A bill introduced last week by Assemblyman Tom Lackey would call for the State of California to create a website which would list parents who owe more than $5,000 in child support.
According to Assembly Bill 1498, it would showcase delinquent parents who have not been making court-ordered child support payments. The website would publicly display:
Obligor’s name
photograph
amount of child support owed.
Read more about this proposed registry
Sounds like shaming to me….. Apparently that is exactly the purpose of the website.
Yes that will work. Shame them into payments for money they probably don’t have and then be blackballed for jobs so they can’t earn the money to make their payments. Do you think we’ll hear any opposition legislators say registries don’t work?
Same as suspending your drivers license. Although I have to admit, that did force me to address and pay mine. I racked up 16,000 from right after I got arrested until the time I finally got another job after prison. That was like a 7 year span and that was for only one child. Paid that shit off with a quickness really. I would have paid anyways, but the suspension made me have to do it immediately out of my meager pay checks at the time. Almost killed me and my job when they suspended my license and attached my… Read more »
“…with a quickness .” Now there’s a phrase That haven’t heard since, well, my time in the joint. Ah, good times…
This is hardly a “registry”. All persons affected are in active violation of their court ordered payments. As far as I am concerned, failure to pay child support is theft. Theft against the child, its family, the tax payer in general. All these people have to do is come current / comply with their court order (again – court order), and off the list they go. Whether or not this approach is effective in the end, or whether it is becoming of a “civilized” society is neither here nor there. But it is not a registry in the sense of… Read more »
Heck, even this beauty here is not a “registry” https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/every-hoosier-convicted-of-a-felony-could-find-themselves-listed/article_a9ee6953-3cd8-576f-ae95-7c7b00819ea8.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share It is an accurate snapshot in time. It is the same public record that can be accessed right now and forever in the past. In the courthouse of conviction, but public record regardless. The web site just takes it the next step in terms of publishing. It is very different from displaying CURRENT address, photo, weight, markings, scars, vehicles, etc. It is very different from being required to report once a (quarter/half) year, or for any number of future changes – all under the threat of prosecution. It is very… Read more »
All correct.
Registry Nazis love to say that they have a right to know. But obviously they don’t. They don’t have a legitimate argument for that in any way. They should be told that every single day by hundreds of thousands of people.
F these people that support Registries. Do not let them live in peace.
Funny how even those that claim to have the “right to know” don’t seem very inclined to go to the courthouses to look for it themselves. They apparently believe it should be supplied to them.
Yet, even when it was, they weren’t paying much attention. Pretty sure that’s what led to sheriffs and others publishing registry info in newspapers and mailers and so on. Even though their registries are publicly available on line, no one was looking at it.
Theft?!? I pay 3600.00 a month in child support. If I lose income for not even a month and a half, Ill be on this list. What about those who pay more than 5,000? State laws say, 55% of income. What happens if you dont make enough to cover a higher amount 2months? On the list? Theres a huge difference in circumstances from person to person. It takes some a whole lot longer to get to 5k than others , who may be a day, week, month past due. If you file for change in circumstances and it takes 5-7… Read more »
@ Buster S: Why is there a presumption that those behind on child support are living large and partying and have barrels of money to burn and are such scum they simply refuse to support their own kids? There are a handful of those, to be sure. But the overwhelming majority of fathers (and make no mistake, this bill is directed at fathers, not non-custodial mothers) are behind due to individual circumstances, not indifference. If the intended purpose of this bill is to get people behind on child support to catch up (and I for one don’t believe it is),… Read more »
Exactly! How can we fight against the punishment the SOR brings, but be in support for another such registry. This has no benefit to society, and certainly doesn’t help encourage people to pay up (who are dead beats).
This is nothing more than a shaming (punishment) scheme, and is a violation of a person’s civil liberties.
If you let a gold digger trick you into having a baby just for child support shame on you.
I remember being incarcerated and seeing guys spend 100s in jail on drugs but couldn’t provide their spouse 50 bucks
Why do politicians constantly do crap like this “for the children” when in reality it actually harms children more than helps them? Just like with the SOR, this information will be used against the very children its trying to help. Bullies constantly use crap like this to victimize people.
Yep another loser politician spending tax dollars on waste !
I’m just waiting for there to be a registry for not paying restitution to the court ! Ill be on the TOP of the list (maybe) ahah at 12k !
In which the state will never get a red cent !!
How about we just have a directory of EVERY person in the world, their pic, their EVERY offense going back to kindergarten, and let others just search and shame the offense of their choice.
We could search by name , or offense, or country. Wouldn’t that solve everything?
What an asshole this guy is!
You will understand if I withhold judgement on the idea of weakening all registries.
Warped political minds have found ways to maintain a throttle hold on us. I can’t see this bill making a difference in our lives by its implementation.
Beat or kill a child? Do your time and rejoin society to start life anew.
Late making those child support payments? Publicly shamed for life, plus collateral damage to your children.
Seems fair to me.
They best be careful with this one….there may be plenty of “bycatch” of friends, relatives, and coworkers.
(I recently heard an ad for California almonds. In it, they referred to shells and husks as “co-products”. So perhaps those family members, friends, and co-workers should be referred to as “co-catch”.)
Assemblyman Tom Lackey is not a friend to registrants or their loved ones. His introduction of this bill could have an unintended consequence, however, that helps both registrants and their loved ones. How? The creation of a new registry for those who have failed to pay child support could deflect interest from those on the sex offender registry and could also weaken the impact of being on any registry. Never thought I would say thank you to Mr. Lackey, but here goes. Thank you, Mr. Lackey for introducing AB 1498.
While I agree with you, it’s incredibly unfortunate we need to “celebrate” even more people being put in harms way (including children via collateral damage) in order to make things right down the road. Our system seems incredibly broken. My hope is that we’ll someday implement a system where something like these registries would first require extensive studies to validate their need and effectiveness.
Ordinarily, there are studies and research going into law, in practice if not statute (such as financial and environmental impact). But those procedures are always disregarded in registry and sex crime legislation, simply for political expedience. Few, if any, legislators will say, “Yeah, I want to screw SOs as much as anyone, but this proposal is a waste of time, money, and effort and will make no difference all around.”
@AO:
While I would wish a registry on nobody, if the path to their destruction is through their further creation, I’m for it. I believe that’s the gist of Janice’s message, too.
Sometimes you have to go backwards to make progress.
Unless a child support registry punishes those for life and disregards the constitution, about the only thing it will do is shame….. and for what? Why? Deflect interest?… nope. Sex crimes vs not paying child support… I highly doubt it.
This registry provide for number loop holes that is not afforded to SOR. It do not say they have go the PD within 5 business days of birthday, every year, otherwise off to the state prison you go.
SOSEN has a similar thought just today!
http://sosen.org/blog/2019/03/01/child-protection-and-community-notification-act.html
If we get to put out a registry for all FELONY crimes listing the names and addresses of each convicted felon. Each DUI, murderer, assault, robbery, burglary, so that they public can be aware of someone nearby who might commit the crimes again. Then it would be fair to us on Megan’s. Also it would show how crazy it is to list us. We do not repeat with any rate even close to these felonies.