Unite For Child Support (MEGA BARF ALERT!!)

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 27 January 2006 | Editorial

[buccaneer81]

Unite for child support Time spent with kids doesn't cut cost of rearing them, so state shouldn't use it as reason to slash payments

Published on: 01/27/06

The women in the state Senate — all seven of them — united this week across party lines and stood up for mothers and kids. Their 35 peers in the House must do the same if Georgia is to limit the damage to single mothers and their children caused by a bill changing how child-support payments are calculated in Georgia.

Under the bill, noncustodial parents can reduce the amount of child support they pay by spending a certain amount of time with their children. The proposal before the Senate set the threshold for the parenting time credit at 91 days a year — the equivalent of 13 weeks. But by joining together, female senators were able to raise that annual threshold to 121 days.

It was a small but significant victory in a father-driven rewrite of state child support laws that will lower basic awards for middle- and upper-income families. In the House, those trying to preserve the higher threshold will face a nimble and stubborn adversary in the bill's prime mover, state Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who is unlikely to budge without political pressure.

However, this is an election year, and a collective stand by female House members — Republican and Democratic alike — could apply that necessary pressure. Gov. Sonny Perdue cannot afford to hand either of his possible Democratic opponents for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor or Secretary of State Cathy Cox, a ready-made TV commercial: "Every woman in the Georgia House of Representatives — Democrat and Republican alike — voted to protect child support for Georgia's kids, but the Republican leadership voted 'no.' "

Ehrhart has fought for years to overturn Georgia's support laws, claiming that they require child support payments that exceed the actual costs of child rearing. He had no evidence that Georgia awards were out of whack, only complaints from parents paying those awards. In fact, based on the available data, Georgia awards appear in line with the rest of the country.

Last year, Ehrhart succeeded in finally revamping the state's system for calculating support. However, the complex bill lacked specifics and contained legal gaffes, so a commission was appointed this past summer to review it and fill in the blanks, including creating an economic table estimating what it costs people of various incomes to raise children in Georgia. The table is critical because it's how judges will set support.

Commission members, notably Superior Court Judge Louisa Abbot of Savannah, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Debra Bernes and Troup County Juvenile Judge R. Michael Key, labored for months to mitigate the worst aspects of the bill. Faced with two economic tables, they eventually persuaded the commission to adopt the higher one.

But there was a trade-off. Ehrhart got the commission to agree to lower the parenting time trigger to 91 days.

While the women of the Senate succeeded in forcing a change in that deal, it was a male colleague who spoke most plainly about why the whole concept of linking time spent with children to child support amounts is wrong.

"A day here or there doesn't reduce the monthly expenses of the mothers," said state Sen. Steve Thompson (D-Powder Springs). "It doesn't stop the upkeep of the house and the daily school money. The problem with this bill is that it gives someone economic credit for being a daddy, and that's stupid. You don't need to pay somebody for being a father. "

[phantomworker]

When I filled out the paperwork, the residential schedule was expected to be 50/50 even though the kids ended up staying with me 100% of the time by default.

http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/

http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/documents/cu1_0450.doc

[Doohickey]

Thanks, but I'm still very bitter. Does it show much? :)

[colorcountry]

I've been accused of being bitter too. Bitterness is just the tough outer shell we build up to keep us from being stung again.

[napscoordinator]

I know this could be rediculous question, but can't you talk to your ex and ask her for more time off. I guess sometimes I live in the dream world where both ex's try to be civil after a divorse. If that is not your case than sorry about the question. Good luck to you. I bet you are a great Dad and the kids know that don't worry.

[bigjoesaddle]

Vanity Alert

I have a pic scanned, do I need to put it on a host page? Can I do this myself, or does anyone have a page so I can email the pic to them? I have been hunting for this pic on the internet for a long time and just scanned it from an old magazine myself. HELP!!!

[buccaneer81]

do I need to put it on a host page?

As far as I know, yes. But check out HTML Bootcamp (use FR search) to be sure.

[phantomworker]

I live in the dream world where both ex's try to be civil after a divorse.

I really feel sorry for the dads who appear to lose it all in a divorce when it is the wife who was originally at fault or just a divorce, period, when the "marriage" is over. I can understand it seems like a dad can hardly start a new life when he has to pay so much support to his ex-. In some states the rules do seem unfair. If approx 50% of marriages end in divorce, you would think something should be done about it.

For the sake of the kids, I also would expect both ex-s to try to be civil after a divorce and at least try to work out agreements with the kids' best interest in mind. I always thought if it is shown that either parent is vindictive toward the other in front of the kids, they can lose custody. It's something to think about.

[The Working Man]

I am attracted to these particular threads for some masochistic reason. But anyways, my ex-wife left me with three children and almost bankrupt. But I did manage to pull through with with time and a lot of prayer and understanding from creditors.

My youngest child was eight the oldest was twelve. I raised them all on my own without any child support from their mom. It took her almost three years after she left before she wanted to have visitation with her children.

It's been 13 years now, everyone is grown and my ex-wife has been diagnosed as having a mental disorder, she is on medication and has resumed a full and complete life.

So when I read these threads I do realize that we all come at this issue with our own emotional baggage weighing us down and coloring our views.

There are men and women who have by their actions enflamed us, (the reasonable, hard working and responsible for our actions) to the point that we become irrational with each other because "we" don't have the same life experiences and just don't understand why "you" don't get it, what ever the 'it' in question is.

So in a rambling and very general way, I am saying that I love to read what every one of you has to say about this most interesting and life changing subject and that each of us by neccessity of our personal life experience has to approach it from a different direction.

From my own personal experience though I can say that anger will eventually eat you up and that learning to let it go and accept that life isn't always fair and that the tough just keep getting up and going on will get you through the day and eventually through the month and the year ...etc.

[Orlando]

Sad ;(

http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/forum

*Check-out*
MND Spoltlight, and Child Support Casualties thread.
This might provide some light into the War on Fathers?