PHOENIX - Wildfires charred the West and Superstorm Sandy clobbered the East this year. Consumer advocates encourage holiday disaster relief donations, but they also caution that some homework is in order. The Federal Trade Commission ranks Arizona sixth-highest in the nation for its rate of consumer fraud complaints.
Attorney Beverly Salhanick suggests you take a moment on-line, or on the phone, before you make a donation.
"When you're looking at helping someone who's been in a disaster, check out that organization, just as you would check out any organization that you'd be giving a charitable gift to."
Salhanick says you can turn to a website called Guide Star to confirm if a nonprofit is registered with the IRS. You can also call the Better Business Bureau to check out a charity.
She points out that you don't have to live near a disaster to give help, and says your gift doesn't have to be a monetary donation.
"We've all seen that photograph of a New York police officer providing boots for the homeless person. Anywhere that you are in the country, there's always someone who's in need, and it may be that one little gesture that may be your charitable gift for the year."
If you are going to make a financial donation, Salhanick says there are other proven sites like Charity Navigator for checking out charities. She also suggests a newer resource that uses social media input, Great Nonprofits.
"And it's a social comment site; it's kind of like a Yelp for charities, so you get an impression of what their position is in the community."
Salhanick says the feedback you get can help you decide if the organization deserves your charity dollars for disaster relief or any other purpose.
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Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission say Wisconsin's blueprint for digital equity has been accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
That means the state is eligible for up to $30 million to implement its approach over the next five years.
Martha Cranley - state director for AARP Wisconsin - called it a robust plan, noting that older populations continue to face challenges in being connected to the digital world.
"We know that at least 15% of people 50-plus in Wisconsin are not connected," said Cranley, "either because the wires simply don't come to their house, or they don't have a device, or they don't know how to use it."
Cranley said the lack of connection is especially concerning in rural areas across northern Wisconsin, where aging communities have limited resources.
Stakeholders also note an infusion of new aid is helpful with the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program - which provides discounts on monthly internet bills for eligible households - in danger of running out of money.
Cranley said the state's plan came together following extensive public outreach, in which her organization helped convey the need for improved internet access for those 50 and older.
"They certainly heard from older people about how important this is to connect to their doctor," said Cranley, "and to connect to government services, and frankly, find employment."
Overall, Evers says the plan's federal approval means more than 410,000 homes and businesses will be better positioned to be connected to new or improved high-speed internet service.
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A new report found recalls, warnings and penalties for consumer products all increased last year. The recalls led to 550 injuries, 15 deaths and as many as 500 fires stemming from newly recalled products.
Teresa Murray is a consumer watchdog with the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. She said product recalls hit a seven year high last year, with 323 defective product announcements.
She said it is unclear whether the increase means there were more dangerous products on the market or more were caught and recalled.
"Either one is bad," said Murray, "and one of the biggest takeaways for us is the products that get recalled the most should be something that people are certainly aware of. And then, the thing that just frustrates us is the length of time it takes between the time that a company or the CPSC finds out about a problem, and then the time it takes for it to actually get recalled."
Murray said it can take months or even years before a defective product is recalled.
She added that just because something is for sale in a big box store like Target or Walmart, that doesn't automatically mean it is safe. She encouraged consumers to do their research.
Her organization is urging Congress to pass legislation to give the Consumer Product Safety Commission more recall authority without needing to take legal action, especially when a company isn't being responsive.
Murray contends when it comes to keeping you and your family safe, you can't be too careful. She said the CPSC typically announces recalls every Thursday morning, citing about a half-dozen products a week. She suggests looking at the list frequently.
"It takes 20 seconds to scroll down the list because they're all on one page and see whether you recognize any of these products," said Murray. "And even if you do it every weekend or even once a month for goodness sake, it is just something I don't think people are aware of it."
Earlier this year, a group of congressional lawmakers introduced the Consumer Advocacy and Protection Act, which would aim to deter companies from participating in safety violations.
If the CAP Act becomes law, it would also increase fines for violators and discourage them from withholding information about possible product defects.
Disclosure: Arizona PIRG Education Fund contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Consumer Issues, Energy Policy, Urban Planning/Transportation. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Consumer advocates in Oregon are praising recently passed legislation they say changes the landscape on debt collection.
Senate Bill 1595, known as the Family Financial Protection Act, gained approval from lawmakers during this year's short session.
It provides a number of protections for consumers against debt collection practices, including ensuring that collectors don't come after people for debt that isn't theirs or is for the wrong amount.
Executive Director of Oregon Consumer Justice Jagjit Nagra said it also changes the period of time consumers have to file a complaint.
"Originally, it was a one-year statute of limitations - and in many debt collection scenarios that's pretty problematic," said Nagra. "So, if you think about medical billing, it can take a long time for, often, just those bills to be produced and then that clock has already started ticking. So we extended that from one to three years."
The legislation provides other safeguards as well, such as from overwhelming legal fees and more garnishment protections.
Oregon state Rep. Nathan Sosa - D-Hillsboro - said lawmakers heard heartbreaking stories this session about the impact of debt on families.
"Many of the Oregonians who are in debt collection," said Sosa, "are there because of an unexpected medical emergency, or they have suffered from another tragedy - such as the death of a spouse who was the income earner for the family."
Nagra said rural communities in Oregon have the highest share of debt collection in the state.
He also noted that communities of color share a higher burden, with 28% of households in some sort of debt collection, compared with 16% of white households.
"It's an issue that folks are grappling with in the here and now," said Nagra. "So, for us, it was really important to have these fixes advanced because from our purview, quite frankly, they are long overdue."
The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
Disclosure: Oregon Consumer Justice contributes to our fund for reporting on Consumer Issues, Human Rights/Racial Justice, Poverty Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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