Center for Parental Responsibility (CPR)
WEEKLY
UPDATE (A Few Highlights):
Website:
cpr-mn.org contact: info@cpr-mn.org voicemail: 651/490-9277
“If it is to be, it’s up to me!” - Your input and participation
is needed for reform
____________________________________________________________________________________
ATTEND NEXT CPR General Meeting Sunday
from
Topic: Father-Custody, Guest Speaker
·
Top 10 mistakes
Dads make that make it more difficult to get joint physical custody
·
Benefits of joint
physical custody over just a generous parenting plan
·
Your feelings
about the recent case saying parenting time doesn’t impact child support
·
Why fight for
joint physical – what you lose when you don’t have joint physical custody
·
What legal
custody means/doesn’t mean (for dads in the trenches legal custody isn’t giving
them a whole lot of say in their children’s lives)
·
How to position
yourself for joint physical custody
·
Best interest
criteria – pitfalls and important things to remember that GALS and evaluators
and even judges often forget
Mark Your Calendar Now
– Don’t Forget the Meeting!!!!
More details to follow in next weekly
update
______________________________________________________________________
1)
RECAP of Previous
GENERAL PUBLIC MEETING
2)
IV-D Eligibility Bill Rages on! Get on the
bandwagon to reform! Understand how IV-D applies to you!
a. More
legislators have heard our message
b. We
need people to communicate the message and talk to: legislators, county
commissioners, other interested and affected citizens,
3) Custody Bill – for a presumption of joint physical custody – so if dad wants to stay involved and participate in the custody, he can. Your rights should not be taken away just because you get divorced. With custody comes responsibility – CPR supports responsible parenting.
4) Miscellaneous Non-Custodial Parent (“NCP”) INFORMATION
a. Book
Title: Domestic Violence: The 12 Things You Aren't Supposed to Know,
5) Upcoming Events
6) CPR
Members: Individual Case Victories!
ENCOURAGEMENT-HOPE-STRENGTH
We often want to silence our critics, insist on fairness, and
defend ourselves. We may ask our opponents to justify their charges, or we may
counter them with steadfast denial. It is good to look beyond those who oppose
us and look to the One who loves us with infinite love. It is good to be able
to believe that whatever God permits is for our ultimate good, though our
hearts break and we shed bitter tears. You are in God’s hands, no matter what
others are saying about you. He has seen your distress, and in His time He will
bless you as you seek Him. A cosmic conflict between good and evil is
continually being fought in the invisible spiritual world. Paul reminded us we
must use the spiritual armor and weaponry we need for these battles (Ephesians
Satan
trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.
Legislative Education and Completed Informational Brochures Were Made Available at the Meeting.
The January 2004 meeting
topic was how and why to make a difference through legislative advocacy and
education. Most of us knew nothing about politics before the laws starting
impacting our families in a negative way. It is the state laws that have been made by your elected officials
that perpetuate and escalate the conflict in our fractured families.
Legislators make laws to ensure fair and reasonable outcomes. Legislators MUST
be told that current law does not promote this vision; but in fact, the current
laws are making or families worse instead of better.
Legislators need to know the devastation that their laws are causing to you and
your children (remember to focus on the children – you assume they know, but
they don’t). If your legislators are not willing to work to change the laws,
then YOU have the power to vote them out of office and vote someone else in.
Legislators only change laws when they hear from powerful advocacy groups and
constituents who can strip them of their legislative position through their
votes. You CAN make a difference. Telling your story to your legislator WILL
have impact. It has been said that if a legislator receives similar complaints
from 6 different constituents they consider it a big problem to be looked at,
because so few citizens actually get involved. YOU are the critical mass, if
you don’t do anything, we won’t have the critical mass we need to prove to
legislators that there is a family law problem and the problem is getting worse
instead of better. Explain your personal story – be able to do that succinctly in 10
minutes or less – explain the problems you and your children face with related
to custody, visitation, bias in the courts, financial devastation when child
support orders are excessive, and that it does no good to take a fathers
drivers license away because of child support arrears, and any other kinds of
issues specific to your situation.
Legislators are starting to
realize that fathers and children are being harmed, and we must keep that
message growing. Write your story (in 2 pages or less) and send it to your
legislator. Call and ask for an appointment – visit with them face-to-face, so
they place a problem with a face, and a face with a voter. If you get asked
questions you don’t know the answer to, tell them you want them to talk with
someone from CPR – give them our contact information, and let us know (info@cpr-mn.org) that we should call them for
a follow-up appointment. Grandparents can have a great impact – if you are a
non-custodial parent, your parents (the grandparents) have probably been
negatively effected – please encourage them to talk to their legislators as
well. Find out when hearings are taking place on family law issues, and attend
hearings as an observer to learn more about the process.
CPR has written many
brochures to help guide you in your individual challenges. If you need copies
of the brochures, the best way to get them FREE is to attend a Sunday general
meeting. At some point the brochures will be made available online. Sometimes
they can be emailed. Contact: info@cpr-mn.org
for specific brochures of interest to you. A donation for printing and mailing
costs is appreciated. The completed brochures so far include:
Ask
Your Lawyer Series:
Make
A Difference Series:
Information
is Power Series:
“Of all forms of Government, those administered by [agencies] are about
the least satisfactory. Being irresponsible, they become autocratic; being
autocratic, they resist [improvement and change]. Unless bureaucracy is constantly
resisted it breaks down representative government and overwhelms democracy. It
is the one element in our institutions that set up the pretense of having
authority over everybody and being responsible to nobody.”
Source: President Coolidge at
·
CONSISTENT
MESSAGE EVERYONE MUST KNOW - WHY IV-D IS IMPORTANT: IV-D reform is the best way to make the greatest
change for the greatest number of people to ease the pressure of the draconian
system that disengages fit fathers and prevents them from participating in the
lives of their children. IV-D government services are provided solely and only
to the custodial parent, and that is why you feel like your rights are being
trampled on – because they are! It’s you against the entire bureaucracy. IV-D
services are why you feel like you are being treated like a criminal – because
the IV-D system was set up for criminals – it was set up to locate and
prosecute fathers who had abandoned their families resulting in the child’s
dependence on public assistance. Now ALL NCP’s are
erroneously and involuntarily “welcomed” into the child support system (just as
another class of people were “welcomed” into the “camps” of the 1930’s). The NCP’s are treated with the same prosecutorial fervor as all
criminals, regardless of the
circumstance, regardless of the fact
there is no compelling state interest, and regardless
of how involved you are as a non-custodial parent, and regardless of need for the prosecutorial methods. Because you carry
the “label” of non-custodial parent, you are treated like a criminal that must
be emotionally, financially, mentally beaten to submission. CPR is fighting to
change this unnecessary government intrusion and the violations of your
constitutional rights as a parent: equal protection of the law, due process,
and your right to parent apply to you!
·
REMINDER:
The IV-D Strategy Committee is now meeting
every Thursday night. Strategy is
continually being refined to promote legislation that would eliminate IV-D for
private cases. The meetings take place in Little Canada, MN, from
o
Anyone interested
in making the passage of HF1031/SF974 (IV-D eligibility standards) a priority
is invited to attend and help strategize and plan.
o
Updates will be
provided and volunteers will be recruited for specific activities, at the
Sunday night general meetings from
·
NEW INFORMATION:
LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS. Since the last update, we have met with more
legislators: Rep. Wardlow, Coleman’s St. Paul Office,
Rep. Soderstrom, Rep. Holberg, Governor Pawlenty’s Office, and a few more. Every legislator we have
met with continues to be shocked and amazed by the unnecessary government
intrusion at the taxpayers expense.
o
We have
upcoming Meetings scheduled with: Rep. Eastlund,
Rep. Kohls. Please let these legislators know that
CPR has a credible message you want them to hear. Let us know if you can get us
an open door with your legislator.
o
If you have any
good contacts at the legislature, please help us get meetings.
o
Key committees in
the House: HH Policy, Civil Law, HH Finance
o
Key committees in
the Senate: Judiciary, Health and Family Security, Health & Human Services
Correction
·
NEW INFORMATION:
The LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION NOTICE (LEN) from CPR for January 2004 is now available. You need
the July-August-September-October-November and January LEN letters and send
them to your legislators. Email to get your electronic copies: info@cpr-mn.org. If legislators get at least
6 of these letters from 6 constituents, they consider it an issue that must be
looked at further – please help us be one of the 6 in your area. These are easy
form letters – all you have to do is sign your name and you are an advocate!
·
REMINDER: You can OPT OUT of the IV-D program with a 1301 d
exception objection letter – that letter continues to be updated. A CPR
research aid has produced a wealth of new information to back up this valid
option to protect your rights as a parent. Much additional research has been
located, reinforcing the validity of the 1301 d objection, which will finally
renew your constitutionally protected voice in the process.
Custody Bill – presumption of joint physical custody
We are making progress on a
bill for joint physical custody. For dads who want to take responsibility, they
should be given that opportunity. Just because you get divorced doesn’t mean
you should automatically have to “fight” over custody. We are working on
getting a research report from the Senate and/or the House. We have many
interested legislators. If you want to assist on this committee, let us know,
and we will get your connected with committee members.
Miscellaneous Non-Custodial Parent INFORMATION
NEW INFORMATION – A family law attorney on the CPR referral list (meaning he understands
fathers issues),
The list price is $16.95.
·
REMINDER: Familiarize yourself with the
court system by watching Cable TV
Channel 6 program “Meet Your Court” produced by Hennepin County Court System.
The program is aired every Tuesday from
·
NEXT CPR general meeting
·
COURT
WATCH.
Non-custodial dad Mick Fry.
Volunteers Needed: please attend this hearing if you can, to support a
non-custodial parent in court and let the court be on alert that people are
watching the decision in this custody battle, facilitated with false
accusations. Let’s attend the hearing, and support this NCP dad.
Reminder: always call ahead first to the county court
administration (651/530-6263) to make sure that no last minute calculations have
occurred.
For Details: email info@cpr-mn.org
·
LEGISLATIVE
TOWN HALL MEETINGS: It’s a good place to
get up to the microphone and ask your legislator about family law reform.
o
o
Contact
Your Legislator to find out if they have any upcoming Town Hall Meetings –
watch your local newspapers.
·
LEGISLATIVE
COFFEES: Legislative Coffee Party. State
Senator Dick Cohen and State Representative Matt Entenza
invite you to one of our Neighborhood Coffee Parties to discuss issues facing
the Legislature during the 2004 Session. Everyone is welcome.
o
CPR Members: Individual Case Victories! Be Encouraged!
·
Non-custodial dad
(CH) and his involved new wife (KZH) got their pro se appeal accepted for
consideration at the
·
Non-custodial dad
(SF) did have his child support retroactively modified due to a physical injury.
His modification was done pro se! CPR assisted in the pro se paperwork.
FOR THE ACTIVIST: if you want to do something to help the
cause; if you want to know “how do I get involved?” The problems in family law are bigger than
any one of us can handle, but if we work together we can make a difference. Email
CPR (
CAN YOU HELP US OUT? Specific Organizational Needs for CPR:
Ř
We need help
with our website – if you have that kind of expertise, please let us
know. The expertise must be in html – a little Coldfusion
is helpful. FTP is also required. A team of three people would work really
well, so no one person has to do it alone.
Ř
We need help with administrative
tasks. These tasks need to be done in Little
Ř
We need help making
return phone calls to do the “intake” with new people calling in for
help. The phone is ringing so much – so many people in need, we can’t keep up,
please consider helping. Currently, with limited volunteers, it is difficult to
get back to every person in a timely manner without more volunteers. We need
people to return phone calls (to mostly desperate dads), and ask them questions,
fill out an intake form so that we can get enough of their story to know who to
refer them to and how to best help in a timely an efficient manner.
Ř
We need accounting
skills. To help us with some 501(C)(3) things,
as well as researching some state budget information.
Ř
We need office
space donated. We need at least a good size 12x12 room,
Ř
Any case law or success stories or reports or books on father-custody
or joint physical custody – please pass along the information to info@cpr-mn.org. Our next meeting in February
will focus on CUSTODY.
LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP YOU.
WE ARE A 100% VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION. We are only
as good as you help us be. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HELP YOU and your SPECIFIC
SITUATION, BUT WE MUST WORK AS A TEAM TO HELP EACH OTHER. There are more needs
than volunteers.
SPECIAL NOTE:
PLEASE FORWARD
THIS EMAIL ALONG TO ANY NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT (or anyone else who is concerned for the non-custodial parent
and the impact on the fractured family, such as: second wife, grandparents,
girlfriends, employers, etc).
WE are EAGER to add the names
of all citizens who are AFFECTED OR INTERESTED
IN HELPING TO REFORM FAMILY LAW AND ANY NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT NEEDING ASSISTANCE
IN THEIR FAMILY LAW CASE.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION
AND WE NEED ALL INTERESTED NAMES so AS A
CONCERNED CITIZEN we can ORGANIZE
AND MOBILIZE
(like Martin Luther King Jr did!) to prove
to legislators that this issue matters to their constituents, and TO ACHIEVE THE GRASS ROOTS
PUSH needed to DRIVE the MUCH NEEDED Family Law REFORM.
Please forward names to CPR of other citizens interested in these issues. We
want to add them to our list to keep people informed and show legislators there
is a LONG list of effected and interested people in
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