Nashville News Blog

Too right! The hypocrisy of these culture warriors is jaw-dropping.

The problem with the Dumbocrats is they fail to understand one important fact: we don't need another "study", otherwise known as a lucrative job for a politically connected individual.

We already know how to reduce infant mortality.

Watch the amazing Carmen as he saves the State 1.5 million dollars by magically predicting what the study would say.

These women who are at risk need to eat right, go to the doctor, and maybe take it easy in the third trimester. Possibly it's a good idea to cut back on binge drinking and chain smoking.

Stop wasting my money, Jim Kyle. The reason you have third world infant mortality rates in your district is because these people are the dregs of society. Carmen would like to wave a wand and make them reasonable, intelligent people who take responsibility for themselves, but my magic only goes so far.

You make some pretty good points here, Joe. But shouldn't we at least try to do something about it? From a pure fiscal standpoint, it seems a lot better to help kids when they're young than pay so much more for extra schooling, health care, perhaps prison when they grow up. I agree that it's hard to help the families you describe. But if you don't step in early, and step in hard, we're all pretty much screwed once the kids reach middle school age.

I don't know, B. He makes a good point about all the money we've blown trying to help people who don't want to be helped -- at least in the way we want to help them. And he has a very good point about government studies being an expensive placebo for action. (I'm also a little gunshy about throwing racial motives here, though admittedly I'm not fluent in the code.)

I guess my point is that, whether it's via basic compassion or pure fiscal prudence, it's way better to help these kids early than late. My sister-in-law used to teach Head Start in rural Minnesota. You'd be amazed at the stories of parental neglect, or just parental stupidity. So I think even Joe will agree that early intervention is the better financial play. What's the annual cost to keep someone in prison? Something like 50 grand?

C'mon, Jeff! You know the TNGOP is pro-BIRTH, not pro-LIFE!!!

SIlly.

Yes, but the hours of "Cleveland Rocks" get to me and I start to tune out the rest of what you're thinking. Apparently I'm missing the interesting stuff.

Take heart, my good liberals, the mandate to save the babies of crack whores is already very well-funded. Rejoice that no crack baby in America needs to perish for want of legislative grandstanding!

When your local TV news has a story on yet another malnourished, addicted newborn with AIDS, you can sigh and say, "Thank God I was born in America, where we take care of our own."

But everyone who has read my rant knows I'm in favor of fiscal prudence. Instead of blowing 1.5 million dollars on a feel-good study that tells us nothing new, let's put the money toward saving half a crack baby!

Aunt B., I'm starting a party called the Tell It Like It Is Party. We all get together and talk about how bad Memphis is.