Message from Louisiana Dads

[Brent]

Louisiana Dads
Saturday July 3, 2004
P. O. Box 216 Milton La. 70558
//www.ladads.org
Member ACFC
Children need BOTH Parents
Happy Independence Day!!
 
Topic:  Louisiana Dads, LCF and others to hold a press Conference.
 
Dear Group;
 
         In a House and Senate Conference Committee on the LAST DAY of the session, 3 senators and 3 representatives REMOVED any safe guards that SB 633 had amended to it.  The bill was restored to its original form and rushed through both the house and senate.  This bill is being called for not by DSS, but by Ouachita Parish District Attorney Jerry Jones.
 
         Louisiana Dads, LCF, and other organizations are holding a press conference on Tuesday July 5, 2004 at 10:00 am in front of the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge.  This will be to announce to the media our displeasure with SB 633 and request Gov. Blanco to VETO it!!  We are requesting that ALL members show up Tuesday morning in front of the Governors Mansion and just stand behind us in support.  Signs to veto SB 633 would be great!!
 
        I know it is the first day of work back for a lot of you, but you MUST get there to help STOP this bill!!!  Gov. Blanco MUST VETO SB 633 or our unemployed, disabled, and returning National Guardsmen will be arrested by greedy District Attorneys.  Ouachita Parish YOU have to most to fear!  Jerry Jones is pushing this bill so you WILL be targeted.  If he can't run his office with the funds he has that is not our children's fault.  If some rich person is out there shirking their responsibility to their children then fine, lock them up, but it should not be a crime to be unemployed or in the National Guard!! This is simply a money grab by them to get YOUR money and matching federal funds.  THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT!!  How do we know this?  An effort to make the fines in the bill go towards payment of support was KILLED in the legislature.  This is about getting the DA offices money at the EXPENSE of your children.  There are better ways to do this.
 
       IF by chance you can not make it.  We want to FLOOD the capitol switchboard with as many phones calls and emails as we can.  Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts and Uncles must also call.  The more women who call the better.  Here are the numbers.
 
Office of the Governor.
 
The fax number to the gov's office is 225-342-7099.
 
To send and email.  http://www.gov.state.la.us/govemail.asp
 

      If Gov Blanco allows this to become law, the DA's will lock up hundreds of people who, through no fault of their own, can't pay their full amount of support.  Fines will be HUGE, and in the end, collections will not go up that much.  What is needed is a realistic assessment of support obligations, the money to be accounted for and spent ONLY on the children, and for BOTH parents to be a part of their children's lives on as equal a basis as possible.  ONLY THEN will we stop this epidemic of divorce and rescue our children.
 
Thanks and God Bless;
 
Derek