Debate Room from Business Week

Back from last year, regarding the pros and cons for low income women to marry.

Quick snip from the Pro

"Research shows that around 80% of couples who have babies outside marriage say they are in love and most of them believe that there’s a good chance they will get married some day, according to a 2005 report published in Mathematica Policy Research. So if both the children and adults are better off and if the couples say they hope to be married one day, why not help them?"

What is stopping them from marriage? Do they lose initial state benefits (food stamps/children's health care?) Why not treat low-income married people to transition out of poverty, no different then unmarried mothers considering potentially a good number may have healthy non-abusive relationships with the father at birth?

Quick snip from the Con

"If the concern is the number of children living in poverty, the public should know that many will end up living with only one parent no matter what government might do to encourage marriage. Public policies must accept this reality, and focus on proven approaches to improve single-parent families’ economic security by making work pay a reasonable return, encouraging nonresident fathers to do their part, and helping single mothers manage the challenges of being both primary parents and workers."

What no co-parenting? A woman's burden is primary as parent and as a worker! And a man can be secondary in both?