European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 13, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 11 parents who owe support tracked companies use computers to find people who Don t pay Baltimore a Jeff English is a private detective who tracks Down child support scofflaws but he does no to Wear a Trench coat or pack a pistol. You re More Likely to find him dressed in a suit sitting in front of a computer screen. English is president of National child support services inc., one of a rapidly growing number of Small companies that use data bases and old fashioned Arm twisting to catch up with delinquent dads. The companies have sprung up in the last year because government agencies have been unable to Clamp Down on millions of divorced parents who refuse to pay up. The businesses charge a fee a usually 25 percent of delinquent payments recovered a on the theory that getting some Money is better than none. Since National child support was formed in March nearly 200 clients have signed up said English 40, himself a divorced father who pays child support. A a in a a businessman. I saw an Opportunity that was unique. You could go out and serve a very important social need and make a profit at the same time a he said. Seventy such companies have opened in 32 states in just Over a year said Charles Drake a san Antonio Texas collection agent who began marketing. A _. 1th collection association. The idea in March 1991 through a Trade group called the american child support a government agencies Are trying to do a Good Job however they re inundated with cases a Drake said. But some Legal experts said privatizing child support collection is unfortunate Given the governments traditional role in the area and the nature of the business. A it feels like we re abdicating our collective responsibility for each other and behaving As if these Are things the for profit sector should be taking Over. I find that trend alarming a said Daniel l. Greenberg a family Law expert at Harvard Law school in Cambridge mass. The trend also dismay David Levy president of the children a rights Council in Washington a group that advocates joint custody arrangements with More rights for fathers. A we have to demilitarized the divorce process and emphasize conciliation and mediation. Then Well find a lot of these problems take care of themselves a Levy said. Last year the . Census Bureau reported that 4.9 million women were sup used to receive child support during 989. Half received less than they were owed and one Quarter did no to get any child support payments at All. English maintained that 90 percent of the delinquent payments involve fathers and the average person owes Between $10,000 and $15,000. Many delinquent dads Are easy to find. A Quick Check through a computerized credit history can often turn up an address a Job income and other financial information. Next National sends a threatening letter. After that it s phone Calls visits and ultimately a court petition to Garnish the scofflaws wages. If the target remains elusive English tracks him through past employers family members or friends. If he Trees the state the company works with similar firms in the new state. While government agencies can take the same measures to collect delinquent payments English said they usually Don t because of a Lack of staff. National Hasni to recovered much Money yet. The company is prevented from helping families on welfare because Federal Law awards Money recovered on their behalf to the  feline Battle hymn a grand Champion solid Cream persian sits atop his personal Couch wednesday at a preview for the International cat show. More than 800 cats Are expected at the weekend show at the Anaheim calif., convention Center. Baptists target television shows for society s moral breakdown by George w. Cornell a religion writer Indianapolis a Southern baptists criticizing what they called a the moral breakdown in our society a accused television networks thursday of promoting immorality and demanded that Public schools quit giving out condoms. The baptists in the final Day of their three Day annual convention also encouraged the boy scouts of America to continue to ban homosexuals from leadership positions and to retain the pledge of duty to god in the scouts oath. Delegates to the 15.2 million member denominations convention also passed resolutions against suicide abortion and abortion related research and said failing to observe the sunday Sabbath in religious ways was helping cause a the moral breakdown in our  in a Resolution condemning the distribution of condoms in Public schools the delegates expressed a moral outrage at this unprecedented usurpation of parental rights and violation of family  several Urban school systems have begun passing out condoms to students who ask for them primarily As a Way of reducing the risk of aids transmission. Delegates urged that schools stress abstinence and that the condom programs be outlawed. A the dangerous myth of a Safe sex continues to claim victims including Young children in Public schools a a convention Resolution stated. The convention also charged that television was exerting a corrupting influence on societal values. A the viewing Public is bombarded with themes plots images and advertisements which promote and glorify sexual promiscuity violence and other forms of immorality a the convention said. It said such Content encourages premarital sex adultery homosexuality rape and violence. A we encourage All christians to Register their outrage and opposition to this misuse of the Public airways and Cable Access a the Southern baptists said in a Resolution. The convention noting that the Church opposes most abortions condemned As unethical the use of aborted fetal tissue for research purposes. The delegates also condemned efforts to overturn a Federal moratorium on such research. Church representatives also assailed what they said was a growing acceptance of euthanasia and assisted suicide. They urged governments to prosecute anyone involved in such practices. In standing up for the boy scouts the delegates said the group had fallen under attack from atheists and homosexuals. Firm sued Over hair replacements Philadelphia up a ten balding men have filed a Federal lawsuit against a new Jersey hair replacement company contending that its hair transplant procedure consisted of sewing a bad wig onto their Eads. The lawsuit was filed against International cosmetics laboratories of Cinnaminson township on behalf of 10 men from Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware and Vermont. The lawsuit says the transplant procedure involved sewing a wig onto the Scalp a process that caused constant pain and left ugly scars. A a couple of these Guys got so scarred up that they looked they a been wearing a Crown of thorns a said Philadelphia attorney Philip Rush. A it was Frankenstein  the suit also alleges that because the wigs were stitched to their Heads the men were unable to properly clean them giving them a a foul and unpleasant  the process costs up to $2,200. Rush said the company has been around for about 15 years preying on balding men in their 20s who arc looking for an alternative to wigs. The company would not comment  cancer easier to find but death rates still Rise Atlanta apr deaths from prostate cancer Are increasing despite improved methods of Early detection Federal health officials report. The increased death rate raises questions about the benefits of newer and More expensive tests to detect the disease said Ron Aubert an epidemiologist for the centers for disease control. A there is clearly something going on. Its becoming a growing Public health problem a Aubert said. A but there Are studies that Are needed to evaluate the Benefit of screening and Early detection. A a we re not to the Point that organizations feel comfortable making recommendations that people get these Early screenings As they have with breast and cervical  the Atlanta based cd said thursday that deaths from prostate cancer increased 7.5 percent among White men and 5.9 percent among Black men from 1980 to 1988, the latest year for which figures were available. In 1980, about 17.3 White men per 100,000 a or a total of 19,095 a died from prostate cancer. The rate reached 18.6 in 1988, when the total was 24,175. For Blacks the rate was 37.4 deaths per 100,000 in 1980 a total of 3,670 and 39.6 in 1988 a a total of 4,581. The american cancer society predicts 34,000 deaths in the United states this year from prostate cancer. Prostate cancer generally occurs in men Over age 50. The risk increases with age. Doctors generally Check for tutors with a rectal examination which is included in a routine physical. But some men opt for More expensive tests. The prostate specific Antigen test about $75, screens blood samples for e1-evated Levels of an Antigen associated with the prostate but critics warn that the Levels can increase for reasons other than tutors. Also available is ultrasound in which sound Waves can detect Small tutors. It generally costs More than $100. A despite the improved effectiveness of methods to detect disease at earlier stages these methods have not yet been associated with a reduction in prostate cancer mortality a the cd report said