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Roy Barnes finds even ex-governor can
be scammed
By
Roy Barnes
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: We knew identity theft was rampant,
but when we learned that former Gov. Roy Barnes had been scammed,
we were flabbergasted. We thought: "If a former governor
can be scammed, anyone can!" Governor Barnes sends a step-by-step
approach should this happen to you.-eeb)
MARIETTA, Ga., March 21, 2008 -- A call from American Express asked
had I requested a duplicate credit card to be sent to an address
in Kingston, N.Y.? No, I said, I have never been to Kingston, N.Y.
Barnes |
American Express said an applicant had my Social Security number,
date of birth and mother's maiden name. I was shocked, and felt
as if a thief had stolen who I am. Thus, I became like millions
of Americans each year who have their identity stolen. What to do?
I told myself, "You are a consumer lawyer. Do what you tell
everybody else to do." It just seemed different when it was
affecting me.
So I spent countless hours over weeks viewing my credit report,
calling credit card companies and telling them not to extend the
Kingston, N.Y. Roy Barnes any credit. Through this experience I
have some simple advice when your identity is stolen.
1. Immediately notify the credit bureaus of the theft and ask
them to put a fraud alert on your credit report. There are three
credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. They tell you
if you notify one, they will notify the others. I didn't trust
that. I notified all three.
(The credit bureau will try, in your panic and distress, to sell
you an identity theft package for $9.99 a month. You don't have
to buy anything to put a fraud alert on your credit report. This
initial fraud report is good for 90 days. To extend it, you have
to take further action which I will describe later.)
2. File a police report giving the officer as much information
as you have. Make sure you get the name of the officer and a copy
of the report. You will need it later.
3. Check every piece of information when you get your credit
report, especially inquiries from creditors. If you have not contacted
the creditor for credit, call them and ask for their fraud unit,
and report that somebody is trying to get credit in your name.
Keep the name or identifying number of who you talked with and
retain it in a file under "Fraud."
4. Check your former addresses in your credit report. If there
is one that is not correct, follow the directions to correct it.
The imposter will have to use an address that is not yours even
if he has your name, Social Security number and mother's maiden
name. You do not want it listed as one of your correct addresses.
5. Continue to check your credit report on a regular basis to
make sure nothing funny is going on. Experian gave me a number
that allowed me to visit my credit report as many times as I wanted
without further charge. I wish the other two had done the same
thing.
6. Once you have taken these steps, ask the three credit bureaus
to extend the fraud alert for seven years. To do this you will
have to give them a copy of the police report and copies of two
pieces of identifying information such as a copy of your driver's
license and a W-2 showing your real address and telephone number.
Following these easy steps can ease the pain of knowing that somebody
is out there with your most personal information.
You are entitled to two free credit reports a year from all three
credit bureaus. Get the reports so you can make sure the imposter
has not already obtained credit on your good name. A good all around
website showing all of your rights when your identity is stolen
is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission and is found at www.ftc.gov
Now…..if I ever get my hands on the person who did this…..
Gwinnett cities also affected by effort to
cut car tag tax
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
MARCH 21, 2008 -- There's more to this effort to remove car tag
taxes than you might think. Not only do the state legislators want
to take money away from county governments and school boards, but
it affects the cities, too.
Brack |
One guy, who wants to remain nameless, writes:
"Good job on vehicle taxes. Except, you forgot that cities
also receive some of the tax. The bill says that the State may replace
the lost revenues, but does not require them to do so.
"The legislators have dipped into the State surplus rainy
day fund, hazardous site clean-up fund, can't fund their transportation
needs, etc. So what do you think will or will not reimbursed? Yep,
for sure, the local governments.
"Isn't a Republican a person who believes in business and
not automatic entitlements? I don't think "cutting taxes of
local governments is a Republican creed."
"Did they cut State Budget entitlements? I don't think so.
"Did they cut the State's Budget? I don't think so.
"Did they even dock the salary payments given to State Representatives
who don't show up for work? I don't think so."
* * * * * *
We checked with the people who collect our local vehicle taxes,
the office of Katherine Sherrington. From that office, Richard Steele
sent to us this information:
"Here is the breakdown for motor vehicle revenues disbursed
to the Gwinnett cities in 2007:
"Berkeley Lake - $21,971.65;
Auburn - $2,555.55;
Buford - $426,499.15;
Dacula - $45,816.06;
Duluth - $368,167.42;
Grayson - $17,048.19;
Lawrenceville - $164,821.23;
Lilburn - $111,346.99;
Loganville - $46,829.47;
Norcross - $175,105.00;
Snellville - $139,889.78;
Sugar Hill - $155,619.98;
Suwanee - $271,498.43.
"Total - $1,947,168.90."
* * * * *
Note the larger amounts for the cities of Buford, Duluth and Suwanee.
One guy sad: "You can tell the cities that have industrial
parks and vehicles."
The good news: One protection we still have is the absolute limit
for the Legislature to be in session for only 40 days. So far, the
legislators have not amended the Georgia Constitution to allow them
to serve more than 40 days each legislative term. But watch 'em.
They could try. We don't want that.
However, their tactics these days is to meet a few days each week,
thereby extending the length of the calendar, which this year could
go into April. And though they often do not meet in general session,
the Legislature is often having committee meetings on those days
when they say they are off, effectively extending it well beyond
the 40 calendar days.
Our feeling is to limit their time in session or even in recess,
and get the Legislature over with as soon as possible. Then we can
all breathe a little easier. We want to give the Legislature as
little time as possible to make mischief. We hate to say it, but
we don't easily trust them.
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Dr.
Noah Langdale deserves far more credit than he got
Editor, the Forum:
Reading J.D.
Caswell's remembering Noah Langdale brought back many memories
I have of the best college or university president of my time.
Dr. Langdale was a student's president. He would roam the halls,
and ramps of Kell Hall, greeting students, and asking about their
concerns. Kell Hall was a converted parking garage. It was fun to
"walk down the ramp" as opposed to using stairs in the
more conventional classroom buildings.
I remember once when I was having a problem getting my professor,
who happened to be the head of the department, to check into a grade
I had received which I thought was in error. The professor thought
it "would do me good to have the lower grade. It might be character-building."
When I suggested we involve Dr. Langdale he immediately reviewed
his books and I got the grade I was sure I had earned. In that conversation
I became "Mr. Tuggle" to the professor instead of "Hoyt".
In my opinion, Dr. Langdale never received the credit he deserved.
Had he been at a more prestigious school, he would have been a major,
national figure. His dedication to his Georgia State College led
to its university status. His dedication to his students led to
changed lives, both for those who were aware of his contribution
and those who went through the school unaware of what he was doing.
He will always be remembered by those of us who were honored to
shake his big hand and know some of his even bigger heart.
-- Hoyt Tuggle, Class of '72
Watch out for legislature
to rob Peter to pay Paul
Editor, the Forum:
Last time you wrote about eliminating the auto tag tax would only
mean that the Legislature would find another way to tax us.
This kind of legislation on the part of our politicians sounds like
they are nice blooming idiots. I believe they will soon be ramming
a new type of state tax down our throats.
It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. Our citizens need to
wake-up!
-- Roy McCreary, Dacula
Wants more peopel
thinking like the governor on car tax
Editor, the Forum:
Let's hope there are enough "Thinking" people in the
state of Georgia to agree with you and Governor Purdue. The money
from the vehicle tax will have to come from somewhere----it just
can't be eliminated! THINK, THINK, people before you vote on this
issue.
Thank YOU for voicing your opinion on this very important issue.
-- Donald and Shirley Dove, Grayson
No
more Monopoly
Another great cartoon by Bill McLemore:
Serbian
violinist to perform this week with NE Atlanta Ballet
The Northeast Atlanta Ballet with the Gwinnett Symphony Community
Orchestra will be performing the Sleeping Beauty March on
March 21-22 with Ivana Cetkovic, a principal violinist from the
Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra at the Gwinnett Performing Arts
Center. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Gwinnett
Center box office for shows on Friday, March 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
and on Saturday, March 22 at 10 a.m., 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Cetkovic
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Ivana Cetkovic has been described as an "exciting, vibrant,
expressive and inspiring" violinist. She has maintained a wide
and varied career as concerto soloist, recitalist, orchestral and
chamber musician. She has received her bachelor's degree in violin
performance from Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, Serbia and her
master's and artistic diploma degree from Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, London, United Kingdom.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Cetkovic has toured around
Europe, Sweden, and USA. Currently Ms. Cetkovic is performing as
a guest soloist with Da Salo Chamber Orchestra, Wedding Music Atlanta,
Capitol City Orchestra, and maintains her private violin studio
in London, United Kingdom.
Medical Center garners
distinguished award for 2nd time
Gwinnett Medical Center has again been honored with the HealthGrades
distinguished hospital award for clinical excellence. This award
places Gwinnett Medical Center in the top five-percent of hospitals
in the country for clinical excellence. Gwinnett Medical Center
also received the HealthGrades distinguished hospital award in 2006.
Each year, HealthGrades independently analyzes the clinical quality
performance of all nonfederal hospitals across the country in 27
procedures and diagnoses, ranging from bypass surgery to the treatment
of heart attacks. Hospitals that receive the Distinguished Hospital
Award for Clinical Excellence are those hospitals that rank in the
top five percent of all 28 individual scores. Of the 5,000 hospitals
graded, only 269 U.S. hospitals qualified for this prestigious award
for the 2008 study.
GMC received five-star ratings for treatment of heart attack, treatment
of heart failure, hip fracture repair, treatment of stroke, treatment
of pneumonia, overall pulmonary services, treatment of sepsis and
the treatment of respiratory failure. GMC's additional 2008 Healthgrades
clinical excellence ratings include: Ranking among the top five
hospitals in Georgia for Pulmonary Services (top 10 percent nationally),
top ten hospital in Georgia for Vascular Surgery and top ten in
Georgia for Overall Critical Care.
Evermore CID grants
$5,000 to South Gwinnett High
The Evermore Community Improvement District is forming a partnership
with South Gwinnett High Schools Economics and Business Department
to provide interactive learning opportunities for the business program
students.
Evermore CID Executive Director Brett Harrell presented a $5,000
grant to South Gwinnett Principal Berry Simmons to acquire business
education videos on business etiquette, work habits, communication
skills, and success in the workplace. They also address educational
stock market training games and other learning tools and equipment.
The funding also makes possible a class field trip to the Federal
Reserve Bank in Atlanta, later this month with several Evermore
community business leaders joining the students for the day.
The Evermore CID grant will also sponsor two annual 1,000 scholarships
for an economics student. To qualify, the candidate must have a
high cumulative GPA, complete an essay on work ethics or economics,
and have plans to continue their education in a business-related
field.
The
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
"I'd like to recommend The Pillars of the Earth by
Ken Follett, an English author known for his thrillers. In this
book, Follett explains how he became fascinated with European cathedrals.
Unlike most people who spend a few hours at most looking at it,
he would spend days taking in the details of the building. He spent
many years writing the book. After it was finally published several
years passed before it gained any popular notice; however, the sales
grew steadily, indicating a self-powered word of mouth type of marketing.
After reading the book I can see why.
"The Pillars of the Earth is historical fiction about
how a cathedral was built in the middle ages; not from a technical
standpoint but rather by following the lives of the people surrounding
the construction of the cathedral and how the labor was organized,
the money raised and the driving forces behind building an immense
monument to the glory of God. Follett illustrates the brutality
of life in 11th century England together with the faith, skill and
politics required to build a cathedral during that era. At the same
time, the author builds great empathy for the heroes in the story
and enmity for the villains, resulting in an entirely satisfying
and complete tale with no loose ends. At almost 1,000 pages, the
book is no quick read, but the reading of it goes all too quickly.
I look forward to reading the sequel."
-- Lee Hutchins, Hog Mountain.
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Fitzgerald's
Frances Mayes becomes world-known author
Frances
Mayes has achieved wide recognition for two best-selling books
about her life and her second home in Italy: Under the Tuscan
Sun: At Home in Italy and Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in
Italy.
Mayes |
Mayes was born in Fitzgerald to Garbert and Frankye Davis Mayes.
Her exact birth date is unknown. She attended Randolph-Macon Woman's
College in Virginia and obtained her B.A. from the University of
Florida and her M.A. from San Francisco State University in 1975.
She taught creative writing at San Francisco State University until
2001. She married her second husband, poet Ed Kleinschmidt in 1998.
Mayes published six books of poetry from 1977 to 1995: Climbing
Aconcagua (1977), Sunday in Another Country (1977), After
Such Pleasures (1979), The Arts of Fire (1982), Hours
(1984), and Ex Voto (1995). Many of her poems explore the
rich, complex landscape of her childhood home in south Georgia,
a hierarchical world where class, race, and gender determine roles
in small-town life. Mayes brings her poetic voice to her two most
popular works, Under the Tuscan Sun (1996) and Bella Tuscany
(1999).
The former opens with the purchase of an Italian villa outside
the town of Cortona, Italy, and details its renovation and the discovery
of a vibrant new culture. Under the Tuscan Sun thus became
a memoir/cookbook/travel guide/renovation and gardening manual.
Mayes writes in the preface that the transformation of the house
and garden became a metaphor for transformations in her own life.
She learned "to live another kind of life," one far removed
from the breakneck speed of her academic job and life in a modern
American city.
In Bella Tuscany, the renovation of the villa nearly complete,
Mayes writes about explorations around Tuscany and growing connections
to this new/old world. At the heart of her work is a preoccupation
with a sensual world and a need to live life moment by moment. Mayes
writes in Under the Tuscan Sun: "Growing up, I absorbed
the Southern obsession with place, and place can seem to me somehow
an extension of the self. If I am made of red clay and black river
water and white sand and moss, that seems natural to me." She
recaptures the same feelings in Italy, where she is " returned
to that primal first awareness of home."
Mayes finally turned her attention back to home with the novel
Swan (2002), set in the fictitious town of Swan, Georgia,
and ripe with allusions to her hometown of Fitzgerald.
As spring nears, thoughts
from an American painter
"Love is the stepping stone to new beginnings."
-- Thomas Kinkade, American artist/painter, (1958 - ), via
Cindy Evans, Duluth.
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