Reply #167: So, yes, Punish the children for choices the parent made. [View All]

You denied it initially, but that is exactly what you're saying. The 3rd, 4th, 5th children do not deserve the breaks the first two are getting because of choices the parents made, and the first two deserve to miss out as well, now. Your parents decided to have you, kid, after they'd already had two others. Tough break for you and your siblings, kid. I want to save a few bucks.

Your premise is that it is for society to "encourage more children". Let's put aside for the moment the ridiculous notion that people decide to have more children for the relative pittance that you get in tax breaks for having a child. If you're really and truly concerned about the good of society, then you cannot honestly oppose tax subsidies for these children. Because the deficiencies that lack of money will cause for those children - less health care, less education, less supervision etc - will rebound a hundred fold back on society as they grow up. Your "solution" is not only based on a silly premise, it is the definition of penny wise and pound foolish. Of course this is punishing the children. You're just rationalizing that punishment because it's based on the choices the parent made. You are choosing to provide less for the children. It has nothing to do with the parents, and everything to do with YOUR choice to support a plan that provides less for the children. No amount of rationalization or outright denial is going to change that.