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March 26, 2007

Child Support, Shaming and Scofflaws

Customers at some suburban pizza parlors are getting something extra with their pepperoni and mushrooms — wanted posters for parents accused of failing to pay child support. - Cincinnati

Without even looking I know that more than likely there are feminists out there blogging in support of this idea. But I have a different take on it.

I've been on both sides of the custodial/noncustodial divide. In fact my first exwife has been running from the law for the last several years to avoid having to pay child support for our daughter.

This is the same exwife who for a period of about a year or so denied me any access to our daughter and I was powerless to do anything about it because I couldn't afford to retain a family law attorney, much less pay for the actual fees that would have been incurred. But you can bet your sweet bottom dollar that she stayed on top of whether I was paying child support, though.

The fact of the matter is that Big Brother is only involved in support enforcement as a way to reduce welfare and food stamp costs. It's not about the child. It's about $$$.

My helper at work has been paying child support for a daughter that he hasn't seen in nearly a decade. His ex doesn't want him to have access but she does make sure that each time she is eligible to have the support amount increased she sees to it that she does whatever necessary to initiate the process and follows through on it.

I've worked with other fathers with similar stories - fighting both their ex and the legal system.

It's a highly inequitable system and one which cares nothing about any of those involved. It exists solely for fiscal reasons.

Posted by Kevin at March 26, 2007 12:44 PM