I have to confess to not having read the entire stimulus bill President Obama was able to get passed. However, I would actually be willing to bet there is nothing in the package giving money toward any type of positive marriage programs. I would actually be shocked if, out of all the “pork” in the bill there was even one red cent given to pre-marital counseling programs or separation counseling.
If we can give government money to support abortions in other countries or give millions to pay for people in “volunteer” programs (yep you read that correctly) why not give money to programs that actually can improve the most sacred institution of all; marriage.
In a study by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy researchers found that the cost of fragmented (divorced and unwed childbearing) families on the US taxpayer is $112 billion a year. That’s billion with a “B” coming out of your wallet. A little over 1/9th the entire package, in one year. Over one decade that calculates to over $1.1 trillion. However, if the rate of fragmented families was reduced by just 10 percent, taxpayers would save over $10 billion annually.
So just by a 10 percent decrease in divorces and fragmented families, we as tax payers, (recent cabinent nominated congressmen and women excluded), would save over $100 billion dollars in the next ten years. Not to mention the fact that we would have a stronger, more solvent society, with a focus on the family. With a government that actually encourages strong and thriving marriages and family unity. So tell me again, why is there nothing in the bill that does this?
I know that $2.4 billion for “neighborhood stabilization activities” is very important, can’t figure out exactly why right at this moment but, how about a tax cut for those who take premarital counseling. After all, evidence shows that pre-marital counseling decreases the chance of divorce by 30 percent. If that happened we would save over $30 billion a year and $300 billion over the next decade. In just ten years, by a decrease in the divorce rate alone, we would have paid back over one-third of the entire bill. What a gift that would be to the next generation. So isn’t that worth some sort of stimulus injection?
I know this one is a crazy idea, what about a larger tax credit for people who adopt a child into a two parent home. (I’m talking triple or 4x what they get now). Even crazier would be to give one to young girls who take education classes on the benefits of adoption and then actually give their baby up for adoption. I know, I know, I can hear the abortion rights people screaming something about that idea being like baby brokering, or whatever. It’s foolish of me to think we should spend any money on something like that when we need to fund more abortions, even if they’re not in this country. But I digress.
There’s an old saying that no one really cares about something until it affects their own pocketbook. If that’s what it takes really takes for people to start wanting to do something about it, then maybe my plan has some legs.
Divorce is not often looked at as a financial challenge when it comes to anyone other than those immediately involved, yet it effects all of us. Therefore the promotion of happy and healthy marriages would undoubtedly have the same effect, just in a much more positive way.
