bondipom

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...027260568.html
A think tank is suggesting mothers should be paid $11,000 a year to increase the Aussie birth rate. Personally it would make me and the Mrs think more about starting a family.

I would worry about the 14 year olds who might think that it was a livable salary.

downunderpom

And from where do you think the money to pay for this is going to come?

bondipom

It would have to be the tax payer. The choices are immigration or increasing the birth rate. If the population size is not maintained tax revenue will plummet anyway and there will not be enough people to service the geriatrics.

It is something most developed nations will be facing with varying degrees. Politicians are scared shitless on how to deal with it as the options are politically unpopular.

Megalania

Just revoke the commercial TV station licenses; with no super-liminal spending urges, the masses will eventually respond with a boom of new locusts.

downunderpom

All it takes is a power cut - look what happened in New York when they had that blackout - nine months later - BOOM!

dotty

Its scary, becasue of the type of people it would seem a fortune too, the ferals, the deros the druggies, Highly irresponsible. Does anyone really think that money would go on the kids. No way, more like in a Pokie machine, or up somones arm vein.

What everyone needs to think of is the kids born who were not wanted just parents wanting the bucks. Dont forget 11,000 to some people here would be a small fortune.

deedee

just what the world needs,more children! Paying people to have kids is bordering on the most stupid thing i've ever had the misfortune to hear.Try looking at it on the global scale of six and a half billion people and the rate of increase within the Asian continent.Then some dope says we need more children!Every single problem on this planet stems from over population yet people won't get it into their thick heads.The word unsustainable is not in their vocabulary.I give up

bondipom

The rich economies of the West and Japan will have an age imbalance in the near future and the situation will be unsustainable. The European economies rely on current taxpayers to sustain current retirees which is fine at the moment as all is in balance. As the population ages there will not be enough cash and workers to go round.

Either we ship em or produce them ourselves.

deedee

who says lack of future generations is a bad thing.Who cares about retirees,i'm one.It matters not that maybe we will suffer a little or not live the lifestyle we have become accustomed to for a greater good of solving the worlds problems.The economic climate of the future matters not one dot at home or globally in comparrison to what will happen when there are ten billion plus people on this planet.This will be in your or whoevers childrens lifetime.I could give hundreds of reasons as to why its more important to break the cycle of population growth but the masses are fed all the bull shit that we need more people.People get old and die,thats fact.More of the population dies in poverty than not so we wealthy sit here passing speech about breeding to keep us comfortable.Take a huge step backwards and realise the long term outlook,4,5,6 generations in the future.Its todays narrow minded political leaders that are only interested in the short term and flatly refuse to look futher that their own front door.Nothing will ever change the system as its human nature to chase down self satisfaction.Until people stop breeding at the rate they are doing nearly all the worlds problems will get worse.A

bondipom

It is about maintaining a steady population and steady rise in standard of living which I do care about. I want there to be enough doctors and nurses to keep me alive. I want enough teachers to educate my children. I also want to work without the geriatrics using up all my tax in hospital bills and colostomy bags.

deedee

same as every one else.....self self self,its the world over.I choose not to worry about my old age,if i ever get there.The welfare of the planet and everything on it is worth far more to me.I've done the best i can and not bred.I have nothing against people having children and family values,its promotion of population without pointing out the true facts as this topics title shows.Like i said,i give up.I'm not a wacko or an extremist just aware,unlike most humans, of population growth in relation to polution, atmosphere, resourses, violence, war...blah blah blah

Larissa

Interesting debate Bondi
I just wanted to add that the money would deffo help if we decided to have another child - perhaps I would be able to stay at home a bit longer.
In response to Deedee - you've obviously thought well and hard about the topic, but my main concern is that there are no easy answers to population growth. In developed countries the birth rate has declined dramatically, meaning that we will have an aging population and need fresh blood to come in and take over the running of society at every level.
In under-developed countries there is exploding population growth and the environment cannot sustain it. Better education about contraception etc., medical and money given to improve infrastructure will help. You simply cannot transplant those people to the developed world though - they are part of their society and have roots etc. laid down. Although some may choose migration, that must be a personal choice for them, not forced on them, by the social engineers.
Larissa
Interesting but profoundly scarey thought- perhaps Hitler was the most "successful" social engineer of our time.

WBB

$11,000 dollars would probably see you through your initial purchases and your first years nappies if your lucky.

kids are for life not just for xmas.

Wol

Absolutely!

The planet could probably support something like 15billion if we all lived like animals. 100 million wouldn't give a population base large enough to have anything approaching modern society (good thing??).

IMO anything over the 1960's figure of about 3b is cause for concern. Actually ADVOCATING population growth is irresponsible in the extreme.

tiredwithtwins

Why dont they increase the migrant population? They could run a visa lottery like they do/did in the USA, or why not bring back the £10 pom scheme? take into account inflation and it could be the £1000 pom - oh, hang on, thats roughly what we are all paying anyway isnt it???? (All said with tongue in cheek)
$11000/year to have kids? - sounds like a recipe for disaster!! Nothing on earth would make me have any more kids!!!
(I would have to change my username to tiredwithtoomanytwins for a start.)

Sue