[HPN] 'Deadbeat Dad' Database Endangers Everyone (Commentary)

unclescam unclescam@buskers.org
Fri, 25 Feb 2000 21:55:03 -0500


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well bill i guess we should get outa the system. don'nt work over the
table n don't take government money. if they give you anything yer on a
list. can't use banks or star cards or even be on the internet another
list n as the list is on a computer ,as all are, i think i wanna own
that computer. nah, i'd have to get on a list. stay cool old boy.
there's social security to retire on. i own that..
uncle scam
everybodies uncle

William Tinker wrote:

>
>
>                                [Image]
>                            April 30, 1998
>
>              'Deadbeat Dad' Database Endangers Everyone
>
>                            by Doug Bandow
>          Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

        In a well-meaning effort to catch "deadbeat dads,"
        Republicans added a measure to the '96 Welfare Reform Act
        to set up a national database that will catch everyone --
        even those who aren't deadbeats or dads.

        The new system will certainly track down parents who don't
        pay child support. But the law, however effective, is a
        dangerous extension of federal power that will ultimately
        be misused. Congress shot a blunderbuss, with every
        working American a target.

        Hitting up deadbeat dads -- and deadbeat moms as the case
        may be -- would seem to hold great promise. Even if the
        amount of child support collected is small, the simple act
        of holding deadbeat dads liable should make them ponder
        more carefully their decision to have children.

        The problem of welfare is at bottom a problem of fathers.
        Children in female-headed households are more likely to
        live in poverty. Such families are more likely to collect
        public assistance. And men who aren't held responsible for
        fathering children are more likely to sire illegitimate
        children.

        The database idea has precedent. California passed a law
        in '92 requiring companies with five or more employees in
        17 different industries to report all new hires within 30
        days who are older than l8 and earn more than $300 a
        month. Firms had to include the workers' names and Social
        Security numbers. (So much for the old promise never to
        use Social Security numbers for anything other than Social
        Security.)
        -----------------------------------------------------------

             People's privacy is already under assault at
             almost every turn. The deadbeat dad registry
             demonstrates yet again how it is government that
             most threatens our freedom.

        -----------------------------------------------------------

        Coneress voted in '96 to take the California program
        national. Now all the states must create comparable
        systems. All companies must report the names and Social
        Security numbers of new hires and reported deadbeats,
        along with the date they started work, within 20 calendar
        days. Come May 1, states will also have to compare Social
        Security numbers of new hires and reported deadbeats.

        That's all well and good. But where in the Constitution
        does Washington get the power to order states to create
        employment databases?

        Congress is run by Republicans who regularly proclaim
        states' rights and inveigh against unfunded mandates Yet
        here they've passed a serious intrusion into states'
        rights and an enormous expansion of unfunded mandates.

        And is it appropriate to impose such a regulatory burden
        on private business? The cost may be modest compared to
        many other federal dictates. But the cumulative effect of
        these rules is immense

        A Federally mandated employment database is inconsistent
        with a free society. Government should not know where
        everyone in America works. Nor should government be able
        to track people as they change jobs. A truly limited
        national government of enumerated powers has no authority
        to force every company across the nation to turn in a list
        of its new employees.

        Knowledge of everyone's employment could be a powerful
        tool for social control. Once such a list exists,
        politicians will be tempted to expand its uses. Indeed,
        Congress ordered that the hiring data also be used to
        verify eligibility for other welfare programs, as well as
        for managing state employment security and workers'
        compensation programs. And lawmakers will be tempted to
        create other lists -- perhaps of people who purchase guns,
        contract serious diseases, attend particular schools, lose
        court judgments, run up bad debts and so on. All of them
        could serve one useful purpose or another. But all would
        pose a serious threat to freedom.

        People's privacy is already under assault at almost every
        turn. The deadbeat dad registry demonstrates yet again how
        it is government that most threatens our freedom.

        Congress should rescind the State Directory of New Hires.
        Repealing this law may cost the government some money. But
        our liberty is too precious to sell for a few pieces of
        silver.

        Today the list is being used for a good cause. Next time,
        the government's intention may not be so benign.

         (This article originally appeared in Investors Business
                                 Daily.)
>                                [Image]
>

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well bill i guess we should get outa the system. don'nt work over the table
n don't take government money. if they give you anything yer on a list.
can't use banks or star cards or even be on the internet another list n
as the list is on a computer ,as all are, i think i wanna own that computer.
nah, i'd have to get on a list. stay cool old boy. there's social security
to retire on. i own that..

uncle scam
everybodies uncle

William Tinker wrote:

 

April 30, 1998

'Deadbeat Dad' Database Endangers Everyone

by Doug Bandow
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute


 

In a well-meaning effort to catch "deadbeat dads," Republicans added a measure to the '96 Welfare Reform Act to set up a national database that will catch everyone -- even those who aren't deadbeats or dads.

The new system will certainly track down parents who don't pay child support. But the law, however effective, is a dangerous extension of federal power that will ultimately be misused. Congress shot a blunderbuss, with every working American a target.

Hitting up deadbeat dads -- and deadbeat moms as the case may be -- would seem to hold great promise. Even if the amount of child support collected is small, the simple act of holding deadbeat dads liable should make them ponder more carefully their decision to have children.

The problem of welfare is at bottom a problem of fathers. Children in female-headed households are more likely to live in poverty. Such families are more likely to collect public assistance. And men who aren't held responsible for fathering children are more likely to sire illegitimate children.

The database idea has precedent. California passed a law in '92 requiring companies with five or more employees in 17 different industries to report all new hires within 30 days who are older than l8 and earn more than $300 a month. Firms had to include the workers' names and Social Security numbers. (So much for the old promise never to use Social Security numbers for anything other than Social Security.)


People's privacy is already under assault at almost every turn. The deadbeat dad registry demonstrates yet again how it is government that most threatens our freedom.

Coneress voted in '96 to take the California program national. Now all the states must create comparable systems. All companies must report the names and Social Security numbers of new hires and reported deadbeats, along with the date they started work, within 20 calendar days. Come May 1, states will also have to compare Social Security numbers of new hires and reported deadbeats.

That's all well and good. But where in the Constitution does Washington get the power to order states to create employment databases?

Congress is run by Republicans who regularly proclaim states' rights and inveigh against unfunded mandates Yet here they've passed a serious intrusion into states' rights and an enormous expansion of unfunded mandates.

And is it appropriate to impose such a regulatory burden on private business? The cost may be modest compared to many other federal dictates. But the cumulative effect of these rules is immense

A Federally mandated employment database is inconsistent with a free society. Government should not know where everyone in America works. Nor should government be able to track people as they change jobs. A truly limited national government of enumerated powers has no authority to force every company across the nation to turn in a list of its new employees.

Knowledge of everyone's employment could be a powerful tool for social control. Once such a list exists, politicians will be tempted to expand its uses. Indeed, Congress ordered that the hiring data also be used to verify eligibility for other welfare programs, as well as for managing state employment security and workers' compensation programs. And lawmakers will be tempted to create other lists -- perhaps of people who purchase guns, contract serious diseases, attend particular schools, lose court judgments, run up bad debts and so on. All of them could serve one useful purpose or another. But all would pose a serious threat to freedom.

People's privacy is already under assault at almost every turn. The deadbeat dad registry demonstrates yet again how it is government that most threatens our freedom.

Congress should rescind the State Directory of New Hires. Repealing this law may cost the government some money. But our liberty is too precious to sell for a few pieces of silver.

Today the list is being used for a good cause. Next time, the government's intention may not be so benign.

(This article originally appeared in Investors Business Daily.)

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