On May 24, 12:59 am, mtfes...@netMAPSONscape.net wrote:
> Declan Murphy <declan_mur...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Personally (other than as an anti-poverty measure for instance), I
> > don't see any point in tax payer funded parental leave. Especially if
> > its not adequately means tested. It doesn't appear to have any
> > statistically significant influence on the long term birth rate or
> > fertility levels. In most cases it seems be just a handout to parents
> > who were intending to have children anyway.
>
> A lot of women interviewed on why they don't have kids cite the expense
> involved. This would be part of mitigating that worry.
>
> Mike

A good chunk of the others that are against having kids cite that the
future of Japan is so bleak, they don't really want to bring kids into
the
world right now.