Abolsute Lunacy.... The FRO's attempt at murder.

I think you can call it murder when you drive someone to the brink of suicide, the man who received this note isn't suicidal, but I can envision many payers of Child Support, those that have been justifiably unemployed for months because of this horrible economy, could consider this the breaking point.

A man with two children by the same mother, who earned ~$70K per annum, will have a support responsibility of, approximately, $1000. This same man will have an Employment Insurance coverage of about $1600 per month (maximum, $786 - bi-weekly). If he's renting and has his kids on a reasonable arrangement he'll pay about $1200 rent each month for a 2 bedroom apartment. He will also have a frugal $200 per month for basic foods (a little better than KD, every day, period). We'll let that sink in and suggest that he doesn't have a car, or at least car payments because this is painful enough.

So, on $1600/month income you have expenditures of approximately $2400, leaving you overdrawn (monthly) by $800. Simple math. Now, seven months in, you're out of savings, you're getting kinda edgy, desperate, and you've had help from a few friends and family members. Then you get this note from the Department of Justice explaining that whil you have maintained support and have been forthright about earnings and payments being a challenge, the Family Responsibility Office has now garnisheed your income, the $1600, reducing it to $600 per month.

The end of a rope is a dangerous place to be.

This note is real, delivered to someone who had been unemployed for 7 months and owe's nothing, presently, to his children or ex-wife, but the FRO seems to think this is the right course of action. I've got a name for the FRO, Bullies! And we have all seen the ads that tell us Bullying is wrong.

I could rant about the government employees and lawyers that are all to happy to make this happen, but what's worse is that the law makers are in this with them. The insult to this injury is that even if this man got a job tomorrow and could pay his $1000 per month, he's also been insulted with a $190 "fee" for the trouble.

It's time to re-think things. It's time the government discard the FRO, with all of the other broken things they've created, and get smart about support. This is a clear example of how Child Support laws and the systems and agencies that support them are anything but fair.

SPEAK UP! Call, fax, or write or your M.P.P. today.