What about Octomom?

I've had several requests to discuss Octomom, the woman who had octuplets by in-vitro fertilization (IVF). I had not jumped on any particular bandwagon because it looked like a one-day-wonder story (then two- then three- etc., I know), and while the story seemed bizarre, I figured if she was just looking for publicity and hoping some publicity-seeking companies and organizations would come through with some money, it was no skin off my ass. If it bothered me I wouldn't have to buy that company's products and therefore indirectly contribute to something that looked grossly irresponsible.

As it's become apparent, however, that this husbandless woman is counting on taxpayers to pay for her babies and has been essentially living off the taxpayers and her parents for the six kids she already has, I've become increasingly angry. The idea of people taking responsibility for themselves seems to be dying out. (Here's a Slate piece with whose conclusion I disagree but which has some facts I hadn't known.) If Bill and Melinda Gates had 8 kids in a multiple birth, who would care? They have more than sufficient means to take care of them. But for somebody to do this and expect others, especially taxpayers, to cover them -- even beyond the fact that she's living with her parents in a three-bedroom house with six kids already and obviously doesn't have the ability by herself to care for 14 kids, especially since some of the six have special needs.

I think now that she's had her 15 minutes she should give them all up for adoption. What is especially aggravating, however, is that this illustrates just how many people have no sense of shame at all in wanting the taxpayers to subsidize their goofy plans.