From: karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger)
Subject: Re: Indiana Welfare
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 05:07:03 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: MCSNet, Chicago, IL

In article <qyqZXB1w165w@oneb2.almanac.bc.ca> lisa@oneb2.almanac.bc.ca writes:
>>
>Does anyone HONESTLY believe that $432/month is enough for one adult
>and one child to live on???  The other figures seem ridiculously,
>unrealistically LOW, too!

No, but I do believe that ~$250/month is a reasonable incremental cost
for a second person in the household.  In fact, I <know> that it is, as
I have been in exactly this position.

>professing your love and dedication as a parent, ought to look at this a
>little closer. $148/month???  Give me a break!
>
>I guess $148/mo. should be adequate for food costs.  

$148.00 is adaquate for food for <one> person?!  I could feed at least two
off that for a month without <any> trouble at all!  Now, I grant you this
does not allow for meals out and such, but those are <luxuries>, not
necessities.  

>But what about clothes,
>school supplies, shelter, braces and (God forbid!) baseball gloves or birthday,
>Easter and Christmas gifts?  

Clothes aren't <that> expensive, unless you insist on having the "best" and
the most fashionable every month.  Then they can be outrageous.  Again, this
is a luxury.

Shelter is not much more expensive for two than for one.  In fact, it
doesn't have to be <any> more expensive.  I've had to do this in the past
(double up); its certainly doable.

School supplies aren't very expensive either, unless you like (again)
designer crap that is hardly necessary.

Braces are frequently covered by health (dental) insurance.

Gifts?  If both parents were <jointly> parenting, then both could buy them,
couldn't they?

>What about enough for the CP to pay for Life
>Insurance so that there's something left to raise the kids on should the
>unthinkable happen?  I just can't believe that anyone living in the real
>world could honestly believe that $432/mo. is adequate for a parent and child
>to live on.  How many of you live on that for just yourself, month after month
>and year after year? 

If something unthinkable happens to the CP there is always the NCP who can
become the CP isn't there?  What's the problem there?

>(Sure as hell won't pay your University tuition for long...
>not everyone can get scholarships, you know).

Nor is a University education a <guaranteed benefit> for someone.  I paid
for my own college, and so can a kid who really wants to go.

>> Based on my experience with economic models for child costs it would
>> appear to me that a reasonable estimate based on the above numbers
>> for the first child is about $160/month.

>A "reasonable estimate"?  I'm appalled.
>
>Lisa
>Founder, P.E.R.C.S. (Parents for Enforcing Regular Child Support)
>Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada // Courtesy of the old coot hisse'f!

Not surprising, considering that you want some PERCS from the system.

How about, instead of raising support levels, or having outrageous estimates
(it certainly doesn't cost an EXTRA $500/month to have another person in the
house) we do something reasonable and have the kids split their time
half-half with the parents?  Then you don't have to do "support", since each
parent is already <providing> half the support inherently.

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
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