Posted on 03/23/2007 8:26:10 AM PDT by Princip. Conservative
AUSTIN — A proposal by state Sen. Dan Patrick would pay pregnant women $500 for choosing adoption over abortion.
The anti-abortion Houston Republican said Senate Bill 1567 would provide an incentive to forgo abortion, but critics questioned whether such payments would be viewed as baby selling or coercion.
"We want that lady to have an incentive that makes her stop and think about having an abortion and that gives her a reason to put her baby up for adoption," Patrick said. "My goal is to save as many babies as we possibly can."
Critics of the bill, which has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said the idea of paying women to choose adoption oversimplifies the decision they face.
"This is insulting to women and also insulting to all the great charitable organizations out there that do wonderful work finding adoptive parents and taking care of the birth mother," said Fran Hagerty of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas.
Joe Pojman of the anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life also expressed caution.
"We just need to make sure there isn't even the perception of baby buying going on," Pojman said.
It's against Texas law to offer to give a thing of value to another for acquiring a child for purposes of adoption.
Patrick disputed any portrayal of the bill as baby selling.
"We're just giving someone an incentive to put your baby up for adoption," he said. "Then the baby goes through the normal adoptive process."
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
Works for me.
Actually, I say that. But there WILL be people who will intentional have repeated babies for $500 for meth/crack.
I like the South Carolina approach, where they want to require women to view the ulrasonic picture of the baby prior to authorizing any abortion. That would have quite an effect.
Well, it's better than using taxpayer $$$ to pay for abortions...
My guess is you'll end up with a bunch of babies nobody wants to adopt.
Anything that saves the lives of unborn babies is good.
Baby buying shouldn't be a concern if everyone makes the same amount, and the money is paid out of public coffers.
My only concern is whether this might some encourage some women (or young girls) to get pregnant, in order to collect the cash. You wouldn't think so, considering it is only $500, but some people do not think logically.
Is that true? Even "crack babies"?
Here's a better idear:
Democrats claim that they want abortion to be legal, safe and rare.
Well if that's true, let's put a $1000 tax on all abortions.
"Well if that's true, let's put a $1000 tax on all abortions."
Paid by the doctor performing the same.
I've never killed anyone.....how much do I get?
I've seen many couples go to great lengths, time, and expense to get babies from Eastern Europe, when there aree are plenty of babies here to adopt.
A well meaning idea, but stupid.
I suggest instead giving $1000 to every married couple who brings a child into the world live.
My best friend has adopted two babies from druggie moms; the second was six weeks premature and barely weighed 4 lbs. Thank heavens they've grown up without serious iissue, but she and her husband knew it was a crap shoot and went through with it anyway.
Because of this, the proposal may actually INCREASE abortions, depending on the amount of women who initially get pregnant for the financial incentive, then later change their minds and have an abortion. I don't think he thought this through.
---I suggest instead giving $1000 to every married couple who brings a child into the world live.---
Don't we kind of already do that with the child tax credit? And then for every year up up until they're 17? I don't think this'll work, but I don't want abortions supported either.
Okay, uh...nevermind. I didn't think that through. Please ignore it.
Uh, I see a small problem with this. Need cash? Get pregnant, give baby up for adoption, collect $500. Rinse, repeat.
Let's see; might it save some babies? Yes.
Do I care that the mother may bypass abortion for the money and not for the moral choice I believe she should make?
For her, yes, for the baby, no.
The baby gets to have its life whether or not the mother's life is reordered by the experience.
I think it is even possible that simply on being told that the state will pay $500 if they avoid an abortion, some pregnant single young women will be moved to rethink their position regarding abortion and regardless of the $500.
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