Teen pregnancy, taxes and climate change: Evidence matters
It is one of the great under-reported success stories of our time.
Twenty years ago, roughly 62 out of every 1,000 teen-age American girls were giving birth. Here in Georgia, the numbers were much, much worse. At the time, we had the highest teen-age birth rate in the country, at 126 births per 1,000 teen-age girls, twice as high as the national average.
The good news is that by 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the national teen birth rate had fallen to 39.1 births per 1,000 females, a 37 percent decrease and the lowest rate ever recorded in this country. (It’s still among the highest in the Western world.) Here in Georgia, the decline was even more dramatic. By 2009, the rate of teenage births here had fallen to 47.7 per 1,000, still above the national average but a startling reduction of 62 percent.
That’s a lot of individual lives that have been saved and changed. It’s a lot of money saved for the taxpayer as well. Those improvements have been pretty broadly based as well. As the Centers for Disease Control reports, “During that period, the birth rate decreased 50 percent among black teens, 41 percent among white teens, and 33 percent among Hispanic teens.”
However, the problem has remained more persistent in some areas than others. Texas, for example, has the third-highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. At 60.7 pregnancies per 1,000 teen-aged girls, its rate is more than three times higher than that of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which have the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the country.
In Texas, that means three times more girls at risk of dropping out of high school and never attending college. It means a lot more abortions. It means a lot more children who are being raised by children, often without benefit of a nuclear family. It means premature babies, more low weight babies, more infant mortality and more dependence on government social programs.
In its sex-ed programs in public school, Texas relies upon a curriculum of abstinence-only, an approach that has been shown to be ineffective in multiple studies. Gov. Rick Perry was asked about that fact last year in a televised interview with Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune, who read Perry a question submitted by an audience member:
Here’s a transcript of the relevant exchange:
SMITH: Governor, why does Texas continue with abstinence education programs when they don’t seem to be working? In fact, I think we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the country.
PERRY: “Abstinence … works.”
(audience laughter)
SMITH: “But we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate among all states in the country. The questioner’s point is, it doesn’t seem to be working — abstinence education.”
PERRY: “It, it, it works. Maybe it’s the way it’s being taught, or the way it’s being applied out there, but the fact of the matter is it is the best form of — uh — to teach our children.”
SMITH: “Can you give a statistic telling me that it works?”
PERRY: “I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life, abstinence works …”
We’ve seen that attitude in a lot of policy areas. Tax cuts increase government revenue, even though repeated experiments have proved otherwise. Global warming has been revealed as a hoax, even though every investigation of the data has upheld its accuracy (the most recent is here).
And as Perry stubbornly insists, abstinence works.
This is faith and ideology that is immune to evidence. It is the assertion that belief should trump outcome. And as the teen-birth statistics demonstrate, the consequences of elevating faith over fact in the public policy sphere can be tragic.
(As an aside, it’s hard to watch that clip and not be struck by the uncanny similarity in body language and speaking cadence between Perry and former President George W. Bush. It’s actually kind of weird. My wife’s family is from Texas and my brother has lived there for 30 years — it’s not as if every male in the state has those mannerisms.)
– Jay Bookman
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849 comments Add your comment
Adam
August 24th, 2011
3:47 pm
md: Just checking. I disagreed with our involvement. I disagreed with how it was done. And I disagree with the end justifying the means. All that said, in the end, it looks like it was a sound strategy and a win-win. I’m not sure if I should call a mea culpa on my previous stance, or if some of my stance is actually still valid.
getalife
August 24th, 2011
3:48 pm
md,
Would you call it a huge accomplishment for our President and country?
Adam
August 24th, 2011
3:48 pm
Jay: Yet another example of why abstinence won’t work.
ZING
Jay
August 24th, 2011
3:48 pm
“Good too see cheney is still alive.
He admitted torture .
It’s a tough call because we executed people for the same charge.”
Yes, getalife, but as we’ve been told earlier, it’s wrong to pick and choose who to prosecute.
josef
August 24th, 2011
3:49 pm
JAY
And you fell for it like a rock from the Tower of Pisa… I really didn’t expect it…up $10 on ya, though…thanks…
Dave R. - 3k/4k/5k
August 24th, 2011
3:49 pm
Damn, josef!
You didn’t even have to mention the Great Misunderstanding . . . .
md
August 24th, 2011
3:50 pm
“Would you call it a huge accomplishment for our President and country?”
No….I’d call it a huge accomplishment of the Libyan people……….
Merely the right thing to do on our part……………
Dusty
August 24th, 2011
3:52 pm
getalife,
If we executed people for torturing others, you wouldn’t be here.
Hypothetical, of course!! Yep!
josef
August 24th, 2011
3:56 pm
DAVE
I think it was the Carpetbagger Prince and butch act secessionist…
josef
August 24th, 2011
3:57 pm
me
@ 3:50
We’re on the same page on that one…
getalife
August 24th, 2011
3:57 pm
Dusty,
Weak deflection of blame.
md,
Didn’t think so .
josef
August 24th, 2011
3:58 pm
oops…that should have been mD @ 3:50…damn auto correcting ipad…I’m going back to desk top for upstairs…
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:00 pm
josef,
Did you try RW’s advice on turning it off?
jconservative
August 24th, 2011
4:04 pm
“…Evidence matters…”
Not to everyone.
md
August 24th, 2011
4:07 pm
So which is it get……….we did the right thing by taking a secondary role or it was a huge accomplishment for us?
I don’t see the 2 being equal……………..
It wasn’t/isn’t about us………that’s a bit arrogant to think so………..
Joe Mama
August 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
Dusty — “Hang you head!!”
Absolutely NOT. I wouldn’t allow Dick Cheney in my house.
“Cheney is one of the smartest people we have had in our government for many a year. The brightest!”
IMO, Dick Cheney’s a cowardly, reprehensible turd. A man who sought and received four deferments from military service has no business being Secretary of Defense, let alone Vice President.
Correction — I just checked. Cheney received FIVE deferments from military service.
“Maybe that’s why Democrats so love to run him down. He’s smart enough to ignore trash. LIke the one Kerry tried to makebelieve about Cheney getting money from government contracts with Halliburton after he was vice President… ”
There’s nothing make-believe about it. Cheney continued to receive deferred compensation from Halliburton while in office. The fact that Cheney continued to receive deferred compensation from Halliburton — while serving as Vice-President — is a matter of public record.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/politics/main575356.shtml
“Cheney worked hard for this country and also spent five years as CEO of one of America’s larger companies, Halliburton.”
Cheney also worked hard on dodging military service and feathering his own bed.
“That is where Kerry went wrong. Cheney cut all ries with Halliburton to become Vice President.”
Nope. Deferred compensation. See above.
“His contract bonus money from Halliburton was tabulated at the end of the fiscal year and then sent to him. He received no money for work after he joined the government.”
Wrong. You clearly don’t understand the concept of deferred compensation.
“So, once again, lies for political purposes, still being extended by Democrats who WANT to hurt anyone associated with Bush.”
Madam, dishonesty makes your butt look big.
I have not lied about Dick Cheney one bit. He did *not* serve in Vietnam, and he *did* seek and receive five deferments from military service during Vietnam. If you think you can disprove that, then by all means have at it. However, if you can’t, then I eagerly look forward to your apology.
“They (here) say it here almost every day. Makes one wonder what else they have conjured up to suit their politics..”
Makes me wonder why you accused me of lying in what I said earlier. It was all true, and I challenge you to prove otherwise, Ma’am.
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
md,
When our government does the right thing and is competent, we should celebrate this fact.
A huge accomplishment for our country.
josef
August 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
getalife
Says he who posts the same five lines with amazing consistency?
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:11 pm
josef,
The auto correcting setting can be turned off according to RW.
Jay
August 24th, 2011
4:13 pm
That’s correct, Tommy.
You see, Perry’s the new frontrunner in the only political game in town, the GOP primary. And it’s August, with Congress and the president on vacation and not much really going on ….
But you know, if my cynical intent was to attack the biggest threat to Obama, I ought to be focusing on Romney. He’s the one the Democrats fear most politically. He’s the one who could appeal most to independents.
Perry isn’t. Not by a long shot.
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:13 pm
josef.
On my i phone, the setting is click on general, then keyboard, then auto correction on or off.
Talking Head
August 24th, 2011
4:15 pm
Halliburton
josef
August 24th, 2011
4:20 pm
getalife
i am so sorry about that swipe…please accept my apologies…I didn’t realize it was in relation to my ipad problems…I thought it was RW chiding me about being too thin-skinned and mine and Dave’s exchange on the Late Misunderstanding…sorry, Mate…
josef
August 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
JAY
With the circus out of town in DC this might be a good time to look on the brighter side of life…
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:27 pm
josef,
No problem.
I am guilty of knee jerking myself but will not post for you to stop posting.
You are the most popular character at the Bookman blog reality show.
josef
August 24th, 2011
4:31 pm
getalife
I didn’t think so…and, oh, the five things with amazing consistence…says he who doesn’t let a day pass without,,.Southern, Jew, Gay, Romany, and Indians…
getalife
August 24th, 2011
4:33 pm
Not a good time to be in the Bahamas.
Direct hit from Cat 3 Irene.
Joe Mama
August 24th, 2011
4:42 pm
md — “Article 5 Joe: “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all……..”
And? What’s your specific objection? Who’s doing what that’s not in accordance with Article 5?
“If their response in Afghanistan is any indication, we are in a world of hurt……………….”
When did Afghanistan attack a NATO member nation?
“in other words, I suspect they would respond a wee bit more forcefully had it been them that was attacked……and would expect the US to do the same.”
Once again, when did Afghanistan attack a NATO member nation?
“If Berlin was attacked, think it would go over very well if the US parked itself in the relative safety of one city and restricted themselves to limited operations??”
I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re trying to say here. I’m sure you have a point to make, but I’m simply not getting it. What is it that you *think* should be done in accordance with the NATO Charter that *isn’t* being done? And what parts of the Charter do you think are being violated thereby?
md
August 24th, 2011
5:13 pm
“When did Afghanistan attack a NATO member nation?”
According to NATO, when they allowed Bin Laden safe haven during 9/11…………and the subsequent vote.
That Black guy
August 24th, 2011
5:20 pm
Midori
August 24th, 2011
12:59 pm
Yes. It must be the tea party that is the community that has near 70% of their babies born out of wedlock.
their spokesmodels are Bristo and Sarah.
using this logic:
a ex-junkie shouldn’t fight drug abuse.
a former gang banger shouldn’t fight gang violance.
aprison inmate shouldn’t participate in scared straight programs.
a guy with emphysema shouldn’t speak out against smoking.
a person who used to be anorexic shouldn’t speak about eating disorders.
get my point?
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
5:30 pm
Joe – “morality is subjective” – predominantly this only pertains to liberals & other ideologues (Hannity & MSNBC watchers). Morality is actually quite objective – just those that wish to rationlize their own immorality assert otherwise.
Joe Mama
August 24th, 2011
5:45 pm
md — “According to NATO, when they allowed Bin Laden safe haven during 9/11…………and the subsequent vote.”
Cite, please.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
6:04 pm
OK – interesting debate here: Observations indicate that for some bizarre reason, stupid/immoral people are getting knocked up without the ability to pay for them. What do you do? Libertarians would say nothing. Valid point. Liberty is not painless. The feds, for some unconstitutional reason, decide they need to fund sex reproductive classes. Such classes do not reinforce abstinence, instead offer the actor in this scenario methods of having sex but not getting pregnant (passive agreement that there is nothing wrong with the fornication in the first place). Others in the government indicate that passively OKing the erroneous behavior is in its self wrong, and formulate the abstinence only program. Some who listen dismiss the thrust of this government training and have sex and get pregnant any way. Sadly, some think that is the fault of the trainee & the government who sponsored the program (primarily asinine idealism liberals). In reality, a certain % of the kids/students have character flaws (rednecks, other idjits) that prompt them to flaunt authority and do their own thing. The only one responsible for them getting pregnant? The two participants. However, the libertarian position would save taxpayers a lot of $$$ – perhaps even contribute to balancing the budget without cutting medicare & social security.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
6:35 pm
Joe Mama – please tell the rest of the Gore in Vietnam story. He TOO got a college deferment that ended when he graduated. He was sent to Viet Nam in January 1971, and somehow was ETS’d in May of 1971. His job? He worked as a journalist. However, I must commend him on his ethics at this point.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
6:47 pm
Jay: Question: Obama times his vacation wisely, as the Congress is out of town – BUT, there is a news vacuum – so, if he had presented his jobs plan before he went on vacation, all the news would have been about that – disecting it to see if it actually has a benefit – but he is NOT going to do that, wait until Congress back in session. Why delay the announcement when he essentially had the entire floor to himself? If he was attempting to rally the troops to support this proposal, now would seem to be the time – of course, he might have to interfer with his vacation some.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
6:51 pm
Paul – you may split hairs more than I. Kills is OK when referring to cows or ants (although if the ant is NOT in your house, you are murdering it for fun, ans sport hunting is repugnant) – but a “kill” of a human falls into what? Mercy killing & murder, no? AmVet appeared to be attempting to assert it was NOT murder due to it not being a code violation, is that not the correct impression?
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
6:51 pm
Adam – all my thoughts are my own – but they must appear to be alien to an atheist.
marko
August 24th, 2011
7:57 pm
Granny Godzilla, Henny Youngman once quipped that he knew a good joke when stole it. I have no idea who I plagiarized when I said read my lips, no new Texans. Let’s just credit anonymous. I noticed Anonymous said lots of cool stuff. I figure Anonymous must have been a pretty neat dude. Truth is I don’t know much about him. Going by the name , I’d have to guess he was Greek or Roman.
Did you notice that the Queen of abstinence only birth control, Sara Palin, has two grand children conceived out of wed lock. Hey Sara, how’s that abstinence only stuff working out for ya?
Dizziona
August 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
“Gov. Rick Perry was asked about that fact last year in a televised interview…”
I stopped reading what was an otherwise informative blog when I got down to this line. I KNEW you’d try to leverage the piece into a political commentary.
I am an independent and I don’t have a dog in your idealogical fight, Jay, but you just cheapen yourself when you try to put a political spin on everything.
independent thinker
August 25th, 2011
5:33 am
Perry and Bachmann – two right wing religious zealots who could care less about the facts – just pure BS for the ignorant and stupid to lap up.
Adam
August 25th, 2011
8:27 am
Paddy O: but they must appear to be alien to an atheist.
They must be alien to others too, since I’m not an atheist. Nice try on the assumption though.
Joe Mama
August 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Paddy O — “Morality is actually quite objective – just those that wish to rationlize their own immorality assert otherwise.”
Those who claim that morality is objective are simply doing so in an attempt to *impose* their own morality on others.
Joe Mama
August 25th, 2011
9:33 am
Paddy O — “Joe Mama – please tell the rest of the Gore in Vietnam story.”
Glad to. What additional parts do you want to hear?
“He TOO got a college deferment that ended when he graduated.”
And when it expired, he WENT TO VIETNAM like a man. He didn’t seek four more deferments like Dick Cheney did.
“He was sent to Viet Nam in January 1971, and somehow was ETS’d in May of 1971.”
Key takeaway — HE WENT TO VIETNAM, just as I said.
And if you have some substantive criticism of Gore with respect to his ETS date, then kindly supply it. However, if you are a veteran, as I am, you probably already know that servicemembers don’t determine their own ETS dates — their service does it for them. If you think there’s something dicey about Gore’s ETS date, then either demonstrate direct hijinks on his part of kindly direct your criticism where it’s deserved — at the Department of the Army.
“His job? He worked as a journalist.”
Two points: A *lot* of journalists in Vietnam died. Maybe you’ve never read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Photographers-Died-Vietnam-Indochina/dp/B00008NRGM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314278769&sr=1-2
Second point — Even if Gore served in the safest post in all of Vietnam, he was in a lot more dangerous position than Dick Cheney was.
“However, I must commend him on his ethics at this point.”
And I scorn you for yours. There’s not a whit of untruth in anything I’ve said about Cheney or Gore in this thread, and the best you can do against Gore is suggest that *maybe* there’s something untoward in his work in Vietnam, the manner in which he came home or the fact that he obtained one deferment, then IMO your complaints are pathetic and specious.
Both Gore and Cheney were Vice Presidents of the United States. The fact that you’d slag on Gore’s military service in Vietnam and not come down on Cheney for dodging service altogether tells me all I need to know about YOUR self-vaunted morality.
Paddy O
August 25th, 2011
9:40 am
Joe – Cheney’s service dodging is well established. Your initial post indicated he enlisted he went & served – pretending that being a journalist for four months in Viet nam was equal to being sent over for an entire hitch is pretty disingenous. Normally, as you must, during times of war, soldier get extended – know of any having had that done now? The fact that he got out immediately indicates he had a rabbi at the Pentagon. The fact that YOU don’t slag on Gore & pretend he actually served like a regular guy indicates your ethics are over-ridden by your democratic bias. Which is also why you feel compelled to slam mine – you don’t like being called out on a half truth. I never spoke of Cheney, who is now retired and WAS Secretary of Defense, so he did serve his country – although I had a much higher level of respect for him prior to his tenure as VP. Good luck being relevent the next four years at the federal level. In GA, you are persona non grata.
Paddy O
August 25th, 2011
9:44 am
Joe – Christianity also has something called free will. I am not attempting to impose my will on others, otherwise I would be an arrogant elitest liberal with a messiah complex (ala Obamacare). You need to check your pots & kettles. Your accusation of the causal connection between the two assumes facts NOT in evidence. Pretty standard liberal though process.
Whistler
August 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
Gov. Perry has said that he knows “from personal experience” that abstinence works. Personal experience with “total abstinence before marriage” “would not” make Perry “so passionate” about retaining abstinence-only education in Texas public schools despite our state’s rising rate of teen pregnancy under the program.
Personal experience with “out of wedlock conception” “could” make him “that passionate” about the subject. The governor was an Eagle Scout. A core value of Eagle Scouts is honesty. So, Rick Perry, tell all of Texas what you know personally about how out-of-wedlock conception can affect a male and his family . A state governor “getting real” could make a difference in how Texas youths think about their sexuality, and about how they think about their sexual activity. If Perry prefers “not” “to get real,” let him ask the Texas State Board of Education to change the program to Abstinence Plus.
Whistler
August 26th, 2011
6:49 pm
Gov. Perry has said that he knows “from personal experience” that abstinence works. Personal experience with “total abstinence before marriage” “would not” make Perry “so passionate” about retaining abstinence-only education in Texas public schools despite our state’s rising rate of teen pregnancy under the program.
Personal experience with “out of wedlock conception” “could” make him “that passionate” about the subject. The governor was an Eagle Scout. A core value of Eagle Scouts is honesty. So, Rick Perry, tell all of Texas what you know personally about how out-of-wedlock conception can affect a male and his family . A state governor “getting real” could make a difference in how Texas youths think about their sexuality, and about how they think about their sexual activity. If Perry prefers “not” “to get real,” let him ask the Texas State Board of Education to change the program to Abstinence Plus.
Joe Mama
August 29th, 2011
11:18 am
Paddy O — “Joe – Cheney’s service dodging is well established.”
Yes, it is. There is ample evidence of Cheney’s service dodging and his five deferments.
“Your initial post indicated he enlisted he went & served – pretending that being a journalist for four months in Viet nam was equal to being sent over for an entire hitch is pretty disingenous.”
Gore did enlist and did go to Vietnam, which is *exactly* what I said. I made no claim whatsoever about his service being “equal to being sent over for an entire hitch,” so your claim is not only inaccurate, but you’re also lying.
“Normally, as you must, during times of war, soldier get extended – know of any having had that done now? The fact that he got out immediately indicates he had a rabbi at the Pentagon.”
Irrelevant to the points I made, which were that he did enlist and that he did serve in Vietnam.
“The fact that YOU don’t slag on Gore & pretend he actually served like a regular guy indicates your ethics are over-ridden by your democratic bias.”
No, I pointed out the facts, which are that he enlisted and that he did serve in Vietnam. If you have evidence to the contrary, then please present it.
“Which is also why you feel compelled to slam mine – you don’t like being called out on a half truth.”
No, I posted a whole truth; that being that Gore did enlist and did serve in Vietnam. You’re simply upset that I didn’t present some added details that make people with your particular ideological bias happy.
“I never spoke of Cheney, who is now retired and WAS Secretary of Defense, so he did serve his country”
I don’t consider appointive positions in our government to be ’service’ in any way equal to military service. YMMV.
“although I had a much higher level of respect for him prior to his tenure as VP.
I have no respect for people who dodge compulsory military service.
“Good luck being relevent the next four years at the federal level.”
As a disabled veteran, I’ve been pretty irrelevant at the Federal level for YEARS, including during Republican administrations. I’m used to it.
“In GA, you are persona non grata.”
Yeah, I’m real heartbroken about that.
(laughing)
Joe Mama
August 29th, 2011
11:23 am
Paddy O — “Joe – Christianity also has something called free will.”
And some varieties also have something called “predestination,” which when put up against the notion of “free will,” presents what’s also called a “paradox.”
“I am not attempting to impose my will on others”
And, of course, I didn’t claim that you were.
“otherwise I would be an arrogant elitest liberal with a messiah complex (ala Obamacare).”
“You need to check your pots & kettles.”
And you need to read more closely. You’re quite good at putting words into people’s mouths and claiming they said things that they didn’t. It’s a shame you can’t behave with more honesty.
“Your accusation of the causal connection between the two assumes facts NOT in evidence.”
Incorrect, but to a presumptive and arrogant poster such as yourself, it might seem so. We’d both be better served if you asked more questions and jumped to fewer unsupported conclusions.
“Pretty standard liberal though process.”
Yes, accusing others as you have done is a pretty standard and dishonest thought process. I do think I can help you, though.