A Swiftian Question

If I have to pay for your and your family's housing, education, food--and now, health care, can I have a say in how many damn kids you have?

The number of people who can't afford any of life's basics, yet have 3, 4, 5 or more kids, is astronomical.

I would never begrudge anyone having a child. But number 2? 3? 8?

Don't we have a right to say no (or at least that there are no benefits)-- if only because we are being REQUIRED to pay for them?

According to the Census Bureau, of the families with zero children, only 4% are below the poverty line. 1 or 2 children? 12% 3 or 4? Then it jumps to 23%.

Of the families with five or more children, 41.5% are below the poverty line!

That means of the 8 million families with 3 or more children, over 2 million are below the poverty line--meaning they qualify for the full buffet table of government subsidies, handouts and aid.

Now, there are people who had 3 kids, could afford 3 kids until something bad happened.

But come take a trip with me to Family Court someday--you'll see plenty of women and men who have had children they could never take care of.

I don't suppose any of that is covered in the health care reforms before Congress.