State Representative COMMITTEES
RICHARD D. LAMM Member of:
2500 So, Logan Education
Denver, Colorado 80210 Finance
RESTO 12 Judiciary

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE STATE OF COLORADO
DENVER

February 26, 1970

vr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine

Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Or. Lederbera:

I walked our of Federal District Court last week, where in final
argument I had cited Dr. Joshua Lederberg (I'm chief trial counsel
in a conservation attempt to ston the A.E.C.‘'s Project Rulison) to
find your letter. I am honored.

I enclose some legislation, sneeches and articles which reflect my
thinking along with some newspaper accounts of the battle going on
here in Colorado.

I do not presume to have a solution, I propose only a few unoriginal
haltina steps in the right direction. The question whether we must
ultimately go to “qovernmental controls’ , to my mind is largely acad-
emic. They are not now within the realm of the possible. Al Smith,
one of the world's most practical politicians, once said ' a politician
can't be so far ahead of the band he can't hear the music” That
might be the ultimate traaedy of the commons.

Thus to the extent that population control is a political produce and
purchased on the political marketplace, we must (now) talk “disincen-
tives”. This may not be enough to save the species, but it is a
current political reality. To come out for anything stronger, however
necessary, would (now) not only not help - it may be counterproductive.

I am preparing a series of bills on disincentives which will help
serve as an educational devise toward the necessity of two child families.
They include in addition to H.B. 1087, a bonus for welfare and other
non-taxpayers, and certain other attempts to initiate a state policy
toward small families. I will forward them to you when vrepared.
Page Two
Dr. Joshua Lederberg
February 26, 1970

Senator Packwood (Oreqon) introduced a similar disincentive bill in
the U.S. Senate yesterday. He suaqgested exemptions for three natural
children, which while it stays closer to political safety does not
deal with the unpopular yet inevitable problem of the "third" child.
We can avoid the problem no longer - if the third child is not made
a faux pas in this generation, it will be made illegal in the next.

I enclose a copy of a statement to other politicians which I hope
will have some dramatic educational effect. I welcome your comments.

Yours truly,

  

ae —_ . °
~ ) Dolan,
Richard D. Lan,
RDL:q] State Representative

Enclosures