The Supremes and the deadbeats

MoonHowler

While most people focused on the Supreme Court video game ruling, an equally important case went pretty much unnoticed.  This case affects millions of families, in particular, children.  Turner vs. Rogers dealt with deadbeat dads and is more commonly known as the ‘deadbeat dad case.’

According to the Washington Post :

The justices ruled in a 5 to 4 decision (PDF) to uphold the appeal of Michael Turner, a father who had been jailed for a year because he did not — he said could not — pay the nearly $6,000 in child support payments he owed. The court decided that Turner’s incarceration violated the due process clause because he had not been told that his ability to pay was crucial to the case and the court never determined whether Turner could, in fact, make his child support obligations.

The Turner case addressed one of the biggest problems in the national child support enforcement program. Though most sentient adults agree parents need to meet their child support obligations, enforcement rules often don’t recognize the reality of financial situations.

A noncustodial parent might have lost a job, as millions did in the recession, but it’s doubtful his or her payment schedule changed at all. It can be a slippery slope from provider to deadbeat.

Upon first glance (see PDF link) the original defendant, one Mr. Turner of South Carolina, is not a very sympathetic figure.  I felt he deserved to be jailed.  However, he was not represented by an attorney and he got caught up in a real legal catch-22.  He had to be out of jail in order to make money to pay his child support.  This guy was ordered to pay $52.73 per week. That might not seem like much to some people.  To others, it is a fortune.  Throwing a person in jail who has this few assets seems to be self defeating. 

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Minnesota government shuts down

MoonHowler

People in Minnesota are furious over the state government shut down.  About 23,000 state workers have been furloughed.  Marriage licenses aren’t being issued now and state parks have closed.  Campers have been evicted.   Water and electricity have been shut off.  No flags are flying over state buildings, starting Friday. 

The private sector will also be hit as professional licensing and alcohol licensing will not be done.  Pharmacies won’t get paid by health and human services.   State highway construction ground to a halt.   Rest stops were closed.  Wayside rest areas are closed also, causing a danger to weary travelers over a holiday weekend.   Even the race track will be closed because of state regulation.  $1 million loss in revenue is projected. 

According to the Washington Post:

The details of the Minnesota government’s shutdown show what can go wrong when no agreement can be reached. Last week, a judge ruled that only core government functions — public safety, welfare programs, care for residents in state facilities such as prisons, preservation of the government financial system and necessary administration functions — would continue if the government were shuttered.

When lawmakers failed to fend off the shutdown, about 20,000 state workers were officially laid off.

The governor shut things down.  This is the paralysis that comes from two sides not being able to reach an agreement on the budget.  There was also an impasse 6 years ago.

Do the people of Minnesota have a right to be angry?  Should the governor shut down the government when a budgetary agreement could not be reached?  Why didn’t they wait until after the holiday?  Wouldn’t most people pay a little more in taxes to be able to have services?  I think most of us acknowledge that there is just no free lunch.