LA state Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, is considering paying poor women $1,000 to have their Fallopian tubes tied to limit their reproduction capabilities while simultaneously encouraging wealthy college-educated individuals to have more children through tax incentives.  Labruzzo proudly states that he is aiming to reduce ”the number of people that are going from generational welfare to generational welfare”, which he describes as a ”dangerous demographic trend” akin to being ”on a train headed to the future (where) there’s a bridge out.” 

LaBruzzo said he worries that people receiving government aid such as food stamps and publicly subsidized housing are reproducing at a faster rate than more affluent, better-educated people who presumably pay more tax revenue to the government, reports The Times-Picayune. 

At best this potential bill proposal is discriminatory, overly radical and unduly invasive.  Solving poverty with surgery demonstrates a lack of ability to brainstorm reasonable solutions to a global, not local, problem.  Contact LaBruzzo or learn more about his office.  J. Miller ©2008 Bioethics International