maybe not world news, but news in my world.
this is the story of cc, my lady darling living in pennsylvania, us of a.
17 years ago, cc had a daughter. the father was a tyrant, abusive, violent, on drink and drugs. cc's parents, after mentally and physically abusing her all her young life, thought her having the kid was the final punishment and shame brought onto the family and denied her any support, moral or financial, until even now. cc left the father of her daughter and won a custody battle incurring great expense. she also had to have a restraining order against him after some time of stalking and threatening actions. the father didn't pay maintenance for some years and finally a court order was issued - this was a federal order, not a state one - for him to pay, including backpay instalments. a 3 week warrant was attached to the court order meaning in effect that if he doesn't pay for 3 consecutive weeks he will be automatically arrested. cc and the kid moved to her parents for economic reasons. this all happened in new jersey ( nj ).
10 years ago cc, her daughter and her parents moved to pennsylvania ( pa ). at some stage the father moved to florida ( fl ). child support payments came through irregular but mostly within the 3 week warrant time. cc found a part time job, moved into her own small appartment with her daughter and did her best to give the kid a better childhood than she herself had - she is now top of her class in highschool, a budding artist and keen to go to college this year. cc is a talented but overworked and frustrated artist with a bfa in art, always scraping along the breadline with her part time job.
a stoty told and heard a million times all over the world - so normal in fact that it's nothing out of the ordinary to most of us.
then 12 weeks ago the child support payments stopped. this had happened before but they always resumed. when they didnt this time cc reported it to the relevant enforcement office. they checked her account, confirmed the situation and said lets wait a little, they may start again. well, they didn't. so just imagine you have your income cut in half, suddenly, not by your own doing. for 12 weeks. that's 3 months. and you're balancing anyway. with no med care because you only work part time. and college fees coming up for your kid.
so pa tells nj. nj request a court hearing!!!!!! i ask what for??? isn't he breaking the law??? it's a federal 3 week warrant. 3 weeks ago nj find out that he moved to fl. they tell pa. pa tells nj to tell fl about the situation. that's where we are now. all THAT took 3 weeks.
for me - and her - that's where the story stops being ordinary.
she was a victim of abuse and violence by that man.
the american justice system acknowledged this through the restraining order.
he was ordered by a court to pay for maintenance - his part of taking responsibility for the kid.
a federal warrant was issued should he default on his responsibility.
he has.
now through that warrant the system has taken on the responsibility of chasing him so as to avert financial hardship from cc and her kid.
THIS should not take 12 weeks - with electronic file transfer and email this can be done in a matter of days.
in the meantime her money and time is running out - you only can do so much juggling on HALF your normal income for 3 month.
now she - and possibly the kid - have become victims of the system that doesn't work.
and does anybody care???
or is even this part so ordinary to most of us that we just shrug our shoulders?
is this the great all american justice the great us of a is marketing as the best thing all over the world telling the rest of humanity that WE got it wrong and THEY got it right?
not from where i'm looking.
as i said.
maybe not world news, but news in my world.
this is the story of cc, my lady darling living in pennsylvania, us of a.
17 years ago, cc had a daughter. the father was a tyrant, abusive, violent, on drink and drugs. cc's parents, after mentally and physically abusing her all her young life, thought her having the kid was the final punishment and shame brought onto the family and denied her any support, moral or financial, until even now. cc left the father of her daughter and won a custody battle incurring great expense. she also had to have a restraining order against him after some time of stalking and threatening actions. the father didn't pay maintenance for some years and finally a court order was issued - this was a federal order, not a state one - for him to pay, including backpay instalments. a 3 week warrant was attached to the court order meaning in effect that if he doesn't pay for 3 consecutive weeks he will be automatically arrested. cc and the kid moved to her parents for economic reasons. this all happened in new jersey ( nj ).
10 years ago cc, her daughter and her parents moved to pennsylvania ( pa ). at some stage the father moved to florida ( fl ). child support payments came through irregular but mostly within the 3 week warrant time. cc found a part time job, moved into her own small appartment with her daughter and did her best to give the kid a better childhood than she herself had - she is now top of her class in highschool, a budding artist and keen to go to college this year. cc is a talented but overworked and frustrated artist with a bfa in art, always scraping along the breadline with her part time job.
a stoty told and heard a million times all over the world - so normal in fact that it's nothing out of the ordinary to most of us.
then 12 weeks ago the child support payments stopped. this had happened before but they always resumed. when they didnt this time cc reported it to the relevant enforcement office. they checked her account, confirmed the situation and said lets wait a little, they may start again. well, they didn't. so just imagine you have your income cut in half, suddenly, not by your own doing. for 12 weeks. that's 3 months. and you're balancing anyway. with no med care because you only work part time. and college fees coming up for your kid.
so pa tells nj. nj request a court hearing!!!!!! i ask what for??? isn't he breaking the law??? it's a federal 3 week warrant. 3 weeks ago nj find out that he moved to fl. they tell pa. pa tells nj to tell fl about the situation. that's where we are now. all THAT took 3 weeks.
for me - and her - that's where the story stops being ordinary.
she was a victim of abuse and violence by that man.
the american justice system acknowledged this through the restraining order.
he was ordered by a court to pay for maintenance - his part of taking responsibility for the kid.
a federal warrant was issued should he default on his responsibility.
he has.
now through that warrant the system has taken on the responsibility of chasing him so as to avert financial hardship from cc and her kid.
THIS should not take 12 weeks - with electronic file transfer and email this can be done in a matter of days.
in the meantime her money and time is running out - you only can do so much juggling on HALF your normal income for 3 month.
now she - and possibly the kid - have become victims of the system that doesn't work.
and does anybody care???
or is even this part so ordinary to most of us that we just shrug our shoulders?
is this the great all american justice the great us of a is marketing as the best thing all over the world telling the rest of humanity that WE got it wrong and THEY got it right?
not from where i'm looking.
as i said.
maybe not world news, but news in my world.
