Deadbeat Again Dilemma

It's almost unbelievable...

In the US, the federal government mandates a nationwide child enforcement bureaucracy that has the dubious distinction of over collecting from those who are honest and not collecting at all from those who are not.

I have continually been on the deadbeat dad enforcement action list since I was first registered with them. In fact the very first month, they claimed I was $3000+ behind because they used the wrong starting date. I have never been behind in child support and at times have had as much as 2.5 years of support held in escrow. Wait, how could that be, that means I would have prepaid all my support to date... Yep, and I did, except the judge ordered 2/3 of my son's support seized for legal fees. Because the judge decided it was BIC for my lawyers to get the money rather than my son. Where was my son's guardian on this issue, protecting his interests? Nope, she had her hand out too and got part of that 2/3.

Last year I came within 2 weeks of loosing my driver's license and only thorough shouted threats at my lawyer every few days did I obtain the court order that notified the agency that they were in error. One year later and I'm at the same ridiculous point. Every single month I call the agency get someone to run an audit and audio tape their response. Last month they said I was at a surplus in my support payments. This month I received a notice that said I was 3 months behind and enforcement would be escalated by seizure of both federal and state tax refunds. How could this be? A bunch of do nothing, could give 2 hits, careless, government employees who screw up constantly. I may start posting these audio tapes...

How can you be at a surplus and behind? Well child support is broken into two segments, support sent to the mother with no accounting for how it is spent, and "poundage" a fee (2%) collected as a percentage of the support amount to support the inefficient error prone government bureaucracy something you thought taxes paid for.

This creates two interesting problems. First, depending how they apply the money they get, they can have an excess in support and a short fall in poundage. If they allow this shortfall to go uncorrected for a few months, then you will be targeted for enforcement. So last month when I had thought I was even and they reported a surplus that should have been my warning sign to file for a court ordered intense audit. Something that I am likely too late for.

But the second problem is more insidious, a built in conflict of interest and the reason why every Dad is labeled a Deadbeat. Their very existence, their paycheck is funded by poundage, by the level of support they claim you owe. By inflating their estimated outstanding support obligations, they inflate their poundage and hence their own budget. That's right, the government learned a lesson in creative bookkeeping from the private sector, ala Enron.

I have also received the Federal Sate Department warning that my passport is eligible for seizure. Being on the sate department list, my travel by major means can be scrutinized and denied. At the last minute going through airport checkin, my boarding could be denied just as any terrorist's could be. See in America, Divorced Dads are viewed with the same contempt by the government as terrorists.

Well almost, because if you are a terrorist in the US, the government will not interfere with your driving privileges. But as a Divorced Dad, we are subjected to automatic suspension of our driver's license if listed for enforcement action. And just as an enemy combatant we are relieved of our due process. Oh they say you can apply for an appeal, but your license is taken first then good luck ever getting the appeal.

How does this happen? Deceitful people "working" the system and those responsible to keep things in control (judges) allowing them to do it. The easiest way to achieve this is by forcing support payments to be made outside of the enforcement agency, to write ambiguous support order adjustments, and to communicate conflicting information to related government agencies.

Over the last few months I've let my beard grow in, maybe I could travel more freely under false ID looking like a terrorist.

And the saddest part of this whole story is this is typical.

In the US, all Divorced Dads are labeled as Deadbeat Dads, some by error, some for cause. (jqism)
Divorced Dads don't run away, they are chased away by the courts. (jqism)

Status: Second Draft