The Struggle Continues, only a Different Day.

   Yes, it's been a while since I've been here to post anything, I've been struggling to make ends meet in this depression we are currently in. I just lost a job about 3 weeks ago now and it was all over a wage issue. I was hired at making a minimum of $28.00 per hour and my boss comes to me one day, pulls me aside and says,"We're gonna put you on another job, supervising a crew of 8 men but the Federal Scale is only $15.80". What happened next is how I lost my cool and my job. I was currently on a Federal D.C. Scale job where I had been Supervisor and pulled the performance rate out of the gutter and into the open field, where we had the ball in our court as a contractor. I was making $44.00 an hr. and we were coming down the home stretch of the job and the Owner's son comes to me with this news, keep in mind he's only taking my position to reap the benefits of finishing the job ahead of schedule. So, I'm out, he's in and he figures that he'll be shining when the job closes and he gets bonus after bonus. So I'm saying to him that he cannot pay me less if I was hired "On paper" @ $28.00 an hour. His reply, "I can pay you whatever the District of Columbia is offering on this Federal Scale job". I saw RED. I began to tell him of all the things that I've done to earn my wages, I told him that I knew what his intentions where and Finally, I told him where he could shove his Federal Scale wages.
   So, now I am expecting the threatening letters from the County I live in, and ultimately a big, fat Court Date. Not to worry, I have landed a pretty secured (Knock on wood) interview on 09/01/2011, so I can only wait for that interview and watch the dollars add up that I owe my suffering Custodial Parent. It is so difficult not to be so full of Contempt & Hate but it literally hangs over my head with every move I make, "IF" & only "IF" I were of the High Society, I could either A.) Afford an attorney to fight my previous employer in court or B.) Not be in this situation in the first place due to my status, there-in lies the problem my fellows, the system is only good for the ones that stay stuck in it.

Isn't It About Time We Unite?

   I think it's about time we unite as Fathers that are being treated like complete dead-beats. For the 96 hours out of a complete month that I get to see my 2 Daughters, they are treated better than their alcoholic Mother treats them and the sad thing about it is; My Daughters tell me that they hate their home, they don't want to go with their own Mother. What child on this planet doesn't yearn to be with their own Mother? I know I certainly did when I was young.
   The Child Custody laws are so out-dated, unrealistic, biased (Openly) and no one seems to be concerned about this as an issue of failing families. I've worked in the construction trade for over 16 years and I've heard Men tell me some of most hanus, sickest terms of child support that all I could do was say, "Man, I wish there was something I could do to help you Brother", and the sad truth was, there wasn't. He and many other Men I spoke to about my personal case were put through the ringer just like I was. I'm not even going to get into my court case because I believe personal information should be kept personal.
   I've struggled for (6) Years nows to make my $1,200.00 a month "Obligation", as a member of the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #100, sometimes I get laid off and I have no way to afford a place of my own to live, so I live in my Parents' basement apartment and w/o them I'd be living in a shelter or sleeping on a friend's couch. As a 33 year old Father, this is humiliating and there is no chance of me obtaining a home loan with my credit being destroyed after my divorce. She left as soon as I took on a 30 year fixed mortgage with the payments at $1,479.00. I completely thought we'd be living there and I could watch my family grow and the whole thing was turned up-side down in 3 months time. Well, that's enough of my story, all of you Men out there who want to comment or join through using my email which I will post in each post, please feel free, because as soon as we have enough people power, we can take our protest to whatever State Capital You live near. I live in Maryland, so anyone in MD. please any Man that is fed up with the laws in your state that punish you for being a good Father and you're tired of getting a bad Rep on the account of a few bad apples, then please send me an email@ kickdrumkc@gmail.com. My Mailing address:
attn:  C.T.B.
851 lower marlboro Road  Huntingtown, MD.  20639