FOD 2012.10.08

Another second-order effect of the obama administration: Americans are screwing each other less, probably because we are getting screwed more by the government.

U.S. births fell for the fourth year in a row, the government reported Wednesday, with experts calling it more proof that the weak economy has continued to dampen enthusiasm for having children.

There is, however, a silver lining.

Most striking in the new report were steep declines in Hispanic birth rates and a new low in teen births. Hispanics have been disproportionately affected by the flagging economy, experts say, and teen birth rates have been falling for 20 years.

Falling births is a relatively new phenomenon in this country. Births had been on the rise since the late 1990s and hit an all-time high of more than 4.3 million in 2007.

But fewer than 4 million births were counted last year - the lowest number since 1998.

Of course, once the BLS gets done manipulating the numbers, it'll turn out that we had the greatest baby boom in 29 years [/sarc].

Among the people who study this sort of thing, the flagging economy has been seen as the primary explanation. The theory is that many women or couples who are out of work, underemployed or have other money problems feel they can't afford to start a family or add to it.

Other highlights from the report:

• The birth rate for single women fell for the third straight year, dropping by 3 percent from 2010 to 2011. The birth rate for married women, however, rose 1 percent. In most cases, married women are older and more financially secure.

• Birth rates fell again for women in their early 20s, down 5 percent from 2010 - the lowest mark for women in that age group since 1940, when comprehensive national birth records were first compiled. For women in their late 20s, birth rates fell 1 percent.

• But birth rates held steady for women in their early 30s, and rose for moms ages 35 and older. Experts say that's not surprising: Older women generally have better jobs or financial security, and are more sensitive to the ticking away of their biological clocks.

If obama gets another four years we can expect the birth rate to fall to zero. The government will be handing out 'free' birth control to anyone who asks, while at the same time increasing taxes on those of us who actually pay them (call us the silent 53%) to the point where we just say "To hell with it" and drink ourselves into a state that makes us incapable of reproduction.

We simply cannot afford another four years of this economic illiterate wasting space in the Oval Office taxpayer dollars jetting around the country on the campaign trail.