Posted on 02/27/2004 1:35:08 AM PST by RogerFGay
Lottery-Like Awards Crush Fathers, Make Mothers Rich
Child Support Queens Praise Michigan's Mike CoxFebruary 24, 2004
By MND NEWSWIRE
The largest child-support organization in the nation announced today that Michigan Attorney General Mike will receive its Golden Hearts Award.
The Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES), a non- profit, child-advocacy organization with 50,000 members and 400 chapters in 48 states, recognized Cox for focusing attention on the $7 billion owed to Michigan children in unpaid child support. Past award recipients include New York Gov. George Pataki and U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine.
"This award is a tribute to all the parents, government officials, community leaders, and ordinary citizens who have helped me bring attention to the epidemic of unpaid child support," stated Cox. "I am honored and privileged that the people of Michigan allow my office to attempt to help the 650,000 children get the child support they deserve."
ACES recognizes only four recipients annually for their leadership in helping children recover the amount owed to them in child support. ACES will make a formal presentation of the award to Cox in the next few weeks. "I worked with local bureaucracy for 16 years for support for my son and got very little, maybe $8,000," said a mother(1) who recently got resolution of her case. "Thanks to Mike Cox, in a month, I had a check for $120,000 and another for $225,000. It was like a fairytale."
Geraldine Jensen of ACES, who is well known for her obsessive efforts to misinform the public about child support issues (see: Associated Press: A Case Study in Dishonesty) is presenting an award to Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox (see: Michigan AG Linked to Organized Crime and Child Support Propaganda Haunts Michigan Papers). According to Jensen, Cox was chosen because of his establishment of a first-of-its kind program that prosecutes child support as a felony. Since establishing the child support division, Cox's office has collected more than $2 million, issued a total of 234 warrants and made 132 arrests. Cox focuses on those who can pay, but refuse to pay -- including heavyweight boxer James Toney, former NFL Detroit Lion and pro-bowler Bennie Blades, and several other Michigan professionals.
"Attorney General Mike Cox is a leader in the nation among attorneys general, tracking down law breakers who have abandoned their children," Jensen said. "He's taking some of the first real action across the country, treating non-support as a serious crime, a crime that causes poverty amongst children. It is particularly helpful to families. We think it's a really wonderful approach."
ACES also cited Cox's Paykids initiative as reason for honoring the attorney general.
Paykids is a public awareness program Cox established last October that features an interactive website to assist parents in recovering child support owed to their children; 39 billboards placed across Michigan to raise awareness on this issue; and a toll-free number for parents to communicate directly with the Attorney General's Child Support Division.
(1) Name withheld to protect identity of the child - and mother.
I'll buy that the money is all "for the children" just as soon as these women face HALF of the civil and criminal sanctions for spending that money on themselves or new boyfriends as the father faces if he gets laid off and can't afford to pay it.
This system turns kids into pawns to control parents by means of the biased and currupt courts.
To the first, and very personal, question: $53,000.00/yr.
Well, I guess I figured that since you had no qualms about publishing mom's income, that you would equally as forthcoming in publishing your own.
To the second: As MUCH as it takes, you presumptuous jerk.
Wasn't really trying to get your bile up here ... I was just wondering what you thought a fair amount of support would be ?
Of course ... if you'd rather not ...
In regard to your post #56, ... you do realize that the awarding of custody is highly driven by the mores of our society, don't you ... where the father goes out and makes the money and the mother stays home and takes care of the home and kids.
Those mores will have to change before the trend in custodial awards change.
I am sorry that that custody appears to be a losing proposition for you.
FWIW ... my experience is as a stepdad of two ... whose mother consistently worked (and works) 40-50 hours per week. The kid's biological father (my youngest stepchild calls him the sperm donor) hasn't visited with his children since 1997 and my wife had to take him to court to get him to provide any support for the children.
OTOH ... my brother did receive custody of his (2) kids (his ex-wife didn't want custody) and he has never received a dime of child-support from her.
Yes, God is very right. But, you can't live with an adulterer.
God is right in this instance, as well ...Matthew 5:32 But I tell you that every man who puts away his wife except on the ground of unfaithfulness causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries her when so divorced commits adultery.
Bullshit. My kids are all boys, three of them, and I have never maligned men to them or made them feel their father was a deadbeat, which he is. After all, he and I agreed that I should stay home and raise the children, thus not working, and now he wants to punish the children?
Would you accept a women who let her children starve to death because she "didn't have the money"? Would you let it pass causally? Or would you expect her to do whatever is necessary to keep her children alive?
There wouldn't be mercy for a women who's children starved, and there damn sure isn't going to be much for a man who has children and doesn't support them either.
Many men work under the table to avoid child support. On paper it looks like they don't have the money. That's "on paper". Maybe they're cheating more than just the mother...
66.0% of all support not paid by non-custodial fathers is due to inability to pay Statistical Source: 1988 Census "Child Support and Alimony: 1989 Series P-60, No. 173 p. 6-7. and U.S. General Accounting Office Report" GAO/HRD-92-39FS January, 1992
The average cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is 261,512 x 2 (I had 2 children)=523,024. My ex paid 90 a week for 16 years=74,880 and 56 per week for 3 years= 8,736 his total support 86,528 if you take 523,024-86,528= 436,496 not covered by support. My income 35,000 a year max = 630,000 for 18 years. Ex’s income 150,000 per year for 18 years= 2,700,000. So out of that he paid 86,528 for the support of our children which left him 2,613,472. The 436,496 left on the cost of raising our children came out of my 630,000...which means I’ve had 193,504 in 18 years that wasn’t attributed to raising our children. His cost 86,528 vs mine 436,496...if that means I was unfairly rewarded then I really suck at math. The reward I did receive...the unconditional love and respect of my children for my hard work and sacrifices.
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