Ep# 3 "Family Law Industrial Complex" w/ Mike Valenzuela
”The state are trafficking our children for profit - that is the bottom line.” – Mike Valenzuela DESCRIPTION OF GUEST: Mike Valenzuela is a former U.S. Naval Aviator, who flew F-18’s and served as “on air” Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the navy in both public facing (The History Channel) and internal (U.S. Navy training videos) capacities. After breaking his back in 4 places, Mike was forced to leave the Navy, which gave him a front row seat to the ineptitude and dilapidated nature of the VA, after a harrowing experience in navigating his rightful VA benefits, Mike has become an advocate for VA reform. As the father of a young child, Mike unfortunately has ample experience with a family court system, which Mike claims has become an industrial complex unto itself. In today’s conversation with Mike, we learn about the family court industrial complex, and the dangers of profit motives in family courts. LINKS / COMMENTS / POINTS of CLARIFICATION: 8:26 - Social Security Act Title IV A through E https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title04/0400.htm 9:30 - Native American children routinely removed by states to earn federal money (billions of dollars) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Child_Welfare_Act Seattle Times article - Tribe takes control of child welfare from state 10:02 Federal money comes from giving more custody to one parent over another www.ssa.gov INCENTIVE PAYMENTS TO STATES