Texas lawmaker offers choice: Abortion or $500

[Charlie Brown]

Source: Reuters

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (Reuters) -- A Texas legislator has proposed that pregnant women considering abortion be offered $500 not to end their pregnancies.

Republican State Sen. Dan Patrick, who also is a conservative radio talk show host, said Friday the money might persuade the women to go ahead and have babies, then give them up for adoption.

"If this incentive would give pause and change the mind of 5 percent of those women, that's 3,000 lives. That's almost as many people as we've lost in Iraq," Patrick said.

His proposal calls for giving any woman going to an abortion clinic the $500 option, to be paid no more than 30 days after the baby is born and given up for adoption.

Critics say the proposal would violate Texas and federal laws against buying babies, which Patrick rejected as "the typical ridiculous criticism."



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/23/texas.abortion.reut/index.html

---

Believe it or not, I think this is real news, and not an Onion article.

[BayCityProgressive]

1. you know

I have to give it to him..he is nuts..but at least he is putting his money where his mouth is.

[MidwestTransplant]

3. No he's putting the taxpayers money where his mouth is!

[youngdem]

33. NO, he is putting YOUR money where his mouth is

And, more dangerously, he is setting up a basis to FINE people for an abortion, then imprison.

This is a conscious move along the slippery slope.

[Paladin]

34. Absolutely Correct

Dan Patrick is an assclown, but he's a very dangerous assclown who wants nothing less than a theocracy established in the U.S. He's said so on his radio show on more than one occasion....

[Canuckistanian]

2. Is that what babies go for these days?

I thought human life was precious.

Silly me.

[DRoseDARs]

4. No that's what fetuses are worth; babies are worth nothing after they're born per anti-abortion m.o.

eom

[MichaelHarris]

6. Oh the state gets it back

you seen the fees Texas charges for adopting babies? Heck you don't need a lottery, just sell babies.

[Ilsa]

16. So the legislator is trying to jumpstart an existing industry.

How capitalistic of him. And babies are a commodity. I wonder if he's going to offer a premium for babies with a certain gender or ethnicity?

[Paladin]

22. Trust Me On This One:

Dan Patrick is pretty stupid, but he does have just enough intelligence to know that high-grading babies on the basis of gender or ethnicity would result in a storm of bad publicity.

If he thought he could get away with putting a premium price on Aryan man-children, he'd do it. And members of his AM Hate Radio audience in Houston would gladly pay the price......

[wellst0nev0ter]

7. Oh, If Only Taking Care Of A Child Costs $500

that legislator is a moron :eyes:

[southerncrone]

5. So, paying women $500 each is going to cancel out the lives lost in the Iraq War.

They only see the numbers, don't they?

Almost sounds like he's encouraging the families of the fallen soldiers to adopt these babies as replacements for their murdered-in-the-Bush-War loved ones.

This guy really doesn't get it. There might be some women who would take the $500, but none in their right minds.

Obviously, he's not in his right mind, either.

:crazy:

[Liberty Belle]

8. A better plan: Provide healthcare for all expectant women and their babies.

The #1 reason given by women who get abortions is that they can't afford a baby. Instead of buying babies, let's buy health insurance for mothers and newborns!

The cost to give birth when you're uninsured is undoubtedly much more than $500. If financial need is driving a woman to obtain an abortion, why not do the humane thing and assure that she has access to quality affordable medical care? She might then be more apt to either keep the baby or give it up for adoption. The number of abortions could be reduced, without taking away anyone's choice.

The $500 offer is misguided. But whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, providing healthcare to women to reduce the number of abortions done purely for financial reasons is a plan that should be given serious consideration, and is something that I've been advocating now for some time.

[REP]

11. "Purely Financial Reasons"

I very much doubt there are abortions just because of the cost of a pregnancy and child-rearing. It may play a part - a woman may already have a child and can't afford another - but even free medical care won't change the baby's diapers once it's born, or provide the time that an infant requires, or the money for its college tuition.

The "can't afford a(nother) child" is an answer on a survey; it's not a reason volunteered by women seeking medical attention. A woman checking that off may be checking off the first answer on the survey; answering how she thinks she's supposed to answer; may be choosing the answer that is closest to her reason but not exactly; or even checking it off because why she's having an abortion isn't anyone else's damned business.

All the money in the world is still not enough to make some women have a(nother) child; for others, lacking everything, even a home , is not too little to have a child. Money won't solve the abortion "problem;" letting women make up their own minds is about the only thing that will.

[Maine-ah]

38. was uninsured with mine.

prenatal care alone was about 4k. Actually having the babe 21k. Luckily, I was accepted for Mainecare, after I had her, and they went retro 3 months. She would have been less had I been able to do a natural birth, but she had to come c-sect.


$500 to go through that again? Hell fucking no. What a slime ball.

[KingFlorez]

9. It's not about money

But since he wants to make it about money, let's discuss that. It takes around $190,000 to raise a child to 18, some of these rich Republicans should step in and offer to raise some of these kids with their own money. They'd never do that though, they like to tell people what to do, but wouldn't want the responsibility of a child.

[Ilsa]

17. Oh, the mommy doesn't need that kind of money because

she's signing her rights away to her own flesh and blood.

I wonder what the courts would say if the mom changes her mind after giving birth?

[nodehopper]

18. it says the money is payable only after adoption

[sutz12]

10. Is $500 enough...

to take a bus to another state and get the abortion there?

[nodehopper]

19. $500 is not enough to pay for adequate prenatal care and delivery!

not by a long shot!

[lostnotforgotten]

12. $500 Won't Buy Many Pampers And Not Much In The Way Of Baby Formula

eom

[HuffleClaw]

13. hilarious

the poor schmo just doesn't get it, though i suppose it does demonstrate the value they put on human life.

[tanyev]

14. Say, how about using that money to provide birth control for any woman that wants it?

[Paladin]

15. Why Am I Not Surprised That Dan Patrick Is Involved?

Prior to putting himself in the running for the coveted Most Embarrassing Texas Legislator award (lots of competition for that one), Patrick was an obnoxious fixture in Houston's AM Hate Radio scene. Some other Texans besides me may have heard Patrick on his show the day after Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl, where he was literally screaming in outrage over the airwaves. And the less said about his drooling fixation on Mel Gibson's Jesus film, the better.

And by the way---one of Patrick's employees at his station was Jon Matthews, at one time the leading fascist ranter on Houston morning radio---until he was busted for making sexual overtures to a teenage girl in his neighborhood. Holy Dan Patrick went berserk over Janet Jackson's bared breast, but he had nothing but prayers and good wishes for Matthews. Conservative morality, once again....

[area51]

41. Yep.

And don't forget Patrick's on-air vasectomy. Now there's a family-friendly, class act. :eyes:

[DavidDvorkin]

20. This cries out for a Molly Ivins column

She'd have had a ball with this one.

[AnneD]

21. This guy is such a jerk.....

but one good thing about it-he can't reproduce. He had a vasectomy on air (ewwwh). Here's some background. He is a putz with few redeeming qualities.

http://www.memorialhermann.org/services/DRMpictures.htm

http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2143

[joe1991]

28. Isn't a vasectomy against "God's Will"?

...why is he killing sperm that might help grow babies?

also the legislation won't pay for mexican babies, you have to be a US and Texas citizen.

Sorry poor darkies, the saying on the Statue of Liberty is for jingoistic purposes only.

[AnneD]

29. That is the whole point of my comment...

and why I include it. I can understand why he got elected-he is a pin head.

[Wwagsthedog]

30. Just imagine what the people who elected him are like.

It is really frightening. And have a look at Texas' US Senators. Cornyn wants to cut Medicare payments (to fund the war?).
PS: I live in Texas so I can cast stones at myself I guess. Cheers!

edit: sp

[AnneD]

32. I live in Texas too

neighbour, I promise not to throw stones at you if you promise not to throw them at me.

And speaking of Cornyn......
I write to him all the time and have never had so much as a by your leave. WELL.....
we went to DC to lobby for funding for CHIPS and had an appointment with his aid (God forbid he be seen with the unwashed masses).The aid STOOD US UP. Standing up your constituents with appointments is a big NO NO. We had a professional photographer with us and we started snapping all kind of photos out side his office. I said in a not so quiet voice that he never answered my mail so why would an appointment be different. I guess we didn't have enough money like those obvious lobbyist that came before us. Well, they must have gotten nervous. They called us before we got to the hotel and were so saccharine sweet about trying to set up an appointment-the only problem was we now had to catch the last plane before the snow hit. We are willing to get those photos and give them to anyone that runs against Cornyn. What another AWOL putz.

[pepperbear]

23. babies 4 sale! get your red hot babies! in fact, you can buy 2 and get 1 free! n/t

[karynnj]

24. I have no problem with this, though I doubt there would be many takers

who really intended to have abortions. They may get mothers who had already decided to have the baby.

It doesn't take any choice away from the mother. I do think it would be better if it offered all mothers OB/GYN care and the $500 to either put the baby up for adoption OR keep it. They may need to consider that some abortions are for genetic problems - Who would knowingly adopt a Tay Sachs baby.

This is one of the few ideas that is a genuine win/win compromise between two irreconcilabe groups. The pro-life group says there is a sociatal good in minimizing (or eliminating abortion). This has the state offer payment to women to do what they otherwise did not want to do. If $500 changes the equation - it's clear the mother is ambivilent about having the abortion - in which case this is better.

[rocktivity]

25. They don't get the money for KEEPING the baby?

It is enough to cover the expenses of the pregancy? And doesn't that amount to selling them?

:crazy:
rocknation

[uppityperson]

26. $500 to give birth and adopt out a baby. How about prenatal/birth care too?

Would prenatal care and the costs of the birth be covered also?

[sakabatou]

27. Because bribery is always an a legal answer

:banghead::

[BluePatriot]

31. ...

:banghead:

I think I have no comment on this, I'm too shocked / appalled.

[piedmont]

35. The phrase "cottage industry" comes to mind. nt

[thereismore]

36. We didn't lose 3,000 lives in Iraq - Bush* aborted 3,000 in Iraq. nt

[ButterflyBlood]

37. ha, if I were a woman in Texas I'd STRONGLY support this

but I'm not, so I don't care either way.

[JerseygirlCT]

39. And that would cover how much quality pre-natal care, lost

time from work, potential physical complications that would last a lifetime?

If they believe that $500 covers it, isn't that insulting to, and in opposition to, their contention that every fertilized egg is a "life"? Is that "life" worth only $500?

[MasonJar]

40. I have a better idea; let's come up with a way for him and all the other

male proponents of life until birth to carry the fetus to term. It is in our future someday and will make a big difference in these loud mouths.

[gravity]

42. $500 a month would be a great idea though

[Javaman]

43. typical ultra right wing fundie repuke solution...

make sure they are born but AFTER the kid is born, they quickly forget about them.

I have never in my life seen such a group of people so obsessed with the idea of birth, but don't give a shit about life.

odd paradox, isn't it?

[SemperEadem]

44. $500? Is that how much forcing a woman to endure an unplanned pregnancy is worth?

cheesuz! That's making infants a commodity!! You can't buy and sell children!!

How about offering universal pediatric health and dental care for that child for the first 10 years?

I'm sorry, but $500 is not enough for me to give up choice, and that's what this is about. If he thinks there aren't enough babies being born, then he needs to get cracking with his own wife and make as many as they can and pay for them.

[ryanmuegge]

45. Oh, those Republican Texans and their crazy big government, anti-free choice ideas.