Into Extinction Day 93 (bad news, its not getting better)
You know, I want to think of my case in the province of Alberta as unique. That not every man is being bent over by the government and Maintenance Enforcement and given the spousal support enema. But the more I read, I realize its pretty damn common.
I was on one of my other websites and they were talking about a father who had stopped all payments and health support for the children. Now this might be the case, but I think it’s important to step back a little and not be so quick to judge but I was wrong. The word deadbeat dad came out so fast – it was well – very disappointing. The media has done a fantastic job of painting fathers into this corner. So fabulous was this job, that the Federal, Provincial and local judges have jumped onboard. It is presumed by those in higher authority that you will try to skip the judgments. However when you look at the actual statistics its less than 1% of us deadbeat dads that don’t pay however we all get painted with the same brush. Equality be damned. If you, the deadbeat dad, were to speak up on this injustice, I am sure everyone would be thinking he is trying to weasel his way out of paying. It’s a corrupt and foolish system in place today.
If you access the website from the Federal Government (http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/sup-pen/pub/guide/qa-qr.html#2) they do a fantastic job of telling you what you should pay. They don’t explain the formula in great detail and here is another bit of interesting news from the Feds:
“The receiving parent is expected to contribute a similar share of his or her income to meet the costs of raising the child. The standards of living of the child and the receiving parent are inseparable because the child resides in his or her household. This approach allows the children to continue to share in increases or decreases in their parents’ income, just as they would have if the two parents had continued to live together.”
Really I am highly amused by this. While there are rules and penalties for the deadbeat dad I don’t see any for the mother. As a matter of fact, she could spend her entire income at the 7-Eleven and who would care? As a matter of fact, it is important that my ex make as little money as possible thereby increasing her monthly take of my income. The system really does screw you over doesn’t it? To this previous fact (low income for my ex), since our divorce and subsequent court ordered payments she has made no effort to increase her income and who would and why?
Lets examine this more closely shall we? (I am going to calculate like she is a single person) - She makes $40,000 (gross income) a year.
· Net Provincial Tax is $2,204.00
· Net Federal Tax is $6,433.00
· Net income after taxes is $31,363 or $1306.92 every 2 weeks or $2,613.58 a month.
· Her rent at her current place is $1,600.00
· That leavers her with $1,013.58
· Gas/Utilities/Cable/Phone is $320
· Drops her to $693.58.
· Insurance for her car, home insurance, cell phone, other expenses is another $225 a month.
· Drops her to $468.58
· Okay lets talk about what I pay her – add in excess of $3000 a month. Oh my, that’s a very good life.
Sock some of that money away for her retirement and everything is rosy. God that is a good life.
The Federal and Provincial guidelines also fail to balance the equation should you take additional care of your children. You actually make less and less take home pay the more you take care of your children because the line in the formula is around 40%.
Nobody said life was fair.
