As critical a problem as the other planks of the “Chance For Sanity” party’s platform, this plank can only be partially solved by the American government. Our leaders have been concerned about flipping the population pyramid for decades. The pyramid is a representation of age groups and workers.

We currently have over 330 million people living in our country. The 2020 census should give us a closer number if it is done without bias and properly publicized. We have millions of undocumented people needing to be counted so census takers must be seen as non-threatening.

Natural increase from our current residents will add over sixty-five million people by 2050. The number of immigrants – legal and illegal – may add another 10 – 15 million to the natural growth. Both may mean we will have upwards of 420 million people looking for places to live, food to eat, clean water to drink and bathe, schools to educate, and jobs.

Rising ocean levels will cause people living in coastal cities to move to higher ground in the crowded cities, suburbs, or farther inland like Floridians. Many coastal cities are already experiencing flooding during high tides. They are changing building codes and zoning to try to get in front of the 50 year projected seawater rise. By the end of the century much of Florida may be flooded during king high tides and hurricanes. Those displaced Americans who choose to leave the flooding cities will most likely move to inland cities causing further congestion.

The additional growth will put more pressure on cities trying to absorb the increasing population with their aging infrastructure. All forms of transportation will be affected and need to be repaired from heavier use. This problem was covered by the infrastructure plank.

We must try to limit world-wide population growth by giving out all forms of free contraceptives to the developing countries. People must understand that having two kids is not replacement because they often have great-great grandchildren before they die. Chairman Mao’s idea of one child per couple only slowed their increase. My plan would be to eliminate all tax deductions and subsidies after one child. Decades ago we needed more children to work the fields and businesses so we promoted child rearing and that must end. I will use the tax code to subsidize couples with no children.

Economists have feared the flipping of the population pyramid for decades but we cannot continue to add billions forever. The sooner we address this problem the easier the reforms will be. Levees and walls will not stop a tsunami of starving people. Our lifeboat is already filled with people, so we must keep people in their home countries and reduce their population growth.