My name is Bridget Peterson. I work for Towards Employment, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio as a Paralegal. Towards Employment is a non-profit organization which provides job readiness and placement for individuals on welfare or have criminal convictions. The issue facing our clients, besides the barrier of having criminal records, is child support. This problem is so out of control. For example, 80% of our clients who graduate have suspended driver's licenses. Out of that 80%, more than half our suspended due to non payment of child support. Now it is my understanding that the State of Ohio intends on making it harder for these men and women to release their suspensions. This is absurd. I have clients in their 50's who are suspended because they owe only $1500.00, and their children are grown and in college. The State does not even offer to give them a chance to get their license unless they have money and/or a job. No wonder Cuyahoga County has the highest employment rate. These people are in a catch 22. They can't win. My idea is, give them a chance, one chance and if that doesn't work, ok, then put the more restrictive sanctions on them. Another issue is the guidelines. I have a client who has to pay $776 a month on a minumum wage job. How is suppose to live. And, they wonder why some people just won't work. Come on now, you do the math. This gentlemen would have a gross income of $437.00. Could you live off of that? The State won't modify because mother is on welfare. Right now, where are economy stands, its hard enough for someone with a driver's license, experience, degrees, and no felonies to obtain employment. Imagine how difficult is for the people Towards Employment serves. Thank you for listening.