How To End Poverty:Rebuttal

I was on FB and found someone who had thoughts regarding my ideas for winning the war on poverty.

1. Weaken or eliminate the Public Employee Unions. Their primary purpose is to ensure the senior employees make the most money, receive the best positions and are secure in their employment. These goals are NOT aligned with cost effectively getting the most help to the people who need it. Pay for performance, not years and degrees.
2. Set hard knowledge attainment and/or poverty reduction targets that the bureaucracy managers must hit, and replace them if they don't. No more of these employment contracts where Superintendents get huge buy out clauses when they fail. Pay for performance, not degrees.
3. Make Long Acting Reversible Contraception and the Morning After Pill free and readily available for all. NO baby should be born unless the Baby Maker(s) are 100% wanting the child and feel prepared to care for it. (ie committed to being responsible capable Parents)
4. If a proven irresponsible Baby Maker who is on welfare (ie Angel Adams) gets pregnant. She should be forced to abort or give the Baby up for adoption. And if this happens more than once, her tubes should be tied.
5. The welfare payments and service should be set up to make recipients work, learn, mature and improve their self sufficiency.
6. The male Baby Makers must bear the consequences of their behavior. The female Baby Maker must name the Father so the State can ensure the required child support is paid. The cost may be higher than the money received, but the "free loading Baby Daddy" behavior must be dissuaded.
7. The State must ensure that Baby Makers and the Babies receive training, care, etc until they become a functional family. (ie Parents and Kids) This includes mandatory Parenting classes, Early Childhood Education, Inexpensive quality childcare, etc. Many of the Baby Makers are in this position because their role models were Baby Makers (ie not Parents). Someone has to train them what it means to be a Parent.

Here are Ann's Thoughts: Thanks for your postings.  I actually do enjoy debating these issues as they are near and dear to my heart.  It is particularly fun to do so with someone who is respectful.  I appreciate that.  I did go read your blog post and will comment on my thoughts here.  I don't like the language of "baby makers" vs "parents" but I understand what you are trying to say.  I have loads of more specific ideas about how to help children but here are my comments about your proposals.  It is clear to me that we both care deeply about the welfare of children and families.

Item 1
I am not interested in eliminating unions.  It is not my area of expertise either.  However, the most recent union negotiations in St. Paul from the teachers in that district were not motivated by just having higher ups make more money.  I spoke with teachers in that district and they did not have the tools needed to do their jobs.  Namely, they wanted more specialized help for children (i.e. social workers, therapists, SPED teachers).  I think you and I probably agree about some changes that need to be made in education, given that I did read more of your blog.

Item 2
I agree 100%

Item 3
I agree 100%.  Actually, for the most part, much of these services are already free to low income people.  What I see as a therapist is that some people who have never had love in their lives have children in the hopes that the child will love them, not because they want to be parents.  We need to address this psychologically not by sterilization.  Forced sterilization is a human rights violation in my opinion.  I know you want a simple solution...but there is not one.  My best solution is to make long-term, trauma informed therapy free for anyone who wants it.  We need to move away from short-term mental health treatment as it doesn't work.  Psychological change seems to be what you want for people.  That takes time and effort.

Item 4
I disagree wholeheartedly.  Our country has a long history of slavery, racism, forced sterilization of black women, and forced sterilization of women who are deemed unintelligent and/or poor.  This is wholly against my values as an American.  Slavery is not something we are out from under at this time.  We see disparities in health and well-being to this day in many communities of black/brown people that are a direct result of slavery and genocide.  This is something that happens around the world as well.  Also, it is interesting to me that you do not mention the fathers being sterilized.  Of course I think that is also abhorrent, but is interesting that you want the women to bear this burden.  Link 1  Link 2

Item 5
It is already set up this way.  Link 1  Here is an overview:

PRWORA replaced AFDC with TANF and ended entitlement to cash assistance for low-income families, meaning that some families may be denied aid even if they are eligible. Under TANF, states have broad discretion to determine who is eligible for benefits and services. In general, states must use funds to serve families with children, with the only exceptions related to efforts to reduce non-marital childbearing and promote marriage. States cannot use TANF funds to assist most legal immigrants until they have been in the country for at least five years. TANF sets forth the following work requirements in order to qualify for benefits:[19]

1. Recipients (with few exceptions) must work as soon as they are job ready or no later than two years after coming on assistance.
2. Single parents are required to participate in work activities for at least 30 hours per week. Two-parent families must participate in work activities 35 or 55 hours a week, depending upon circumstance.
3. Failure to participate in work requirements can result in a reduction or termination of benefits to the family.
4. States, in fiscal year 2004, have to ensure that 50 percent of all families and 90 percent of two-parent families are participating in work activities. If a state meets these goals without restricting eligibility, it can receive a caseload reduction credit. This credit reduces the minimum participation rates the state must achieve to continue receiving federal funding.

While states are given more flexibility in the design and implementation of public assistance, they must do so within various provisions of the law:

1. Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; 
2. end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; 
3. prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; 
4. and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

Item 6
Already required by TANF.  Every parent should have an equal responsibility for raising children, unless that parent is abusive or neglectful.

Item 7
I agree 100%