Eliminating Black fathers’ child support debt in California will only serve to further break down the Black family and harm single mothers and their children, Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder said.
The California Reparations Task Force’s final report released last month included a recommendation to eliminate interest on past-due child support as well as any accrued interest on existing child support debt for Black residents of the state. It also suggested providing forgiveness for some low-income debt holders.
“It’s irresponsible,” Elder told Fox News. “It will probably hurt the very people that people on the left purport to care about.”
CUTTING CHILD SUPPORT DEBT WILL HURT MOTHERS AND KIDS: LARRY ELDER
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The nearly 1,100-page document said the 10% interest the state charges on owed child support hinders the ability to finance education, attend job training, find employment and maintain housing because of the legal consequences of delinquency. That can include withholding wages, placing a lien on the parent’s property, harming their credit score, suspending their driver’s license and possibly jail time.
The task force recommended amending California law to allow compromise and forgiveness for child support debt holders based on a parent’s financial circumstances and ability to pay. The Reparations Task Force didn’t offer recourse for single parents who wouldn’t receive the full child support payments they’re owed.
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The California Reparations Task Force claims the state’s laws on child support contribute to the historical wrongdoing of Black Californians. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There’s a reason why you have child support, and that is because you are, in my opinion, morally responsible, financially responsible for the children that you bring into the world,” Elder said. “If you forgive them from paying their child support in full, you’re probably going to create an even greater instance in which men irresponsibly breed knowing that they won’t be financially responsible for the children that they bring into the world.”
The report stated that “discriminatory” laws “have torn African American families apart” and that there’s a “disproportionate amount of African Americans who are burdened with child support debt.” It noted that California’s interest rate is two and a half times higher than the national average.
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“I just see a bunch of people asking for money, a bunch of people making demands of people that had nothing to do with whatever plight they’re complaining about,” Elder said. “It’s asinine.”
“The whole panel was designed to basically extract money from other people. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Black people are just eternal victims in America,” he added. “We’re not responsible for our own conditions right now as we speak.”
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The task force’s report is a culmination of two years of research into the historical discrimination Black Californians and their ancestors faced in the state, and offers a list of recommendations for how the state can compensate Black residents for the long-term effects of slavery.
The state legislature will now determine what aspects of the report, including monetary compensation for Black residents, it will approve or deny.
