Don’t Pay Child Support? Bid the Gun Rack Bye Bye
If you teach a man to fish, he may eat for a lifetime – but that doesn’t mean his kids will. Which is why the State of Tennessee is looking to revoke 1,200-some fishing and hunting licenses from deadbeat moms and dads.
In the last few days, letters were sent out to more than 20,0000 residents across the state with a warning – pay in full within 90 days or hand over their recreational, driver’s or professional license. This isn’t the first year state officials have taken advantage of the fact that the state issues licenses for everything from driving to casting a line. State and federal law both allow for social services to revoke any state-issued license as a means to punish parents who aren’t living up to their court-ordered obligation to help support their children. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Approximately 7,000 licenses were yanked last year because the parents failed to heed the warning.
This time around, almost 18,000 residents stand to lose their driver’s licenses, another 1,200 their right to hunt and fish. If they aren’t willing to feed and clothe their own kids, I find it hard feel bad for someone who’s been told they can’t take off on a boat for a few days or go out to camp with the boys. Although there are people who hunt and fish to feed their families, I live in a rural area where I’ve watched the same people who tell me they need to hunt to eat plunk down a couple hundred on a brand new rifle or fancy fly-fishing reel. Besides, these men and women AREN’T feeding their families, that’s the reason they got themselves into this mess in the first place. The state may even be doing them the favor of helping them save a little money this year. That’s a couple hundred that could buy a nice hunk of cow from the grocery store and a pile of produce at the farmers’ market.
I am a little wary of the plan to revoke 400 professional licenses, the state-issued permission for people to work in fields including healthcare and real estate. If you’re trying to get someone to pay their child support, does it make sense to essentially put them out of business?
Image: Timatteo
Source: Crossville Chronicle
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Ok so… you take away someones business or drivers license and they can’t work, how are they going to make the money to pay the child support they owe? This is such a stupid law. My exhusband had been unemployed for a year and couldn’t pay the child support and he had never fellen behind on prior to. In the mean time they take his drivers license because he is behind on his child support, now he has NO WAY of getting a job to continue to pay it so explain to me how my kids are better off?????? It’s just plain stupidity!!!!
My guess is that despite all of this posturing by the state, the majority of the licenses revoked are not going to be professional licenses but rather drivers licenses of people who have fallen behind and now are being dragged under in a sea of debt. Just like the majority of deadbeat lists contain blue collar and often seasonal workers. And I’m sure they’ll have an easy time paying that debt in this wonderful economy of ours. But the state doesn’t list that; might make some people a little bit sympathetic to non custodial parents
One more comment I would like to add to this regarding revoking professional licenses. Would you really want a doctor/nurse/electrician/whatever who isn’t even responsible enough to see their own children are taken care of? What makes you think they care any more about you?
Yes, in my opinion it does make sense to revoke their professional license, it makes as much sense as throwing them in jail does anyway. They aren’t earning anything there either. No, that isn’t going to solve the problem but maybe it will get their rear ends into court and forced to sign an agreement on a payment plan and they could temporairly receive their license back as long as they live up to the agreement. Something’s got to be done about this, to help create a child then refuse to take care of it is reprehensible. And besides, revoking things such as driving, fishing or hunting licenses probably isn’t going to do a lot of good because if these people are ignoring a court order already, what makes anyone think they’re going to care if they’re driving/fishing/hunting without a license? Revoking their professional license however also involves their employer who isn’t going to risk the trouble they will get into if they have an “unlicensed” professional on their payroll.
to the dads who dont take care of their kids lets take their guns and use them on them
After I stopped waving my fist in the air in jubilation, and had stopped laughing……I applaud Tennesse’s efforts to collect child support. My daughter’s father was behind by over $5,000 and I had to take it upon myself to enforce. Nice to know some states are doing right by custodial parents.
This is a great article. How sad that such measures have to be taken just to get a parent to do right by their child.