Strollerderby

Florida Mulls "Deadbeat Dad" T-Shirts

Posted by JeanneSager

Just in case they're not shamed enough to be out doing community service, a Florida legislator thinks deadbeat parents should have to do it wearing clothes that tell the world they don't support their kids. 

The bill introduced by Democratic State Sen. Mike Fasano would require deadbeat parents to spend a week on a work detail, sporting a shirt or pair of overalls that shares their crime with the whole world. 

Although its still only in the "bill" phase (it's only just now being introduced in the state Senate), the goal is to have the punishment kick in after a deadbeat father's third appearance in court for his failure to pay. A Florida newspaper reporting on the story was unable to obtain comment from Fasano on how the law would affect deadbeat mothers. 

Parents who don't support their kids are easy pickins', but I'm not sure shame is going to work with these people. They can look their kids in the eye in a courtroom and still ignore the court order; they're not exactly the emotional type. 

There's also the question of what this does to the kids. It's bad enough knowing mom or dad doesn't bother sending money to pay for your food and clothing, but kids with a deadbeat parent generally don't like to have that news spread around. In smaller towns, all it takes is one kid from school seeing your Dad out picking litter with an orange t-shirt for the news to be spread all around school. 

It's a good idea in theory - nail these crappy parents to the wall. But in reality, I don't see it doing much. 

Image: myspace

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Comments

 

Treespeed said:

I think it's great as long as they also come up with ones that say,"My ex pays child support and I still deny visitation."

January 19, 2009 7:42 PM
 

Bruce Eden, Civil Rights Director, Dads Against Discrimination--NJ said:

Deadbeat Dads you say?  More like Dads Beaten Dead!

According to a 7-year study done by Arizona State University Professor Sanford Braver, Ph.D., he found that less than 5% of those that owed child support are true deadbeat dads–the ones with the younger trophy wives and sports cars, who don’t want to pay anything. The truth of the matter, is that according to the Federal Gov’t. General Accounting Office, Report # GAO/HRD-92-39FS, pg. 19, over 66% of those owing child support can’t pay because they are unemployed, underemployed, disabled, dead, and in some cases the mothers don’t want support.

Judges order such onerous child support amounts in some cases, along with alimony, daycare, medical expenses, and other expenses, that the father can’t survive. He ends up becoming despondent, leaves his job and drops out of sight. He loses all contact with his child(ren) as a result. This is the government’s ultimate goal.  Breaking up of father-headed families (and then mother-headed ones when there are no more fathers, wherein, the government will come for the children without any resistance).  Government doesn’t do anything for altruism.  They always have a motive behind what they do and the laws they make.  It’s all about money, power and control.  

Judges in NJ & NY refuse to reduce child support and alimony when a man loses his job because of the current economic climate. They tell the guy that it’s too soon to reduce support because “you might get another job” in a short time. Most often the guy never gets the same-salaried position and winds up making substantially less.  All the while, he falls farther and farther behind, with no hope of ever making up the arrearages.

But, do the courts reduce support? No. They keep it there until the arrears are so high, that the guy’s credit is ruined, and they start putting warrants out for his arrest, even though he did everything he was supposed to do by law.

Judges then use detainers to hold the men in jail, somewhat like bail.  But, it isn’t bail, because child support is a CIVIL debt.  Detainers to keep the men in jail until they pay? STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES! It's not about the children!  Keeping a man in jail to pay support is an oxymoron. And, most of the NJ Family Court judges are morons! How does one pay child support if in jail? Does he work in the jail making $10, $15, $20/hr. and have his wages garnished? Does this person invoke the INSOLVENT DEBTORS STATUTES when he gets out of jail, since he has no assets or income, and the jailing served as the remedy for the debt owed? Under the INSOLVENT DEBTORS STATUTES, the debt has been paid once the person has been jailed for it and released. But, the state will try and keep the arrears on the books.

The reason for this: Because judges are granting high orders and enforcing them stringently because the Federal government pays the states a federal reimbursement incentive funding (42 USC Section 658a) for amounts awarded, collected and enforced. This money goes into the state coffers, no strings attached (42 USC Section 658f). The first things paid out of state treasuries are judicial salaries and pensions and state employee salaries and pensions.

This is a major unconstitutional conflict-of-interest that has been outlawed by the US Supreme Court in Tumey v. Ohio, Ward v. Monroeville, Gibson v. Berryhill and other cases. The Supreme Court held that judges and officials (i.e., child support probation officials) who sit in judgment of cases that they have a financial interest in, are too tempted to abuse their contempt powers to jail unsuspecting litigants-taxpayers to extort/extract more and more monies out of them to increase the amount of funding, and ultimately increase their salaries and pensions.

Yet, family court judges continue to thumb their noses at the US Supreme Court mandates. This is not only contempt of the Supreme Court, but felony official misconduct by judges, who are public officials that swore an oath to uphold, support and defend the U.S. Constitution and their respective state constitution.  By refusing to disqualify themselves from these cases, where they have a financial interest in the outcome of them, the Supreme Court has held that their orders are essentially null and void and have no effect or force.

Some will say that if we don’t have judges or hearing officers to enforce orders, how then will they be enforced?  As a taxpayer and voter, that is not our problem.  The government made the situation.  They must fix it.  They can fix it by empanelling a group of people that have no financial interest (for example, economists, vocational experts, marriage experts, accountants, psychologists, even lawyers and retired judges).  But, they cannot use arbitrary and capricious contempt powers.

Anyone arrested on one of these orders is being arrested for not only a fraudulent order, but on a CIVIL matter. The U.S. Court of Appeals (2nd highest courts in the land) as well as the US Supreme Ct. hold that one can’t be arrested on a CIVIL matter because there is no 4th Amendment probable cause that a crime has been committed to issue an arrest warrant. These cases include the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.  See, U.S. v. Parker, 108 F.3d 28, 30-31 (3rd Cir. 1997).  In U.S. v. Lewko, 269 F.3d 64, 68-69 (1st Cir. 2001), the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals held that child support is nothing more than a common civil, commercial debt, and that it is NOT any “special kind of debt”.  Again, another fraud perpetrated by government officials. Every other Circuit, including the Third, has followed suit and hold that child support is a common commercial, civil debt.

The child support industry is a total fraud. It is a $5-$10 BILLION per year INDUSTRY that, if eliminated, the monies saved and sent to the children that supposedly need it, would wipe out all child support arrears in the US at one time. All that would be needed to do is send the BILLIONS in the form of a Social Security check or wire transfer, since child support enforcement laws are part of the entire Social Security Act.

Lastly, fathers will find an unusual way to pay their child support. They will sue the sheriff's officers and sheriff's departments, probation dept's. (because probation workers sought warrants when they are neither attorneys, nor were those arrested ever on probation). They will sue for Civil Rights Damages and for FALSE ARREST, ASSAULT, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT (The New Jersey Constitution, Article I, Section 13, prohibits Imprisonment for Debt in ANY action), notwithstanding the fact it violates the United States Constitution, Amendments 1, 4, 5, 9, 13 (no slavery or involuntary servitude) and 14.

January 20, 2009 2:03 PM
 

Trace said:

I'd like one of these, size XL, please.

January 20, 2009 5:31 PM
 

lorraine said:

I do not think these parents should have to wear a t-shirt.that 66percent that are unemployed ect. could be taken on state job for alittle less funds. to save the state money,also being of public service,instead of taken up the jails on the tax payers money.three fourth of those funds could go to the children.And one fourth towards some sort of regulated houses facility for the dead beat parent. heres the deal these parents have money for a place to live do they not.then they would not be in jail earning no money and free food and beds.Their children do not get this for free,beause in someway it affects the children of this parents, more so then not the other parent is to busy supporting these children,and no time for them,if there not hitting the streets while mom and or dad is working all the time they clearly express their unhappyness when older and are not close to the parent a strong unified family is the best family for the future of our country and children.and both parents need to regroup and take this to heart. this is my letter to congress.this affect all of US!!!!!

January 31, 2009 8:43 PM
 

lorraine said:

Its not all about you or me as adults,its about the children,society,and a better way of life for these loving little people whom grow up to be adults,will they pay for are pass mistakes.I hope not. start working together as a civilized society As a loving caring parent and human being in general.Will you children grow up to care for you or just to love and respect you? Or take you out

January 31, 2009 9:34 PM

About JeanneSager

Jeanne Sager is a writer who lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, a dog and too many cats. She refuses to believe motherhood comes with pumpkin appliqued sweaters, and she';s not ready to apologize for having only one child. She writes about raising her kid in her own hometown and the mom stuff she's not embarrassed to own at her blog, Inside Out (http://jeannesager.blogspot.com), she's contributing editor of Grand Magazine, and she's a regular essayist here on Babble

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