Child Support

William Comanor’s theory (Commentary, Feb. 22) about fathers willingly paying child support if they are allowed to see their children only works if you believe that all these nonpaying, absent fathers (or mothers) really want to see their children. As a single parent who raised two children without support, I can tell you that my experience is the norm rather than the exception. The real tragedy here is that absent fathers do far more harm to their children by their physical absence than they do by their failure to financially support them.

As for Comanor’s statistics that only 40% of a woman’s income goes to support her child, what planet did he fall from? When you have a child to care for, everything is more costly. Larger housing is necessary, more food consumed, clothing, medical/dental necessities, educational needs, child care and, yes, even recreational needs do not come cheap. A single woman can live quite frugally by herself. The bottom line is, of course, that it takes two parents to make a child and two should be involved to the very end--emotionally and financially.

SANDRA GEORGE

Beverly Hills