Money makes the world go around. We live in a very greedy society, so why wouldn’t it work? Is it good or bad? That I don’t know. Money is a very good motivator though. You go to work do a good job and get paid. So why not get paid for having good test scores or not getting pregnant. The pregnancy thing though, it is putting all the responsibilty on the girl. Last time I checked it still requires male and female to get pregnant.

………Money is the reason that most people go to work every day. If the program is producing desired results they may be on the right track. Sounds like sour grapes from Mr. Albert

$1 a day to not get pregnant, $7 week, $28 a month ? Isn’t this about what a month’s supply of birth control pills cost? Prevention, including comprehensive sex ed & access to birth control, has been shown to reduce teen pregnancy. Is this money coming from state taxes? There’s better ways of spending taxpayers’ $$ than ‘rewarding’ “good” students.

How do they know some of these girls aren’t out there getting the morning after pill weekly, or if they get pregnant and without telling anyone, they terminate the pregnancy. Or what about the teenage girls who are giving oral sex to multiple partners, and contracting herpes, ghonerria (sp?), etc…Is that any better? Oh, well they aren’t getting pregnant, so it’s all good.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

I’m a utilitarian by philosophical bent. What’s good is what works. I cannot imagine that a piddling $1 per day really causes a girl to re-think her “position,” as it were, in the heat of the moment, if she has not already determined that she does not want to have sex with whomever the potential father could be, but if the statistics shows that such a cheap payoff works, go for it.

If it’s money, or not wanting to ruin their figures, or whatever the motivation might be to prevent teen pregnancy, that is a good thing and should be encouraged. Especially as parental oversight and inculcation of pride, a sense of values, and the disapproval that used to be registered societally regarding children having children are all apparently no longer in vogue — like I said, whatever works….

There are two kinds of stimulus, negative and positive. I’d rather they do the negative stimulus (if you don’t do this, then these are the consequences) than the positive.

I’m not against kids having children as long as they can afford them on their own and not affect others. It’s only when the taxpayer has to kick in when I want to have a say. If anyone has kids that they cannot afford to age 18, they should have to do hard labor to pay for their kids. A child and the taxpayer should not suffer because their parents cannot afford to pay for them to live.

Since I don’t smoke, will someone pay me to continue to not smoke? Will someone pay me not to eat foods that are bad for me?

Take this dollar every day, put it between your knees and hold it there. Then you won’t get pregnant!!

Anyway, stupid idea, more tax dollars out the door. At least the girls can save up those dollars to buy drugs. Do you think they will get pregnant on purpose if they lost their $1 a day fix? Doubtful. How about we give daddies a dollar a day to take care of their freakin’ brood.

Regarding larry’s comment on them buying drugs with the money, the way I understood it on last night’s news the money could only be used towards college tuition. So there goes your negative using the money to buy drugs comment.

Dan, you offer a very compelling argument, from both common-sense and gut-level preference standpoints. You are right that unwanted childbirths shouldn’t become a taxpayer burden, but despite everything, they do,and always will. And a dollar a day is light years cheaper than the support of that unwanted child will be.

Further, I truly, deeply hope that my tax dollars continue to ensure that these children who did not ask to be born are not neglected. I resent every dollar of mine that goes to fatten the Pentagon, but I am glad and relieved to know that very rarely will any children starve as long they are allowed access to public funds, no matter how or why they came to need them. Call it “welfare,” “The Dole,” whatever derisive term you want. I give thanks to the wellspring of human kindness it exists, if it means children will have at least a chance to survive and, perhaps, to thrive.

We MUST do everything in our power to stem the tide of teenage pregnancy in this country. Look at the rolls of the thousands of abandoned children who are in foster homes if they are “lucky,” or who are warehoused in horrible circumstances in virtually evey state in the union. Look at the cost to them and to society later on because of abuse, neglect, and the lack of a decent family and societal infrastructure around them. It’s Priority #1, right up there with national health care.

I don’t want to be part of a world or country that lets its helpless children suffer, so no matter what, as long as we allow unwanted children to be born to parents who cannot and will not provide the decent homes they must have, we must care for them. Preventing the pregnancies is the ONLY logical way out.

I can’t imagine one dollar curbing my desire for sex when I was young. If it works, great. If 100 girls got pregnant and didn’t tell for three months when it became evident, drew $30.00 a month each for that time, $9000.00 would be paid out with little chance of getting anything back. I guess I’m being negative but that could happen. That could be a waste of taxpayers money for sure.

I have to agree with Dan S. There should be consequences for bad behavior instead of reward for normal behavior.

If they are the kind of girl that are having sex at 12 yrs old then they may not be thinking the way people think they think….This is how they will look at this……….If I dont get knocked up at 13 I get free money for college, Thats ok, but if I do get knocked up 13 and get to collect welfare, food stamps, free school supplies for the kid, maybe later a habitat for humanity home, lets not forget the endless handouts by churches and other bleeding heart groups..

Like it or not many girl do this ON PURPOSE just so they can live off the govt their whole lives….just like their mom did…Sounds to me like getting knocked up still pays better…. THAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE. Too much money being past out as a reward.. So much free money they have no reason to be responsible and not get pregnant.

Boyd, I too, want unwanted pregnancies to stop. The problem I feel is that the parents are not being truly responsible for their actions. They must be forced (and physically, if needed) to support their children first, and then themselves second. Imagine a situation a hundred years ago where the parents have an unwanted child. There is no “government aid.” It’s not the child’s fault they were born and not the taxpayers’ fault, either. As long as there is something to fall back on, the parent’s are not worried about having more kids. I can see it now, if we have more kids we don’t really want, someone else will take care of them anyway. Also of note, I agree with helping those children who were born with disabilities since they never had a chance, unlike any people who created their disabilities later by their own irresponsibility (like if I was drunk and lost my legs in a car crash I caused, etc.) It all comes down to whether the person caused their problems or their problems were already created for them before they had a chance.

ok, sorry for the negative. Just had a thought. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just provide free abortions?

Let the cascade of anger commence.

Only a combination of welfare state bureaucracy and academic social work could come up with something this stupid. Given the unremarkable career of the current community organizer in chief, I expect we’ll see more idiocy like this.

I think abortions should be free. They are expensive to have done and if you are poor or drug addicted there is no help to come up with the money.

I really don’l have a problem with this. They have meetings to teach the girls about abstinance and proper use of birth control, they make them feel as if college is obtainable, and it’s a lot cheaper to all the taxpayers. The money is deposited directly into a college fund and can only be withdrawn for college tuition. If the girl gets pregnant, she doesn’t get the money. As for those saying what about the guy, get real! Typically guys put the responsibility of birth control on the girl, if the girl gets pregnant, the guy can walk away and continue on with his life and he isn’t going to be a burden on the taxpayers.

I am just old enough, I think, that I can remember the last days when a girl got pregnant in H.S., they hustled her out of there and sent her to a pregnancy school, where she could deliver in shame. There was one girl in my H.S. class, pretty, innocent looking thing, who a friend told me that’s the reason she disappeared for a year. I didn’t believe him at the time.

Harsh, yeah, but how many other girls didn’t get pregnant (or got abortions) because of that treatment?

Today’s “answer” is to have a day-care on the school grounds and disguise it as a day-care center for the entire community.

The question should be, what minimizes the cost and disruption to society. We have (or had) a teen pregnancy rate that is (or was) seven times higher than the NEXT HIGHEST industrialized country in the world. That’s because we fund it. We fund it because socialist, 1960’s era liberals have hijacked this country and turned it in the social chaos we’re living with and paying for. I’m not anti-sex. I’m not even anti-teen sex. I’m anti-taxpayer-pays -for-your-stupid-decisions. END WELFARE NOW.

Yes d-artagnan, clearly those liberals created day care in schools because they believed that workers should own the means of production. Who knew?

While we’re at it, why not eliminate funding for the prosecutor’s office. After all, if your family isn’t the target of crime, why should you have to pay so that some “victim” can have the satisfaction of having a perp put in jail? Why shouldn’t they have to pay for that on their own?

pay kids to go to school (which is a privlidge that we provide free education in this country) otherwise they won’t go. Pay kids so they won’t get knocked up. Should we start paying gang members a dollar every day they don’t kill someone? Heroin addicts every day they don’t shoot up?

We are controling human behavior like pavlov’s dog, and I don’t think the behaviors that are being learned are very positive at all. People won’t bother to improve upon themselves without an IMMEDIATE financial gain….as opposed to waiting for the financial gain that comes with time from having improved yourself.

What fools these mortals be.

Maybe a little shame will keep those leg together.
Instead of rewarding them with endless handouts. Shoot they make it possible for them to NEVER spend a penny of their own on their own kids.

Imagine if we actually made them pay back the welfare and take responsible for their own actions. Community service? You can bet they would figuire out a condom work then wouldnt they????

Faith– Grow up– I’m not talking about rape victims, but teens who ON PURPOSE get pregnant for the free money , Its happen more often they you care to believe— but I’m tired of seeing blings up 19 yr old with 3 kids and another in the oven buying crab legs and lobster tails with FOOD STAMPS. While my elderly mother must still work 40 hrs a week just to make it thru the week for her perscriptions..

COMMENT DELETED. Faithful–Your comments cross the line. Please leave out personal attacks too.

—As long as we keep throwing children out into the world without parental controls, this is not going to make any difference.

The kids[girls] I see who chase my 14 year old son around like a cream[no pun intended]sicle, is frightening. The lack of parental control of these children is as obvious as their lack of clothes, discretion, or sense.

Don’t know how to even approach the issue with them, so I keep my son busy in sports, home-work, and anything else I can think of.

Luckily, he has been blessed with his mother’s keen insight into the world, and stays clear of the trouble-making types. Don’t know how some parents allow the behaviors and wardrobes I’ve witnessed.

Don’t see how this program challenges ANY of the root causes of this liberalization of our children. Yet the Obama wants to FORCE sex-ed on pre-adolescents, as if this would help do anything but exascerbate the problem.

And there it is- it’s Obama’s fault.

free to speak-[except the truth]…

Not blaming the Obama for this in particular. But the liberal agenda he represents is a big part of the problem, you have to admit.

The hyper-sexualization of society began long ago, and was advanced by the Supreme Court decision knocking down laws concerning pornography. The ability of communities to negate this and other liberalizations in defiance of free-speech provisions, has had a wide-ranging and serious effect on ALL of society.

Children are now bombarded by not just sex, but ALL forms of devaluation.
Parents are powerless in many instances to counter all the negative influences.

Now public and private schools have become breeding grounds [pun intended]
for a lot of these influences. What can most parents do to combat this?
Do you have an answer, or just more sarcasm?

What about the rich teens who have sex? They don’t need the money. Dumb idea. Teenagers have sex. Always have. Always will. Some will get pregnant. Some people have no grasp of reality.

Most teens (like most adults) do not appreciate a dollar and will just waste it. Any time someone gets something for nothing, the message or the value is totally missed. Why do you think 90% of us are in debt?

I suppose it is better than giving them free abortions. Giving incentive for good behavior is a step up from giving them an “undo” with a drive thru abortion.

Does seem to be a lazy way to go about it, and it seems that the parents here really are the ones who should feel shame.

As for the boys, that is a little harder to enforce in such a program.