What is a Deadbeat dad?

I am posting this under my wifes login. The term deadbeat dad gets thrown around with ease in American Society. Is it just a matter of not paying child support owed? I would like to say no, there are many circumstances why a deadbeat dad or mother does not/can not pay child support. However in this instance, I would like to write about our situation and why I think our particular situation constitutes the father a deadbeat dad. It really is more than just not paying child support. We do not receive child support although it is ordered. We did at one time but that stopped 7 months ago when he allegedly got laid off. Well first thing I would like to establish the fathers attitude towards it and his personality or lack there of. This will also demonstrate why he is a deadbeat aside from just not paying for his kids. He is the stereotypical Weekend Warrior, Disneyland "dad". His idea of raising kids is all about fun, give them what they want and they will love you a life time. He has also stated that he shouldn't have to pay for them if he doesn't have them. He has also told me that it isn't his fault that I don't have a good enough job to pay for HIS kids. I have had the same job for 4 years, he has had 4 in three years. Now he is remarried and has a kid with another woman who shares his sentiments. We have gone round and round with these two. It is very frustrating, we have dealt with lies and deciet for a few years. The "dad's" M.O. is to lie. He has lied most of his life. He has lied about what he does for a living, how much he makes, his education (lack of) and other numerous lies. This behavior just doesnt hurt us, it has hurt other people around him. Not just in an emotional sense but a financial one. He was stealing from his then girlfriend and telling her it was to help pay child support. When I confronted her, she claimed she was helping, I had to break it to her, no he isn't. "But we have receipts". Yeah, well any one can get those receipt type things at a local office supply store, the ones that hand write. I told her, well you supply receipts to court. I think it made her think. But in July of 08, my wife noticed she wasn't getting child support any more. Her last payment was in late June. She ended up calling his employer to speak with him, only to be told he is no longer employed. Why didn't she just contact the "dad" in the first place. Simple, he would have lied and said there is a mistake with him not paying. She confronted him with this and he told her, he was hoping she wouldnt find out until he got another job. During Christmas time he found money to send his kids stuff. "Mostly clothes" he said, it turned out is was mostly toys. That is fine, some fathers don't send a thing, however the principal of things. These kids need clothes too and hardly any clothes doesnt help. As it is, we are single family income right now. We have a total of four kids. Two between us and two with my wife and ex-husband. Before there was a custody order and support order, he tried to get full custody of his kids by stating he can buy them toys. He mentioned some other things as well, but the first thing he mentioned was toys. This has been his theme from day one. Over the last few months he has made claims he will be getting money via unemployment from various surrounding states. His most recent one was, that he has been approved in an adjacent state and will be receiving it so we should be soon too. That was three weeks ago. Now to our knowledge and since we have been tuned into each job he has held over the last three years, we know he never worked in this adjacent state. How he would be getting unemployment is beyond us, unless he held a second job we are unaware of or he is attempting to defraud OR throw us off. He refuses to talk to CSE division where we live (we live nearly 3000 miles apart from him). He wants his ex wife to do it. I theorize it is a deterrent to keep the CSE looking in the wrong direction. Oh well, we have no control how CSE handles things (which appears that they don't handle anything). So my wife informs them of his claim so they can look into it. And since that date, neither CSE or him have mentioned a word about it. Now are in a financial crisis with things and he is sitting back and enjoying his wannabe yuppie lifestyle. Not to mention and support another reason he is a deadbeat, is that his oldest child is now in her first year of school and he never asks how she is doing. In fact, my wife has to bring it to his attention. There is no co-parenting at all. He does not want to talk to my wife about things when they arise and has also a habit of hanging up when he is done talking to his kids instead of addressing issues. We have never stopped him from seeing his kids, he talks to them when he calls. When he was out of a job 7 months ago, he was taking his kids to the fair and out to different activities but can't support his children financially. In the end what it boils down to with him, he thinks my wife is getting a free ride with "his" money and we are living it up. He believes his kids will love them more by giving them what they want as opposed to what they need. The lists go on and on when it comes to proof of his behavior and how he carries himself as a father. However this blog could go on for eternity if I were to demonstrate all of his behavior when it comes to this situation