System fails parents (1/20/04)

My reason for writing is to tell my opinion of how many people in this county feel about our child support bureau. They are not helping out as many as they’d like you to think. I believe the state definition of what is expected from these people is not being done in many ways.

There are quite a few people not receiving their support like they are supposed to. The people not paying their support are not getting punished near as much as they should be.

Many people have signed up for the tax interception, but never receive a dime. They say in many cases that the files have been misplaced. Even in some cases the interception was put to a stop. Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t see how anyone can understand exactly why these things happen. If you think about it there are not too many people that have the access to these files to where just anybody could go in and mess them up. So how do these mistakes keep getting made? Someone needs to take the blame here. I think they should be a little more helpful for the custodial parents and not the ones that are in the wrong.

It seems that anymore when the non-custodial parent begins to have more children we are to feel sorry for them. Should we just drop the child support because some of these people don’t want the responsibility of taking care of all their children? I don’t think so.

I do not feel a bit sorry for anyone who decides to have a child and then just walk out as if they’re no longer a part of their lives. Yes, giving your children money is part of parenting. Children are not very cheap to raise.

I just wish the people not paying their support could have all the responsibilities that we do. Actually, the people ordered to pay child support are usually getting off pretty cheap. Most don’t have the doctor bills, sports, school events and so on to pay for. Believe me, most of the people who receive support don’t receive near enough to cover half the expenses there are to raising a child. Oh, it may pay the sitter, but nowadays in most cases it wouldn’t.

I also do not understand why we give these people chances over and over again. There are people placed on probation and they do not have to abide by the rules. They continuously go from job to job not notifying anyone — including the probation department. When the probation officers finally turn in violations to the court, they get a mere slap on the hand. Oh, what a big punishment for ripping your children off from what they deserve.

I’ve even seen where some people get their violation of probation court dates postponed. Yes, I mean court cases over child support. What the heck is that? I’ve never heard of such crap. Yeah, I’m not paying my support so let’s just postpone it so I can go a little longer without paying! You know this is the reason people continue not to pay because people we elect into office don’t do anything to them. Hey, that’s great they don’t pay and still get into no trouble.

I really like the ones that can’t pay their support, but can afford attorneys to fight paying for their own children. Most of the people who are to receive the support can’t afford any help. That’s why we go to the child support bureau in our county. That’s that they’re there for. Yeah, whatever. As far when it gets to court finally, the prosecutor that everyone voted for slaps them on the wrist and us victims in the face. If you’re going to let the victims get the crappy end of the deal, at least have enough nerve to confront these people.

When we’ve called anyone (always getting an answering machine or secretary) the prosecutor and so on do not return the calls. You are there to help us, remember? Not to avoid the truth that real mistakes are being made here. If you are big enough to do these jobs you should be able to face all the consequences that come with it. You’d think they’d get tired of hearing us victims confront them with their screw-ups. No, they’re just worried about feeling sorry for the ones that are crapping on them.

I just wish these people would stand up and apologize to all of our children. Yes, they are the ones really getting the crappy end of the deal. You explain to them why their parents can receive child support for their siblings and not pay them any.

A lot of these people are also on welfare. So you know in a way us hard-working parents are paying the non-custodial parent with our tax money. Real fair, huh? If they don’t pay over and over, stick them in jail. Put them on work release. Let them know that it is not a big joke raising children.

The deal with taking their driver’s license away is pretty stupid, too. They they’d really have a good excuse of why not to go to work. Of course, they don’t like to give them that punishment, either.

Like I said, I think everyone needs to take a better look at all the circumstances in every case — not just one here and one there.

They are all so different, so just do your jobs already. Actually help the people you are supposed to for a change. Us victims are the only ones being punished — not the low-lives that can’t afford to have babies. If I remember, Planned Parenthood is free.

Karla D. Haffner

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