What will they think of next?

[leeway99]

Passport rules snag child support cash
By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press WriterTue Aug 14, 3:34 PM ET



The price of a passport: $311,491 in back child support payments for a U.S. businessman now living in China; $46,000 for a musician seeking to perform overseas, and $45,849 for a man planning a Dominican Republic vacation.
The new passport requirements that have complicated travel this summer also have uncovered untold numbers of child support scofflaws and forced them to pay millions.

The State Department denies passports to noncustodial parents who owe more than $2,500 in child support. Once the parents make good on their debts, they can reapply for passports.
Now that millions of additional travelers need passports to fly back from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and South America, collections under the Passport Denial Program are on pace to about double this year, federal officials told The Associated Press.
In all, states have reported collecting at least $22.5 million through the program thus far in 2007. The money is then forwarded to the parent to whom it is owed.

Some people never learn.
A boxer paid $39,000 in back child support to the state of Nevada last year to get a passport, which he lost. This year, his promoter had to loan him $8,930 so he could pay off his new child support debts and get a new passport to fight overseas.
In one case last year, a man got his parents to pay his overdue child support — $50,498 to the state of Illinois.
"For us, it's been amazing to see how people who owe back child support seem to be able to come up with good chunks of money when it involves needing their passport," said Adolfo Capestany, spokesman for the state of Washington's Division of Child Support. "Folks will do anything to get that passport, so it is a good collection tool."
The $22.5 million reported to have been collected through the program this year is a conservative estimate. Some states voluntarily report the payments to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, but other states don't.
It took all of 2006 to collect the same amount under the program, which began in 1998.

Also contributing to the increased collections was a drop in the threshold for reporting child support debts to the State Department, from $5,000 to $2,500. As a result, 400,000 more cases were submitted to the department.
The state of Washington obtained $24,000 for Teresa Markley through the program. The money accrued over a couple of decades. She said she could have really used the money in past years, and at one point in the 1990s went on welfare for a few months to make ends meet. While her children are now grown, she said the payment still meant a great deal to her.
"What it means to me now is just to have some validation for the suffering I went through," said Markley, a resident of Tacoma, Wash.
Jeannette Dean of Seattle said she had to tap into her retirement savings and her son's savings bond to help pay for basic necessities after Washington state was unable to help her collect delinquent child support payments.
But this year, she received about $36,000 through the passport program. She said the money will be used to replenish the lost savings.
"It has given back to having a normal life versus struggling to pay dental bills and hospitals bills and things like that," Dean said.

The passport denial program is just one of several tools the government has to collect overdue child support. Overall collections totaled about $24 billion last year.
The largest share by far — $20.1 billion — came from withholding from a worker's paycheck. Unemployment insurance or state and federal income tax refunds can also be seized. States with lotteries also can deduct delinquent payments from winnings. Some states submit the names of those behind on their payments to credit reporting agencies.
Payments generated through the new passport requirements are an important sliver of what states collect each year on behalf of about 17 million children, said Margot Bean, commissioner for the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

"We often get payments of over $100,000," Bean said. "For whatever reason, this was the only way we could get the money."
For some families, the payments can mean the difference between having to rely on the government for assistance or not relying on it, Bean said. In cases where families have needed cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, a portion of the payments received through the passport program is used to reimburse the government.
Another jump in collections from the Passport Denial Program can be expected next year or in early 2009. That's when the new passport requirements will likely take effect for land and sea travelers too.
___
On the Net: Passport Denial Program: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/newhire/fop/passport.htm

[Jimmydr]

Gee its shocking. Fathers having to pay child support.

[leeway99]

I agree, your kids should come first. Travel when you get caught up.

[knotty]

serves all those deadbeats right.

[greydread]

Yeah, that SOUNDS real good. The problem is that it's more often than not "Baby Momma" support and the child sees little or no gain from the windfall that the mother gets when the government takes large penalty amounts from the fathers. In other words, if the father gets pays a $100,000 arear, the mother gets a new Mercedes and the kid gets a playstation and a new pair of sneakers. Then years later there's no money for college because not a dime was invested in the child's interest.

The problem with government interference is that it is usually administered in such a ham handed way as to exacerbate the original problem. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against child support enforcement, I'm against manipulation of this system and the fact that there's little or no redress where a father sees his financial support going to the sole benefit of the mother's lifestyle and not his childrens' needs. By the time they get done with him, he can't afford a lawyer to even attempt to straighten the mess out.

This current Getsapo approach won't be acceptable until men have equal custodial rights to their children in the eyes of the courts. THEN we will really see some "baby Mama" drama.

States need to adopt standard child support laws before the fed's get involved. A friend payed his daughter's child support in MD faithfully for 18 years, after which he paid her way through college (plus room & board at an out of State university). In the meanwhile, her mother moved to DC. After his daughter graduated, the mother pressed for 3 years of back child support (ends at 18 in MD, 21 in DC) and won. The money which he spent to put his daughter through college was not considered as payment because it didn't pass through the baby Momma's hands. He was assesed back child support and a penalty. True story.

[Jimmydr]

Yeah, that SOUNDS real good. The problem is that it's more often than not "Baby Momma" support and the child sees little or no gain from the windfall that the mother gets when the government takes large penalty amounts from the fathers. In other words, if the father gets pays a $100,000 arear, the mother gets a new Mercedes and the kid gets a playstation and a new pair of sneakers. Then years later there's no money for college because not a dime was invested in the child's interest.

The problem with government interference is that it is usually administered in such a ham handed way as to exacerbate the original problem. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against child support enforcement, I'm against manipulation of this system and the fact that there's little or no redress where a father sees his financial support going to the sole benefit of the mother's lifestyle and not his childrens' needs. By the time they get done with him, he can't afford a lawyer to even attempt to straighten the mess out.

This current Getsapo approach won't be acceptable until men have equal custodial rights to their children in the eyes of the courts. THEN we will really see some "baby Mama" drama.

States need to adopt standard child support laws before the fed's get involved. A friend payed his daughter's child support in MD faithfully for 18 years, after which he paid her way through college (plus room & board at an out of State university). In the meanwhile, her mother moved to DC. After his daughter graduated, the mother pressed for 3 years of back child support (ends at 18 in MD, 21 in DC) and won. The money which he spent to put his daughter through college was not considered as payment because it didn't pass through the baby Momma's hands. He was assesed back child support and a penalty. True story.


No one told these guys to have kids in the first place. Thats life in America!

[greydread]

No one told these guys to have kids in the first place. Thats life in America!
That's a little callous. I love my children (oldest is 31) more than anything in this world and it was worth putting up with all of their mothers' bullshit just to see them making it, with their own families and carrers now. They were all raised in split households where I entered shared custody arrangements with the mothers in order to bring normalcy to the lives of my children. There's only one way this can be done: stay the fuck out of court.

What advice should I give to my son? Don't ever get married and have children? What advice should I give to my daughters? Find a sap, have babies and take him for every nickel? C'mon bro. There's got to be more to life in America than selfishness and systemic abuse.

[agua chico]

Greydread, I see it your way. Luckily, I don't have anybody on child support payroll, but I have several wealthy friends who do and I have represented many.

Example, my friend who is an MD got this girl pregnant 3 years ago. The heffer makes $31k a year. After the child support judgment for $2700/mo she bought a house in the cascades(I am sure she did it on one of those interest only loans) and a lexus 330 :(. She initially wanted 4500.

Georgia's child support system is flawed and absolutely punitive. There have been some reform lately but not enough.

[Jimmydr]

What advice should I give to my son? Don't ever get married and have children? What advice should I give to my daughters? Find a sap, have babies and take him for every nickel? C'mon bro. There's got to be more to life in America than selfishness and systemic abuse.


Marry a doctor or Lawyer.

[Jimmydr]

That's a little callous. I love my children (oldest is 31) more than anything in this world and it was worth putting up with all of their mothers' bullshit just to see them making it, with their own families and carrers now. They were all raised in split households where I entered shared custody arrangements with the mothers in order to bring normalcy to the lives of my children. There's only one way this can be done: stay the fuck out of court.




Did you make your payments? Seems like you did so whats the problem?

[greydread]

Did you make your payments? Seems like you did so whats the problem?
The lack of fair consideration of Fathers as primary custodial parent is my problem. It's easier for a woman to get fired from a government job for incompetance (this never happens) than to lose primary custody. She'd have to show up in court with the needle still in her arm from al all night heroin binge.

The lack of even standardization for child support laws is my problem. Women often move to states where child support awards are higher than in their state of residence (ex: a texas woman staying in MD for 30 days and applying for child support, then moving back to Texas can triple the award.) in order to beat the system and then the federal government back this travesty up with draconian enforcement policies.

Sorry to rant on this subject but I see some wrong shit going on I've gotta call it even if it doesn't affect me personally.

Now, back to the punani....

[Don Tomas]

The lack of fair consideration of Fathers as primary custodial parent is my problem. It's easier for a woman to get fired from a government job for incompetance (this never happens) than to lose primary custody. She'd have to show up in court with the needle still in her arm from al all night heroin binge.

Except if her name is Britney Spears. I have a feeling K-Fed will get custody...

[Jimmydr]

The lack of fair consideration of Fathers as primary custodial parent is my problem. It's easier for a woman to get fired from a government job for incompetance (this never happens) than to lose primary custody. She'd have to show up in court with the needle still in her arm from al all night heroin binge.

The lack of even standardization for child support laws is my problem. Women often move to states where child support awards are higher than in their state of residence (ex: a texas woman staying in MD for 30 days and applying for child support, then moving back to Texas can triple the award.) in order to beat the system and then the federal government back this travesty up with draconian enforcement policies.

Sorry to rant on this subject but I see some wrong shit going on I've gotta call it even if it doesn't affect me personally.

Now, back to the punani....


40% or more of the adult population don't have kids. 20% are married. Let the other 40% less the 20% which are women (living high on the hog) deal with it.

[greydread]

Except if her name is Britney Spears. I have a feeling K-Fed will get custody...
hehehe

Wasn't there a pic of her in some supermarket gossip rag WITH a heroin needle still in her arm?

I can only feel sorry for those kids. Families don't come much more dysfunctional than that.

[Inconego]

Gee its shocking. Fathers having to pay child support.

Uhhh, imagine disputing a claim of childsupport ... (the kid ain't yours after all, maybe you have been kicking in support, but chick denies it for more money...)

Now imagine you HAVE to get overseas for a job opportunity, business...hmmm....

There are always gray areas... it's not just deadbeat dads...

[Jimmydr]

Uhhh, imagine disputing a claim of childsupport ... (the kid ain't yours after all, maybe you have been kicking in support, but chick denies it for more money...)

Now imagine you HAVE to get overseas for a job opportunity, business...hmmm....

There are always gray areas... it's not just deadbeat dads...


Well if I didn't fuck her, it ain't mine.

[Inconego]

Basically moral of the story is keep fucking chics in 3rd world countries without as stringent child support laws?

[greydread]

Well if I didn't fuck her, it ain't mine.
...to which the Judge will say:

"Son, if you feed it long enough it'll start to look just like you"
(bangs gavel as they drag poor JDR away screaming "this can't happen in America")

[Jimmydr]

Basically moral of the story is keep fucking chics in 3rd world countries without as stringent child support laws?


All this is not new. We hear the stories every week or every month. Be prepared and don't be shocked when it happens to you.

[Jimmydr]

...to which the Judge will say:

"Son, if you feed it long enough it'll start to look just like you"
(bangs gavel as they drag poor JDR away screaming "this can't happen in America")


Wait a minute, out of the blue some girl you never fucked hits you with child support? Am I missing something here?

[Inconego]

It happens, what you've never heard of a guy who never slept with a chic being accused of rape?????

[greydread]

Wait a minute, out of the blue some girl you never fucked hits you with child support? Am I missing something here?
I know that you can't have that blind faith in the court system in this country.

Your cousin, brother or uncle's DNA can give a close enough match to get you a paternity case. Beaurocracy always lags behind technology. Need I remind you about the "mountain of DNA evidence" in the Simpson case?

All it takes is a scheming bitch and a courtroom and you, too can join the ranks of head scratchers leaving courtroom all over the country asking: "WTF???"

As I stated previously "stay the fuck out of court". Many bad things can happen there.

[leeway99]

I know that you can't have that blind faith in the court system in this country.

Your cousin, brother or uncle's DNA can give a close enough match to get you a paternity case. Beaurocracy always lags behind technology. Need I remind you about the "mountain of DNA evidence" in the Simpson case?

All it takes is a scheming bitch and a courtroom and you, too can join the ranks of head scratchers leaving courtroom all over the country asking: "WTF???"

As I stated previously "stay the fuck out of court". Many bad things can happen there.

I agree, the court system is set up to hammer a mans nuts to the wall. I was lucky to come to a reasonal agreement with my ex. We put our differences a side to focus on the childrens future. Sometimes the two parties involved can't do that.:mad:

[Jimmydr]

I know that you can't have that blind faith in the court system in this country.

Your cousin, brother or uncle's DNA can give a close enough match to get you a paternity case. Beaurocracy always lags behind technology. Need I remind you about the "mountain of DNA evidence" in the Simpson case?

All it takes is a scheming bitch and a courtroom and you, too can join the ranks of head scratchers leaving courtroom all over the country asking: "WTF???"

As I stated previously "stay the fuck out of court". Many bad things can happen there.


As you mentioned with the right lawyer anything is possible. You guys have issues. If I never fucked her, it ain't my kid, end of story.

[Jimmydr]

There are a bunch of bitter divorced guys here, I see.

[PapiQueRico]

Wait a minute, out of the blue some girl you never fucked hits you with child support? Am I missing something here?

This isn't an "I never fucked her" situation, but I remember a case where a woman claimed a guy was the father, the guy "took responsibility" and then later found out that the kid was not his. Even though he had DNA proof that he was not the father the judge ruled that he had to pay child support because he had acted as the father and it was in the best interest of the child.

[Inconego]

I guess you don't have to be divorced to be bitter.... right Jimmy?

[Jimmydr]

This isn't an "I never fucked her" situation, but I remember a case where a woman claimed a guy was the father, the guy "took responsibility" and then later found out that the kid was not his. Even though he had DNA proof that he was not the father the judge ruled that he had to pay child support because he had acted as the father and it was in the best interest of the child.



Now whose fault is that?

[Jimmydr]

I guess you don't have to be divorced to be bitter.... right Jimmy?


You got that right. There are different flavors of "Bitter"

[PapiQueRico]

Now whose fault is that?

The fault of a fucked up legal system!

[greydread]

The fault of a fucked up legal system!
That's my point in a nutshell.

[blacksultan]

No one told these guys to have kids in the first place. Thats life in America!


One of the most important things my mother ever told me was to not let just any woman be the mother of your child. What ends up happening is that many guys end up making babies with women that they truly dont even know.

[knotty]

One of the most important things my mother ever told me was to not let just any woman be the mother of your child. What ends up happening is that many guys end up making babies with women that they truly dont even know.
these days, we have many women who don't even know the last name or real 1st name of the guys they have kids with. the father's name is rarely on the birth certificate which makes it easier for him to get away.

[greydread]

these days, we have many women who don't even know the last name or real 1st name of the guys they have kids with. the father's name is rarely on the birth certificate which makes it easier for him to get away.
The guys getting screwed the worst are the ones who are trying to do the right thing. The real deadbeats are the ones fucking things up for everybody and the massive legal mechanism can't even begin to touch them. I know several guys who have quit good government jobs to fly under the radar of this system. They usually go into the service industry (mostly food & beverage) to reduce their reportable income. I know a guy who jumped out of a 2 story window (breaking his leg) to avoid getting served from Child Support Enforcement. They gave him a cast and an orange jump suit, advancing my theory that you don't go to jail for being bad....you go to jail for being stupid.

[knotty]

The guys getting screwed the worst are the ones who are trying to do the right thing. The real deadbeats are the ones fucking things up for everybody and the massive legal mechanism can't even begin to touch them. I know several guys who have quit good government jobs to fly under the radar of this system. They usually go into the service industry (mostly food & beverage) to reduce their reportable income. I know a guy who jumped out of a 2 story window (breaking his leg) to avoid getting served from Child Support Enforcement. They gave him a cast and an orange jump suit, advancing my theory that you don't go to jail for being bad....you go to jail for being stupid.
which is the problem. the majority is fucking up the minority of men that are doing something for their children. i definitely know this since i've worked years in this field. many of the problems have absolutely nothing to do with the kids, but with the parents. I've heard so many stories I could have a series of books out.

[Don Tomas]

I've heard so many stories I could have a series of books out.

Bring a laptop to the Termas of Rio and write a book! Just take a few breaks in-between pages to get in-between some thighs!:lol: