Since I wrote on my blog the essay entitled, "'Tis the Season For . . . Political E-Mails" at www.swoopsfromsnowyowl.blogspot.com/2010/05/tis-season-for-political-e-mails.html, I realized that there really shouldn't have to be places like Politifact and Factcheck. After all, there are laws against false advertising and telling lies . . . isn't there? Well, as it turns out . . . there are not! At least not for politicians. You can't tell a lie about a refrigerator, but a politician can not only lie about himself but his opponent, too. They call it "Freedom of Speech." Therefore, there is a demand and a desire for websites that can catch these politicians in their lies and point them out to us. In fact, politicians have a legal right to lie to their constituents as much as they wish.
Candidates can legally lie about ALMOST anything they want, and the law requires broadcasters who run candidate ads, to show them uncensored, even if the station knows their content to be FALSE or MISLEADING. Rejecting an ad from a candidate simply because it is FALSE is not allowed and not LEGAL. It is called "Free Speech" and it is guaranteed in the Constitution, First Amendment!
There are a few . . . very few . . . states that have laws against politicians running for state offices fabricating facts and lying about themselves and/or, their opponents. These laws have not been very successful in decreasing lies in political ads except the very blatant ones.
So, that is why we have :
http://www.politifact.com/, http://www.factcheck.org/, http://www.truthorfiction.com/, http://www.snopes.com/, and http://www.ask.com/. That is why it is up to you to do your own investigations, and do it for both sides of the political equation. You might be surprised that your guy/gal is lying too. It might give you a different perspective on politics and politicians.
If you want to check out a few emails that have recently come out, you might want to check this link:
www.factcheck.org/ask-factcheck/hot-topics/
It will direct you to several new emails and political lies of which you may not yet be aware. Don't get taken in by politicians and political groups that only have their own best interests at heart. There are a lot of politicians out there and a lot of liars, too.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Your Social Security Checks are coming to an END!
That's right . . . If you are presently receiving a Social Security check in the mail every month, you're in for a change.
By March 2013 the U. S. Government will have phased out all directly mailed Social Security checks in favor of the electronically transferred funds.
All new enrollees, starting in March 2011, will have to opt into one of two mandated electronically transferred programs. If you have an account, you can transfer funds into it. That is the way most have done it and most will do it. But, if you have no account and don't want one, then you will have a debit/credit style card into which your Social Security benefits will be transferred.
The reason for all this is COST. It costs about $1.00 to cut and mail in an envelope a paper check. Electronic transfer costs less than a dime. That's a 90% savings on each check and the government can save up to $300,000,000 in the first five years after this goes into effect. The government presently issues 135,000,000 benefit check every year. I believe that V. A. benefits and all other government benefits including you income tax refund and disability benefits will be handled this way, but the most prevalent is the Social Security checks.
If you would like to get ahead of the crowd and start your electronic transfer now, either go to your nearest Social Security office or call 800-772-1213. If you have questions, call 877-212-9991. This can also be handled online at www.ssa.gov/deposit.
Remember, soon you will not have a choice on whether you get a check or it's electronically deposited. May as well do it now.
By March 2013 the U. S. Government will have phased out all directly mailed Social Security checks in favor of the electronically transferred funds.
All new enrollees, starting in March 2011, will have to opt into one of two mandated electronically transferred programs. If you have an account, you can transfer funds into it. That is the way most have done it and most will do it. But, if you have no account and don't want one, then you will have a debit/credit style card into which your Social Security benefits will be transferred.
The reason for all this is COST. It costs about $1.00 to cut and mail in an envelope a paper check. Electronic transfer costs less than a dime. That's a 90% savings on each check and the government can save up to $300,000,000 in the first five years after this goes into effect. The government presently issues 135,000,000 benefit check every year. I believe that V. A. benefits and all other government benefits including you income tax refund and disability benefits will be handled this way, but the most prevalent is the Social Security checks.
If you would like to get ahead of the crowd and start your electronic transfer now, either go to your nearest Social Security office or call 800-772-1213. If you have questions, call 877-212-9991. This can also be handled online at www.ssa.gov/deposit.
Remember, soon you will not have a choice on whether you get a check or it's electronically deposited. May as well do it now.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
OK . . . I've Changed My Mind!
Since my early twenties, I've tried to get people to "Go out and VOTE" no matter what.
"Let your voice be heard!"
Well, I've changed my mind. There are just too many mis-informed, ill-informed, and un-informed people out there. These people don't have a reliable opinion because they don't know all sides of an issue. They only listen to one news source.
You might think that I'm talking about Fox News . . . but I'm NOT! I'm talking about people who listen to MSNBC or NPR, too! I'm also talking about people who only listen to or read one information source. You can't get the whole story from one source and it's going to get worse as time goes by.
Right now, we have many sources of news, some think too many. Our major traditional source has been the newspapers, those will soon be a thing of the past as the internet takes over. Too many people only get their news from Fox, MSNBC, CNN, ABC,CBS, NBC, or NPR or read only NEWSWEEK, TIME, FORBES, Wall Street Journal, ARDEMGAZ, Arkansas Times, or your local newspapers. We all have to learn to get our information from all sides of any issue, not just one. You have to understand the other side, no matter on which side you presently are. And all sides need to learn this. There are more than just one side to any issue and in most cases there are more than two sides. Just sort the information out and know what is information and what is opinion, or as some call it "Commentary."
That is why I've decided all too many people are too uninformed to vote. People have these wonderful computers that get them all the information in the world and they don't use them. You have available multiple sides to almost any issue and people just don't care enough to look it up. These people should not vote.
Apathy and cynicism are not the paths to take when you are on the way to good government. Do the homework required to do a good job at the polls. Don't depend on PAID ads and pricey but evasive sound bites. When you do that you are driving politicians toward the money to pay for all that and away from the issues and away from you, the constituent.
Do not turn our Republic over to those savvy enough and rich enough to dictate our Nation's future. Be vigilant and well informed in order to choose those representatives that best reflect your values and your integrity. Don't set there and be a spectator, be an active and well informed citizen when you go to the polls.
Either that or please DON'T VOTE! Don't tie around our necks the millstone of your mis-information.
"Let your voice be heard!"
Well, I've changed my mind. There are just too many mis-informed, ill-informed, and un-informed people out there. These people don't have a reliable opinion because they don't know all sides of an issue. They only listen to one news source.
You might think that I'm talking about Fox News . . . but I'm NOT! I'm talking about people who listen to MSNBC or NPR, too! I'm also talking about people who only listen to or read one information source. You can't get the whole story from one source and it's going to get worse as time goes by.
Right now, we have many sources of news, some think too many. Our major traditional source has been the newspapers, those will soon be a thing of the past as the internet takes over. Too many people only get their news from Fox, MSNBC, CNN, ABC,CBS, NBC, or NPR or read only NEWSWEEK, TIME, FORBES, Wall Street Journal, ARDEMGAZ, Arkansas Times, or your local newspapers. We all have to learn to get our information from all sides of any issue, not just one. You have to understand the other side, no matter on which side you presently are. And all sides need to learn this. There are more than just one side to any issue and in most cases there are more than two sides. Just sort the information out and know what is information and what is opinion, or as some call it "Commentary."
That is why I've decided all too many people are too uninformed to vote. People have these wonderful computers that get them all the information in the world and they don't use them. You have available multiple sides to almost any issue and people just don't care enough to look it up. These people should not vote.
Apathy and cynicism are not the paths to take when you are on the way to good government. Do the homework required to do a good job at the polls. Don't depend on PAID ads and pricey but evasive sound bites. When you do that you are driving politicians toward the money to pay for all that and away from the issues and away from you, the constituent.
Do not turn our Republic over to those savvy enough and rich enough to dictate our Nation's future. Be vigilant and well informed in order to choose those representatives that best reflect your values and your integrity. Don't set there and be a spectator, be an active and well informed citizen when you go to the polls.
Either that or please DON'T VOTE! Don't tie around our necks the millstone of your mis-information.
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