To: President Donald Trump, The New York State House, The New York State Senate, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Charles Schumer (NY-1), The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Work & Payment VS Jail & Licence Suspension for Father's Unable to Pay Child Support
I am proposing a National (state by state; operated county by county) work program versus going to jail/prison and/or losing one's driver's license for those delinquent on child support, with a pay rate of $9 an hour; a 40 hour (if possible) work week; and a 1/3 (pay) - 1/3 (mandated child support pay) - 1/3 (savings for release start up and staying up to date on child support) breakdown.
This would better serve children, families and taxpayers; changing the current lose-lose-lose-lose situation into a win-win-win-win.
Monies currently spent on incarcerating such individuals could be redirected to this program as well as monies (over the course of time) saved from Public Assistance / Food Stamp type of programs.
Are you in?
Great!
This would better serve children, families and taxpayers; changing the current lose-lose-lose-lose situation into a win-win-win-win.
Monies currently spent on incarcerating such individuals could be redirected to this program as well as monies (over the course of time) saved from Public Assistance / Food Stamp type of programs.
Are you in?
Great!
Why is this important?
Currently the situation in regard to delinquent child support is lose (child / children: food, basic needs) - lose (custodial parent; not able to provide for children without assistance...) - lose (impoverished and/or irresponsible father will certainly be unable to remedy the situation from a jail /prison cell) - lose (when a non-custodial father goes to jail, the taxpayer (you, me, every taxpayer!) is apt to pay (collectively, big money...) for all of the above.
Instead, why not put those delinquent in paying their child support into a structured but respectful work facility where the monies earned go into a pie consisting of self-pay (1 slice; personal needs); child support (2nd slice; taken out and mailed directly to responsible party); and (3rd slice - personal savings; so that upon program completion the individual leaving the work program has a sincere chance at becoming self-supportive and staying up to date on his / her child support).
At a theoretical pay rate (less than it cost to keep a person in jail and/or prison for a year) of $9 an hour, for example: $3 per hour ($120 week) would go for personal expenses; $3 per hour ($120 a week) would go for child support; and $3 an hour ($120 a week) would go towards savings (with the goal of obtaining secure housing upon release and staying up to date on child support payments).
This is not a trick theory. Rather, it is an idea that would take us, at least in this area, from lose-lose-lose-lose to win-win-win-win.
How to finance it? Take the money from the prison system (busting at the seams with non-violent offenders) and redistribute it. Eliminate the Child Support Collection Unit and utilize that money to operate a more dignified program. Give everyone back their dignity.
In fact, if you pay one individual - per county - to oversee such a program, with a couple of part-time or even full-time staffers - you have earned back your investment with the first person (or collectively, people) that you keep out of you keep out of jail/prison for a year.
Imagine (and I can't imagine why not) the multitude of people - children and families that could be well-served in such a manner - and think of the money (taxpayer wise) that would be saved!
Instead, why not put those delinquent in paying their child support into a structured but respectful work facility where the monies earned go into a pie consisting of self-pay (1 slice; personal needs); child support (2nd slice; taken out and mailed directly to responsible party); and (3rd slice - personal savings; so that upon program completion the individual leaving the work program has a sincere chance at becoming self-supportive and staying up to date on his / her child support).
At a theoretical pay rate (less than it cost to keep a person in jail and/or prison for a year) of $9 an hour, for example: $3 per hour ($120 week) would go for personal expenses; $3 per hour ($120 a week) would go for child support; and $3 an hour ($120 a week) would go towards savings (with the goal of obtaining secure housing upon release and staying up to date on child support payments).
This is not a trick theory. Rather, it is an idea that would take us, at least in this area, from lose-lose-lose-lose to win-win-win-win.
How to finance it? Take the money from the prison system (busting at the seams with non-violent offenders) and redistribute it. Eliminate the Child Support Collection Unit and utilize that money to operate a more dignified program. Give everyone back their dignity.
In fact, if you pay one individual - per county - to oversee such a program, with a couple of part-time or even full-time staffers - you have earned back your investment with the first person (or collectively, people) that you keep out of you keep out of jail/prison for a year.
Imagine (and I can't imagine why not) the multitude of people - children and families that could be well-served in such a manner - and think of the money (taxpayer wise) that would be saved!