelty, disease and famine.
It is time the US began to implement policies that will stop and reverse population growth. Policies that encourage procreation should be repealed at the federal, state and local levels of government. Some of these policies include:
- Federal and state income standard tax deductions for children.
- Federal and state income tax deductions for child care.
Corporations that provide benefits for employees that support children that are not applicable for employees without children should be discontinued. Some of these polices include:
- Health insurance benefits for children,
- Free or reduced cost childcare at the workplace,
- Pregnancy leave.
After the repeal of policies that encourage procreation, policies should be implemented which discourage it.
A cap-and-trade policy should be established to allow a parent who wants more then one replacement, to buy credits from individuals that are childless. If you procreate more than one replacement and cannot afford to buy credits, the Federal government will pay all or a portion of the credit based on a sliding scale according to a parent’s ability to pay. If the parent is Catholic and attends Mass at least once a month the Catholic Church will pay the credit in lieu of the Federal government.
After a person has procreated a replacement, any additional replacements may not be educated in the public school system unless the parent pays the full cost of the education. Cost should be based on a sliding scale according to parent’s ability to pay.
Socio-economic status is the largest single determinate of the number of children an individual will procreate. In order to raise the social-economic status of the lowest wage earners the minimum wage rate should be raised to the level of a living wage. A living wage should be defined as the current median income of all full time employed persons. There after the minimum wage should be raised yearly based on the same inflation index used by the Social Security Administration. Unemployment insurance, social security disability and temporary assistance to needy families should also follow the same standard.
The Federal government should pay all fertile individuals a lifetime benefit to be sterilized. The yearly payment will be an age based graduated scale – the earlier you are sterilized the greater the yearly payment. Only individuals who are at least 18 may participate. The maximum benefit will be $25,000 a year for a male or female sterilized at the age of 18. The minimum benefit will be $5,000 a year for females sterilized at age 40 and men sterilized at age 70.
The Federal government with no restrictions during the first trimester should pay for abortions. The Federal government should also pay for abortions during the second or third trimester when the life of the mother is in danger.
The Federal government when prescribed by a physician should pay for all methods of birth control approved by the FDA. Condoms should be freely distributed at all businesses that sell alcoholic beverages. The Federal government should pay the cost. The Federal government should tax alcoholic beverages at a rate that pays for the program.
Gay civil unions should be made legal nationwide and the benefits of a gay lifestyle should be taught at every level of the educational system.
On Sunday, June 19 2009 (Father’s Day) a public forum will be held at the Richmond Save the Planet Institute at 12 noon to solicit feedback on these recommendations and to obtain additional ideas on how to reverse population growth. The Richmond Save the Planet Institute is located at 2626 ½ W Broad St beside the Richmond Children’s Museum.
OK, so by now if you have read all of this dribble you are thinking is this person insane. Well, at least I don't think so. Some of the policies suggested here are meant as thought provoking jokes. Others like getting rid of standardized deductions for children, raising the minimum wage, abortion, and free birth control are not. We must start acting to reduce population growth or the "over the top" policy suggestions here will seem humane in comparison to what will actually occur - famine, war and misery beyond anything humanity has experienced.
