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TODAY'S
ISSUE
CCCS offers tax time
tips as April 15 filing date approaches
By
Mark Cole
Chief Operating Officer, Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Special to GwinnettForum.com
MARCH 29, 2005 -- This time every year Uncle Sam becomes a part
of consumers' financial lives. Many will owe a tax payment and not
have the money to pay. Others will receive a tax refund and -- a
month later -- have no idea where the money went.
Cole |
Suzanne Boas, president of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service
of Greater Atlanta, says: "Consumers often make financial mistakes
at tax time. Taking the time to prepare early and budget for tax
payments or to use a tax refund wisely are smart financial moves
that consumers should make."
To help, CCCS offers consumers the following tax tips:
Save money and wait for refund. Refund anticipation loans sound
great when advertised. "Get your money now. Don't wait."
However, this is a loan and comes with a very hefty interest rate.
The average refund anticipation loan has an annual percentage rate
in triple-digits. Keep all of your refund by waiting two weeks for
automatic deposit when filing electronically, or about six weeks
to receive a check by mail.
Consider the best use for a tax refund. For some taxpayers a tax
refund is considered unexpected income and treated as a reason to
celebrate and spend. High-interest credit card debt costs consumers,
on average, between $1,200-1,600 a year in finance charges. Paying
off this debt is a sound financial move.
Take time to file. No matter what, always file your tax return or
file for an extension. The IRS accesses a penalty if you don't file
a return. If you don't file because you don't have the money to
pay taxes owed, the amount you owe will grow.
Don't panic at a large bill and make a poor choice like borrowing
from your retirement account or home equity, getting a cash advance
or charging it. Consider your options for borrowing the money, or
send the payment amount you can at the time of filing and contact
the IRS right away to make arrangements for payment of the balance
due. You may even qualify for an Installment Agreement, or an Offer
in Compromise. Visit www.irs.gov
for more details.
Face your tax problems. Taxpayers who owe back taxes would be wise
to communicate with the IRS regarding payment. The IRS can and will
place a lien on all of your property and future property to collect
taxes. Do not believe that you will not have to pay the taxes owed
from previous years if the IRS has not contacted you.
Examine withholdings carefully. Whether receiving a tax refund
or sending a tax payment, review your W4 form. If you are consistently
receiving a large tax refund, you are giving Uncle Sam an interest-free
loan every year. Increase your withholding and earn interest income
on that money yourself.
Likewise if you consistently owe Uncle Sam taxes, lower your withholding.
You may need to have your employer take additional money out of
your paycheck in taxes if you are already claiming zero on your
W4. For those self-employed, it takes greater discipline to set
aside a portion of earnings for tax payments.
Double check before mailing return. Review all documents included
in your tax return. Make sure the return is signed. Be sure you
have claimed all deductions for which you qualify. Double-check
your addition. Compare with last year's return to determine anything
you may have forgotten.
Seek help. If you are at a loss as to how you will pay your taxes
or would like help budgeting so you will not be in the same position
next year, contact CCCS at 800-251-CCCS (2227) or www.cccsinc.org
for help.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Schiavo
case demonstrates the independence of the judiciary
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MARCH 29, 2005 -- Perhaps we can sift some good out of the ramifications
of the Terry Schiavo case.
For the case, to us, demonstrates two things: 1) the reaffirmation
that we have three separate and very independent branches of government;
and 2) that a sitting circuit court judge has tremendous power.
(In Georgia, they are known as Superior Court judges.)
The Schiavo case, which started to heat up in May, 1998, when her
husband filed a petition to discontinue life support systems, has
been a whirlwind of first one legal move after another. Yet through
it all, the matter keeps referring back to the court of Judge George
Greer in Pinellas County, Florida. Time after time, Judge Greer's
ruling that feeding tubes could be removed, has been challenged,
yet the case always bounced back through the legal system to the
judge.
Finally, in an unprecedented move, a second branch of government,
the U.S. Congress, trying to overturn the judge's ruling, sought
to intervene, even speedily passing a specific measure to influence
the case. Quickly the bill was signed by the president, meaning
that the third branch of government, the executive, joined the fray.
At each turn of events, Judge Greer was never persuaded that he
did not have original jurisdiction in the case. The case kept returning
to his court, and he maintained jurisdiction.
Interestingly, the Schiavo case went before the 11th Circuit Court
of Appeals numerous times. That appellate court sided with Judge
Greer. Later on even the Supreme Court stayed out of the protracted
struggle, determining not to hear the case, which effectively kept
the case in Judge Greer's court.
A country lawyer once observed that a sitting circuit (or Superior)
court judge has enormous powers. "These judges are the most
powerful of government officials," he said, "Being able
to compel even the governor to come into his chambers."
Judge Greer demonstrates this power.
When our Founding Fathers, in all their wisdom, crafted our system
of government, what they instituted was a system of checks and balances.
The people could elect a president and their representatives to
the Congress. States determined how local courts were formed. The
Congress, in turn, would name federal judges, who would not be elected,
but would be appointed for life., virtually assuring independence
in decisions.
The Schiavo case, including the many avenues of appeal, has brought
attention on our system of government. Though some have not been
happy with the results of the system, so far it has served us well.
It tells us that each of our branches of government, have their
own unique and distinct part in our system of government.
Yet the three branches of government are, by definition, independent
of one another. Judge Greer re-affirmed the independence of the
judiciary by refusing to recognize what Congress passed and the
president signed. He showed that the case would not be influenced
by the other branches of government, and that his rulings were significanat.
He helped preserve the independence of the judiciary.
We join those who lament the suffering that Terry Schiavo has had
to go through. We wish for her serenity and peace and contentment.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Aurora Theatre,
Gwinnett County's First Choice for Professional Theatrical Entertainment.
The theatre is located in historic downtown Duluth and is committed
to producing quality, professional theatre for all of North Georgia.
The 2004-2005 Master Season includes: Neil Simon's comedy Last of
the Red Hot Lovers; Das Barbecü, a country western Ring Cycle;
Hometown Holidays, now in its ninth smash season; Jamie Pachino's
coming of age drama, Waving Goodbye; the romantic play Enchanted
April; and 4 Guys Named Jose and una Mujer Named Maria. To purchase
individual tickets, season tickets or for more information, visit
their website at www.auroratheatre.com
or call 770-476-7926.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
FEEDBACK
3/29: Schiavo case is confusing with its many
ironies
Editor, the Forum:
I'm confused! The case of Terri Schiavo is full of great ironies.
A large part of Terri's hospice costs are paid by Medicaid, a program
that the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress want
to sharply reduce. Some of her other expenses have been covered
by the million-dollar proceeds of a malpractice suit - the kind
of suit that President Bush has fought to scale back. I'm confused!
-- Ralph Green, Snellville
CALENDAR
Utilities plans public meeting on tunneling
for wastewater
Gwinnett's Department of Public Utilities (DPU) following a Master
Plan,is to hold a public meeting concerning the construction of
wastewater treatment facilities, including tunnels, in the southern
part of the county.
DPU will hold a community meeting in Snellville on Thursday, March
31, 2005 at the Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church
Road (in the same building as the library). The meeting will follow
an open house format that allows people to drop by any time between
7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and speak directly to DPU staff and project
managers. Those attending will have the chance to learn more and
offer input on several projects, including:
DPU is applying for a State Revolving Fund loan from the Georgia
Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) that would supply a low
cost loan obtained through the state for the tunnel construction.
- No Business Creek Wastewater Storage Tunnel - construction of
this deep, underground tunnel along Springdale Road and Everson
Road will help manage peak wastewater flows from the No Business
Creek and Jacks Creek drainage basins. Entrance shafts will be
constructed at the No Business Creek Water Reclamation Facility
(WRF) site and also at the Jacks Creek WRF site with two intermediate
shafts along the route. Tunnel completion is expected in 2009.
- No Business Creek Regional Pumping Station - DPU started construction
of this wastewater pumping station in February 2004. Built on
the No Business Creek WRF site, it is expected to be complete
in November 2005 and will convey wastewater to treatment facilities
in the County.
- Springdale Force Main (Wastewater Pipeline) - the force main
will connect the NBC Regional Pumping Station to an existing wastewater
force main on Springdale Road just past High Point Road. Work
on this project is expected to begin in May 2005 and last approximately
six months. Installation will take place in the right-of-way,
which means only one lane of traffic will have to be closed in
the area of work; traffic control will be in place.
- Modifications to Jacks Creek WRF - once the No Business Creek
tunnel is complete, DPU will remove this aging facility from service.
In the interim, the WRF will be modified to increase storage capacity.
Most of the work will take place on the site.
These projects are being grouped together to help eliminate repeated
disruptions for residents in the area.
Hill is honorary chair
of Rainbow Village golf tournament
Wayne Hill, former chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission,
will be the Honorary Chairman for the Tenth Annual Rainbow Village
Golf Classic to be held May 2. It will be at Laurel Springs Golf
Club in Suwanee, a Jack Nicklaus signature design golf course.
Scientific Atlanta is the premier sponsor for the event, which
raises funds to provide families in crisis with transitional housing
and a healing environment that promotes self sufficiency. The 501c3
non profit organization serves Gwinnett County and North Metro Atlanta.
Register for on line at www.rainbowvillage.org
or call 770-446-3800. The fee is $150 per player. Hole sponsorships
are also being sold to this event.
NOTABLE
Gwinnett Police Department wins re-accreditation
The Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) has been awarded its
fourth re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
The GCPD first received accreditation in 1993. A team of assessors
from CALEA returned to the department in August 2004 and conducted
an extensive examination of the agency and its compliance with the
commission's standards over the past three years. Based on this
examination, CALEA voted to again award the GCDP re-accreditation.
The department will next be eligible to participate in the re-accreditation
process in 2007.
RECOMMENDED
READ
- An invitation: What Web sites or books have you enjoyed?
Send us your best recent read along with a short paragraph as
to why you liked it, plus what book you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
3/29: WSB first radio
in Atlanta, means "Welcome South, Brother"
On March 15, 1922, the "Light Cavalry Overture" was played
to listeners on about 1,000 radio receivers in the Atlanta area.
This was the first broadcast of the city's first radio station,
WSB. The call letters, which had been assigned that afternoon by
the U.S. secretary of commerce, had formerly been used by a ship's
wireless. The station was owned by the Atlanta Journal. To beat
rival station WGST in becoming the city's first commercial operation,
WSB used the 100-watt transmitter of amateur radio operator Gordon
Hight in Rome, with the call letters standing for "Welcome
South, Brother."
 In
1927 WSB became a commercial station affiliated with the National
Broadcasting Company (NBC). James M. Cox assumed ownership in 1949,
and today WSB broadcasts on 750 kilocycles at 50,000 watts as part
of a Cox Enterprises conglomerate, which also includes television
stations, newspapers, broadband/cable companies, and dozens of other
radio stations.
Lambdin Kay was the station's first full-time general manager,
as well as a popular on-air personality. The NBC chimes, which were
used to identify that network's radio and television stations, originated
at WSB. Lambdin Kay played three notes on a small xylophone to signal
station breaks, and NBC began using them when WSB became a network
affiliate in 1927. NBC still uses the three-note theme, in electronic
form, on some of its news programs and on its MSNBC cable channel.
During its early years WSB installed radios in public schools and
broadcast educational programs, including WSB's University of the
Air. Such notable performers as Efrem Zimbalist and Rudolph Valentino
were first heard on the station. Three men long affiliated with
WSB, Lambdin Kay, Elmo Ellis, and J. Leonard Reinsch, have been
inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
WSB was located in the Biltmore Hotel for several years but moved
to "White Columns" on Peachtree Street in 1956. The station
is now housed with WSB-TV and Cox Radio's other Atlanta radio properties.
As a "clear channel" station, WSB's signal covers a vast
area, particularly at night, and can be heard throughout much of
the eastern and midwestern United States, as well as in parts of
Canada.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
One result of speaking
when you are angry
"Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech
you'll ever regret."
-- Laurence J. Peter, (1919 - 1988) US educator & writer.
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