State Representative John LaBruzzo wants to pay poor women to tie their tubes.
The Metairie Republican says, "Our prison rates are going up. Our welfare roles are going up." LaBruzzo tells WWL First News, "The problem is, one day, if we continue on this trend we're going to have more people receiving from government and not paying taxes, than we do who are paying taxes and putting into government. When that day comes, it's going to be the end of America as we know it, and that's the problem."
LaBruzzo is studying the idea of paying women who get government assistance $1,000 to have a tubal ligation, so they can't have any more children.
He says poor women on government assistance have more children, on average, than women with higher incomes. "That's a fact, that's not a belief that's a reality. Statistics bare that out as a fact."
LaBruzzo says critics who claim the idea is based on racism are ill-informed or manipulating the facts. "There's more whites on welfare and receiving from government than there are blacks. So, that's somebody who doesn't like the idea and wants to try to kill it. And, the best way to try to kill an idea is to claim someone is being racist," LaBruzzo told WWL First News.
Listen to LaBruzzo:
The lawmaker says paying poor woman to have the operation is just one idea. He also wants to pay wealthier woman to have more children.
"Parents who are college educated are more likely to have kids who are college educated," LaBruzzo explained that giving those families tax breaks for having three and four children would also help. "You could work on it from the end of those who are producing and have good jobs and are paying the lion's share of the taxes."
LaBruzzo says his plan could also include paying poor men to have vasectomies.
He vows to continue studying the issue and seeing if he can find solutions that will survive the legislative process and become law.
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