Nation heading wrong direction
Has anybody noticed how much our country is turning communist? Not only is our government using our tax dollars to bail out industry and banks instead of bailing out the very people that make industries and banks work, but our government has borrowed from the communist country of China. I’m really curious to know what the payment plan and interest rate is on this loan?
And, of course, the news is saying that our gasoline prices are speculated to go up to $4 to $5 a gallon due to summer travel coming on. I’m sure the many thousand that are still laid off are thrilled to hear this.
Even our freedom of speech is in danger and the more our voices are censored, the more the government is going to run over the very people that made it. It seems that if people speak out against what’s not right, just and fair, there’s a big temper tantrum by people that don’t care about what goes on in this world but themselves.
It is said that money is the root of all evil. Greed is our biggest enemy. Even California considered making marijuana legal just so they could tax it due to their states financial problems.
I guess what I’m trying to say is you don’t do something “wrong” just to make things better for yourself. Just because it “feels” good doesn’t mean it is right!
Rex Gangloff
Camden
Be on lookout for latest scam
There’s a new scam every day. A census worker needs your Social Security number to verify your identity. A “charity” needs your bank account number to provide health care to Haitian children. An e-mail needs you to click on a link for a “free” trial offer.
National Consumer Protection week is March 7-13.
Here are some general tips to avoid scams:
1. Don’t give out your Social Security, Medicare and bank account numbers over the telephone. They can be used against you. So can information such as the names of your children or grandchildren.
2. Beware of callers who say they’re from an organization such as Medicare, and they need to know your Medicare number. If they truly were from Medicare, they wouldn’t need to ask. Nor would they call or visit your home unless you called them first.
3. Never purchase items online from a Web site that you’ve found from an e-mail link. It could be a fraudulent site. If you know the name of an organization you want to do business with, go to the Web site on your own. Only buy from secure Web sites — those with “https” as part of their web addresses.
4. If a charity calls wanting a donation, and you’d like to donate, hang up, look up the name of the charity and call yourself. The caller might not have been from the organization at all, or might have been a middleman who funnels little of the donation to the charity.
The Senior Medicare Patrol program, funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, educates and empowers seniors to prevent, identify and report health care fraud and abuse. If you’re an older American or the family member, caregiver or friend of one, the SMP can help. Contact your local area agency on aging at 800-986-3505 for more information if you think you’ve been scammed or to volunteer to prevent others from being scammed.
National Consumer Protection week is a coordinated consumer education campaign. For more information, go to http://consumer.gov/ncpw/.
Tamra Simpson
Senior Medicare Patrol Program Director
Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging
