Texas lawmaker introduces bill to offer pregnant women $500 not to abort

[Padfoot]

So how would you respond to this?

What about women who have no intention of getting an abortion, but turn up at the clinic anyway to claim a free government handout?

Read the article closely. This is a payment for women who give their children up for adoption. It won't be possible to claim the money and keep your child.
And I gotta say, it's a disgustingly low amount of money to pay.

Thats not the point.  What about the women who were already going to take the adoption route and hadn't even considered an abortion?  Is every woman who puts her newborn up for adoption going to get $500 or only the ones who first go to an abortion clinic and then change their minds?

[Bono]

THe market should set the price of babies.

LOL, you didn't think that was tongue in check?

*Phew!*  Don't take this the wrong way, but some of the views you've expressed in the past did make me wonder if you were serious.

That said, it's certainly more humane for a mother to take money from a family that will raise the baby than to abort him.

Perhaps.  But I can't tell from this article where exactly that $500 is going to come from.  I could only assume that it'd come from the taxpayers, as it definitely doesn't say if it'd come from the adoption agencies or adoptive parents.

Like I said, tackling one ethical debate by creating several new ones really is a terrible strategy for the pro-life crowd.

That's why I mentioned that, if you accept the principle that giving women money in exchange for giving up the baby for adoption is acceptable, it's best to let the market do it.

[CPT MikeyMike]

Sounds like almost a bribe to me.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

So how would you respond to this?

What about women who have no intention of getting an abortion, but turn up at the clinic anyway to claim a free government handout?

Read the article closely. This is a payment for women who give their children up for adoption. It won't be possible to claim the money and keep your child.
And I gotta say, it's a disgustingly low amount of money to pay.

Ah yes, so I see.  Although this just brings up a whole bunch of other ethical questions.

Is it right for the government to offer to 'buy' babies from their mothers?  Is it right that tax dollars should be used to buy those babies?  Is $500 a fair price for a baby in today's market?

Tackling one ethical debate by throwing in a whole new one is perhaps not the best strategy.

Given that the government has an... I forgot the technical term, but it's the situation where there is only one buyer

monopoly

[Gabu]

So how would you respond to this?

What about women who have no intention of getting an abortion, but turn up at the clinic anyway to claim a free government handout?

Read the article closely. This is a payment for women who give their children up for adoption. It won't be possible to claim the money and keep your child.
And I gotta say, it's a disgustingly low amount of money to pay.

Ah yes, so I see.  Although this just brings up a whole bunch of other ethical questions.

Is it right for the government to offer to 'buy' babies from their mothers?  Is it right that tax dollars should be used to buy those babies?  Is $500 a fair price for a baby in today's market?

Tackling one ethical debate by throwing in a whole new one is perhaps not the best strategy.

Given that the government has an... I forgot the technical term, but it's the situation where there is only one buyer

monopoly

That's where there's only one seller.  A market with only one buyer is a monopsony.

[7,052,770]

can women go to multiple clinics and get multiple $500?

[memphis]

Great. So now all these trashy people are going to be having even more kids just to get $500. Sounds like a plan. Who the hell is going to adopt all these kids anyway?

[Sam Spade]

Dan Patrick is an idiot and so is this bill.

Instead of this, how about giving Texans a tax cut, considering the state treasury is at least $5 billion (or more) in the black.

[Rob]

Great. So now all these trashy people are going to be having even more kids just to get $500.

Wow. Women are going to get pregnant and carry the fetus for nine months to get $500? That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a long time. Think about it.

Nice classism, by the way.

[memphis]

Great. So now all these trashy people are going to be having even more kids just to get $500.

Wow. Women are going to get pregnant and carry the fetus for nine months to get $500? That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a long time. Think about it.

Nice classism, by the way.

I guarantee it would happen if this were to pass. People will do about anything for money.