Divorce, unwed parenting costing taxpayers

Kansas City Star: Divorce, unwed parenting costing taxpayers

Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages. ...

...Scafidi's calculations were based on the assumption that households headed by a single female have relatively high poverty rates, leading to higher spending on welfare, health care, criminal justice and education for those raised in the disadvantaged homes. The $112 billion estimate includes the cost of federal, state and local government programs, and lost tax revenue at all levels of government.

Reducing these costs, Scafidi said, "is a legitimate concern of government, policymakers and legislators." ...

Comments

[Happy]

After reading the news this past week and Jon Krakauer's book "Under the Banner of Heaven" most of these polygamist cults have only one legal married spouse then the rest of the wives become single mothers able to receive government subsidies.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Interesting, Happy. There's more than one way to work the system. :)