December 12, 1997

KCRW

ATTN: Sarah Spitz, Producer, Left, Right & Center RE: Comment/Show Topic

1900 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 450-7172 FAX

Dear Matt and Arianna,

I was disappointed that you let Robert Scheer hide an interesting fact, during the brief discussion of Mr. Pratt (?), the black man that Johnny Cochran represented many years ago who was unfairly jailed and just recently released.

The most revealing thing, that no one brought up, is that Johnny Cochran dumped Pratt after losing his case. It was a white attorney that picked up Mr. Pratt’s case, worked many long years with no publicity and when this attorney finally won Mr. Pratt’s freedom - who was in front of all the cameras, talking to the reporters and taking all the credit? Our friend, Johnny Cochran.

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An interesting and timely topic you may wish to discuss on Right, Left & Center is the out-of-control disaster we call "Child Support." It’s a system designed for failure because it ignores reality and violates constitutional rights. Consider the following:

The courts overwhelmingly discriminate against men in custody cases.

Child support payments are not based on your income, but what the courts "think" you could earn (imputed earnings).

Courts force you to go into debt to pay support and will jail you if it isn’t paid - that’s debtor’s prison and unconstitutional.

The custodial parents does not have to prove that support money was in fact actually spent on the children.

In court, you are not allowed to ask for proof that the custodial parent is spending child support on the child (contempt of court).

Child support has become "big business" so no one wants to change the system. California recently canceled a computer project after spending over $100M. Lockheed Martin, the project’s contractor and the largest defense contractor in the world, reports that "this [child support collection systems] is "our fastest-growing line of business" in the 11/21/97 LA Times.

Nobody is looking after the child. The more people and groups (e.g. Children First) say they are concerned with the children, the less they really are. They are using children as pawns in their money or re-election game.

I have enclosed two letters that you may find enlightening. For more details, please call, email (ancpr@ancpr.org) or visit our web site: www.ancpr.org.

Sincerely,

John Smith

For more information please contact:

Lowell Jaks, President
Alliance for Non-Custodial Parents Rights