Attached is a copy of a letter sent to the Governor Of Florida. The Social Security Laws of the U.S. Code allocate monies to each state, to opperate collections on all Deadbeats. The basic synopsis is, If you are a non-costodial parent and you fall short in your obligation in any way YOU ARE A DEADBEAT. There is no help for those who are ordered to pay! If you loss your job and you do not have the savings to keep up your child support you are in serious trouble! You can be thrown in jail, have your driving as well as professional licenses taken away. I have tried to get my child support reduced, so I can live. I have been ripped off by lawyers and I am getting the run around from the Florida Department of Revenue (the people in charge of the mess I am in). I need assistance now not a year from now. I would like to hear from anyone who has any input.
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March 10, 1999
The Honorable Jeb Bush
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
RE: Child Support in Florida.
Dear Governor Bush:
I would first like to congratulate you on your successful election and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this letter.
As a life long Floridian, I am committed to the belief that all person's rights under our constitution should not be violated. I am personally opposed to the current Florida laws, which are in place concerning child support issues. Although I personally oppose many of the statues and their design, I, like many Floridian's, have been forced into dealing with a system that is very unfair, as well as unjust because of these laws! An independent council would be needed to work diligently on the issues, to make all of them known and I would like to offer myself to you as part of this council if you were to be so inclined as to create one!
The Florida Department of Revenue, which handles child support enforcement, is designed to wreak uncontrollable and ungoverned havoc on the non-custodial parents in which it governs. This backward form of government needs a serious overhaul! Laws are in place that gives substantial power to the office of child support enforcement. The absolute power and right, to change their rules of operation in any way necessary to obtain child support from a non-custodial parent. A parent who has been ordered by a court of law, to pay such child support. This office of the Department of Revenue is very one sided in it's efforts to obtain support, taking no consideration, the actual ability of the person ordered to pay the support. It is most obvious to me, our elected officials do not, have not and will not, take into consideration, actual case studies before making decisions on the structuring of laws that will and do effect a lot of peoples lives.
I truly understand, as well as agree with President Clinton, the welfare system needed to be overhauled. I also realize there where a lot of mothers and I'm sure some fathers on welfare because the children where not getting any support. I also know there are a lot of deadbeats out there that refuse to pay child support and will find any way possible to side step paying support. I also realize something needed to be done to insure the support of the children.
But, what started out being a noble cause, has turned into a nightmare for a lot of people living Florida as well as other states.
I am a non-custodial parent. I make $8.00 an hour and pay $470.00 child support, per month, for one child. My rent is $575.00 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. Anyone even slightly good at math can figure out what condition my condition is in. I am on a path to join others who are homeless. I have the full weight of the system on my shoulders and I need someone to help lift it off.
I have been falsely arrested at the hands of the St. Lucie County government, which has made it hard for me to obtain a job and the reason for which I lost one. The question on most all employment applications is; "Have you ever been arrested?" Although an employer has many reasons they can use to explain why they did not hire you, I have the feeling I know why. I have never had a hard time acquiring work before and have never been in trouble. I have received commendations from the Sheriff of the same Department that incarcerated me. My past employer even told me, he was able to find out that I had been arrested and decided to hire me because it was not for theft.
I also feel, the State of Florida has violated my first amendment rights in their handling of my child support issues. I need my child support reduced. The Department of Revenue gives me the runaround and stalls at every convenience. Shuffled from one case worker to another time after time, only to have the new case worker say they are now on the case and must start the paper work all over again. This process takes months of phone calls, pleading for action. The Department of Revenue is plagued with incompetence and deceit. Florida law says no more than 25% of ones income can be taken from their pay. Why is it so hard to have anything done about it?
The only true way to help children of divorced parents is not to doom those who are truly trying to support them. The child support guidelines seem to have been created by someone who is wealthy. For someone who makes $10,000.00 a month the amount that must be paid is not too much different from one who makes $2000.00 a month. There are many issues that need some serious consideration and rethought.
I want to make one thing very clear. I love my Daughter! I will go to the ends of the earth to make her happy and to ensure her well being. When the amount of child support I pay was set, I had a good paying job. I was in the right place at the right time when I got that job! $26000.00 per year. I did not make that kind money before I got that job and I haven't been able to find a job making that kind of money sense. I was happy that I could afford the amount of child support I was ordered to pay. Happy that I was able to make sure my daughter had what ever she needed or wanted. I have tried to keep up with paying the same amount even though I am not making anywhere near that kind of money now. I would love to be making that much money again and hope, some day I will. I want my daughter to be able to go to collage. A place I have never been. To have the start in life that would be better than what I had. I do not see it happening. The challenge of raising children should not be hindered by the government we all must live under.
Therefore, I am sending you this letter, requesting your assistance. I need help! If you can advise me on a path to take I would greatly appreciate it and if I may be of some assistance to you, please do not hesitate to inquire.
