MI: Cracking down on child support payments

And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in for a
rude awakening if he is..

You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem" of the
so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I thought
this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cracking down on child support payments
State needs to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and better
collection methods.

This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their children.
These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and ultimately
lead to behavioral problems.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child support
collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand reforms in
current law.

With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support payment
system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support their
children, but choose not to.

It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs.

But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children and the
state, change is overdue.

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If a person
violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur huge
child support debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be a
strong incentive to make the payments.

My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur additional
child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit; increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious child support violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places liens on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.

Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children need
noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the Legislature can't
force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and mothers to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a brighter
future.

Many of these children who should be receiving child support payments come
from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids living with
single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they deserve our
help.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it affects kids
who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents to slip
through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take their
children along with them.

Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan House's
51st District.


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminate the impossible and whatever
remains, no matter how improbable, must
be the truth.

---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---

"Dusty" wrote in message
...
And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in for a
rude awakening if he is..

You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem" of the
so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
thought
this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cracking down on child support payments
State needs to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
collection methods.

This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
children.
These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child support
collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand reforms
in
current law.

With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support payment
system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support their
children, but choose not to.

It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs.

But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children and
the
state, change is overdue.

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If a
person
violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur huge
child support debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be
a
strong incentive to make the payments.

My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur additional
child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious child support violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places liens
on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.

Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children need
noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the Legislature
can't
force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and mothers
to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future.

Many of these children who should be receiving child support payments come
from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids living
with
single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they deserve our
help.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it affects kids
who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents to
slip
through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take their
children along with them.

Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
House's
51st District.


****************************

Here is the proper translation:

Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
State desires to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and better
collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.

This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their ex-wives.
These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being responsible
for THEMSELVES.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor alimony
collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
reforms in
current law.

With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
payment
system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
support their
ex-wives, but don't.

It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!

When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives and
the
state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a person
violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge FALSE
backdoor alimony debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be a
strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.

My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment does NOT
fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time. The
longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach to
encourage backdoor alimony
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit; increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places illegal
liens on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.

Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children need
fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother and
instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.

Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
fathers come
from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids living with
single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why we are
only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it affects
irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow greedy
mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children along with
them.



*******************************


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminate the impossible and whatever
remains, no matter how improbable, must
be the truth.

---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---

"Dusty" wrote in message
...
And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in for a
rude awakening if he is..

You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem" of the
so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
thought
this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cracking down on child support payments
State needs to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
collection methods.

This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
children.
These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child support
collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand reforms
in
current law.

With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support payment
system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support their
children, but choose not to.

It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs.

But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children and
the
state, change is overdue.

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If a
person
violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur huge
child support debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be
a
strong incentive to make the payments.

My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur additional
child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious child support violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places liens
on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.

Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children need
noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the Legislature
can't
force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and mothers
to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future.

Many of these children who should be receiving child support payments come
from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids living
with
single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they deserve our
help.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it affects kids
who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents to
slip
through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take their
children along with them.

Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
House's
51st District.


****************************

Here is the proper translation:

Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
State desires to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and better
collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.

This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their ex-wives.
These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being responsible
for THEMSELVES.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor alimony
collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
reforms in
current law.

With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
payment
system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
support their
ex-wives, but don't.

It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!

When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives and
the
state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a person
violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge FALSE
backdoor alimony debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be a
strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.

My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment does NOT
fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time. The
longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach to
encourage backdoor alimony
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit; increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places illegal
liens on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.

Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children need
fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother and
instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.

Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
fathers come
from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids living with
single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why we are
only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it affects
irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow greedy
mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children along with
them.



*******************************


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminate the impossible and whatever
remains, no matter how improbable, must
be the truth.

---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---

"Dusty" wrote in message
...
And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in for a
rude awakening if he is..

You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem" of the
so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
thought
this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cracking down on child support payments
State needs to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
collection methods.

This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
children.
These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child support
collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand reforms
in
current law.

With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support payment
system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support their
children, but choose not to.

It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs.

But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children and
the
state, change is overdue.

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If a
person
violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur huge
child support debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be
a
strong incentive to make the payments.

My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur additional
child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious child support violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places liens
on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.

Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children need
noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the Legislature
can't
force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and mothers
to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future.

Many of these children who should be receiving child support payments come
from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids living
with
single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they deserve our
help.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it affects kids
who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents to
slip
through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take their
children along with them.

Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
House's
51st District.


****************************

Here is the proper translation:

Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
State desires to improve abysmal collection record

Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family

By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News


There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000 children.
Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an increase
in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
miracle
for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and better
collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.

This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men throughout
our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their ex-wives.
These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show that
nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
ultimately
lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being responsible
for THEMSELVES.

Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor alimony
collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
reforms in
current law.

With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
payment
system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
support their
ex-wives, but don't.

It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make ends
meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!

When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives and
the
state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!

My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on the
amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
payment.

Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a person
violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be found
guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years
or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if individuals owe
$500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.

Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding in
which
more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early prosecutions,
we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge FALSE
backdoor alimony debts.

With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
amounts of
$20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there will be a
strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.

My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment does NOT
fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time. The
longer you
wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.

We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach to
encourage backdoor alimony
payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit; increases
bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted list"
for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.

To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places illegal
liens on
lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers' compensation
awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.

Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children need
fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
brighter
future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother and
instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.

Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
fathers come
from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids living with
single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why we are
only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.

The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it affects
irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow greedy
mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children along with
them.



*******************************


--
------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminate the impossible and whatever
remains, no matter how improbable, must
be the truth.

---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---

And nobody makes ANY connection that Michigan
(and Wisconsin) have lost more "living wage" jobs in
the last 3 years, per capita, than most of the rest of
the country.

When good jobs disappear, divorces, bankruptcies, and foreclosures
of homes and cars increases. The debt load also goes up.
But all that can be "cured" by high child support payments .. NOT!
And as long as there is ZERO accountability of where that
child-support is spent, injustice will prevail.

The United Staes is in "Denial" mode, with it's blame on those
who cannot defend themselves: the poor guys who lose their jobs.
And both major political parties are focusing on the "Woman's vote".
Makes one wonder why men, especially veterans, are upset.
--
Please, Pray for Tina Lynn Hayden.

"Chris" wrote in message
news:xgrcc.44659$wl1.23850@fed1read06...
|
| "Dusty" wrote in message
| ...
| And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in
for a
| rude awakening if he is..
|
| You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem"
of the
| so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
| thought
| this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..
|
| -----------------------------------------------------------
|
| Cracking down on child support payments
| State needs to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
| increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
| better
| collection methods.
|
| This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
| throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
| children.
| These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
| nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child
support
| collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand
reforms
| in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support
payment
| system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support
their
| children, but choose not to.
|
| It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard
time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to
make ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs.
|
| But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children
and
| the
| state, change is overdue.
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If
a
| person
| violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur
huge
| child support debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for
amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be
| a
| strong incentive to make the payments.
|
| My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur
additional
| child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer
you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
| increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious child support violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
liens
| on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.
|
| Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the
Legislature
| can't
| force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and
mothers
| to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving child support
payments come
| from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids
living
| with
| single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they
deserve our
| help.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it
affects kids
| who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents
to
| slip
| through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take
their
| children along with them.
|
| Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
| House's
| 51st District.
|
|
| ****************************
|
| Here is the proper translation:
|
| Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
| State desires to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
| collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.
|
| This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men
throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
ex-wives.
| These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show
that
| nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being
responsible
| for THEMSELVES.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor
alimony
| collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
| reforms in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox,
House
| lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
| payment
| system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
| support their
| ex-wives, but don't.
|
| It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make
ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!
|
| When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives
and
| the
| state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
| subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a
person
| violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge
FALSE
| backdoor alimony debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
| amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be a
| strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.
|
| My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment
does NOT
| fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
| backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time.
The
| longer you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach
to
| encourage backdoor alimony
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
illegal
| liens on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.
|
| Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
| enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother
and
| instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
| fathers come
| from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids
living with
| single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why
we are
| only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it
affects
| irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow
greedy
| mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children
along with
| them.
|
|
|
| *******************************
|
|
| --
| ------------------------------------------------------------
| Eliminate the impossible and whatever
| remains, no matter how improbable, must
| be the truth.
|
| ---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---
|
|
|
|

And nobody makes ANY connection that Michigan
(and Wisconsin) have lost more "living wage" jobs in
the last 3 years, per capita, than most of the rest of
the country.

When good jobs disappear, divorces, bankruptcies, and foreclosures
of homes and cars increases. The debt load also goes up.
But all that can be "cured" by high child support payments .. NOT!
And as long as there is ZERO accountability of where that
child-support is spent, injustice will prevail.

The United Staes is in "Denial" mode, with it's blame on those
who cannot defend themselves: the poor guys who lose their jobs.
And both major political parties are focusing on the "Woman's vote".
Makes one wonder why men, especially veterans, are upset.
--
Please, Pray for Tina Lynn Hayden.

"Chris" wrote in message
news:xgrcc.44659$wl1.23850@fed1read06...
|
| "Dusty" wrote in message
| ...
| And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in
for a
| rude awakening if he is..
|
| You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem"
of the
| so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
| thought
| this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..
|
| -----------------------------------------------------------
|
| Cracking down on child support payments
| State needs to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
| increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
| better
| collection methods.
|
| This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
| throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
| children.
| These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
| nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child
support
| collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand
reforms
| in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support
payment
| system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support
their
| children, but choose not to.
|
| It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard
time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to
make ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs.
|
| But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children
and
| the
| state, change is overdue.
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If
a
| person
| violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur
huge
| child support debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for
amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be
| a
| strong incentive to make the payments.
|
| My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur
additional
| child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer
you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
| increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious child support violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
liens
| on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.
|
| Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the
Legislature
| can't
| force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and
mothers
| to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving child support
payments come
| from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids
living
| with
| single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they
deserve our
| help.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it
affects kids
| who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents
to
| slip
| through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take
their
| children along with them.
|
| Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
| House's
| 51st District.
|
|
| ****************************
|
| Here is the proper translation:
|
| Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
| State desires to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
| collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.
|
| This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men
throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
ex-wives.
| These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show
that
| nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being
responsible
| for THEMSELVES.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor
alimony
| collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
| reforms in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox,
House
| lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
| payment
| system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
| support their
| ex-wives, but don't.
|
| It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make
ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!
|
| When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives
and
| the
| state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
| subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a
person
| violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge
FALSE
| backdoor alimony debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
| amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be a
| strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.
|
| My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment
does NOT
| fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
| backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time.
The
| longer you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach
to
| encourage backdoor alimony
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
illegal
| liens on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.
|
| Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
| enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother
and
| instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
| fathers come
| from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids
living with
| single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why
we are
| only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it
affects
| irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow
greedy
| mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children
along with
| them.
|
|
|
| *******************************
|
|
| --
| ------------------------------------------------------------
| Eliminate the impossible and whatever
| remains, no matter how improbable, must
| be the truth.
|
| ---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---
|
|
|
|

And nobody makes ANY connection that Michigan
(and Wisconsin) have lost more "living wage" jobs in
the last 3 years, per capita, than most of the rest of
the country.

When good jobs disappear, divorces, bankruptcies, and foreclosures
of homes and cars increases. The debt load also goes up.
But all that can be "cured" by high child support payments .. NOT!
And as long as there is ZERO accountability of where that
child-support is spent, injustice will prevail.

The United Staes is in "Denial" mode, with it's blame on those
who cannot defend themselves: the poor guys who lose their jobs.
And both major political parties are focusing on the "Woman's vote".
Makes one wonder why men, especially veterans, are upset.
--
Please, Pray for Tina Lynn Hayden.

"Chris" wrote in message
news:xgrcc.44659$wl1.23850@fed1read06...
|
| "Dusty" wrote in message
| ...
| And just when is this goober up for re-election? Me thinks he's in
for a
| rude awakening if he is..
|
| You'll note that his answer is to throw more money at the "problem"
of the
| so-called deadbeat parent and jailing them for "failure to pay". I
| thought
| this was America, where debtors prisons where illegal..
|
| -----------------------------------------------------------
|
| Cracking down on child support payments
| State needs to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat parents fail to pay
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
| increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
| better
| collection methods.
|
| This widespread epidemic is nonpayment of child support. Parents
| throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
| children.
| These young people not only risk less income, but studies show that
| nonpayment of child support can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for child
support
| collection. It's time for us to defend these children and demand
reforms
| in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of Attorney General Mike Cox, House
lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's child support
payment
| system and better prosecute parents who have the means to support
their
| children, but choose not to.
|
| It is not our intention to prosecute parents who are having a hard
time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to
make ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs.
|
| But when Michigan parents owe more than $7 billion to their children
and
| the
| state, change is overdue.
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of child support a person owes, whether it is a first or
subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent parents to pay. If
a
| person
| violates a court order of child support now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent parent. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of parents who stop paying or who incur
huge
| child support debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison for
amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be
| a
| strong incentive to make the payments.
|
| My bill is fair. The punishment fits the crime. If you incur
additional
| child support debt, you're going to get more prison time. The longer
you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged approach to encourage child support
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
| increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious child support violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
liens
| on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent parents.
|
| Certainly, our child support package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| noncustodial parents to spend more time with them, but the
Legislature
| can't
| force that. We can reform our laws to encourage these fathers and
mothers
| to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving child support
payments come
| from single-parent households, and there is no denying that kids
living
| with
| single moms and dads face daunting challenges. That's why they
deserve our
| help.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of child support is that it
affects kids
| who are already at risk. If we continually allow delinquent parents
to
| slip
| through the cracks in our legal system, they may invariably take
their
| children along with them.
|
| Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, represents the Michigan
| House's
| 51st District.
|
|
| ****************************
|
| Here is the proper translation:
|
| Cracking down on backdoor alimony payments
| State desires to improve abysmal collection record
|
| Children suffer when deadbeat mothers kick fathers out of the family
|
| By Rep. Dave Robertson / Special to The Detroit News
|
|
| There is an epidemic in Michigan that affects more than 650,000
children.
| Symptoms include quitting school, poor grade point averages and an
increase
| in behavioral problems. Fortunately, we don't need to find a medical
| miracle
| for the antidote; we can just provide tougher criminal penalties and
better
| collection methods, which does NOTHING to alleviate the problem.
|
| This widespread epidemic is bootin' dad out of the family. Men
throughout
| our state are refusing to take financial responsibility for their
ex-wives.
| These extortionist women not only risk less income, but studies show
that
| nonpayment of backdoor alimony can affect their cognitive skills and
| ultimately
| lead to behavioral problems, because they are not used to being
responsible
| for THEMSELVES.
|
| Michigan ranks an abysmal third worst in the nation for backdoor
alimony
| collection. It's time for us to defend these greedy women and demand
| reforms in
| current law.
|
| With the steadfast support of dirtbag Attorney General Mike Cox,
House
| lawmakers
| have introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's backdoor alimony
| payment
| system and better prosecute men who may or may NOT have the means to
| support their
| ex-wives, but don't.
|
| It IS our intention to prosecute men who are having a hard time
| paying. We understand there can be times when it is difficult to make
ends
| meet, especially when our economy is struggling and we are losing
| manufacturing jobs; but frankly, we just don't give a damn!
|
| When Michigan men FALSELY owe more than $7 billion to their ex-wives
and
| the
| state, change is NOT overdue; but we're gonna make it anyway!
|
| My bill in the package creates a tiered penalty structure based on
the
| amount of backdoor alimony a person owes, whether it is a first or
| subsequent
| offense, and the length of time since the person last made a support
| payment.
|
| Current law provides no incentive for delinquent men to pay. If a
person
| violates a court order of backdoor alimony now, the individual can be
found
| guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four
years
| or by a fine of not more than $2,000. It doesn't matter if
individuals owe
| $500 or $500,000, they still receive the same punishment.
|
| Right now in Michigan, there are more than 17,000 cases outstanding
in
| which
| more than $50,000 is owed by a delinquent man. With early
prosecutions,
| we can prevent the numbers of men who stop paying or who incur huge
FALSE
| backdoor alimony debts.
|
| With the possibility of spending up to 10 years in debtors prison for
| amounts of
| $20,000 or more or failure to pay for more than five years, there
will be a
| strong incentive to give-in to the blackmail.
|
| My bill is UNFAIR; but again, I don't give a damn! The punishment
does NOT
| fit any crime, because there IS no crime. If you incur additional
| backdoor alimony debt, you're going to get more debtors prison time.
The
| longer you
| wait to pay, the more time you'll spend in debtors prison.
|
| We are proposing a multi-pronged (like a double edged sword) approach
to
| encourage backdoor alimony
| payment. The package also places a limit on incarceration credit;
increases
| bond for felony nonsupport cases; and creates a public "most wanted
list"
| for the most egregious backdoor alimony violators.
|
| To provide more effective collection methods, our initiative places
illegal
| liens on
| lawsuit or arbitration awards, insurance proceeds, workers'
compensation
| awards and inheritance involving delinquent men.
|
| Certainly, our backdoor alimony package is not a cure-all. Children
need
| fathers to spend more time with them, but the Legislature WON'T
| enforce that. We can reform our laws to encourage these mothers to
| take financial responsibility and give their children a chance at a
| brighter
| future, but we would rather ignore any responsibility of the mother
and
| instead heap HER responsibility upon the father.
|
| Many of these children who should be receiving EQUAL access to their
| fathers come
| from single-mother households, and there is no denying that kids
living with
| single moms face daunting challenges. But do WE care? NO! That's why
we are
| only interested in giving deadbeat mothers FREE $$$.
|
| The terrible legacy of nonpayment of backdoor alimony is that it
affects
| irresponsible moms who are already at risk. If we continually allow
greedy
| mothers to rip-off men, they will undoubtedly take their children
along with
| them.
|
|
|
| *******************************
|
|
| --
| ------------------------------------------------------------
| Eliminate the impossible and whatever
| remains, no matter how improbable, must
| be the truth.
|
| ---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ---
|
|
|
|