i don't mean to sound like a michigan-basher. really, i don't. i was really ticked off when the detroit city council ONCE AGAIN showed themselves to be morons with their Africa Town proposal (sheesh). however, i have to rant about mike cox. i have been appalled each time i drive between ann arbor and chicago and see his billboards along I-49 with handcuffs and snarky slogans about putting fathers who don't pay child support behind bars. argh! i'm for collecting child support -- don't get me wrong! -- but i don't know if having people serve jail time makes sense.
anyhow, here's the latest on mike cox and my fave michigan company:

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox unveiled the billboard contest in a 9/23/04 PRNewswire release. According to the release, Michigan children under age 18 are urged to create and submit drawings to Paykids Foundation calling attention to the encouragement of payment of child support. The winning drawing will be used to create a billboard to be placed near a major Michigan highway. Domino's Pizza gift certificates and other prizes, including a school pizza party, will be given to some children who have entered the contest.

i love the mockup of the winning billboard posted here. i mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it's a bad idea to have kids particpating in this sort of contest. i can't remember the last time i agreed with something on Fox News, but an article by Wendy McElroy is, in my humble opinion, hard to argue with:

A child is half mother, half father. What emotional impact does it have on children when a government official urges them to denounce half of who they are? How will it impact a child’s relationship with a noncustodial parent when his or her denunciation is posted for the world to see? And if Cox lives up to the threat posed by the handcuffs portrayed on billboards — if he throws a "deadbeat" parent in jail--will the child live forever with a terrible guilt for having participated in that process?

When a divorce lands in court, children should be insulated as much as possible from adult decisions like alimony and support payments. They should not be bribed with pizzas into becoming part of a legal enforcement process against one parent.

so apparently there was a boycott urged of domino's, and you can still find the contact information for the heros in sr. management at domino's here. apparently they've distanced themselves from the whole debacle, claming their brand and prizes were used without their permission, but i don't know how much i believe that. after all, that company has been associated since founding with crazy-ass causes. so i says, go ahead and write 'em if you'd like, and see what they have to say for themselves.