State Journal-Register: Governor to target child-support rule

http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/46568.asp

"Gov. Rod Blagojevich will use part of his third State of the State speech to go after employers who skirt the child-support enforcement system by not immediately reporting new employees to the state, as required by law.

A national advocate for child-support enforcement applauded the move, but wondered why Illinois took so long to enforce one of the provisions of the 1996 federal welfare reform law, which requires employers to report new hires to bolster child-support payments.

“I think it’s a good thing, but what took you so long?” said Debbie Kline, executive director of the Fredericksburg, Va.-based Association for Children for Enforcement of Support. “Illinois is proving that they’re behind the other states.”

Gerardo Cardenas, spokesman for the governor, said Friday that nearly one-third of all Illinois employers fail to immediately report newly hired employees to the Illinois Department of Employment Security."

Can anyone argue this is a bad thing?

As well as Clinton and many other Democrats for several years. Another poll-tested feel good issue to get headlines from Rod. Maybe he'll go back to prescription drugs for seniors. I've never heard a Democrat talk about that before!

I'm a non-custodial father who pays child support. As things are now, whenever I get a raise I have to spend the time petitioning to have another child support hearing, take a day off work and go to court to have my child support increased to match my higher salary. They're supposed to review it every three years automatically, but never have. If I wanted to be a scumbag, I could still be sending the amount I had coming out of my check when I first started this job, instead of keeping up with it myself.

I think something should be set up to automatically increase the amount of support being withheld when a parent gets a raise.

I'd also like to see much harsher penalties for deadbeat PARENTS. I know the gold standard is deadbeat Dad's, but there are plenty of women out there skipping out on their obligation too.