Let’s just flog the poor and children
By Michael H. O’Donnell
Idaho is a zany state.
I say this because every time the Gem State has a chance to help the most needy among us and collect a ton of federal money to make it happen, it seems to say, “No way, Jose.”
We’ve done it to people who aren’t poor enough to qualify for existing Medicaid, but don’t make enough to take part in the Affordable Care Act’s state exchange to secure medical insurance.
Now we’ve done it to women and children who rely on child support payments to get by in life.
Idaho loses millions and millions each year in federal support because it won’t expand Medicaid coverage as provided under that nasty Obamacare bill. And just in case you’re convinced no one likes the Affordable Care Act, Idaho ranks fourth per capita in the number of people who are taking advantage of it with more than 85,000 state residents signing up so far this year.
A last-minute fear campaign in the Idaho House Judiciary and Rules Committee led to a 9-8 vote to reject new federal rules to keep Idaho in compliance with international reciprocal child support legislation. Twenty states, including Utah, have enacted the rules, which ensure the collection of child support from parents who try to dodge their responsibilities.
The required legislation passed the Idaho Senate unanimously, and then it ran into a boogeyman — that incredible enemy of all things we hold dear — Shariah law.
The end result of the rejection by the Idaho House committee is the pending loss of $16 million to the state’s child support services and another $30 million in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funding.
But we’re safe from Shariah law.
For those who don’t pay attention to all things evil in the Islamic world, Shariah law is what happens when religion gets infused into government until it seems OK to flog people breaking a rule or stone women for going out in public without a veil. This goofy way of approaching the governance of people has shaped legislation in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar.
By the way, none of those countries are involved in the 2007 international treaty on cross-border child support issues which U.S. Congress approved and amended in 2008. It is designed to keep parents who are under court ordered child support to pay up even if they are living in a foreign country.
And it makes sense. It also makes sense that Idaho participates in a national effort to keep deadbeat dads from skipping out on providing for their children.
Two Idaho Republican women sounded the alarm about Islamic law seeping into Idaho before the committee vote. They were Rep. Heather Scott and Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, both from North Idaho.
You might remember Nuxoll. She was the senator who refused to listen to a Hindu prayer to open a session of the legislature because she’s a Christian.
“Hindu is a false faith with false gods,” she said when questioned about her boycott. “I think it’s great that Hindu people can practice their religion but since we’re the Senate, we’re setting an example of what we, Idaho, believe.”
Well, I’m an Idahoan and I don’t believe Nuxoll has any right to speak for all of us.
Her fear of all things different is fine until it impacts a large segment of this state’s population that needs help. Idaho processes $205 million in child support payments each year. The enforcement system has 155,000 cases involving 400,000 people and 183,000 of them are kids.
When I was an editor and reporter in Power County, I remember well the day child support payments were due at the courthouse. Men would line up in the clerk’s office at the courthouse and pull out their checkbooks with a look of disdain. Grudgingly, they would fill out the amount they owned and hand it over.
I nicknamed the event, “Unhappy Pappy Day.”
And these guys would grumble.
“How do I know she’s making sure this money goes to the kids?”
“She’s probably just spending this on new clothes so she can go on a date.”
“I never trusted that — (pick your slur for a female).
Well, they trusted those women enough to get married and have children, so that seems like a twisted assessment of reality.
It’s almost as twisted as the handful of legislators who think it’s perfectly acceptable to put 183,000 children at risk because they have some unsubstantiated fears about the Muslim world getting a death grip on Idaho. Our state maybe zany, but it doesn’t have to be irresponsible.
I’d like Sen. Nuxoll to explain what’s Christian about turning our backs the poor and children.
If Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter doesn’t call a special session to remedy this mistake, maybe a good public flogging would be in order.
Michael H. O’Donnell is the assistant managing editor of the Idaho State Journal.
This irresponsible act by the “Nine” on that committee namely those who voted to table the bill: Reps. Dayley, Luker, McMillan, Sims, Trujillo, Cheatham, Kerby, Nate, Scott are the Republicans (All of them) who are putting 183,000 kids at risk of going to bed hungry and put excessive strain on single parents, mainly Single Moms.
I have gone to bed hungry as a kid when we had no money to buy food, and it was no fun. One out of six kids in the USA everyday, go to bed hungry. Your stomach hurts and sleep seems to make it easier until you wake up.
Me thinks, we have too many irresponsible types in the Idaho Legislature, Non Thinking variety whose personal biases are the driving direction they vote verses looking out for the people of Idaho. They seem to have their own agenda and think once they “Get elected” the license to implement their own personal biases regardless of the issue is mandated.
I notice that running for office is “all ears” and appear to “Listen more than talk” as Not to give voters a reason “Not to Vote for you”.
Follow up to how Legislators vote seems to be not reported. Thanks to Idaho Reports, the specific people who voted for this are identified, about time.
Idaho Reports Blog detailing the tabled bill
http://idahoreports.blogs.idahoptv.org/
I think these people need another part time job somewhere else besides the Idaho Legislature.
Here is the letter from the Federal Government to Otter. They specifically say the risk to the law in other states.
https://idhw.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/idaho_noi_letter_04142015.pdf
These people who use their reasoning to put their Thumb in the eye of the United States Government seem to want their cake and eat it too. I bet none of these people have kids, or grandkids or they themselves serve in our country in the Military. That is for someone else to do, mainly Indigent and poor.
I think we have a bunch of Hill Billy’s in this bunch who live in a world of isolation and la la land.
Incredible, I certainly hope their constituents are paying attention when elections roll around next time.
In the meantime, here is how to give the legislators feedback, contact information.
http://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2015/Directory/Legislative_Directory.pdf
Can we send you the bill, Mike and Michael? Didn’t think so. Flog the tax payer is more your style?
Here’s a different take on the men O’Donnell so callously calls “unhappy pappies”:
“Skip Child Support. Go to Jail. Lose Job. Repeat.”
For progressives like O’Donnell, derision and flogging of men is a feature of the system, not a bug.
forgot the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/us/skip-child-support-go-to-jail-lose-job-repeat.html?_r=1