I am looking at it as being an exploitation of the person's economic condition. I think the commercial use of surrogacy should be illegal, not that how much they are or should be paid. I still think that adoption is a very good option rather then commercial surrogacy.
Ask....lets think about this for a moment....
Think about a woman who is poor and barely getting by. Goes hungry alot perhaps....this is the type of person you are thinking of when you talk about exploitation I think. This woman can earn enough money to support her family for a number of years by donating an egg or even more money by bearing a child for a couple who would be forever grateful.
So when it really, actually comes down to dollars and donuts....what is the difference between THAT activity and - say - earning money as a professional? Professional (white collar) jobs are stressful as is bearing a child. They age you, as does bearing a child. BOTH earn very good money so why not do what you are capable of doing?
Perhaps I'm being cold here, or missing something. But what I see, personally, is that in the very vast majority of cases, these things work out to the benefit of both sides. I'm sure there are cases of expoitation but again, its obviously not the majority.
The thing about surrogacy, typically, is that there is a need for a birth mother because it is not possible for the couple wanting the child. Yet, they want to have a child that is biologically related. I can totally understand that. Dad's sperm goes to the surrogate - sometimes with his wife's egg, sometimes with a donor egg but either way, the child will biologically be his own.
Unless you have faced this situation, you really dont know what its like to make these decisions about how to enlarge your family or what you would do. Its always nice to have ideas and ideals but until you face it and live it, you really dont know WHAT you'd do.
When I was battling infertility, I actually started to shop around for a second wife for my hubby who would be able to bear his children. As a gori, born and raised, this is not something I'd ever thought I'd even consider. When you love someone and want to give them the gift of life and the miracle of children, you just cant imagine what lengths you'd go to to accomplish it.