Banning Divorce = Ensuring Fit Parents

We've been busy here getting things in order and preparing for a 2010 initiative, so we've been quiet for a while trying to fine-tune the legalities of out effort.  Apologies to our followers for not being more timely with our communication.  In the meantime, however, it is refreshing to know that yet another organization has the welfare of California's children at heart as well.

The 2010 Marriage Protection Act 

On October 23rd, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen approved an initiative for signature gathering, which if passed, will ban divorce in California.  Over the next 150 days, the proponents of this effort must gather 694,354 signatures to qualify for a state-wide ballot.  

The text is simple and to the point:

Section 1: Title.  This act shall be known as the "2010 California Marriage Protection Act"

Section 2: Section 7.6 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:

No party to any marriage shall be restored to the state of an unmarried person during the lifetime of the other party unless the marriage is void or voidable, as set forth in Part 2, Division 6 of the Family Code.

At first glance, this effort seems to be a parody.  However, this effort is indeed a real, citizen-based effort to protect marriage so that children have a stable, secure environment in which they can flourish - one of the basic tenets of OUR OWN effort. 

 

The economic argument is compelling: $4.8 billion is spent on divorce in the State of California each year.  Can you imagine what would happen for our children (and our future) if that money was spent to educate, evaluate and license a potential parent?

We encourage you to support the 2010 Marriage Protection Act efforts.  If you see someone gathering signatures for this effort, please do not hesitate to sign the petition.  Your signature is one step closer to providing a better environment for our children. 

  

With six you get eggroll

But what about eight?

If there was ever a national example as to why a parental fitness act should be enacted, it is the story of Nadya Suleman.  For those readers who are not familiar with Ms. Suleman's story, she is the woman who gave birth to octuplets - after taking fertility drugs and after having six (yes, six) other children.

Please check out this article for detailed information

Had The Parental Fitness Act already been a law, would she have been able to have had the children?  Would she be declared financially fit?  Probably not.  And what about psychologically fit?  Well, we all know the answer to that one.

What will happen to these 14 children?  What kind of stability can such an environment provide?  And just as important, why should taxpayers foot the bill for someone who is clearly not working for the best interests of her children?  For anyone outside of California, the state is in a fiscal emergency, facing a multi-billion dollar deficit, Medi-Cal enrollees are capped, and the Governor today announced the possible layoffs of 10,000 state workers.

Being a responsible parent means not only being responsible for one's children, but being a responsible member of the community as well.  Clearly Ms. Suleman is neither, but the reality is she is not the only one.  There are many people having children who can not afford them and rely on taxpayer assistance.

We're not talking about the family that falls on hard times.  Our objection is that in this case - this specific case - there was a complete disregard for the welfare of the children and the community at large.

Kaiser Permanente's actions also raise a serious question, albeit for a tangential discussion.  What would happen to a healthcare provider who assisted in the delivery of a child to an individual or couple who was not licensed under TPFA?  In Ms. Suleman's case, Kaiser willingly billed Medi-Cal for the delivery, which will be thousands and thousands of dollars.  In this case, the healthcare provider was also acting irresponsibly.

Again let us say we are not trying to impede the fundamental right of people to parent a child.  However, in a situation like Ms. Suleman's, is there a more convincing argument to license potential parents?

California's children deserve a reasonable environment.

Support TPFA so that the children get the security they deserve.

The Cost of Raising Children

Much like the credit card commercial would say, the cost of raising a child is..."priceless".  But is it?

The US Department of Agriculture has estimated the cost of parenting and published tables for two-parent households and single-parent households.  The cost estimates end when a child reaches 18, but everyone knows that most parents still economically support their children for several years afterwards - either through tuition contributions, housing contributions, or a "little something".

Bankrate.com  has published an interactive worksheet to help plan the financial impact of a child on a family.

In 2002, The University of Minnesota published a well-reasoned paper on the cost of raising children.

So there are three easy-to-find tools available to prospective parents on the financial impact of raising a child.  But how many prospective parents actually use these tools?  Clearly not everyone.  According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 18% of the children in the US are living in families that are officially considered "poor".  In California, that number translates into 2.12 million children living in poverty.

That number is simply unacceptable.

If people had to prove their ability to financially support a child, far less children would subject to this devastating condition.  If people were licensed, more children would be raised out of this economic quagmire.

Again, California voters clearly spoke that protecting the children was paramount when they passed Proposition 8.  Those of us who support TPFA believe it is in the best interest of everyone to make sure children are raised in a household that can support the child and his/her development.

People invest in IRAs. 401(k)s, retirement funds, mutual funds and all sorts of financial vehicles to ensure their comfort in the future.

Like the song says, "children are our future", and like any investment for the future, the financial impact must be evaluated.  There are financial thresholds for qualifying for a mortgage and car loan - those are simply things.   Yet there is no financial threshold for the expenditures required to parent a child.

Supporting TPFA will assure children the financial security they deserve.

What is "The Parental Fitness Act"?

That is a very good question.  

In wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California banning same-sex marriage , The Parental Fitness Act (TPFA) is a new citizen-based initiative to further amend the California State Constitution that would, in effect, "license" new parents.

What are the basic tenets of TPFA?  There are simply two basic components to this proposed amendment:

1. Sufficient financial means to raise a child as demonstrated by credit history and income
   
2. Sufficient Emotional Quotient and maturity as demonstrated by psychological testing

We are not pro-choice or pro-life.  We do not advocate straight-rights or gay-rights.  Neither do we endorse either abstinence or sex education in public  schools.  It is important to say that we are not trying to take away the fundamental right of a couple or individual to parent.  However, if a couple or individual plan to have a child by procreation or adoption, we believe that couple or individual must show a minimal ability to properly parent and raise the child.

There are state licenses to hunt, fish, drive a car, practice medicine, and cut hair just to name a few.  So why shouldn't there be a state license to parent a child?  Healthy children are one of the most basic building blocks of any secure and stable society.

The passage of Proposition 8 in the last election clearly showed that the voters of California are intent on protecting  our children.   The best way to protect them is ensure they have sufficient resources, emotionally  mature parents, and nurturing environments in which to grow as they come into loving families.

In the coming days and weeks, this blog will be updated with information as to our progress, the text of the proposed amendment once it is finalized, our efforts across California, and other information.  Stay tuned!