The world is excited with the upcoming "Royal Wedding" between Britain's Prince William and his wife-to-be Ms. Katherine Middleton. The marriage will be watched on TV by millions, and the economy of the United Kingdom has been helped by the buzz and travel around the wedding.
Why is it then, that in the United States, the government discourages marriage, putting those who are married at a disadvantage and sucking more tax dollars out of them? People getting married helps the economy. More marriages mean more business for wedding planners, facilities to hold a wedding or reception at, and more business for hotels and airlines as people travel to weddings or take honeymoons.
Yet, getting married has negative effects on a couple. Their income will be combined when the government looks to give welfare and other aid to the children. If an unmarried woman or man only made $15,000 a year on her own, her/his kids would get free lunch and free healthcare, and he/she would receive government aid such as food stamps. However, if married, the income is combined together and so a higher value is used. Many married couples would financially be better off if they had never gotten married. Further, marriage results in paying higher taxes for many couples. This marriage penalty, combined with the way that government aid programs work, disincentives marriage.
The disadvantages of marriage carry over to same-sex couples as well. If same-sex couples are given the same rights of marriage as opposite-sex couples, they also will be given the same penalties. For many homosexuals, getting married doesn't make financial sense, just as it doesn't make sense for non-homosexual couples.
The United States economy will be better off if marriage is encouraged, rather than punished. To do this, the marriage penalty should be eliminated, and government aid programs should be structured to either consider only one parent, or consider both parents, regardless of marital status.
Back to Britain: The Report wishes Prince William and Ms. Middleton will have a happy marriage that will last until one of them should die. After all, the vows say "'till death do we part."
Eliminate the marriage penalty? President Obama would rather collect the taxes.
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