Mt. Olive Seniors by Dixie Kuykendall

The North Jefferson News



The Mt. Olive seniors celebrated birthdays with Dolan and Jerry Howse this week.

Dolan and Jerry have been Mt. Olive residents since 1967. Dolan retired after 32 years with the City Of Birmingham and they are two of the nicer folks you will ever meet.

They have two children and six grandchildren. When you ask what their hobbies are, they will tell you quickly that they enjoy their family. The Mt. Olive Senior center family certainly enjoys them. They are always cheerful and ready to help whatever the need.

Folks like this epitomize the meaning of friendship!



Identity theft

Senior citizens are often the target of con artists because of their vulnerability and trust. Seniors fall victim daily to unscrupulous telemarketing and mail fraud.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America today. It is happening here in our neighborhood. The seniors from Mt. Olive Senior Center joined seniors from across Jefferson County to learn more about how to protect ourselves from fraud and identity theft.

Attorney General Troy King has cautioned seniors to “be aware.” He stated that seniors are the biggest target in the state because they are among the most trusting citizens. “Trust,” he said, “but, verify.” If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Sheriff Mike Hale also spoke to the group mentioning the need to be cautious about home repair fraud. With the storms we have recently had there has been roof and other damage. Be cautious of home repair deals. Ask for references, don’t pay up front and contact the Better Business Bureau.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to become a victim and not be aware it happened until it’s too late. Victims of identity theft don’t normally know they’ve been victimized until charges show up on their bills for purchases they never made.

Many seniors fall prey to telemarketing scams. Remember that your bank will never call you and ask for your account number; the Social Security office will never call and ask for your number; the IRS will not call about your refund.



Tips to remember

• Safeguard your Social Security number

• Don’t accept pre-approved credit offers

• Don’t throw credit offers in your trash

• Shred everything that you discard with your name, address, personal information like your date of birth, your social security number and bank account numbers

• Never give personal information on the phone, unless you know who you are dealing with

• Be aware of your surroundings

If you would like to have someone speak to your senior group about identity theft, there are many resources available. I will be happy to provide that information.



Senior issues

• Rep. Johnson has introduced a bill to provide $2 million for meals to homebound senior citizens. This was Alabama Silver Hair Legislature’s No. 3 issue.

• Senator Bedford has introduced a bill appropriating $500,000 for free prostate colorectal cancer screening

Other new bills

• Prohibit pass through funding directed by a member of the Legislature

• Require disclosure of political ad funding sources



Government reform

PAC-to-PAC transfers prohibited. HB73 passed House. Pending action by Senate Governmental Affairs Committee since Feb. 7.



As reported in the news

Only three states, including Alabama, allow lobbyist to spend up to $250 per day without reporting it. As of 2006, there were 693 registered lobbyists – five per legislator – who can attempt to influence laws in Alabama. Assuming a lobbyist gave $250 to a legislator every day, that would be more than $91,000 per year.

In short, Alabama citizens are victims of a massive shell game. PAC-to-PAC transfers and the excessively high amount of money that lobbyists can spend on legislators on a daily basis without reporting are just two examples of the lack of accountability in Alabama politics.

Although the House passed bill HB73 to ban the transfer of money between political action committees, it was rewritten by a Senate committee to allow political parties and legislative caucuses to mingle money. We will follow the outcome of this.



Flying the flag

HB1 would allow individuals to fly the U.S. flag on his or her property notwithstanding covenants, contracts and restrictions. Passed House, pending action by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee since Feb. 12. Remember, copies of bills and the status of bills can be obtained at the Alabama Legislative Information Systems Online: http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLogin