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Feature Article

Demand Your Bailout!

Government Aid for Billionaires,
No Mercy For Non-Custodial Parents

> > Public bailout funds paid to give corporate executives a vacation at this posh resort; meanwhile, the federal government abuses the rights of divorced dads and non-custodial parents to supposedly eliminate "unfair burdens" on taxpayers.

On June 14, 2009, Vice-President Biden appeared on NBC's "Meet The Press" to say that the economic stimulus plan is a failure. Nevertheless, billions continue to roll out of Washington to enrich wealthy bankers and and corporations while millions of average Americans are losing their jobs, their homes, and their savings. But no one is facing tougher times than divorced dads and non-custodial parents who face jail time when they're unable to pay their bills.

While the press and the media have focused almost exclusively on homeowner's facing foreclosure as a result of the financial crisis, they have all overlooked the plight of divorced dads and non-custodial parents. This is not surprising since America's news makers have always preferred to peddle the myth of the evil "deadbeat" dad. But compared to those who have been receiving favorable coverage -- homeowners who used unwise loans to build too big and too extravagantly -- divorced dads and NCPs are certainly more deserving of sympathy.

We at NCPForce! have been inundated with desperate e-mails from divorced dads and NCPs who have been laid off or are unable to find work, and are panicked about going to jail because they simply cannot keep up with the bills. Many are told by so-called civil rights groups to "get a good attorney" when they cannot even afford the rent, let alone an attorney's fees. Others have reported to us that judges have told them to "go live in a homeless shelter" or to "eat less". Many also report that they are routinely turned down by social services and are harassed when social workers learn that they owe child support.

We also hear from dads who are losing jobs when their employers learn about child support arrearages. And we also hear from others who can't get any work at all because credit reports show arrearages. These individuals now find themselves completely shut out of an already difficult job market. Many have nowhere else to turn to for help, and often speak about plans to "go underground".

For any true American who knows why our nation was founded, and upon what principles, it is mind boggling to think that today in 2009, Americans are being forced "underground" by the economic terrorism of their government.

Yes, economic terrorism. Because like physical terrorism, the laws of this country as they apply to divorced dads and NCP's dish out harm indiscriminately; because they are designed to dominate the will of another human being through threats, fear, and thuggery; because they are the product of a blind ideology.

But let us step back for moment to examine how we got to this sorry state as a nation, and why its causes are relevant to our government's failed economic bailout.

For decades, divorced dads and NCP's have been blamed for all that is wrong with America. They say that because of absent parents, children do poorly in school and become criminals. They also say that in the absence of tough child support laws, welfare rolls will skyrocket and an unfair burden will be placed on the taxpayer (as if divorced dads and non-custodial parents are not taxpayers too!).

Flash forward to our current time. Despite the tough laws enacted against divorced dads and NCPs, American school children still lag behind their counterparts in other Western nations. Criminality continues. If anything, our country has grown more violent thanks to eroding civic values an popular entertainment. As a nation we still dole out welfare -- happily, in the case of non-citizen illegal aliens. Other impoverished Americans have been forced off welfare rolls and into "workfare" programs which uses them as slaves. And divorced dads and NCPs are rounded up in the dead of night and shipped off to debtors prisons, and sometimes killed.

All things considered, we should be a prosperous nation. And a healthy nation in terms of our culture -- shouldn't we?

Why then are we still facing another Great Depression, with more years of hardship down the road according to many economic experts?

The answer is that while divorced dads and NCPs have had their civil rights trampled into the ground in the name of society building, wealthy bankers and corporations have been running amok with a wink and a nudge from our lawmakers.

Thanks to massive bank deregulation during the Clinton years, which continued throughout the Bush years, bankers were able to market dangerous financial instruments around the world, among them the balloon mortgages which resulted in many of the foreclosures and bank failures we've witnessed.

Now, after causing a domino effect which has destroyed millions of jobs in all other industries, these very same bankers are on the receiving end of a nearly $1 Trillion bailout. And many other wealthy corporations are also hopping on board, claiming that they too need a helping hand.

For those who haven't been paying close attention, here are a few examples of where your federal bailout dollars are going:

$165 Million in Bonuses for AIG Executives - the insurance giant took this money to reward the very same executives who brought down the giant insurance company through risky credit default swaps.

In fact, six days after our government gave this company its first handout of $85 billion, AIG's executives took a lavish vacation at a resort in Monarch Beach in California, spending $500,000 in taxpayer money on alcohol and massages.
$5.2 Billion for PNC Financial Services - the bank used federal bailout money to acquire National City Bank, then laid off 5,800 workers while improving their bottom line.
$1.6 Billion for Northern Trust Corp. - the bank accepted taxpayer aid, then went on to host a golf tournament near Los Angeles, during which time the bank also splurged on parties and concerts, as well as a private performance from Sheryl Crow.
$70 Billion for General Motors - to keep the company afloat and supposedly save job, the federal government funded this massive bailout. But now GM is laying off its workers anyway and shipping production overseas.

These few examples are only the tip of the iceberg, and represent the bailout on the federal level alone. On the state and local level, wealthy business interests are also receiving lucrative handouts for so-called "stimulus:

For example:

$76.3 million tax break for a developer to build two Disney-operated luxury hotels - this handout was passed by the city council of Anaheim, California despite strong opposition. The company also owns other hotels and resorts in prime locations such as Lake Tahoe, Stowe Mountain in Vermont, Hollywood and Indian Wells.
$2 billion for Yankees baseball - New York taxpayers are now covering the cost of a new audio/visual system, concessions stands, and stadium additions at the privately-owned Yankee Stadium.
$8 million tax break for luxury seaside resort - this 102-acre resort in California run by Lowe Enterprises won't pay hotel taxes for several years despite criticism from city staff members who didn't think such a "loan" should be given in the current financial situation.

Once again, these examples represent only a small part of a major problem (for more information on how taxpayer dollars have been spent around the nation for "economic stimulus", visit the web page of the Public Interest Research Group). But the facts are clear: our government on the federal, state, and local levels have opened their treasuries to the wealthy and powerful.

Which brings us back to our divorced dads and NCPs.

After being called "irresponsible" and "drains on the economy", we now know who the real parasites are. With this in mind, divorced dads and NCPs should now stand up and start demanding the same government generosity offered to billionaires and millionaires.

In the same way our government shields mega-corporations like General Motors from repaying debts under bankruptcy laws, divorced dads and NCPs should also be protected when they lose their jobs or are otherwise unable to pay artificial support orders.

It is also time for our government to repeal discriminatory hate laws like the Bradley Amendment which makes it impossible for divorced dads and NCP's with child support arrears to ever climb out of debt, no matter how hard they may try.

It is also time for states to repeal laws which strip divorced dads and NCPs of driver's licenses and other trade licenses if they fall behind on child support payments, because these practices ensure future arrearages and serve to entrap divorced dads and NCPs.

And it is also time to end arrests for arrearages of as little as $50. If our billionaires cannot get by without government help, then our government should be more understanding when an unemployed dad cannot make ends meet; in these times, any unforeseen expenditure -- a car break down, home repairs, sickness -- can push a working person over the edge of being able to support themselves.

Divorced dads and NCPs deserve this relief. But no relief will happen if divorced dads and NCP's continue to remain silent and fail to agitate for reform. Divorced dads and NCP's must organize to demand that their plight is heard, at this time especially, and boldly call attention to the issues outlined here.

We must expose the welfare system that our government has created for the wealthy, and we must educate the general public about discrimination and hate against divorced dads and NCPs so that relief can happen.

Here are a few ways you can take action:

Write to your congressional representatives and your senators using this article for talking points. Tell them to act now for family law reform so that divorced dads and NCPs can get a helping hand in these difficult financial times.
Write to local newspapers to educate the public about government bailouts vs. fair treatment for divorced dads and NCPs.
Organize protest groups in your area.
Send a link to this page to other divorced dads and NCPs, and get people talking about the issue of economic justice.

Additional Links:

Progressive Review's Undernews - see how our government's bailout plan resembles Mussolini-style Fascism.

Alternate Bailout Plan on Mint.com - an excellent visual guide to the bailout and an alternate plan which could have saved taxpayers billions.

Infowars - homepage of Austin, TX radio show host Alex Jones; Jones challenges "official" news coverage of the government bailout.

ABOUT NCP FORCE! (Non-Custodial Parents Force)

Our organization is a non-profit, grassroots action organization dedicated to reforming America's family law system.

While we frequently refer to divorced fathers, who overwhelmingly bear the brunt of abuses in the family law system, we champion the cause of all non-custodial parents, be they unwed fathers, non-custodial mothers, grandparents, or assigned parentage fathers (men who are held responsible for parentage despite the fact that they are not biological fathers).

Unlike many other family law websites which claim to help divorced dads and NCP's, we will never ask our visitors for money or donations. We also do not charge for, or offer legal services. Instead we provide a virtual base of operations, forum, and information clearing house for visitors to help themselves free of charge.

Learn more about joining the NCP Force! It's free and no personal questions will be asked unless you wish to share your family law experiences with us.