WEBVTT - Child Support Reform feat. Cassandra Daniels 0:00:01.320 --> 0:00:05.040 Get up, gett boys. It's back and reoaded. All in 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:08.360 your mind. Yeah, not deep throating. This is for the streets, 0:00:08.440 --> 0:00:12.640 the reel, the railroaded, the distant franchise, the truth, the scapegoating, 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.040 and they ain't knowing we speak the truth, so they 0:00:15.240 --> 0:00:18.520 quoted because we wrote it. The North South East coat 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:21.520 is the gv my for keeping your head bobbing. It 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:24.680 ain't no stopping and wants to be try to head 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:27.280 by then the system is so corrupt they throw the 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.560 rock out their heads and then blame it on us. 0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:33.800 Don't get it twisted on code and me and dancing 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:45.839 for no Buttoment biscuits. It's Willie d y'all scar faces 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:49.360 in the building. Collectively we are the ghetto boys, reloaded 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:52.920 with another episode of information and instructions to help you 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:56.800 navigate through this wild, crazy, beautiful world. In the studio, 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:06.160 Family attorney, child support activists Cassandra Daniels, Hey, y'all, hey, 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:08.720 thanks for having me if I feel so honored to 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.679 be here. You don't look like an attorney, like a 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:15.240 regular right, what I'm looking like look like everybody's gonna 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.479 be hiring you already. H that's what they need. That's 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:26.679 what they need to do, whatever that look is. You know, 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:30.760 I always thought it was interesting, like you know what 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:34.040 you do? Uh. I know that you're a family attorney, 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:39.759 but like, like, explain this dichotomy of being a family 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:48.120 lawyer and a child support advocate, whereas you know, your 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:51.720 primary focus is the cohesiveness of the family, correct me 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:56.640 from wrong cohesiveness of the family, while at the same 0:01:56.640 --> 0:02:02.600 time advocating for the parent who has to pay child support. 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:08.079 You know, does that ever become problematic? Well, it's not 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:13.800 a dichotomy for me, um, my approach to there. You know, 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.639 your approach to your profession is unique to you, right, 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:18.400 So you I can be in it for the money, 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:20.920 I can be in it for trying to you know, 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.720 separate families. I could be in it for a saving family. 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.800 So it's it's what it's an individual approach. My approach 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:29.480 to what I do as a family lawyer is just 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.079 about advocating for what's right. Right, So in the divorce 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:37.920 case that maybe representing the wife, representing the husband. It 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:41.119 just depends on the facts. Um. The reason why as 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:44.200 a family lawyer and just as a human being, I 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.840 ride for and I advocate for child support reform is 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:51.119 because of the injustices that I see as an as 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:53.560 the law is applied in real life. What are some 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:56.720 of the injustices you see? So, like, I have a 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.200 client that that's the one that I've been really talking 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:01.400 about a lot, Like Lee. So I have a client 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:06.000 his one of my clients cases. Um, he is currently 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:08.720 still paying child support or has an obligation to pay 0:03:08.800 --> 0:03:11.799 back child support for a child that has been determined 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:15.640 that it is not his by DNA evidence. And we 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:19.160 had our day in court. We lost because we did 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:21.799 not file our suit. Timly, that's the only reason why 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:24.320 I was thrown out because it we did not file 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:27.640 our our suit before the expiration of the statue of limitation. 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:32.200 So for here, for, here, for and forevermore he will 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.520 be on the hook for paying over forty dollars in. 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.800 That's Christopher Crin, Christopher Kron. So yeah, this is a 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:45.720 wild case to me because this guy, they proved that 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:50.080 he was not the father and then the DNA test 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:56.080 results got lost. Family, listen to what I'm saying. The 0:03:56.120 --> 0:04:02.120 state claims that they lost the DNA results, They lost 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:07.600 the results where they determined paternity, and then they said 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.760 that he waited too long to prove that he wasn't 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:15.320 the father. Yeah, there's a four year statual limitation. Yeah, 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.719 that he had. There's absolutely nothing that can be done. 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:22.480 That's bullshit. Yeah, there's absolutely nothing that Now. The only 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:25.120 thing according to the state law right now, that that 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:27.599 that's a remedy left for him. He can follow a 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:31.720 petition to have his parents child relationship terminated. And what 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.280 that would do for him is because when you have 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:38.000 when you owe back child support, there's arrears, there's I'm sorry, 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:41.040 there's interest at a cruise six at this point. And 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:44.560 so if we follow the petition determine the parent child relationship, 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.120 then it will stop the arrears from a crewing on 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:49.640 the forty thousand and he has, but it won't wipe 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:53.920 away what he has what he owes currently. And I said, 0:04:53.960 --> 0:05:00.000 I'm sorry, does who gets I don't know. I'm assumed 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:02.920 to go back to the state. I'm assuming it goes 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.600 back to the state because they don't go to mom 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:09.360 and Christopher's case. They said that, okay, we won't charge 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:13.680 you for what your old mom, but we need our 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:18.160 peace right. So what does federal law say? So, so 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:21.640 all of this comes down from what they call Title 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.800 four D, right, and that that comes from the federal government. 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.200 And that's that's a title. That's not that's not a law. 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.440 That's just well, it's it's it's a provision of the 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:34.360 law from the federal government that deals with child support. 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:38.839 What does the Constitution say. The Constitution doesn't speak specifically 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:41.240 about child support. So why is this in the law? Now, 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:44.600 this is crazy. I'm just saying, right, I get it. 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:47.520 So there are, like I said, on the on the 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:50.560 federal level, there are acts and provisions that have been 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:54.560 implemented as it relates to the Social Security Act. Right, 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:57.000 we know the Social Security Act. And under the umbrella 0:05:57.080 --> 0:06:00.760 of the Social Security Act is the welfare well welfare 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:03.560 programs that deals with you know, all the stuff that 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:07.200 we know about Medicaid and and food stamps and and 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:10.000 TANNEF and all of that. And then underneath that umbrella 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:14.359 as well is titled four D, which deals with child support, 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:18.800 establishment of paternity, establishment of child support. And a lot 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:23.520 of this is in connection to the welfare system because 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:27.440 it's an opportunity for the states and the federal government 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:32.080 to reimburse themselves for the cost of these services and 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.200 benefits that they provide to families. Wouldn't that be considered 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:41.160 like that dabtor's jail like debtors. Isn't that like illegal? Right? 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:43.200 So we need to address this ship bro, Like this 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:45.440 is getting out of hand. So a lot of people 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.640 I've heard it. I've heard it, Um, I've heard that 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:53.360 that assimilation being made that to you know, debts, dabtis, prisons, 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:56.120 and and the collection of child support. I don't know 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:59.560 if I can make that connection because I can only 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:02.440 speak to you from what I understand about the law 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:05.680 and Texas law at that. Right, Um, people are not 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:11.520 being thrown in jail specifically because they owe money, right, Um. 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.400 A lot of times people are thrown in jail. They 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:20.280 can be thrown in jail for the non payment of right, 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:22.240 but they have to show. In order for someone to 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.600 be thrown in jail for a non payment of child support, 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.560 after finding enough criminal contempt, it has to be shown 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:30.960 that they had the ability to pay, but they just didn't, 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.640 so their their their violation of the court order by 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:36.040 not paying was willful. That's what has to be shown 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:37.640 for them to go to jail. Yeah, but that's the 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:39.400 easiest part in the world to show. Why do you 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.440 say that, because I mean, I know a ton of 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:43.280 people that did I went to jail for this ship. 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:46.160 But did they show that it was did they show 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:50.920 that I went to I went to jail. Uh and 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:55.520 and with the ku klux klan. Oh yeah, because that 0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:58.520 that lady, that white judge, it was a lady. Um 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.920 what's that ladies name? She didn't want to hear none 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:03.960 of that. I was like, man, I've been, I've been, 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.920 I've been. Uh, I don't know what. I don't know 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:11.160 what had happened. But I had already paid it. I've 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:14.920 already paid it once. Right, it's already been paid once. 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:17.760 You got a lawyer, I did, but I think the 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:22.400 lawyer wanted my money. Yeah, so the lawyer wanted the money. 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:28.560 See when I've already paid child support already, like an 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:32.520 astronomical amount of money. But if you don't pay that 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:37.680 money through the courts, yeah, man, yeah to the person. 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:41.199 Let the court paid the the person. Right, that's a 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:45.520 great point. Then that's a gift. Yeah, that's a great point. 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:47.920 That's a great I got screwed, Yeah, that's a great point. 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:51.559 So what he what he's talking about is um, one, 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:55.640 if the state prefers that all child support payments go 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:58.880 through the state. What does the state have to do 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:05.920 with the relationship between the kids, the mom and the father. 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.199 What does the state have to do with this? That's 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.480 that's that's okay. I I think that's a great question. 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:15.640 I think that's a great question. And I can't speak 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.720 for the state. I can't speak for the federal government. 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:21.240 I can only tell you what they say, right, I 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.760 can speak for the state and the government. It's about money, 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:29.720 like everything else, it's about that money. Mean is it's 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:32.400 about the money. It's about the money with the state 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.040 and the government. But I don't even think it's about 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:38.560 the money. I think it's about tearing the family apart, 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:42.240 especially with black people, and ultimately that boils down the money, 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.480 right because why why else what they want to task apart? 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.840 But but to keep their foot on our neck, right, 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:53.200 that's what to try to make sure that we remain 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:55.319 a permanent under class. And then when you catch a 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.960 professional child supportmociply, who doesn't you don't care about none 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.400 of that? Who don't know what the what's what's going 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.520 on between the government and black men? They down with 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:06.720 the government because they want to turn they I mean, 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:08.760 they government want them to turn their backs on us 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.800 just as they have. You know, before we go, before 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.520 we go any further, let's let's be crystal clear that 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:20.680 we when we talk about child support reform, uh, we're 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:23.960 not riding for dead beats. We're not riding for dudes 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.000 who don't take care of their babies, the dudes that 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:31.240 try to uh circumvent their parental responsibilities. We're not talking 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.320 about those dudes, you know. We're talking about the guys 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:37.839 who the government in the state takes advantage of, who 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:41.240 when they know this guy as a job and he's 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:44.439 just getting by and they come in and take everything 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:47.280 he got, and it's it gets to a point of 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:49.400 where it d be like, man, you know what, I 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:51.760 may as well not work at all. I'd rather not 0:10:51.880 --> 0:10:56.520 even work at all then to go on record and 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.400 just be working basically to get this woman some money. 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:08.120 Let me ask you question. So if the government it's saying, um, well, 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:12.360 I think that the state or not I'm sorry I 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:14.320 was the state says well, I think that the best 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:18.120 um way to fix this is that you pay you know, 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:24.560 a month to the man. Shouldn't a lady be responsible 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:26.760 for the other seven fifty shouldn't be a split since 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:30.079 it's half a kid. I'm just asking you mean in 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:34.400 general child suport in general, the period if if if 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:37.199 I got to pay, if I gotta pay fifteen hundred, 0:11:37.200 --> 0:11:39.120 you gotta pay the half because it's half your kid 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:43.760 and all my faults. And I shouldn't be soldly responsible 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:47.760 for the money part because you got a job too. 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:52.880 So the idea, the idea behind the child support is 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:55.520 there's one parent that's going to be the custodial parent 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:58.240 in Texas, that parents has the child. I think, like 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.280 I think the break up break down on is like 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:06.760 percent the time, it's not the noncustodial parent only has 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:09.800 the child on the first, third, and fifth weekends. But 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:13.280 he's okay, so he's only he's only responsible. He only 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:18.199 has the child what a a time, But he's responsible 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:24.240 for responsible. Then it's not because in theory, when the 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:27.199 with the kid is with mom, she's providing for the 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:30.040 mom financially. That's not true. Why do you say that? 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:33.079 Because the money comes out of the man's pocket. The 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:37.199 man a paying rent, the man a paying ship. A 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:39.480 lot of a lot of that child support payment does 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:43.800 go towards But let me be very clear. Let me 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:47.480 be very clear, Okay, I don't have a problem with 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:52.920 the child support system in in and of itself. I 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:57.280 understand the concept, the concept behind it all is to 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:01.439 make sure that both parents are contru being financially to 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.480 the care for that child. I don't have a problem 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:10.160 with that. That may have been the right so on 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:12.920 the base level, on the base level, right that on 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:16.040 the base level, that is the way that child support 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:17.599 is designed, and I don't have a problem with it. 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:23.640 It's all the other laws and requirements and stuff that 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:27.640 murky up the waters. Not even a law, it's a statue. 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:31.640 It murkey's the murky's the water. So for for instance, 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:33.840 so you're saying that some of the child support does 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:35.640 go to pay the written all that, But the thing 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:38.480 about it is child support, how much you pay as 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:41.280 a as a non constodial parent. It's going to be 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:44.600 based on your income. It's got what they call guidelines 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:47.840 child support, So it's going to be a percentage based 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:51.160 on the number of children of your net monthly income. 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:53.880 So you may not be paying fifteen hundred dollars if 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:56.760 you're not, if you're if it's dollars, is not and 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.760 you've got one kid. If that's not your net monthly income, 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:02.920 you know, are gonna be paying. You're gonna be paying 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.920 based on your income. So some people are receiving two 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:09.840 hundred dollars, some people are receivings. Some people are receiving 0:14:09.880 --> 0:14:14.839 thirty dollars. I get that, but but here's but I 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:19.120 got to pay exactly that. I got that. But for 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:24.840 the for those cases where the system is clearly flawed 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:28.040 and it doesn't it's not working out for the woman, 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:34.920 you know, the custodial parents, they should not overstep their 0:14:35.000 --> 0:14:41.920 boundaries to try to make other others like compensate for 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.600 the money they didn't collect from. These guys that ain't 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:48.520 really making any money, are really making any substantial contributions. 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:52.840 Why do you think that that is happening? Because they 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.120 want the money. It's all about the money. When you 0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.760 how much money does a kid need to get by? 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:02.920 Think about this some some there are some people that 0:15:03.600 --> 0:15:06.520 collect a hundred thousand dollars in child support every money, 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:13.920 you know, fifty thousand in child support every single but that, yeah, 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:16.920 but that that doesn't make sense, man, do that that 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:19.440 doesn't make sense? And that lets you know that lets 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:22.640 you know, look let's go back to Christopher Crump's case. 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:28.840 Christopher Crump, the state said, look, your old party. But okay, okay, 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.560 we believe you you're not the father. Okay, all right, 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.520 so you don't have to give her any of that 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:39.280 back money. Uh, we still want to what if it's 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:42.960 about child, or if it's about the child? What what 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.320 does what does the state need money? They don't care. 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:47.880 That's not about the child. Will they don't give about 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:51.320 the child. That's my point. They shouldn't be called child support. 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.600 They're not here to They're not here in interests of 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:58.800 the father, the mother, or the childer in there for 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.640 the interests of the state. It should got nothing to 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:05.400 do with the kids. It should be called attorney general 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:08.840 support or state of state support. Government support. I mean, 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:11.800 if you follow it, if you follow the if you 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:15.520 follow the laws, even from the federal federal level on down, 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.760 it appears as though it is a money thing because 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:21.640 they forced you to pay, Like you were just saying, 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:25.320 if you don't pay through the state dispersement unit, then 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.280 it can be categorized as a gift. That makes no 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:31.880 sense to me, right, if I am paying money to 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:36.320 this household where my child is financial financial contribution for 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:40.240 the care of my child. It's it's financial contribution. It 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:42.160 doesn't matter if it's going through the state or if 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.040 it's going to through the dispersed dispersement unit or to 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:48.360 her directly. It's still it's still for the care for 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.840 my child. So why then does it have to go 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:54.200 about the term of our definition of a gift because 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:57.200 it wasn't given, it wasn't paid through the dispersingment unit. 0:16:57.440 --> 0:16:59.640 The only justification that I can come up with that 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:02.360 is that they want to force people to pay through 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:06.639 the disbursement unit. Now why do you why why do 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:08.760 you want to force people to pay through the dispersement unit. 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:13.200 Why because from the federal government down they get the 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:18.320 state gets to charge you administration fees for processing those payments. 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:20.360 So there's a there's a certain amount that they withhold 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.520 from everybody's child support. If you are a recipient of TANNIS, 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:27.760 if you are a recipient of Medicaid, you actually assign 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:31.680 over your rights to the your child support. It's no 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.119 longer your you don't even have rights to it. So 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:38.000 when you when you make the statement about um, other 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:42.359 other child support payers are carrying the load or the 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.960 brought for other other other other people who are paying less. 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:47.399 I think you made a statement that was that was 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:49.840 kind of cant to that. The way where I see 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:54.119 that happening is is when in these cases when a mom, uh, 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:57.720 you know, in my hypothetical, a mom is receiving TANNEF 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:03.199 or medicaid, right, and you've got two moms, right, temporary 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:06.640 assistant for temporary assistance for needy families, that's what it's 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.800 called in Texas, so they actually get money money. So 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:14.080 so if you've got two moms that are on TENNIF, right, 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:18.240 this mom a her baby daddy is supposed to be 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.200 paying her two hundred dollars a month in child support. 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:24.200 Mama be her baby daddy is supposed to be paying 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.440 her twelve hundred dollars in child support. The state is 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:30.200 gonna take depending on what states do win. They're taken 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:32.440 all of it. They're taken the two hundred and they've 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.760 taken the twelve hundred and some states well. And this 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.760 is all sanctioned by the federal government that that the 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.000 states have um you know, you know, taken on as 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.119 as a part of their own laws as well. So 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:47.760 the states get to decide how much of the child 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.159 support that they will pass through to those families. Right. 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:53.920 Some states don't pass through any they take the whole 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:56.480 two hundreds, they take the whole twelve hundred. Right. Some 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.760 states passed through fifty dollars. Right, So then how is 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:02.879 that equitable? And you're doing this under the under the 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.200 guise of this is a reimbursement for the for the 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:09.480 cost of the benefits that you're receiving. But there should 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.919 be a dollar amount that's attached. If I'm getting tan, 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:14.679 I we both getting tanned, there should be a dollar amount. 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:16.399 I should be able to get a receipt from the 0:19:16.480 --> 0:19:19.000 government from the state how much you paid me in 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:21.679 in for this tannent that I'm receiving, and then let 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:26.320 me pay you that. Right, But that how it's arbitrary 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.120 because no, so now you're taking my two, you're taking 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:31.800 the twelve. But if it only costs five, then the 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:34.280 one that you took twelve from what that seven at? 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:38.600 You know what I'm saying. So I don't understand a lot. 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:41.040 I don't understand how it works. I don't understand how 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:45.679 it works that in my in my my mind, question, counsel, 0:19:46.400 --> 0:19:51.359 what's the best way to go about rectifying, like fixing this. 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:53.920 What do we do to fix this? Great question? So 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:56.800 that's what me and my and my my colleague, my 0:19:57.040 --> 0:20:05.440 my new friend Kenya rock mind. Um you entered. She yes, Yes, 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.200 So she's been. She's been rallying behind this for a 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:11.320 very long time. Sheld, we need to put some light 0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:14.040 on what she's doing. Absolutely, she she wrote a book 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:18.879 called The Child Support Hustle. Um, she's been. Yeah, she's 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.880 been out here like trying to write, writing bills, making 0:20:21.960 --> 0:20:26.800 proposals and a very's very active and she's been active 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:32.200 for a very long time. I only know not the details. 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:34.280 I know in general that because she and I talked 0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:37.840 about this, that her and I hope I'm getting his right. 0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:41.800 Her child's father was on child support. She didn't want 0:20:41.840 --> 0:20:43.600 him to be on child support anymore. She tried to 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:46.439 get him off child support. They wouldn't allow him off 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:48.720 child support. I remember she was telling me that she 0:20:48.920 --> 0:20:52.720 was receiving tannef and she wasn't getting his child support 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:55.280 payments begin again because she had to assign her rights 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:59.080 to it, so she wasn't getting his payments. Um. She 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:02.160 told me that she had quested a statement she wanted 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:05.119 to know exactly how much have y'all paid me or 0:21:05.240 --> 0:21:09.399 paid and benefits towards to my benefit. And she was 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:12.280 never able to receive any type of statements or received 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:14.919 to be able to see exactly how much she had 0:21:15.000 --> 0:21:17.600 received in benefits to see if it reconciled with how 0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:21.080 much they've taken from her child support. So that's that's 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.760 how she got motivated in it. And so you introduced us, 0:21:25.320 --> 0:21:27.399 and so I said, okay, well I'm gonna I'm a 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:29.600 legal profession I'm a lawyer, so I know the legal 0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:31.879 aspects of this. So I wanted to lend my voice 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:34.480 to what she was already doing. And instead of me 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:37.119 recreating really the will, I said, okay, well, let's partner it. 0:21:37.240 --> 0:21:38.840 We both have the same goal, we both have the 0:21:38.880 --> 0:21:42.760 same mission. Yeah. So so to answer your question, what 0:21:42.880 --> 0:21:47.000 do we do? We want informed, the informed the public 0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:49.800 because a lot of this stuff people don't really know, 0:21:50.160 --> 0:21:52.920 Like the stuff that I'm talking about. The it's called 0:21:52.960 --> 0:21:56.720 the Work Opportunity and Personal Responsibility Act that was passed 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.040 by Bill Clinton. Um, I think it was a nineties 0:21:59.080 --> 0:22:01.359 six Um, A lot of people don't know. It's not 0:22:01.440 --> 0:22:05.480 common knowledge. Um. The the aggressive enforcement measures that that 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:09.680 were um I guess um past in that act and 0:22:09.880 --> 0:22:12.359 how we see now it in our in our day 0:22:12.400 --> 0:22:15.879 to day lives with people's licenses being suspended and all 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:17.280 of that kind of stuff. All that's comes from the 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:27.960 federal how's suspending one's license. It's all tactics too, Yeah, 0:22:28.000 --> 0:22:31.960 it's tactics to try to force people to be complicit. 0:22:32.560 --> 0:22:35.440 And so so what I do is that what we're 0:22:35.480 --> 0:22:37.960 trying to do is want to educate the public on 0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:40.880 the fact that these things are occurring and the fact 0:22:40.920 --> 0:22:43.919 that there's an issue. Many many men. It's mostly been 0:22:44.000 --> 0:22:46.719 men in the past that have tried to sound the alarm, 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:49.680 but they got slapped down and you know, coined as 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:53.280 debbie dads. Nobody, nobody cared. But Kenya and I both 0:22:53.359 --> 0:22:55.800 have the same story and that we were both recipients 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:58.639 of of chills. I used to receive chall support. One 0:22:58.680 --> 0:23:01.919 after my divorce, I received child support. I benefited from 0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:05.280 child support. So I understand how a single mother or 0:23:05.320 --> 0:23:08.520 a single non couse odo parent could you know, be 0:23:08.640 --> 0:23:11.960 benefited from the from receiving child support. But as a 0:23:12.080 --> 0:23:16.000 legal professional, being on the front lines and seeing these 0:23:16.080 --> 0:23:19.639 people's lives and how they are being um, you know, 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:25.040 you know, disenfranchise and harmed by the application of these laws. 0:23:25.440 --> 0:23:27.959 I see that, and I and I recognize the flaws 0:23:28.040 --> 0:23:30.879 in the system. So it's about bringing awareness to the public, 0:23:31.000 --> 0:23:34.080 creating enough noise to work. This is a conversation that 0:23:34.160 --> 0:23:38.000 people are having. And then it's now you know, beating 0:23:38.040 --> 0:23:41.160 down the doors of you know, legislators on the state 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:43.880 level as well as the federal level and making these 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:47.199