Promote a Pro-family Alabama That Supports and Shelters the Family against the Harshness of Tough Economic Times.

A stable, healthy family represents the best way to grow a country and maintain a prosperous economy.

Over the past 20 years, however, our leaders have held on to a philosophy which valued free markets over family security, free trade over family traditions, and commercial values over community values.

While I believe we must oppose homosexual marriage, other threats to the family pose more immediate and widespread danger, divorce being one of the most hurtful. Divorce is emotionally and financially hard on children, the couple, and extended family. Another widespread danger to the family is children born to unwed mothers. Between 1960 and 2006, the black community watched as single parenthood increased by 155%; among whites, it increased by 229%. Today, 40% of all babies are born to single parents.

Economists estimate that raising a single child costs $291,000, and this does not include the medical expenses of birth or any educational expenses for college. Laws and economic programs rarely assist with the expense and cost of child rearing.
We should encourage mothers to be mothers, especially when the children are younger. The United States is the only industrialized country without paid parental leave for mothers of newborns. While I do not advocate such, certainly Alabama should provide some legal and financial protection for our young parents.

It is not only families with young children that struggle; family caregivers are needed for our elderly. Most families are not able to bear the financial, emotional and physical burden of caring for their elders. It costs tax payers over $70,000 per year, per nursing home resident to house our elderly in nursing homes. If financial support allowed some families to keep their older family members at home, it would have a great impact on strengthening the family.

For most in District 13, it is time Alabama became authentically pro-family.