Is This Man REALLY the ?Second Worst Dad in Illinois??

2007-04-17
By

Background: My new co-authored column, Child Support System Ignores Dads’ Economic Reality (Chicago Sun-Times, 4/14/07), responds to the Sun-Times’ father-bashing news story State’s deadbeat dads owe $3 billion–Deadbeat parents owe $3 billion in Illinois alone, $100 billion nationwide. When parents refuse to honor child support, their kids pay. And so do you (4/8/07).

The story was on the front page of the Sun-Times with the huge headline “The 12 Worst Dads in Illinois.” I do commend the Sun-Times for its willingness to publish such criticism; however, I question some of their priorities.

Mark Saban (pictured, with his daughters) was singled out by the Sun-Times for criticism. Yet the article also backhandedly informs us that Saban:

1) Visits his kids regularly

2) Has paid some child support

3) Puts forth a plausible case that after his business failed he lost the ability to pay the support that was demanded of him, thus becoming a “deadbeat dad.” (I don’t know if Saban is being completely truthful about his economic situation, but from the article it certainly is at least debatable.)

Despite this, the Sun-Times lists him on its front page (with a picture) as the “Second Worst Dad in Illinois.” Only one who views a father as an ATM machine and nothing more could agree with this characterization.

Read our full column here.

Help for Los Angeles/Ventura County Dads
Peter M. Walzer, Certified Family Law Specialist
www.California-Divorce.com
117 views

  • mruffolo

    Notes from my journal dated June 6, 2006. (While I did get my 21,000 credits, it did take about a half a dozen court visits and three visits to Child Support Department).

    My Support Report issued by Kane County Illinois’ Circuit Clerk for Family Court has not been accurate for last three years.

    This is due to:
    1) Clerks do not having experience or education on basic accounting principles
    2) Report missed payments
    3) Clerk refused to post credits from cancelled checks and or pay stubs
    4) County’s computer inability to prorate
    5) Financial incentive – Social Security gives them up to $4.1 billion dollars to create debit among other things
    http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title04/0458.htm
    6) 2-4 week delay in payment posting because county clerks manually keypunch payments for the whole county from a report issued by the state. (Dads are ordered to pay state not county)

    In addition, it is impossible to reconcile the Support Report because their Support Report does not list document numbers of payments, for example, check number or pay stub number.

    I reported this to my congressmen. They said that it was a local matter.

    http://www.cic.co.kane.il.us

  • jackal1994

    What’s funny is that I’ve talked with my fellow malcontents before about what happens when people commit crimes.

    A new serial killer stalking prostitutes in New York city? “Ahhh, we’ll get on it as soon as we can. Y’know we’re busy down here”

    Bank robber makes off with $2 million dollars? “HUAH! TO ARMS! TO ARMS! 4 ALARM BELL! BRINNNNNNG BRINNNNNG!”

    In fact there have been a number of manhunts for bank robbers where 3 or 4 agencies were involved in HUGE manhunts where the govmt spent MORE money than the robber stole!

    Isn’t it funny that when people kill the vulnerable & helpless they get no press, but hey you steal some money damn–you’re the new hitler.

    You can easily apply the reasoning to this topic. Wouldn’t women be better served to have warning posters showing convicted batterers (I mean guys caught redhanded killing their wives or thrashing them within inches of their lives multiple times) so they know not to date them?
    Why should these guys wind up on posters because they are in an economic rut?

  • Flameoffire

    The Question? Is this man really the second worst Dad in illinois? The answer,– no! The state of illinois is going broke so the liberals blame anyone and everyone they can!

    The truth is the state of illinois is nothing but corrupt! There are lots of men that have lost their jobs due to the economic condition in America! Gasoline prices are going up. The cost of living is going up but not the wages are not going up.

    The state of illinois charges some men more in child support than they make. A lot of men can’t even support themselves! And on top of all this the state of illinois then charges interest whatever they want! Noway can the most of these poor sick, unemployed and some disabled men pay more than they have coming in!

    This isn’t child support it’s called slavery! In the state of illinois there is no justice or fairness it’s all about money!

    It’s all really very simple a lot of men can’t even support themselves and they can’t pay what they don’t have! This is a Marxist, Socialist county not America anymore! There is no justice here in the U.S..

  • Flameoffire

    The Question? Is this man really the second worst Dad in illinois? The answer,– no! The state of illinois is going broke so the liberals blame anyone and everyone they can!

    The truth is the state of illinois is nothing but corrupt! There are lots of men that have lost their jobs due to the economic condition in America! Gasoline prices are going up. The cost of living is going up but not the wages are not going up.

    The state of illinois charges some men more in child support than they make. A lot of men can’t even support themselves! And on top of all this the state of illinois then charges interest whatever they want! Noway can the most of these poor sick, unemployed and some disabled men pay more than they have coming in!

    This isn’t child support it’s called slavery! In the state of illinois there is no justice or fairness it’s all about money!

    It’s all really very simple a lot of men can’t even support themselves and they can’t pay what they don’t have! This is a Marxist, Socialist county not America anymore! There is no justice here in the U.S..






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