Pregnant Germans delay birth for more government aid
posted at 12:04 pm on December 27, 2006 by Allahpundit
They need more kids to sustain the welfare state so they extended the welfare state to generate more kids. Clockwork:
Enticed by a generous German government aid program for newborn children that takes effect on January 1, expectant mothers are doing what they can to prolong their pregnancies until Monday…
Worried about Germany’s shrinking population and a birth rate that fell to a post-war low in 2005, the government introduced a law in September to encourage working couples to have children. They made January 1, 2007 the cut-off date.
Parents who take time off from work to care for newborns can receive two-thirds of their net monthly salary, or up to a maximum of 1,800 euros, for 12 months. If the other parent takes a further two months off, the benefit is extended to 14 months…
Physicians and midwives have been saying that avoiding redwine, stress as well as physicial or sexual activity are amongthe recommended natural methods to help prevent inducing birth…
A pregnant doctor named Lucia C. said her due date is January 7 and calculated she will lose 15,000 euros if the baby is early.
“I’m going to relax as much as possible,” she said, adding she was annoyed at the unnecessary pressure.
Blowback
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A pregnant pause, so to speak.
JammieWearingFool on December 27, 2006 at 12:10 PM
Eugenics…in Germany?
James on December 27, 2006 at 12:20 PM
Mark Steyn says it’s too late.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on December 27, 2006 at 12:21 PM
Nothing to see here.
Just a perfect example of government at work. Mix a little wishful thinking together with a knee-jerk idea, fold in an extra helping of shortsightedness, allow to rest for about two seconds and pour over the prepared base of social engineering.
A recipe for failure with certainty. Taking money from working people to pay to non-working people, what a novel concept. Germany has just about completed the transition of turning the clock back 70 years.
Freelancer on December 27, 2006 at 12:28 PM
“Annoyed” at the pressure?
Ahh…the Second world’s slow slide into the Third…what a beautiful sight. Like a baby’s smile.
seejanemom on December 27, 2006 at 12:35 PM
Whereas in America we try to have kids at 11:59pm on December 31st – because you still get a full years worth of tax deduction on the child.
jeffshultz on December 27, 2006 at 12:36 PM
Behold the entitlement state in all its glory.
BohicaTwentyTwo on December 27, 2006 at 12:47 PM
I would not categorize this as entitlement. Think of it more as an incentive. A government should certainly be concerned about a shrinking population if it wants to continue to exist.
iNeXuS on December 27, 2006 at 1:02 PM
Could I get a steak cooked medium well for a change?
iNeXuS on December 27, 2006 at 1:03 PM
Just more kids for out robot overlords to dominate.
Bill C on December 27, 2006 at 1:22 PM
I thought that was hilarious as well. She’s already calculating how much money she could lose out of money that wasn’t hers to begin with.
Esthier on December 27, 2006 at 1:29 PM
But the way these mothers are acting is pure entitlement.
Well, I know some hope for 12:01AM January 1st. I don’t know if it’s city, state or nationwide, but birthing the first American child of the year generally comes with a prize, free college tuition or something like that.
But I hadn’t even considered the tax deductions.
Esthier on December 27, 2006 at 1:34 PM
Do you suppose that Mark Steyn has considered the possiblility of passing legislation in European countries mandating the wide spread use of fertility drugs for all of their non-Muslim citizenry?
What’s the problem? European countires have already passed crazier legislation than that. I say
“Give
peaceprocreation a chance.”CyberCipher on December 27, 2006 at 1:41 PM
But remember … welfare isn’t abused in Europe. It can work here too
;)
One Angry Christian on December 27, 2006 at 2:08 PM
I am wondering if this encouraging of couples to make babies will backfire if those who depend on government assistance also decide to make even more babies than they already do. Isn’t there a huge baby-making gap already? I’d hate to see it increase.
Bob's Kid on December 27, 2006 at 2:17 PM
…and to pay for this and other social programs, Germany’s value added tax on Jan. 01, 2007, increases from 16% to 19%.
The sheeple take this as follows:
- the Pauls are holding back births to get more from the Peters. Those who’re not pregnant are just peacefully ‘grazing’, saying/doing nothing (because the government knows best).
- the Peters are leaving their country in droves (for Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zeeland and a bunch of islands), taking with them the intelligence and financial treasures.
What are the consequences long term?
Ah, Mark Steyn, he’s onto something…and the socialists thought they had a brilliant idea once again…
Entelechy on December 27, 2006 at 2:20 PM
How about a entitlement or incentive for a heavy drinking Viking? CMON! A Free Beer a day! Cmon!
Why didn’t the German Gov’t make the bonus effective in July 07 (10 months after the law passed) that way people could plan accordingly. Especially if you are trying to encourage future behavior not prior behavior. This way anyone already ready to pop would be encouraged to have another kid.
VikingGoneWild on December 27, 2006 at 2:23 PM
Mark Steyn’s book,”America Alone”, was an amazing read. And Steyn is looking more like a prophet every day .
tomk59 on December 27, 2006 at 2:48 PM
Good point.
Esthier on December 27, 2006 at 3:09 PM
ya see, that’s just descriminatory.
Everyone should get free beer, and not the budweiser garbage.
Shiner pwnz.
One Angry Christian on December 27, 2006 at 4:44 PM
It’s just another step into the wrong direction by a political class that feels it has no real responsibility besides for its own power.
And for the record, the “Elterngeld” (which is the name of this measure) was the idea of a CDU minister – that’s what passes for a conservative over here.
Wired German on December 27, 2006 at 5:49 PM
I used to date a girl that was born around 2330 on Dec. 31st. She said her Dad used to call her “daddy’s little tax deduction”.
MOMinuteman on December 27, 2006 at 6:32 PM
If Germany has raised taxes in order to make payouts to parents, I think they’re going in the wrong direction. I’d like to see a simple tax credit for some reasonable, agreeable amount calculated as the annual cost of supporting a dependent child. Moreover, a credit for gifts to families with dependent children would likely cause many people who are well-off to open open their wallets to family and friends.
Would implementing these ideas require us to pare back Medicare and Social Security? Yes. Do I care? Not so much. Do I like little kids better than the aged? Well, actually, I like the aged quite a lot when I see them doting on children. In my inversion of the welfare state, many elderly people would need jobs as babysitters, nannies, tutors, and guardians; parents would have lots of money with which to hire them.
Kralizec on December 27, 2006 at 8:04 PM
Wired German and I appear to be broadly in agreement with each other; however, we should probably congratulate the German government for having taken note of the issue and made an attempt to deal with it according to their lights.
Kralizec on December 27, 2006 at 8:09 PM
As long as they refrain from marching in large parades, who cares what the Germans do?
JackM on December 27, 2006 at 9:20 PM
Wired German on December 27, 2006 at 5:49 PM
Yes, indeed, my bad for not specifying that it’s only a matter of degree which separates the ‘conservatives’ from the socialists in Europe. To mind comes not only the CDU but also the many wasted Chirac years.
Entelechy on December 28, 2006 at 3:19 PM