Child Support

Shock was my reaction to your Feb. 4 editorial extolling the virtues of the California Supreme Court’s ruling endorsing what amounts to involuntary servitude for so-called “deadbeats” who find themselves out of work and unable to meet their usually exorbitant “child support” obligations.

No one would argue that any parent capable of paying support for his or her children should not do so, but there is an unpleasant other side to this story: Every state in the union has an agency that monitors and enforces the payment of child support, but there is not one single agency that enforces and monitors compliance with court-ordered visitation and custody arrangements, leaving the door open for the custodial parent to withhold such visits. Also, there is absolutely no accountability for the way child support payments are spent. And, even if the noncustodial parent contributes more than the custodial parent to the child’s welfare, he or she is not entitled to the standard income tax deduction.

CURTIS B. WARREN

Palm Springs