Bill to increase child support fees passes with legislators

In addition to cost-of-living expenses, extra child support payments could be required for activities like sports and music lessons if House Bill 339 is approved in by the state legislature. House Bill 339 by state Rep. Joseph Lopinto, R-Metairie, allows judges the right to order additional payments for children’s extracurricular activities. State Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, was able to piggyback legislation to redirect gambling winnings to pay for overdue child support. Some senators fear the bill could place too much of a financial burden on those paying child support. “The intent of the bill is good – very good,” state Sen. Jody Amedee, D-Gonzales said. “But I don’t think we need to keep adding and adding and adding.” State Sen. Julie Quinn, R-Metairie, said the legislation is important to ensure that children of divorced parents who want to participate in extracurricular activities are not penalized. Members of the Louisiana group promoting shared parenting and fair child support laws in Louisiana, LaDads, oppose the bill, citing many reasons. In a letter to the state Senate, LaDads member Robert D. Black, Jr. asked senators to vote against the bill. “I am all for extra events, camps, etc … but if someone couldn’t afford them while they were married, how is he or she going to afford them when they are divorced?” wrote Black. “Plus, what guarantees do you have in place that even if these events are paid for that the mother will actually take [the child] the events or even [that the extra child support] is spent on those events to begin with?” asked Black in his letter to the Senate. Black also pointed out the lack of accountability for funds already being paid for child support by divorced parents. In his own letter to the state Senate, LaDads president Nicholas James referred to current Louisiana child support laws that he said allow a judge to order a parent to pay child support exceeding 100 percent of his or her gross income. “Now, instead of seeking to correct these problems, the Legislature actually seeks to make them worse by adding on yet another way for a judge to make an order exceeding 100 percent of a person’s gross income,” James wrote. HB 339 was approved by the Senate 23-12. The bill previously breezed through the House without a single opposing vote but must go back to the House for final amendment concurrence.

Sometimes you have to wonder is this suppose to help the kid or hurt the father?

The Criminal

The Life of a criminal, when you look at the picture it is quite deceiving simple because of the handcuff. Now what if the guy is not the traditional criminal simply a guy that does not want to pay child support... Is he a criminal? So read more and tell me what you really think...
Carl H. Burrows, 32, of Deposit, was arraigned on a sealed indictment in Delaware County Court on June 9. Burrows pleaded guilty to a felony count of first-degree nonsupport of a child, and Delaware County Judge Carl Becker sentenced Burrows to one-to-three years in prison. "(Burrows) was adamant that he wasn't going to pay," Vredenburgh said. The case is the first felony prosecution in Delaware County under the  Deadbeat Dad' legislation that was passed in New York in the mid-1990s, Vredenburgh said. Vredenburgh said a defendant can only be prosecuted under the felony statute if they have already been convicted of second-degree nonsupport of a child, a class A misdemeanor. Burrows pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor level charge in Delhi Town Court on March 5 and was sentenced to three years of probation. He was also required to pay $52 a week in child-support payments and continue until the $39,000 he owed in back support is paid. On May 27, Burrows was arrested for a violation of probation for not making any payments. Burrows' attorney, Christopher Wilson of Oneonta, refused Thursday to comment on the case. Laurie Schmitz, the mother of Burrows' 13-year-old daughter, Mia Burrows, said it was "a huge relief to know that something has finally happened." Schmitz, 32, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., said Thursday that she has known Burrows since she was about 12 years old; she was 18 when she had Mia. Schmitz moved to Florida when Mia was a year old. She said Burrows came to Florida when Mia was 2 or 3, staying for a month, and it was the last time he saw her. Schmitz said she sent Mia's school pictures to Burrows' family every year and occasionally called him, but he never made any effort to see his daughter or communicate with her. "You can't force someone to be a father when they don't want to," Schmitz said. Schmitz said she tried for years to collect child support from Burrows, but the last time she received any was in 2005, when he was ordered to pay $3,900 or go to jail. She said the original child-support order was issued in 1996 and required him to pay $28 per week. He can not pay $28 dollars a week? So this man loose days weeks and month even years of his life simply because he refuse to pay child support. Now he has a felony on his record limiting him on what kind of job he could get in his life time. Schmitz credits Jeffrey Bowie, a Delaware County Social Services investigator, with pursuing her case against Burrows. "They spent hours looking for him," Schmitz said. "I have gone to New York three times for court appearances, but he never showed up." Schmitz said Delaware County paid to fly her from Florida to testify before the grand jury. "It only took the grand jury about 30 seconds to indict him," Schmitz said. "It was really very emotional for me." Schmitz said she hopes her victory will encourage other mothers to fight for their child's right to support. "There are a lot of people out there that will not fight it because they don't know how to pursue it," Schmitz said. "Let this be a lesson that it can be done." Schmitz said she doesn't expect to recover all of the money her daughter is entitled to. "I've become immune to the fact that he is never going to pay _ but why should he be out and about making money and enjoying himself?" she asked. Schmitz said that if Burrows gets out of prison and fails to make payments, she intends to pursue having him charged and arrested again. Hell has no fury like a scorn women... I understand now!!! ___

Words of wisdom

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded t o fill it with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They
agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space
between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to
recognize
that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important
things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your
favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained,
your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and
your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the
jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf
balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the
sma ll stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to
you.
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with
your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to
dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and
fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's
always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
Please share this with someone you care about.
I JUST DID

Grandpa's Hands

This is good; I'll never look at my hands the same! Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was OK. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong voice. Didn't mean to disturb you, Grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to him. "Have you ever looked at your hands," he asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?" I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making. Grandpa smiled and related this story: Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my Mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my Parents and Spouse and walked my Daughter down the aisle. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my Grandpa's hands and led him home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife I think of Grandpa. I know he has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

Incredible artist

What a transformation...

Naked Serena

What are you carrot, egg or coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.



A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.


Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.



In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.'



'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.



Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.



Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'



Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water , they had changed the water.



'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?



Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength.



Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?



Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?



May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.



The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.



When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling..



Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.