put your outrage pants on

[cacophony]

because this one's a doozy.

Study: Single parents cost taxpayers $112 billion

Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages.

Sponsors say the study is the first of its kind and hope it will prompt lawmakers to invest more money in programs aimed at strengthening marriages.

There have been previous attempts to calculate the cost of divorce in America. But the sponsors of the new study, being released Tuesday, said theirs is the first to gauge the broader cost of "family fragmentation" -- both divorce and unwed childbearing.

The study was conducted by Georgia State University economist Ben Scafidi. His work was sponsored by four groups who consider themselves part of a nationwide "marriage movement" -- the New York-based Institute for American Values, the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Families Northwest of Redmond, Washington, and the Georgia Family Council, an ally of the conservative ministry Focus on the Family.

"The study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing -- besides being bad for children -- are costing taxpayers a ton of money," said David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values.

"We keep hearing this from state legislators, 'Explain to me why this is any of my business? Aren't these private matters?"' Blankenhorn said. "Take a look at these numbers and tell us if you still have any doubt."

Scafidi's calculations were based on the assumption that households headed by a single female have relatively high poverty rates, leading to higher spending on welfare, health care, criminal justice and education for those raised in the disadvantaged homes. The $112 billion estimate includes the cost of federal, state and local government programs, and lost tax revenue at all levels of government.

okay is it just me?? is it NO ONE'S BUSINESS whether someone raises a child single or married. assessing a tax burden is absolutely ridiculous. if they're going to start ascribing tax burdens to single mothers because they're "more likely" to be poor, then why don't we just go all the way and start making distinctions based on race. oooh who costs more, asians or blacks or puerto ricans? let's fund a study to find out! jesus christ, this kind of pseudo scientific method is designed to do nothing but accuse and demean the targeted demographic and it's little more than profiling. period. that's the obvious thing and i could rant all day about it. but i won't because there's something else i want to rant about.

the less obvious thing is that this study is funded by so-called "conservative" groups. conservative. con. ser. va. tive. but their stated goal is to try to get the government to spend taxpayer money on ridiculous programs encouraging people to marry and (presumably) abstain from sex out of wedlock.

conservatives: asking the government to inflate itself further by regulating your love life.

conservatives: once again looking to spend YOUR money in order advance a freedom-limiting agenda.

conservatives: dipping into the national pocketbook for a spendy solution to your life of sin and debauchery. you can't possibly love your children, single moms. shame on you, go take a government class to learn more about your failure.

what the hell is going on with conservatives and liberals? more and more the conservatives are pulling the classic "spend-o-crat" act and taking more and more out of our pockets to pay for government excess and loss of privacy. and middle class liberals like yours truly are screaming for tax relief and less government intrusion.

it's like we're living in bizarro world. except so few of us recognize it. like the "fiscal conservatives" who felt obligated to vote for bush in the last election because they can't see what's going on.

okay i'm done with my tirade. maybe it's just me. i don't know. i hate what's happening.