Ruth Institute Blog

Tomorrow on my regular Issues Etc segment, I will talk about David Cameron’s recent speech on the importance of the family.

Some of the worst aspects of human nature tolerated, indulged – sometimes even incentivised – by a state and its agencies that in parts have become literally de-moralised. So do we have the determination to confront all this and turn it around?  I have the very strong sense that the responsible majority of people in this country not only have that determination; they are crying out for their government to act upon it.

I will be drawing on these sources:

My book review of Patricia Morgan’s book, The War Between the State and the Family.  This is still a good and timely book, which you can purchase through the IEA in the UK.

A 2011 Report detailing the taxpayer cost of out of wedlock childbearing in the UK.

Tune in, and listen live!

Issues Etc host Todd Wilken’s last question to me was, “If you had 30 seconds to talk to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius, what would you say to her?” (This was regarding the requirement (which is simultaneously silly and offensive) that all insurance carriers provide contraception with no co-pay.) I simply said,

“You need to go to confession, girlfriend!”

I did my issues etc radio show today, and we talked about it on my Monday night Catholic Radio of San Diego program: “Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday.”

Later in the article, we learn:

a government study last summer found that birth control use is virtually universal in the United States, according to a government study issued last summer. More than 90 million prescriptions for contraceptives were dispensed in 2009, according the market analysis firm INS health. Generic versions of the pill are available for as little as $9 a month. Still, about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. Many are among women using some form of contraception, and forgetting to take the pill is a major reason.

This new rule mandating insurance coverage of contraception with no co-pay is evidence of the condom-ist ideology, rather than a serious attempt to solve any serious problem.  This culture is already saturated with low cost contraceptives. Cheaper pills will not make women stop “forgetting” to take their pills.

Many “unplanned” pregnancies are coming about for some reason other than lack of access to contraception, like the women want their babies.  The concept of “unplanned”pregnancy is meaningless.

Economists have known for a long time that discrimination per se accounts for relatively minor part of the wage differences between men and women. By far the largest factor is the impact of children on people’ work/life decisions. Children affect men and women differently. This was already very apparent in data when I started in economics back in the 1970’s.

Now, here is a story from USA Today that demonstrates that the process of wiping out labor market discrimination is complete:

Single, childless women in their twenties are finding success in the city: They’re out-earning their male counterparts in the USA’s biggest metropolitan areas.
Women ages 22 to 30 with no husband and no kids earn a median $27,000 a year, 8% more than comparable men in the top 366 metropolitan areas, according to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau data crunched by the New York research firm Reach Advisors and released Wednesday. The women out-earn men in 39 of the 50 biggest cities and match them in another eight. The disparity is greatest in Atlanta, where young, childless single women earn 21% more than male counterparts.

Take away the impact of children, and voila! No more wage difference. Read more…

My weekly radio show on Issues Etc will be on this article from the Gallup Poll. Americans are sharply divided over 4 moral issues: physician assisted suicide, same sex relations, abortion and having a baby outside marriage. However, there are some surprises further down in the article. The show will be on the Issues Etc page, and eventually, on our podcast page.