THE BOYS ARE BACK!
This was the year that I have hoped for for decades and will never forget. I am so proud of my sons. Just wishing the third had been with us.
Tuesday 31 December 2013
Friday 4 October 2013
No slip betwixt cup and lip!
I tried to post the entered judgement with The Judge's reasons, but it didn't work. "Relief" doesn't begin to cover how I feel. When injustice is a part of your life for so long, it takes a while to adjust. Of course, I still can't go to California without the risk of being thrown into prison, but hey, I don't have to worry about FMEP cancelling my driver's license (which they did in the past), attaching my wages (ditto), ruining my credit (several dittos, ongoing until now, except for the couple of years that they accepted that I had paid in full before reneging and starting all over again), scooping all my GST rebates ( I was poor, remember???), sending frequent dunning letters ("you are a BAAAD person, and we will do nasty things to you until you send us every cent you have!"), and generally making me relive the horrible experience that I had with the divorce and the California legal system.
Again, I have to thank my lawyer Jack Hittrich, for taking a big risk with my case, going to California with me to fight there (they refused to let him speak to the case and actually removed him from the court because he was a foreigner, and so had no standing in an "American" courtroom. The Judge wasn't even a real judge! She was a "master", which is a lawyer able to deal with the meaningless trivia that annoys "real" judges in their system: like ordinary peoples' lives. It so smacks of the arrogance of impunity.
There was a lot that I was uncomfortable with, when I lived in the States. Moving to Canada in 1991 felt like coming home, even though I hadn't lived here very long, and that was as a baby. There is a different feel to Canada. Not to say that Americans are bad people, they're just people. But the culture there is so much more one of constant fear. Americans accept that, Canadians don't, yet.
I grew up admiring the "Spirit of America." I don't see that spirit anymore. I see a beaten down, and growing, underclass; a shrinking and complacent middle class, pacified with bread and circuses (yes, that IS a Roman Empire reference); and a ravening bunch of wolves that are truly accountable to no one except each other. There are good people in all these groups, but they are powerless against the unaccountable ones.
Again, I have to thank my lawyer Jack Hittrich, for taking a big risk with my case, going to California with me to fight there (they refused to let him speak to the case and actually removed him from the court because he was a foreigner, and so had no standing in an "American" courtroom. The Judge wasn't even a real judge! She was a "master", which is a lawyer able to deal with the meaningless trivia that annoys "real" judges in their system: like ordinary peoples' lives. It so smacks of the arrogance of impunity.
There was a lot that I was uncomfortable with, when I lived in the States. Moving to Canada in 1991 felt like coming home, even though I hadn't lived here very long, and that was as a baby. There is a different feel to Canada. Not to say that Americans are bad people, they're just people. But the culture there is so much more one of constant fear. Americans accept that, Canadians don't, yet.
I grew up admiring the "Spirit of America." I don't see that spirit anymore. I see a beaten down, and growing, underclass; a shrinking and complacent middle class, pacified with bread and circuses (yes, that IS a Roman Empire reference); and a ravening bunch of wolves that are truly accountable to no one except each other. There are good people in all these groups, but they are powerless against the unaccountable ones.
Thursday 26 September 2013
I have been fighting the Province of BC, FMEP (family maintenance enforcement program), and others for some ten years. I went to court today and got a judgement (second one, actually, but nobody would recognize the first one from 1997???).
I won. 100%.
It was all wrong from day one, and the judge said so in no uncertain terms. He actually commended me for my tenacity, honesty, and efforts to do the right thing through the 23 years that I have struggled with this. He slammed the State of California, Alameda County District Attorney's office, for their arrogance and inflexibility, and FMEP for helping them be that way. He concluded that "reciprocal agreements" ARE in fact reciprocal, or they aren't valid in law. Thank goodness we have strong ties to British Common Law and the concept of "equity". The Americans have abandoned it, in their legal system, along with their original concepts of freedom and justice for all.
My thanks to the Judge, for actually reading and understanding what was before him in evidence. BIG thanks to Jack Hittrich, for sticking with it, and me, for all these 10 years and not just giving up the fight. He told me today that he had consulted several other lawyers that told him we'd never win. Well, we did. PPFFFFT!
PS: California, one size does NOT fit all, in laws that apply to people. You have to be able to vary according to circumstances. That is a key to the concept of Equity.
I won. 100%.
It was all wrong from day one, and the judge said so in no uncertain terms. He actually commended me for my tenacity, honesty, and efforts to do the right thing through the 23 years that I have struggled with this. He slammed the State of California, Alameda County District Attorney's office, for their arrogance and inflexibility, and FMEP for helping them be that way. He concluded that "reciprocal agreements" ARE in fact reciprocal, or they aren't valid in law. Thank goodness we have strong ties to British Common Law and the concept of "equity". The Americans have abandoned it, in their legal system, along with their original concepts of freedom and justice for all.
My thanks to the Judge, for actually reading and understanding what was before him in evidence. BIG thanks to Jack Hittrich, for sticking with it, and me, for all these 10 years and not just giving up the fight. He told me today that he had consulted several other lawyers that told him we'd never win. Well, we did. PPFFFFT!
PS: California, one size does NOT fit all, in laws that apply to people. You have to be able to vary according to circumstances. That is a key to the concept of Equity.
Sunday 22 September 2013
Back in court Wednesday, September 25th
Once more into the breach! Hoping for some certainty after all these years. Regardless of the outcome, I will be asking for an order that FMEP not be allowed to renege, again.
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