Chris Jepson: At odds with America

I laughed out loud when I read that Gov. Rick Scott had “a message to the people of New York, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania and others: Move to Florida!” Just what we need! More people. Twenty million isn’t nearly enough. What’s the “right” number of residents for Florida?

Years ago, I served as an elected councilman for the “little” burg in which I reside. At the time, the state was requiring all communities to put together urban growth plans (population projections, etc.) and submit them to the state for review, to be no doubt carefully boxed-up and forgotten. Now understand that community “planning” is at best a processing of “informed” guessing, but the total of the 400-plus statewide submissions estimated a future Florida of 100 million souls. What do you think? Good idea? Reasonable?

Try as I may, I don’t see more people as progress. This puts me at odds with folks who do, for three reasons essentially: The first is that most people don’t think about population growth. Why should they? The second reason, however, gets to the crux of the issue to me. Without population growth our entire economic model eventually collapses. The third, equally significant reason, is aesthetics. We are a cancerous blight upon the beauty and health of the natural world.

I’ve discussed for years in this column the issue of population and its impact on the planet. I’ve advocated that birth control be safe, accessible and affordable (free if necessary). I’ve recommended that sex education be required and taught in all our schools. The more educated and empowered our female citizens, the lower the birthrate and the fewer unwanted pregnancies. The absolute best way to reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions is to make birth control as ubiquitous as M&M’s. These are just common sense recommendations to me.

Birth rates are dropping in America and this is good. Except for one issue. It’s considered a problem and the problem is economic. Take Florida for example. Much of our state’s economic engine is “gassed” through housing construction. More people equals more houses equals more jobs equals more profits, ad infinitum. Every house (or apartment) requires toaster ovens and color TVs and carpeting and Pampers and infrastructure and . . . well, you get the idea.

More is not necessarily better when it comes to humanity. Because we can, should we? Because we can grow the American population to half-a-billion residents in the lower 48 states, should we? Must we?

Which leads me to the question of immigration. If left to “her” own devices, America’s women have fewer children. Arguably, we require a 2.05 birthrate to maintain our “existing” population. The more educated the woman, generally speaking, fewer births. The daughters of recent immigrants eventually mirror the birthrates of the general population. Immigration, at this point in American history, is a driver of our economic system to provide an ever-growing market of consumers. And, I understand this. I am all in favor of making a buck.

However, the question on the table is, looking 50 years out, are we capable as a people, as a nation to say, “Enough already” ?

Probably not. Actually, no. Too many Americans find such talk of creating sustainability as too personally intrusive, as too much “government,” or, as antithetical to God’s plan for mankind.

Is that reasonable? God can plan, but heaven forbid (literally) man should do so.