By Deon Roberts, Online Editor
On Tuesday, state Rep. John LaBruzzo lit the Internet on fire when he suggested the state pay impoverished women to have their tubes tied as a means to decrease the number of people dependent on the government.
The Metairie Republican could introduce a bill in the next session of the Louisiana Legislature to pay women $1,000 to get sterilized so they will stop having babies they can’t afford. But he wants to do more research before deciding whether to file a bill.
The Web isn’t waiting to see whether he will file the bill, though. Comments — both for and against LaBruzzo’s idea — have flooded Web sites in the past 24 hours.
Feministing.com is among those firing at LaBruzzo.
“Let’s hope his proposed policy does not go through, and the Louisiana legislature instead rededicates itself to providing low-income women with the tools to determine their own reproductive futures,” says a posting published today on the sit.
Also today, the blog Indecent Digit had this to say: “Rep. John LaBruzzo: TOTAL Scumbag!!!”
Another blog, Feed The Farce, seems supportive of LaBruzzo’s plan.
“Finally, a voice of reason emerges from the altruistic appeasing masses and announces that welfare recipients should not be procreating,” the blog says. “If a person does not have the finances to feed and nurture a child, then DO NOT have a child. This sounds like common sense, but if that were a given then why does the U.S. have so many third and fourth generation welfare families? The answer is simple, as a country we are fostering the weak and bridling the strong; a recipe for evolutionary digression. LaBruzzo’s plan would attack this crisis at the core, reducing the numbers of the overpopulating poor.”
The blog Between The Lines said LaBruzzo’s plan “fails both conceptually and practically.” It also said this: “While LaBruzzo’s proposal might increase the chances of a woman making it out of poverty without too many children dragging her down, it does nothing to encourage her to acquire the attitudes necessary to want to make it out of poverty without which she is unlikely to. It’s good to think creatively about a large issue as this, for which LaBruzzo deserves credit, especially an issue that he notes few want to consider.”•
16 responses so far ↓
Sebastian // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 2:47 pm |
In all the criticism of the proposal, NOT EVEN ONE suggested another course of action. It’s typical entitlement mentality.
Russell V // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:05 pm |
Didn’t David Duke propose this when he was a legislator? LaBruzzo ’s thinking is short-sighted unless he truly wants a nation of majority immigrants over natural-born Americans. Either way, we need more bodies in this country to pay for social security when I retire! He’s probably going to run for higher office and is making a name for himself like when prior to running for givernor, legislator Mike Foster pushed through his bills making it easier to get and brandish guns. These guys know how to pull the puppet strings of their constituencies.
CM III // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:10 pm |
Attn: Honorable Rep. John LaBruzzo,
This may sound alittle insane that we need to introduce such an incentive, however we need to do something and I like your “outside-the-box” idea. Simply asking them to stop having babies has never worked and will not work. In fact, the children will learn from the support their parents receive making the problem worse in many cases. I would certainly support this idea. I’m sure many will fight you along the way, so we’ll need to stress its voluntary. Even if this doesn’t get off the ground, I salute someone (especially you) for making a step address the growing problem. Not discussing the problem we’re facing will certainly not solve it. We can see that from the financial mess this Country is in right now.
Keep up the good work.
c.trent // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:23 pm |
what happened to my comment that i wrote yesterday? why was it not added ????
Wendy King // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:32 pm |
It’s never acceptable to target one group of people for sterilization (or other abuse), out of either desperation over a crisis or a need to blame that group for a problem that they did not create.
It’s better to insure that low-income people have access to education and/or job-training, so that they can support themselves and their families, to solve our area’s shortage of affordable housing, and to raise the minimum wage, so that people can pay for their most basic needs, such as shelter, utilities, food, and clothing, and, for parents, that they can also pay for their children’s education, medical care, and other needs.
In many situations, young low-income men and women who complete high school, graduate and move on to work or college, are more likely to delay having children, until they’re in stable relationships and can support both themselves and a family.
Jody Connor // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:49 pm |
Dear Wendy King,
Are you living under a rock? Low-income families in Louisiana have been given this for years – - free housing, welfare, financial assistance, free public education and can even go to college for free with the TOPS program. However this has not changed anything. Nothing is going to change unless we give offer real incentives to make it happen. This is voluntary and no one is being forced to do anything.
neworleanscitybusiness // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 4:15 pm |
C. Trent,
Your comment was posted. See here: http://neworleanscitybusiness.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/metairie-lawmaker%E2%80%99s-sterilization-idea-births-backlash/
Nicole // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 4:16 pm |
I think it would be a lot less expensive for the taxpayers who will have to pay for this “service” to offer vasectomies for “over-procreational” men, rather than sterilization procedures for women. That has to be a cheaper and slightly less messy procedure. And don’t stop with the low-income! Catholics don’t believe in birth control, so keep on going! What about low-income families that happen to be Catholic??? Do they get $2000? If you’re dangling that kind of money to desperate people to give up their reproductive rights, why shouldn’t you also offer up some monies to give up other rights as well, including the right to education, health care and jobs as American and Louisiana citizens. Sincere American values from Mr. LaBruzzo! Amen!
Sean // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 4:37 pm |
This will not be nearly as effective as the “Modest Proposal” bill.
http://books.google.com/books?id=WCsCR6yVPLIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+modest+proposal#PPA1,M1
B. Allen // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 5:09 pm |
Great idea. One step further. I like the Judge in Texas who makes men and women do this as part of their parole. Low-income is one problem. However repeat criminals who have children are a bigger problem.
Sebastian // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 6:18 pm |
Is anyone surprised that feminists are making this a gender issue?
Sebastian // Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 10:32 pm |
messagero, your suggestions have failed. Didn’t you read the papers? Ignorant indeed, or is it stupid?
Rick Haase // Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 2:42 pm |
WOW! How many times do we have to repeat the same mistake? Treat the symptom and not the cause.
Sounds like this guy got his education out of Freakonomics. The authors of the book argued that the legalization of abortion in the 1970s reduced crime in the 1990s.
While there may be both a causal and corollary relationship between Roe V. Wade and the crime rate the real question for us as a society is in what kind of society do we wish to live. The root casue of this problem is education or the lack there of.
Education may not be as intially expedient as Sterilizing under- educated members of our society, but it sure sounds more like the society and culture in which I would like to live.
We have a choice in how we solve our problems, let’s not take the low road.
Grog the god Slayer // Friday, September 26, 2008 at 1:59 pm |
I’m all for it! I am not for sterilizing just the poor though, I am for sterilizing anyone. I think people should be paid for sterilizing. We cannot continue to live like this. We cannot live in a world where we consume endlessly without any thought. We cannot continue to have babies carelessly. You do know that this planet doesn’t have endless resources?