Tuesday, March 30, 2010
In our opinion, many of those in charge at DSS are as incompetent as those in charge at the South Carolina Employment Security Commission. Bless her heart, but Dr. Hayes neither has a clue about how to decrease the child support arrearages in South Carolina nor is equipped to run an agency whose primary failures are related to an inability to understand federal law and implement programs mandated by federal law. Therefore, as we noted, SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD COUNT ITS BLESSINGS. It could certainly be much worse, and in fact, will be a lot worse before the computer system goes on-line. Not only is South Carolina scheduled to be fined another $10 Million this year, but will be fined at least another $1 Million in 2011.
The real shame of this situation is that, not only is South Carolina being fined for failure to implement federally mandated programs, but that because of its failure to take easy, inexpensive steps to increase its rate of child support collections, South Carolina is missing out on huge federal incentives. Moreover, instead of actually doing something to correct the problems, the State is throwing fathers in jail willy-nilly for allegedly being in Contempt without regard to whether they are actually in contempt and without regard to whether doing so generates more money than it costs the State to house, feed, guard, and prosecute them. (Quick, tell us, who benefits from the incarceration of "deadbeats," how many fathers are currently incarcerated in South Carolina jails for failure to pay child support and what it is costing the State to house, feed, guard, and prosecute them. Now tell us how much money is generated in fees and fines and who gets those fees and fines.)
We can tell you who gets the fees and fines when DSS is involved. You find out the answer to the other questions and you will know why South Carolina has neither implemented the New Hire Reporting Program mandated by Congress nor installed the mandated computer system. Punishing “deadbeats” is a profitable business and the county clerks and sheriffs want to maintain control over who receives the fines and penalties and what can be done with them.
Labels: Computerized Child Support System, Institutional Mismanagement, Problems at DSS, Welfare Reform
