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Amnesty for All

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi is offering temporary amnesty for individuals who owe back child support.   It’s something I’ve seen done in other jurisdictions.  The government gives people an opportunity to get caught up on back payments by a certain date and in exchange there’s no additional penalty lobbied against them.

If I were a local government official who was strapped for cash, and who isn’t these days, I would think that amnesty might be a nice short-term answer to my problems.    If you think about what’s owed to local governments in terms of traffic tickets, code violations, licensing fees, sales income and property taxes  there are potentially millions of dollars out there that can shore up city and county coffers.   Remember when the State of  Indiana offered up amnesty and took in more than $240 million?

Once the amnesty period expires the locals and can begin a more aggressive crackdown on lawbreakers.   And for those of you who think offering amnesty is a way to reward bad behavior, you are failing to see the forest for the trees.  It’s cheaper to give people a chance to get right than expending the time and resources trying to chase after everyone who owes you money.

So if you’re a local government official looking for a way to make up for a budget shortfall, might I suggest a little amnesty can go a long way.

Posted: 06|18|10 at 7:11 am by Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
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  • varangianguard

    I agree.

  • Supports gender equality

    Apparently Brizzi is a sexist. He is making this offer to “deadbeat dads”. Why not extend the offer to “deadbeat moms”. Their number is growing.

  • Think Again

    An excellent idea. Long overdue.

  • Taxpayer 834512

    I wish the worst we could say about Brizzi is he's sexist. I think you two are wound too tight (as I dodge incoming stones). I'm glad he (anybody), is trying to improve efficiency, quality control, spot-checking, follow-up, whatever you want to call making sure ALL the revenue is coming in, going where it's SUPPOSSED to, AND being used as it was intended, BEFORE clamoring for opening our wallets wider.

    Leaving the ladies out of the invitaion or not….

  • Think Again

    You're right, of course, Taxpayer, and we're dealing only with child support in this matter. But there are other infractions: I got a notice from a third-party vendor two months ago, that said I owed $360 for three overdue parkling tickets. I have to park downtown frequently to record document sin the CC Building. I always feed meters. I for two parking ticket sin the last five years, and paid both. I got the $360 notice five days AFTER the date I was offered to plead my case parking ticket court, which is somewhere inside the bowels of Irvington. Under state law, it's the city's responsibility to prove I veer got the original tickets, but I don't even have a venue to argue my case any more due to their inefficiency. I'd gladly settle these for the grief factor, a few bucks per ticket, and move on. But I'll be damned if I'm paying $360. I contacted my city councilman, and he laughed. Seriously. No help whatsoever.

  • Think Again

    Sorry for the typos and such…I needed to add: I've talked to multiple friends since my parking ticket notice, and evidently this little scam is rampant. This is what a city does when it's up against a budget ramrod.

  • Taxpayer 834512

    I believe I'll be driving the speed limit. Ballard-Kennedy is looking as joyous an occasion in the voting booth as Coats-Ellsworth. What a mortifying time to be a voter.

    You need to reconsider “pup tents”. They'll probably be on-sale in November as well…

  • Pascal

    Government edged it's camel's nose into family affairs backwhen it thought that no fault divorce was good policy. Screwing over families now represents about 30% of the work of the Indiana bar and courts. Who needs this?

  • Taxpayer 834512

    Watch your tongue. Lawyers, doctors, social workers and others make money on our societal decline. I imagine some of them think “we” need this.

    I'd be curious to know what the biggest societal price tag is now: “democratizing” the Middle East, illegal immigration or single parenting? Any of these issues making our ancestor's heads spin.

    We may not be able to afford it, but thank goodness we're “civilized”!

  • Think Again

    To be hoenst, Pascal, I'm not sure I understand no-fault divorce. Or what preceded it.

  • Rico

    A condition of amnesty for these deadbeat parents should be mandatory sterilization. If they refuse to take care of the children they brought into this world, they should be stopped from having more. Extreme? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

  • Think Again

    Unconstitutional? Yep Big-time At least four courts have said as much, going back to 1931.

  • Taxpayer 834512

    With you 100% on that one, Mr. Rico.

  • Pascal

    Who says they refuse? Rico and 834512 ought to consider that the government believes that IT has a prior claim on the resources of the family AND THEY TAKE WHAT THEY THINK THEY NEED. Theft thru taxation is a long time liberal staple e.g. the slow piecemeal theft of your homes comes to mind.
    The taxation required for a Nanny State is always in excess of what the Nanny State delivers, by quite a bit. Joseph had the taxes figured correctly (with divine guidence?). Anything in excess of that is excess and detrimental to humans.
    Divorce is a dirty business and olden time lawyers wanted little to do with it. Then, Indiana legislators were stampeded into following the herd….and lawyers found a lot of money it it as did the civil justice system. The money was more important than the families to them. I'm guessing this was circa 1960 era when Kinsey was in charge of Indiana morality.

  • Taxpayer 834512

    Then let's amend the Constitution. What chance do we have of surviving and competing if we're to willingly subsidize the reproduction of our own species at incredible cost and not be permitted to have a say in the outcome?

    Make any sense to you?

  • Pascal

    Since it was asked, this source has a search function which will bring up numbers of articles on No Fault Divorce. http://www.profam.org/pub/fia/fia.2005.6.htm?se… Fault Divorce&opt=EXACT For example (and I hope folks will read this longish article with open mind or even a skeptical one).
    I imagine Mitch's complete unwillingness to grow government at the price of stealing more income from families is rooted in this sort of perception. ALEC also has some long view looks at the costs of this really stupid piece of social engineering although I can't recall if it includes the problems made for teachers having a room full of bastards. Bastardy in America was also addressed in the late Public Interest Magazine. Lack of fathers is a major social problem now recognized by anyone with half a brain. The Nanny State destroyed the Negro Family and benign neglect was no answer then or now.

  • Rico

    Haven't you been keeping up with current events, TA? The Constitution doesn't mean jack anymore. It's a new day–the Obama Era!

  • Think Again

    Hmmm….seems to me a Constitutional Law professor has more insight into that great document's intent than you do. Yeah, I'm sure of it. Pity.

  • Think Again

    I'm against amending….without due cause. Today's fed/state legislators want to take the amendment route for all kinds of stupid things: marriage, property taxes, you name it. This particular issue is a sticky one, but if we want change, let's make the lazy legislators do it the statutory way.

  • Taxpayer 834512

    That beats a blanket, “Hell, No”. With all the vile hurled at the prospect of Constitutional tax caps, what else drags goverment from the abyss of endless spending instead of looking at fairness, merit, and inefficiencies? Nothing I know of.

    Live in poverty or become a teen-age mother? 6 times the liklihood if you don't have a father.
    Drop out of school? 9 times the liklihood if you don't have a father.
    Go to prison? 20 times the liklihood if you don't have a father.
    Do these statistics come from Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck?
    No, try Senator Bayh from the Saturday 'Star'.

    The black, brown or any select community needs special consideration and understanding? Tell me why, with over four of every white births five of every brown birth, and seven of every black birth in this country happening to a single parent? (Heritage Foundation).

    There are single parent and assisted, formerly “dysfunctional”, parent success stories, to be sure. But, the priority should be pursuit of improving the programs we already have in place on behalf of the child, instead of giving questionable parenting the wide berth.

    Why shouldn't Brizzi's pursuit should just be the tip of the iceberg? Statutorially or Constitutionally, State-by-state and/or Federally- our current societal outlook on protecting children instead of the “rights” of their parents is madness.

  • Dave

    Government at all levels, has abandoned the “American Way,” mischaracterizing & dismissing it as greed, rather than what it is- perseverance, of the human spirit (a concept rooted in natural law).

    The greed of government & protection racketeering of “special interests” are the problem; not the American Way.

    Government no longer supports the American way, it's in the way of America as an ongoing ideal.

    “Caps” are but visible slight of hand, the oxymoronic lost “magic” of controlled variability, which none can straight faced demonstrate.

    Citizens have been more Constitu-shunned or subjected to the misdeeds of government, as constitu-ain'ts; than dutifully protected by their Constitution. Courts or thwarts?

    “Answers” can mostly be found in the hands of the people, who need to jump seats & take hold of the reigns. The road to prosperity & over the cliff are both destinations.

  • Pascal

    Micah Clark has been a frequent writer for several publications and his editorials are often seen in newspapers across the state. In 1996, he authored the groundbreaking report, Shattered Dreams, A Report on Indiana's Divorce Culture and the Restoration of Marriage-I have not read this one but it would seem particular to Indiana and might be of use.

  • Rico

    Your hero Barry was listed as a Senior Lecturerer, not a professor. And the fact that he may or may not have 'more insight' into the Constitution has no bearing on whether he gives a damn about its intent. (Your fallacies in logic are so profound so often. If you want to continue your reign as the self-proclaimed Yoda of this blog, you better do better than that.)The fact is he doesn't even view it as a great document. He clearly has utter contempt for it and all the principles our founders held dear when writing it.

    Youd defend this guy no matter what, TA. Now that's pitiful!

  • Anson R

    Your point is well taken; except that Brizzi never used the phrase “deadbeat dads” or the word “deadbeat”… chalk that up to the media…