Keeping Families in their Homes -- A Message From Congressman Porter

Here is a message I recently received from Congressman Jon Porter, regarding foreclosures in Nevada:

"I have introduced legislation to implement temporary mortgage financing assistance for those struggling to keep their homes out of foreclosure. Under current law, state and local governments can issue bonds to finance new mortgage loans for first-time homebuyers. My legislation will expand the use of this program to include refinancing of sub-prime loans, allowing states to issue up to $15 billion in additional bonds over the next three years."

On Saturday March 29th, John Porter will be hosting a mortgage counseling workshop at the University of Southern Nevada from 9:00AM to 12:00PM. Please feel free to contact his District Office for additional information at 387-4941.

Volunteer Ops on Public Lands

JUST RELEASED!!! VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ON PUBLIC LANDS!!!

Upcoming events in April 2008

• Saturday, April 12, 2008- The National Park Service will be hosting a litter clean-up at the 33 Hole Overlook in Lake Mead National Park.


• Friday, April 18, 2008- In celebration of Earth Day the U.S Forest Service will be hosting a restoration event in a lower elevation area of the Spring Mountains.


• April 19, 2008- In celebration of Earth Day the Bureau of Land Management will be hosting a volunteer event. Projects include a litter clean-up and painting an old foundation in Ash Spring.

Volunteer Positions

• Seed Collection Volunteers Needed -- The National Park Service is looking for volunteers to collect native plant seeds at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Volunteers are needed to collect seeds for approximately 10 hours a week. For more information contact Nancy Bernard with Lake Mead National Recreation Area at 702-293-8714


• Water Safety Volunteers Needed -- The National Park Service is looking for Water Safety Volunteers. Water Safety Volunteers provide assistance on Launch Ramp and serve as Deck Hands and Boat Operators. Volunteers will provide boating and water safety information, assist visitors with water safety issues, promote preventive accident and drowning message and provide park information to the public. Volunteers with appropriate training and certification, may operate a National Park Service (government owned) vessel and/or vehicle at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. For more information contact Nancy Bernard with Lake Mead National Recreation Area at 702-293-8714


• Campground Host Volunteers Needed -- The National Park Service is looking for VIP Campground Host Volunteers. VIP Campground Hosts greet visitors and answer questions about the campground, the national park, and the surrounding areas in an informed and courteous manner. In addition, the Hosts check for payment stubs for nightly stays. While VIP Campground Hosts may perform other duties, including radio dispatch, minor emergency services, light maintenance grounds grooming and restocking of supplies in the restrooms, these responsibilities constitute only 20% of the volunteer time. The majority of the volunteer time (80%+) will be spent greeting, visiting, disseminate information to visitors and checking for proper payment of campground fees. For more information contact Nancy Bernard with Lake Mead National Recreation Area at 702-293-8714


• Trainings Volunteers who have attended any of our events or are currently operational volunteers can sign up for the First Aid/CPR/AED class that will be held Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Registration for this class will close Tuesday, March 18, 2008. For more information contact Amy Ansari at 702-895-5484Detailed information will be posted to the website as it becomes available.

In the meantime, please mark your calendars and visit http://www.getoutdoorsnevada.org.

DTV (Digital Television)

February 17th, 2009. The date your analog TV will become obsolete, and unless you enjoy watching fuzz scramble across the screen you will need to take steps ... or else lay out a fat wad of cash for a new television. Here's what you can do according to: http://www.dtv.gov/

• Analog Owners Between Jan. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, to be used toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has responsibility for administering the coupon program. More information can be found at http://www.dtv2009.gov/.


• Cable subscribers may need new DTV equipment to view DTV programming in digital format. You should ask your cable provider what you will need and when. View local cable options at: http://www.cox.com/support/cable/transition_main.asp


• Satellite subscribers may need new DTV equipment to receive and view high definition digital programming. You should ask your satellite company what you will need and when.

Research at the FBI's Freedom of Information Website

FBI's Freedom of Information Website

Did you know? Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) you can request information found in the FBI’s Central Records System. What kind of information? ... Information about an organization, business, investigation, historical event, or incident. ... Information about a third party. ... Information about a deceased person. ... Information about yourself.

If your request is for information concerning an organization, business, investigation, historical event, or incident, you may submit your request directly to the FBI online. Get more information at FBI FOIA instructions.

If you are requesting information from the FBI about yourself or someone else you must mail or fax your request to the FBI. If you are requesting information about someone else you must have that person complete and notorize a Privacy Waiver and Certification of Identity ... This way identities are protected.

There's also some other cool stuff from the FBI. Visit the FBI's FOIA Electronic Reading Room Where the FBI has converted many previously classified documents into an electronic file (PDF) and they may be viewed by clicking on the cooresponding letter of the alphabet. Find files on the Beatles, Ma Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, even Alcoholics Anonymous. Granted some of the information is blacked out, but still these files are filled with snippets of biographical and intelligence information that makes great material for school assignments or just plain interesting reading!

Foreclosure Help for Consumers

It's a fact. Nevada has held the lead during the past year for the highest number of real estate foreclosures. A number of resources are available for those homeowners facing foreclosure due to the sheer amount of subprime loans and predatory lending that are now affecting our economy so adversly.

1. Information from the White House about Hope Now a plan to help those on the brink of foreclosure keep their homes.

2. Foreclosure Resource Page for consumers from the Federal Government.

3. Nevada Department of Business of Industry Foreclosure Page has listed clear steps for those who are worried. These steps outline simply what options are available. Also includes information on how to avoid foreclosure recovery scams.

4. Local Area Housing Counselors list from HUD. (Such as Consumer Credit Counseling Services that give free housing and debt counseling for all incomes).

5. Local non-profits such as Housing for Nevada and Nevada Fair Housing Center who offer free counseling to those applying for loans or are facing foreclosure regardless of income.

Missing Mail

The Cause in Nevada?

Mail theft is one of the ways that meth abusers acquire another person's personal information and identification documents. The draw for this type of crime is the ability to generate cash to fuel the habit. In fact, the State of Arizona stated that in 2006 that 90-95% of all reported mail thefts in Tucson had a nexus in meth.

In a recent 2007 declassified Intelligence Bulletin the Department of Justice suggests that there is a direct coorrelation between meth use and identity theft. So it is assumed that the higher the meth use in a certain area -- the higher the percentage of ID theft. While the Southwest continues to remain the hotspot for this type of drug abuse and criminal activity, the bulletin goes on to suggest that soon other areas of the country, such as the Great Lakes, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic region will inevitably see an increase in this type of crime as drug use trends shift.

The Process

Mail theft all happens as part of an organized operation where each member knows a part and and plays a vital function in a system that operates somewhere near you. Collectors acquire personal information by breaking into mailboxes and taking mail. The collectors pass or sell the stolen information to the Converters, who use the information to establish fraudulent bank and credit accounts and to obtain fraudulent checks and monetary instruments. The Passers then use the fraudulent accounts and instruments to purchase expensive consumer items in person or to cash fraudulent checks.

Statistics

There aren't a whole lot of official statistics readily available on mail theft as a specific crime, save the US Postal Inspector's Annual Report which lists 5,060 arrests and 4,625 convictions of the crime in 2006. (In fact, one of these big busts took place on January 4th, 2006, at the Texas Station Hotel and Casino, where over 200 pieces of stolen mail with Las Vegas addresses were recovered -- A rather proud day for the Postal Inspection Service, I'm sure.)

Other random Internet blurbs have suggested the following, and while unverified provide statistics that are perhaps a sign of the times.

• One in three cases involving identity theft occurs via the mail.


• Parcel Packages are at their most vulnerable when left unattended on your doorstep.


• With Internet shoppers increasing daily, more and more parcel packages never find their rightful owner due to thieves who follow these trucks and grab packages left unattended.


• Police and the US Postal Service say that "deterring mail thieves is as easy as locking outside mailboxes and warns to never leave bills in mailboxes for postal workers to pick up. Postal Inspectors term this "Red Flagging" and recommend that you always take outgoing mail to a Postal drop box or US Post Office.


• A mail thief can get up to $1,000 per box for a box of reissued and/or new checks you receive through the mail.


• Mail theft has become so common that some states are considering legislation for stiffer penalties since current laws consider it only a misdemeanor theft.

How To Prevent Mail Theft

The United States Postal Inspection Service has the following tips so that you don't become a victim:

• Use the letter slots at your post office to mail letters, or give them to a letter carrier.


• CHECK YOUR MAIL DAILY. Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight.


• Don’t send cash in the mail.


• Ask your bank for “secure” checks that can’t be altered.


• Tell your post office when you’ll be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.


• Report all mail theft to a Postal Inspector.


• Deposit mail in U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.


• Consider starting a neighborhood watch program. By exchanging work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, you can watch each other's mailboxes (as well as homes).

And Some Other Thoughts:

• Use a PO Box.


• Install a locking mail box.


• Request Delivery Confirmation on Packages sent via U.S. Mail.


• Destroy all mail containing personal information before discarding.

How To Report Mail Theft

• Be Vigilant! If you observe a mail thief at work, call the local police immediately, and then your nearest Postal Inspector (877-876-2455) The United States Postal Inspection Service offers up to a $10,000 Reward for information and services leading to the arrest and conviction of any person for Mail Theft. Theft of mail, or even possession of stolen mail, is a Federal Felony and upon conviction each offense may be punishable by a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment up to five years. (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708)


• Report! Report any and all incidents of Mail Theft, Vandalism, Mail Tampering, and False Change of Address. Visit the Investigations Page to find out more about each type of crime. For mail theft you may use the online form, or you may print the hard copy.

Tax Talk Gives Small Businesses a Head Start on the Upcoming Filing Season

The Internal Revenue Service is kicking off its new year by sponsoring a Tax Talk Today program titled "Getting Ready for the Filing Season 2008" The program takes place on Tuesday, January 8th 2008 at 2 p.m. ET. The program will feature a panel of experts discussing several key topics:

• Business tax return issues for small businesses and self-employed taxpayers,


• Recent tax law changes and updates for the 2007 tax year,


• IRS regulations, business credits, and common errors; and


• Processing issues which affect filing business returns for the 2007 tax year.
  

Tax Talk Today is a free, live, interactive webcast aimed at educating tax professionals and their business clients on contemporary and complex tax issues. Programs are available for webcast for one year after their original date. To access the Tax Talk Today webcast at no charge, viewers can register online at http://www.taxtalktoday.tv/.