Tag Archives: house
Tuesday’s White House Briefing – FOXNews (blog)
March 9th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Washington Post Tuesday's White House Briefing FOXNews (blog) Q What is the purpose of today's energy meeting, and what are the real prospects of cap and trade , given all the political problems on the Hill? MR. … Meet the 18 House Dems whose votes matter most on health care Washington Examiner (blog) all 4,720 news articles
White House Press Briefing With Robert Gibbs – Talk Radio News Service
March 9th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
White House Press Briefing With Robert Gibbs Talk Radio News Service Gibbs said he thinks it is “certainly possible” for a cap-and-trade provision to be included in the climate bill being looked at in the Senate. … and more
Meet the 18 House Dems whose votes matter most on health care – Washington Examiner (blog)
March 8th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Meet the 18 House Dems whose votes matter most on health care Washington Examiner (blog) Chandler, already under fire for his support of cap-and-trade legislation last year, has given no public indication so far on his health care vote. … and more
A Blizzard Of Lies From Al Gore – Investor’s Business Daily
March 1st, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
New York Magazine A Blizzard Of Lies From Al Gore Investor’s Business Daily John Kerry, is trying to ram through a Senate version of the House's Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill, said: “Looking at the United States of America, … Al Gore: King of Lie-Lie Land Dakota Voice all 45 news articles
The multi-billion dollar global warming fraud – RenewAmerica
February 20th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Political Scams. No Comments.
The multi-billion dollar global warming fraud RenewAmerica It is essential to understand that the ” Cap-and-Trade ” legislation passed by the House and waiting for a vote in the Senate is based on the IPCC reports and … and more
The end of the IPCC – American Thinker
February 10th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Hindustan Times The end of the IPCC American Thinker In the US, the House has (barely) passed the calamitous Waxman-Markey ” Cap & Trade ” bill; the US Senate likely will not pass a similar bill in 2010, … Green Books for Kids and the Environmentalists' Meltdown John Birch Society Tuesday Open Thread: Climate Change Edition Big Government (blog) Climate change movement dead? Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) The Hill (blog)
Greens put hopes in Brown – Politico (blog)
February 4th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Greens put hopes in Brown Politico (blog) The Senate, President Obama seemed to acknowledge this week, already seems headed for something weaker than the House cap-and-trade bill, with Republicans …
Lester Flatt
January 26th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
while channel surfing turned on C-Span – the US House is debating on some bill to honor Lester Flatt. Is it just me but doesn’t the house have more important things to discuss? Of course there is alw
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Lester Flatt
Climate Scientist Warns of ‘ClimateGate USA’ – Dakota Voice
January 25th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Climate Scientist Warns of 'ClimateGate USA' Dakota Voice The cap and trade global warming tax, which has already passed the US House but has stalled in the US Senate, is a scam to interfere in the daily lives of … and more
Blame it on Howard Dean – The Moderate Voice
January 20th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Blame it on Howard Dean The Moderate Voice On the Howard Dean side was the House cap and trade scam and related political (not scientifically based) legislation. Does this election imperil that scam … and more
Andy Martin: Mark Kirk’s Secret Agent Man? – CQPolitics.com
January 7th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Andy Martin: Mark Kirk's Secret Agent Man? CQPolitics.com So when Kirk voted for the cap-and-trade environmental bill — he was one of only eight Republicans in the House to do so — many of those same … and more
White House Wants To Hand Lieberman The Health Care Bill And A Big Red Marker – Firedoglake (blog)
December 14th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Boston Globe White House Wants To Hand Lieberman The Health Care Bill And A Big Red Marker Firedoglake (blog) It's also some make-nice so the White House can try to stay on good terms post-reconciliation with Lieberman for Cap and trade and other issues. … Lieberman wants most significant reforms stripped from health bill Raw Story all 3,975 news articles
Cincinnati Tea Party and COAST support Americans for Prosperity event in … – Examiner.com
December 10th, 2009. Published under Political Scams, Tea Party. No Comments.
Examiner.com Cincinnati Tea Party and COAST support Americans for Prosperity event in … Examiner.com Mike Wilson, founder of the Cincinnati Tea Party and contender for Ohio House of Representative's 28 th district referred to cap and trade as a “ scam . …
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"Climategate" exposes global warming hoax – Henderson Gleaner
December 6th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
CBC.ca “Climategate” exposes global warming hoax Henderson Gleaner Ironically, cap and trade in full force and doing what they claim it will to the earth's temperature would make a difference of only a tenth of 1 degree … White House Pushes Back on Climate Change Email Controversy ABC News I'm fixing to say I told you so. Monticello News UN climate panel to do its own 'climategate' probe CTV.ca Men’s News Daily
The Use Of Charities To Run Scams On The Internet
December 4th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
One of the things about the holidays is the good feeling that people seem to display that is not there during the rest of the year. A lot of this goodwill gets displayed in the form of giving to charities . It helps a person feel good about themselves. They feel like they are helping someone else in need. That feeling is unrivaled to anything else in the world. This mood can be spoiled very quickly when they find out that their good deed went punished. This happens a lot on the Internet in the form of a scam . The bad guys of the Internet never take a day off, even during the holidays. It is up to you to make sure that you keep yourself on guard during the holiday season. There are several ways that an attacker will try to take advantage of your goodness this holiday. The number one way that this will happen is through a charity email that will be sent out to hundreds of thousands of people. This email will be a legit email but from a fake organization. They will try to sell you a sob story on how needy their cause is and how it is up to you to help them. They may even try to do a hard sell by sending information to your house about the charity in question. Do not fall for it. You have the Internet, be smart and use it. Do some research on the charity. This will let you know very quickly if the charity is a legitimate organization. If they have a negative rating or no record of the charity at all then you know that they are a fake organization. Another way that people will use a charity against an unsuspecting victim is to send you a tainted email. This email will try to pull at your heart strings so that you will visit the site in question. This site will be loaded with malware that will be used to infect your computer. Once again this can be avoided by doing some research on the charity in question before you visit any suspicious links. If you do click on the link, then having the latest in anti virus software protection will help to large extent from having your computer become infected. You must be careful during this holiday season. People have bad intentions 365 days of the year. Just because it is the holidays, do not let down your guard while you surf the Internet. The Use Of Charities To Run Scams On The Internet is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009
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The Use Of Charities To Run Scams On The Internet
White House Pushes Back on Climate Change Email Controversy – ABC News
December 3rd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Political Scams. No Comments.
White House Pushes Back on Climate Change Email Controversy ABC News Australia just TANKED their Cap N Trade the other day. We have to look to Australia to lead because Obama won't lead on this fraud. … and more
Remember This About "Climategate" – CBS News
December 1st, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Brisbane Times Remember This About “Climategate” CBS News Kill the cap and trade Bill. by indiethinker December 1, 2009 9:05 PM EST Then humiliate Al Gore, Barbara Boxer, Tom Brokaw, the silly scientists, … Global Warming, a multi-billion dollar scam Examiner.com The Crime of the Century Hot Air (blog) White House wants nothing to do with Climategate FTO (blog) Sound Politics (blog)
Ed Weaver: Just the biggest hoax in history – Troy Record
December 1st, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Ed Weaver: Just the biggest hoax in history Troy Record Obama's so-called cap-and-trade energy bill, which was passed by the House and would raise virtually every American's taxes and energy costs, … and more
White House wants nothing to do with Climategate – FTO (blog)
December 1st, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
White House wants nothing to do with Climategate FTO (blog) So as the White House ignores the biggest scandal of our time they will push on for carbon tax, cap and trade and all the other treaties and laws at the … and more
Conrad Black: A teeming rain forest of irrelevant climate claims – National Post
November 28th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
National Post Conrad Black: A teeming rain forest of irrelevant climate claims National Post Barack Obama is trying to replicate this poker game domestically in the trade part of cap-and-trade , which, as passed by the House of Representatives, … and more
White House: Stimulus Generates 650K Jobs – CBS News
October 30th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
CBS News White House: Stimulus Generates 650K Jobs CBS News Moveon, Acorn, GW, Anti Family, ProObame Health Care Team, PR, Anti Senior, Anti Military, Pro Cap & Trade , etc. that support his Agenda. … and more
How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door
October 20th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Securing your network The following security measures are relatively easy to implement, provided you read the manuals that came with your wireless devices. “The manual?” you ask. Yes, the manual. You know, it’s the thing propping up the short leg on your computer desk. Take it out for now; you’ll only have to deal with the wobble until we’re done. None of the measures described here are particularly dramatic, and there are ways to get around them. But, doing so requires some skill and understanding of networking. In this case, they serve as a sort of “intellectual firewall ” that prevents script kiddies from cracking your network. These steps include the following: 1. Change the default SSID. 2. Disable SSID broadcast. 3. Change the default IP subnet. 4. Consider disabling DHCP. 5. Enable MAC address filtering. 6. Change default administrative passwords. 7. Change default user names. 8. Enable WEP or WPA encryption. 9. Adjust broadcast power. 10. Set minimum connection speeds. 11. Set access times. Change the default SSID The first step toward making a WLAN reasonably secure is changing the default SSID. This is important because anyone using a wireless sniffer can determine what sort of access point you use by looking at the default SSID. Knowing your access point model allows the cracker to guess the rest of the default settings and attack your WLAN that much easier. Don’t change the name to something obvious like your street address (I have actually seen this done) or your name. Consider using random numbers or even changing it to something tike “NOTPUBLIC” or “NOTRESSPASSING” just to make a point. Disable SSID broadcast Wireless access points are set to broadcast the SSID by default. Turn this feature off to make it harder for casual wardrivers to discover your network’s name. It won’t stop a determined cracker from discovering it, though, because wireless NICs always broadcast the SSB3 when communicating with the access point. The procedure for disabling SSID broadcast is different for each manufacturer, so consult your access point’s manual. Once you turn off SSID broadcast, you have to configure each NIC manually and input the new SSID. Change the default IP subnet The next thing you should consider doing is changing the default subnet IP addresses. Each manufacturer has a default IP subnet, and this can make it easy for an attacker to discover the IP address of your access point. Consider also disabling DHCP and assigning static IP addresses. Consider disabling DHCP Most access points support built-in DHCP service. This allows the access point to assign IP addresses dynamically to new computers as they connect to the network and to computers that are reconnecting after a shutdown or reboot. This also allows an intruder to connect to the WLAN and have the access point assign him an IP address, which makes the intruder’s computer a legitimate member of the WLAN. By disabling DHCP, you make this far more difficult. You have to assign permanent (static) IP addresses to each computer on your WLAN and manually configure them. Once again, this is an extra step, but it is well worth the effort. Insider insight : Without DHCP enabled, an intruder has to monitor and analyze network traffic in an attempt to determine the IP subnet and addresses in use He can then assign himself an IP address and attempt to establish a connection. This makes it difficult for casual sniffers and neophyte intruders to access your WLAN. Enable MAC address filtering Another step that you can, and should, take is to enable MAC address filtering. Remember that each network device has a unique MAC address assigned by the manufacturer. Many access points have an option that allows you to restrict access to specific MAC addresses. This should block any MAC addresses that are not on the “allow” list from connecting to the network. This is effective, but it is not perfect. An intruder can monitor network traffic and discover the MAC addresses of legitimate computers on the WLAN. He can then change the MAC address of his NIC, which allows him to masquerade as a member of the network and connect even when filtering is turned on. Change default administrative passwords Change the default administrative passwords on all access points. Once again, these are public knowledge, and, if a cracker knows what type of access point you use, he’ll know the default password. This will aid him in attacking your access point. Caution : Write down the new settings and passwords, and store the list in a secure place. This will be helpful if you forget this information and need it at a later date. Change default user names Likewise, the tips above apply to your username too as these are also common knowledge. Enable WEP or WPA encryption As I mentioned earlier, even though WEP encryption is flawed and vulnerable, you should use it. Enable 128-bit WEP on your WLAN, and use it. With the relatively low traffic on a WLAN in a home, it could take a cracker several hours to collect enough packets to crack your WEP key. Again, each step you perform just adds another piece to the intellectual firewall you’re building. As a whole, these measures with discourage most script kiddies and casual wardrivers. Adjust broadcast power On some access points, you can adjust the broadcast power of the unit. I recommend that you experiment and turn this down as low as you can while still maintaining decent connection speeds between computers on your WLAN. The idea is to keep the signal within the confines of your house rather than having it reach across the street. This makes the signal more difficult to receive for outsiders. Wardrivers can use directional antennas to pick up weak signals at a greater distance, but doing this will at least make it harder for them. Set minimum connection speeds On many access points, you can set a minimum access connection speed. The further away from an access point an intruder is, the weaker the signal will be (both ways). Therefore, if you set the minimum connection speed higher, computers will have to be closer to the access point to connect and stay connected. Once again, this makes it harder for an intruder to access your WLAN because he will have to be closer to connect. Anyone standing on your lawn with a wireless laptop is probably up to no good unless he’s the water meter reader. Set access times Lastly, some access points allow you to configure the times of day to allow access. If it supports this, consider using it. If no-one is home during the day, consider configuring it to block all access between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
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How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door
Not Evil, Just Wrong Premiers Today – Dakota Voice
October 18th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Dakota Voice Not Evil, Just Wrong Premiers Today Dakota Voice The US Senate is preparing to pass a cap and trade global warming tax (the House has already passed it) that will destroy thousands if not millions of jobs, … and more
Commentary By Jackie Jeter – WAMU
October 14th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
WAMU Commentary By Jackie Jeter WAMU The letters urged opposition to the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the so-called cap and trade bill. It wound up passing in the House by a slim … and more
America Needs a Climate Change Revolt – Human Events (blog)
October 5th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
America Needs a Climate Change Revolt Human Events (blog) Kerry and Boxer have written a bill that's even tougher than the one in the House — but don't call it “ Cap and Trade ” — Sen. Kerry says he doesn't know … and more
Dakota Voice Week in Review, Ending Oct. 3, 2009 – Dakota Voice
October 4th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Dakota Voice Dakota Voice Week in Review, Ending Oct. 3, 2009 Dakota Voice Senate Cap and Trade Bill Draft Released: Worse Than House Version – A draft of the Senate version of the cap and trade global warming tax bill has been …
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Dakota Voice Week in Review, Ending Oct. 3, 2009 – Dakota Voice
Cap and trade: the economic suicide act – OregonLive.com
September 30th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Cap and trade : the economic suicide act OregonLive.com The ” cap-and-trade ” Waxman-Markley climate change bill is a massive energy tax. This 1427-page economic suicide act passed the House in July without anyone …
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Cap and trade: the economic suicide act – OregonLive.com
Pollak Speech to Cook County GOP – Chicago Daily Observer
September 27th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
Pollak Speech to Cook County GOP Chicago Daily Observer The House passed a cap-and-trade bill that will cost each family in America $1761 per year. I have a degree in environmental science, and I can tell you … and more
PM feels heat on threat to trade – The Australian
September 25th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.
PM feels heat on threat to trade The Australian The US cap and trade has passed the house of Reps,but that is as far as it is expected to get.Why hasn't there been a mention in the media that global … and more
Congress considers funding green vehicle research
September 16th, 2009. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
By Ken Thomas The Associated PressWASHINGTON – Targeting more funding for the auto industry, the House is considering an expansion into government-led research of fuel-efficient vehicle technology and
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Congress considers funding green vehicle research
Dems say the hell with the people Looking to use Reconciliation
September 4th, 2009. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
White House’s new health care pitch By: Carrie Budoff Brown September 3, 2009 10:49 PM EST
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Dems say the hell with the people Looking to use Reconciliation
Adopting Poor Password Security Is Like Laying All Your Cards On The Table
September 4th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Personally I’m not a card player, let alone a gambler. If I was, though, I’d be sure to keep all my cards close to my chest when playing the game. Thats just a commonsense thing to do isn’t it? So why, then, do people gamble with their passwords? I know plenty of people, some of them readers of this site, who still make fundamental mistakes with their password security. Some of them have passwords that are their names, even just their initials. They’re crazy I tell you! If you arn’t already aware of the bad password mistakes I’ve mentioned before then here they are again and with a few extra tips thrown in – DON’T MAKE YOUR PASSWORD TOO SHORT Has your wife or girlfriend ever told you that size matters? She is right you know. If you haven’t got enough length, in your password, then you are asking for trouble. Short passwords are easy to guess, or crack, so make them as long as you can. DON’T WRITE PASSWORDS DOWN! You’re not stupid are you? If you record your passwords on scraps of paper, post-it notes or even in a file on your computer then somebody, somewhere, sometime is going to have access to them. Don’t do it! If you really must record your passwords then use a password managing program or lock them in a safe. Better yet, choose passwords that mean nothing to others but enough to you that you will be able to remember them. DON’T MAKE PASSWORDS TOO COMMON Do you own a dictionary? You probably do. Open it up and have a good look at the words inside. Are any of those what you have chosen for your password? They are? Ooops! Hackers use their own computerised dictionaries when trying to crack passwords. Don’t make their lives any easier by selecting anything that they’ll be able to crack in seconds. AVOID PASSWORDS BASED UPON YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS Wives, children, pets. Love ‘em. But don’t use them in your passwords. No. Really. Don’t. You’ll regret it. If you use any of the above, or other common data such as your date of birth, phone number, or address then someone who knows a little about you could be into your computer system in seconds. NEVER MAKE YOUR PASSWORD YOUR REAL NAME Love yourself? Good. Somebody has to. Just don’t be so vain as to use your own name as your password though. Its not clever. DON’T CREATE PASSWORDS THAT ARE EASY TO GUESS Trying to think of a password? Have a can of your favourite cola drink on your desk? Don’t do it! Famous brand names and descriptions of common household objects are used far too often as passwords. Hackers know this. Make sure you do too. NEVER MAKE PASSWORDS THAT ARE JUST LETTERS OR JUST NUMBERS Passwords that are just letters, or just numbers, are much easier to guess than those that that use a mixture of the two. (That doesn’t mean using your name with your age tagged on the end though!) Throw in some symbols as well and you will be well on your way to having a password that is hard to guess. PASSWORDS HAVE TO DIE SOMETIME TOO Everything dies eventually and your password should not be an exception to that rule. You may have used it for a few months, lovingly typing it out several times a day, but you shouldn’t get too attached. If someone is trying to crack your password and they have time on their hands then they will eventually get it. Make it as hard as possible for them by changing your passwords on a regular basis. PASSWORD VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE Variety is the spice of life. Using just one password for everything you do, every site you visit, is boring. Stupid too. If someone cracks the one password you have then they will have access to everything you do and everywhere you go. You really don’t want that so pick a new and unique password every time that you need an additional one. NEVER, EVER, SHARE YOUR PASSWORD Do you give the keys to your house or car to people you hardly know? Didn’t think so. Why, then, would you share your password with anyone? Once someone has it they have access to everything you do on the computer. So, sometimes, its good not to share. WHY GOOD PASSWORD SECURITY MATTERS You really do need to keep your passwords secure because, if you don’t, you may well fall prey to one of the following – Online banking fraud Invasion of your privacy Identity theft Unauthorised data leaks None of which would be particularly good!
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Adopting Poor Password Security Is Like Laying All Your Cards On The Table
Audit the Fed Action Alert!
September 3rd, 2009. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.
September 2, 2009 Dear Friend of Liberty, Our effort to Audit the Federal Reserve is winning, but we have not won yet! There are currently 282 cosponsors in the House and 23 cosponsors in the Senate
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Audit the Fed Action Alert!
Internal Revenue Service to be New Health Care Enforcer
August 19th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
Under both the House and Senate bills the Internet Revenue Service (IRS) will be monitoring and enforcing the proposed national health care. From what I understand is those that don’t have health care cannot afford it, so it stands to reason that if they can’t afford health care how are they going to pay for it. If they don’t get health care then these same people would be taxed which means even less money in their pockets for necessities. I am one of those that can’t afford health care insurance. A tax for not having health care means less food on my families table, not being able to pay my bills (house payment, etc.). So exactly how is the government going to make me pay health care insurance or tax me for not having it? Where exactly for do these folks in Washington come up with these (not so) brilliant ideas? I for one can’t see what congress is pushing this public option so hard, they already have their own health care system in place. I say if congress forces HR 3200 on us, that they should have to use it as well just like rest of us. As they say “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”. Professor of Law, William Jacobson at Cornell Law School has interesting opinions and insights of HR 3200’s use of the IRS to monitor and enforce the proposed health care reform legislation. The Senate bill imposes a new requirement that all persons who provide health care coverage to others must file a return with the IRS listing the names, addresses, social security numbers, and the coverage period for each person, and “such other information as the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] may prescribe.” (Section 161(b) starting at page 107). The bill does not limit what information the Secretary may request, so it is conceivable and likely that information as to the nature of the coverage, the family members included, and other details will be reported to the IRS. The Senate version is similar, although the tax is called a “shared responsibility payment” not a tax. Section 161 (at pp. 103-104) words new section 59B of the IRC to require lack of coverage for a month (subject to certain exemptions) before the tax kicks in, and does not specify a specific percentage, but instead, directs that annually Read the full post on William Jacobson’s legal blog
National Health Care Reform – A Convoluted Prostitution of our Constitutional Rights
July 30th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.
I am one of the nations uninsured. Back in November 2008 my wife broke her foot, the healing process was quite long (about 6 months). We paid out of pocket for the physicians care, x-rays and the walking cast boots she had to wear. Being uninsured we found that everyone we dealt with gave us a very nice cash discount for not using insurance. What a blessing that was. For the last two years my family has lived below the national poverty line. Things are tough. Both my wife and I are self-employed and we felt the economy going downhill nearly three years ago. In fact last year my wife closed her business (hair salon) and went to work for another salon. Closing the salon got rid of a huge amount of overhead. However, our combined income dropped because consumers were spending less and doing without. So far June and July has been the worst for us than we can ever remember in the past. We are just barely squeaking by, if you can even call it getting by. More like doing without many, many things. The main point of this is, I and my family cannot afford to buy insurance, nor do we want to have someone decide for us. It’s either pay our house payment, food and utilities or purchase health insurance. I bet you can guess where our money goes. If I don’t buy insurance, according to H.R. 3200 ( 1,017 page Bill in PDF format ) I could be penalized. Hey congress, just exactly where are you going to get money from me if I don’t? Are you going to force me to default on my home in order to pay, or are you going to garnish my bank account (then I can’t pay my bills or buy food for my family). Just exactly what are you (Congressional) idiots thinking? Congress can’t even (or won’t) fix Medicare or Social Security. Try fixing the things that are broken before you legislate more things that you will break and can’t fix. Put that in your pocket for a while and think about it. I don’t want anyone to dictate how, when or where I and my family get healthcare. I am a citizen of the United States and I have a freedom of choice. It doesn’t matter how much honey and perfume you pour over this bill, it still stinks as bad or worse than the TARP bailout from earlier this year.
National Arbitration Forum [NAF] to Cease Administering All Consumer Arbitrations
July 20th, 2009. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.
The below is a press release from Business Wire. No matter how the PR folks spin it, it’s still good news for consumers subjected to forced arbitration. I think they are ceasing consumer arbitration because of the suit they just settled with the state of Minnesota and are hoping other Attorney General’s or the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) won’t delve deeper into their questionable tactics or who is investing in the NAF. No matter the case or cause it is a *WIN* for consumers. I do sincerely hope that the FTC does investigate all involved with the National Arbitration Forum as I do believe that consumers were/are being hornswoggled by the NAF and by those associated with it. — American Consumers to Lose Affordable Access to Justice through Nation’s Largest Administrator of Consumer Arbitration Disputes MINNEAPOLIS–( BUSINESS WIRE )–The National Arbitration Forum (FORUM), the largest U.S. administrator of consumer arbitrations, today announced that it will voluntarily cease to administer consumer arbitration disputes as of Friday, July 24, 2009, as part of a settlement agreement with the Minnesota Attorney General. “The National Arbitration Forum remains committed to consumer arbitration as the best and most affordable option for consumers to resolve disputes quickly and efficiently. However, the FORUM lacks the necessary resources to defend against increasing challenges to arbitration on all fronts, including from state Attorneys General and the class action trial bar,” said Forthright CEO Mike Kelly. “Mounting legal costs, a challenging economic climate, and increased legislative uncertainty surrounding the future of arbitration have prompted the FORUM to exit the consumer arbitration arena. At this time, the costs of providing consumer arbitration services far exceed the revenue generated. Until Congress resolves the legal and legislative uncertainty the cost is simply too high for users and providers of consumer arbitration.” Legislative proposals pending in both houses of Congress threaten to eliminate pre-dispute arbitration as an effective means of alternative dispute resolution. The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 931/H.R. 1020) would invalidate every pre-dispute contractual arbitration agreement that is part of a consumer, financial or franchise dispute – in effect, every contract. The Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act (S. 512/H.R. 1237) would eliminate pre-dispute mandatory arbitration in all nursing home contracts. Legislation before the House to create a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (H.R. 3126) addresses arbitration and would give broad regulatory authority to restrict or eliminate all consumer arbitrations. “The National Arbitration Forum provides fair and affordable access to justice to American consumers regardless of size of their claims. Without access to arbitration, consumer disputes will now be forced into an overcrowded and underfunded legal system, where many consumers who cannot afford attorneys will have to navigate complex court procedures,” continued Kelly. “The consequence to American consumers is that there will be no meaningful alternative to costly and unpredictable litigation.” Notably, nothing in the Minnesota Attorney General’s complaint alleges that arbitration proceedings administered by the FORUM are unfair; the fairness of arbitration is ensured by the independence of the neutral arbitrators. National Arbitration Forum consumer arbitration claims are decided by an independent panel of more than 1,600 highly experienced and impartial legal professionals, including former judges and experienced attorneys. FORUM neutrals are bound to a code of professional ethics, and decide cases outside of any influence from the FORUM or the other parties. About the National Arbitration Forum (FORUM) Founded in 1986, the National Arbitration Forum (FORUM) is a world leader in arbitration and mediation services. The FORUM provides accessible civil justice through the recruitment, selection, and management of a highly experienced and distinguished panel of over 1,600 former judges and seasoned lawyers. Now optimized by Forthright, the FORUM is the faster, lower cost, and superior alternative to litigation, that ensures parties receive the same outcomes they would in court. www.adrforum.com
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National Arbitration Forum [NAF] to Cease Administering All Consumer Arbitrations