IRS warns of stimulus scams

Offers for checks are identity-theft plotsBy Christina E. Sanchez • THE TENNESSEAN • February 9, 2009 Congress hasn't settled on a stimulus package yet, but scammers are preying on people's hopes for one that would put money in their bank accounts. E-mails and phone calls purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service promise to get people a stimulus payment. Click a link. Fill out a form. Give personal information. A check will be yours. Not true, warn IRS officials who said there are scammers in more than 70 countries trying to steal people's identities. And federal and local officials are alerting the public, encouraging people not to let tough financial times get the best of their judgment. The IRS would never contact a person by e-mail, said Dan Boone, spokesman for IRS offices in Tennessee and Alabama. "Don't click on any links and don't open any attachments," Boone said. "Either delete it or forward it to the IRS." The IRS doesn't even have taxpayers' e-mail addresses, Boone said. The e-mail may read something like this: "After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a stimulus payment. To submit your stimulus payment form, please download the attached document … you'll be receiving a check." Under the economic plan Congress is crafting, most of the relief to individuals would come in the form of tax credits that would add money to each paycheck, not provide direct payments. 'Nobody is immune' Metro police Sgt. David Howard, who works with the fraud unit, said he hasn't yet seen the influx of IRS scams that arrived last spring when stimulus checks went out. But he is sure that if lawmakers do decide to give taxpayers extra money, the scams will start anew. "Nobody is immune from these scams, no matter what age you are, what race you are, what education level you have," Howard said. Howard offers his own advice on this scam or any solicitation. "Don't do business with people you do not know," he said. "If you need something done, talk to people you can trust and see what has been successful for them." IRS spokesman Boone said little can be done to stop all scammers because they are so widespread and in so many countries, though the agency is able to track some down. "The scammers read the news just like everyone else, and they try to tie their e-mail messages to whatever is going on with a stimulus check or a refund to make it look more official and believable," Boone said. "Our best defense is to make the public aware."

Mayor optimistic Council will pass water bill

WKRN Channel 2 NEWS Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is optimistic his $555 million proposal to repair the city's aging water, sewer and stormwater system will pass the Metro Council. The plan, called the Clean Water Infrastructure Program, calls for spending $500 million over the next five years on water and sewer projects. To pay for it, residential water bills will go up nearly 8% this year, followed by smaller increases for the next two years. Plus, there will be a new monthly fee for stormwater repairs It pays for $50 million in stormwater projects over five years, and averages about $3 a month for residential users. "I am optimistic we will get the council to support this," he told a gathering of reporters prior to touring Nashville's Omohundro Water Treatment Plant Friday. The plant was built in 1889 served as a backdrop for a news conference Friday designed to pump up support for the project. "Some folks had advocated a 20% increase this year and we decided it would be better to spread out the increases overtime to minimize the impact on families," Mayor Dean said. From the depths of the old Omohundro plant next to the Cumberland River, the city's water director explained that half the cost of the project will be upgrading 3,000 miles of sewer pipes. Some pipes are more than a century old, and are prone to leaks, according to director Scott Potter. "All the stuff that goes into a toilet, all the stuff that goes into a sewer system we have got to pump it all and sometimes its not just water and that breaks stuff," said Potter. The Council is expected to consider the plan on the first of three readings on February 17. If approved by mid-March, the projects could begin by July 1.

Jobless benefit plan outdated

Program leaves over 5 million without aid By Christopher S. Rugaber • ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 7, 2009 WASHINGTON — The government safety net designed to protect laid-off workers from financial catastrophe is falling short, leaving nearly half the 11.6 million jobless Americans without unemployment benefits. The shortcomings are fueling the recession as an increasing number of workers fall through the cracks and curtail spending. The trend highlights what economists say is a growing need for a 21st-century makeover of a program started in the depths of the Great Depression. Among the key problem areas: • There are many more part-time workers now than in 1935, but the program covers only those looking for full-time work. • Many eligible jobless Americans are shut out because states use an outdated system for calculating their income, making it more difficult to meet requirements. • Unemployment spells increasingly last longer than the usual 26-week jobless benefits program. Jobless benefits essentially are mini-financial stimulus packages for struggling American families. Helping laid-off breadwinners continue to purchase goods and services until they find new jobs ultimately bolsters the economy and makes further layoffs less likely. About $27 billion of the economic stimulus package under consideration by Congress would be used to extend jobless benefits, which vary by state but average about $300 a week. That would cover roughly 3 million Americans through the end of 2009, according to the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group. The stimulus bill also would provide $7 billion to the states to encourage them to cover part-time workers and more low-wage workers. These changes could extend benefits to 500,000 people, according to the law project. The package also would add $25 a week to jobless benefits in an effort to further boost recipients' ability to spend. More fundamental reforms are needed to address the system's underlying weaknesses, several economists said. Benefits run out Many of the 5.2 million unemployed Americans without jobless benefits have exhausted their 26 weeks of assistance. The program, funded by states through taxes levied on employers, has been no match for a recession that is frustrating the ambitions of even the most qualified job hunters. Paula Stein's $363 weekly benefits ran out last month. The former office manager from Goochland, Va., who missed several mortgage payments even before her benefits ended, has had to drain her savings and lean on her partner's $124-a-week unemployment check to help make ends meet. "It's a domino effect," said Stein, 57, who receives a small pension from IBM, where she was an accounts receivable supervisor. "If you don't have a job, it touches everything." Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics at Moody's Economy.com, said if the government provided benefits to more workers, it would reduce the severity of the recession. Congress extended unemployment benefits twice last year, adding up to 33 weeks of coverage for individuals. Still, there were roughly 500,000 more unemployed Americans not receiving benefits in December than a year before. Before the emergency extensions, only about one-third of unemployed Americans were receiving benefits. The proportion of workers covered usually increases during recessions as Congress typically enacts extended benefits. Resources drained High demand — and insufficient funding — has made it difficult for many unemployment offices to keep up. Last month, online systems for requesting benefits in three states crashed under the crush of claimants. Other states, such as Michigan, have hired more workers to process the claims. At least six states have had to borrow money from the federal government to pay benefits. Beyond that, the economy has changed in significant ways since the jobless benefits system was first set up. In decades past, layoffs during recessions often were short-lived and workers eventually were rehired. Today, companies are more likely to eliminate jobs for good, either by shutting down plants or moving them abroad, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. The result: Unemployment spells tend to be longer as workers seek opportunities with new companies or even in new industries. Jeffrey Kling, an economist at the Brookings Institution, says more comprehensive reforms are needed. He believes the government should temporarily replace part of the income workers lose when they take lower-paying jobs after a layoff. Some conservative-leaning analysts say extending unemployment benefits is the wrong way to go. "It does reduce the pressure and incentive to go out and search for a new job," said James Sherk, a labor policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Many unemployed people disagree. "Nobody wants to sit on their butt and collect welfare," said Sherri McClendon, 57, who was laid off from a customer service job at a health insurance provider in January 2008. She has applied for roughly 200 jobs but is worried that her age will make it harder to find work, forcing her to go on welfare. "I'm in a category I've never experienced before."

It's a workday for Cupid in Metro

Clerk's office will provide licenses, weddings Feb. 14 By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • February 7, 2009 Love knows no bounds — not even a five-day government workweek. If you want to get married on Valentine's Day, the Davidson County Clerk's office will be ready for you, even with the romantic holiday falling on a Saturday this year. The clerk's office will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. a week from today, ready to help the betrothed — or the spontaneous, or the momentarily irrational — start the rest of their lives together, Clerk John Arriola announced. The clerk's office married more than 50 couples on Valentine's Day last year, when it was on a Thursday. For those who need a one-stop shop for fulfilling the legal requirements of tying the knot, Arriola and his staff will help with marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies in the "St. Valentine's Chapel of Love." A marriage license costs $39.50 with a premarital counseling certificate, and $99.50 without one. The celebration will include a reception with refreshments, a live DJ, photos and a commemorative Valentine's marriage certificate, according to a news release. One couple will win a two-night trip to Gatlinburg, and some of the proceeds from the day will be donated to St. Jude's Hospital. Arriola's office said appointments are recommended but not required. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 615-862-6256. The clerk's office is at 523 Mainstream Drive in MetroCenter.

Input sought on Middle Tennessee bike and walking paths

The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization wants the public to weigh in this month on the development of regional bicycle and pedestrian paths for Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson and Williamson counties. Meetings will be held Feb. 23-26 at the following dates, times and locations: Rutherford County: Monday, Feb. 23, 5:30- 7:30 p.m., the Smyrna Town Centre, 100 Sam Ridley Parkway E., Smyrna. Williamson County: Monday, Feb. 23, 5:30 -7:30 p.m. at Franklin First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 143 Fifth Ave., Franklin. Davidson County: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m., East Park Community Center, 700 Woodland St., Nashville. Wilson County: Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Lebanon City Hall, 200 Castle Heights Ave. N., Lebanon. Sumner County: Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Hendersonville Public Library, 140 Saundersville Road, Hendersonville. Residents are encouraged to come prepared to share their thoughts and ideas, the agency said in a news release. More information is available at www.nashvillempo.org.— MARIA GIORDANOmgiordano@tennessean.com

Digital TV switch postponed to June

By Joelle Tessler • ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 5, 2009 WASHINGTON — After weeks of debate, Congress is giving consumers four more months to prepare for the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting. The House voted 264-158 on Wednesday to postpone the shutdown of analog TV signals to June 12, to address growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready by the Feb. 17 deadline that Congress set three years ago. The Senate passed the measure unanimously last week and the bill now heads to President Barack Obama. The change is being mandated because digital signals are more efficient than analog ones. Ending analog broadcasts will free up valuable space in the nation's airwaves for commercial wireless services and emergency-response networks. The delay is a victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who maintain that the previous administration mismanaged efforts to ensure that all consumers — particularly poor, rural and minority Americans — will be prepared for the switchover. The Nielsen Co. estimates that more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals still are not ready. People who subscribe to cable or satellite TV or have a newer TV with a digital tuner will not be affected. Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Rick Boucher, D-Va., chairman of the House Commerce Committee's subcommittee on communications, technology and the Internet, said a delay was needed to prevent the digital transition from becoming a failure. Opponents of a delay warned, however, that the move will confuse consumers, create added costs for TV stations that will continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals for four more months and burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for the airwaves. "It's time for us to move forward on this and keep our word to the American people," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., calling for the transition to proceed on Feb. 17. Democrats have tried to address these concerns by allowing broadcast stations to switch to digital signals sooner than June if they choose, potentially freeing up spectrum for public safety early. But it is unclear how many TV stations plan to use this option. The National Association of Broadcasters welcomed the delay. The group said it would provide new television spots to promote the June 12 deadline, and work with stations to coordinate additional analog shut-off tests to raise awareness and help consumers prepare.

Hermitage Precinct Newsletter Feb 2009

http://www.police.nashville.org/bureaus/fieldops/hermitage/default.htm Officer Troy Meadows Hermitage Precinct Community Affairs Unit Metro-Nashville Police Department Phone 880-1781

Police foil alleged crime spree, arrest teens

WKRN News Channel 2 Antioch, Tenn. - Two teenage burglary suspects are in custody after an alleged crime spree Tuesday. Metro police said the teens broke into three homes in the Antioch area, stealing items like laptop computers, video game systems and big screen TVs. Authorities said they used church bulletins as a decoy when the approached the homes and if no one was home, they'd kick in the doors. "They would knock, if a person answered the door, they would show the bulletins, they would talk about their church and encourage the homeowner to attend their church," Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron explained. "If they got to the door and no one came to the door, they'd kick it in." Authorities said the suspects are 19 and 17 years old. The 17-year-old is a student at Whites Creek High School in Nashville. During the time of his arrest, police said the computer showed he was in school.

Juvenile crime victims' electronic records mislaid

Flash drive had kids' names, account infoBy Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • February 3, 2009 A Metro auditor misplaced a portable computer storage drive containing the names of more than 500 juvenile crime victims who receive government funds, potentially exposing their bank account numbers and balances. The victims' addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers were not on the device, and banks have been alerted to look out for suspicious activity on the accounts. But most of the victims are still minors, and their names alone are sensitive information that isn't meant for public consumption, Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk Vic Lineweaver said Monday. "I don't see how they could have lost it," said Lineweaver, who was held in contempt of court in 2007 for failing to produce two files for a Juvenile Court referee. "But we're all human." Metro internal auditor Mark Swann said the computer flash drive was last seen Dec. 19 — almost exactly a year after thieves stole two laptops containing Metro voters' Social Security numbers. But the auditor who misplaced it didn't tell his bosses until mid-January. Swann said the auditor has not been disciplined for either the lost drive or the delayed report, however, because the office didn't have a policy on flash drives at the time. It has one now: Using flash drives is prohibited. "I wish it didn't happen," Swann said. "We realize the severity of the incident." Swann said his office was conducting a routine audit of victim compensation accounts in December. Parents or guardians of minors who are victims of crimes can use the accounts to pay for counseling, education needs and other court-approved expenses. The money comes from a federal grant that the state passes on to Metro. Swann said the auditor used the flash drive to transfer information from one computer to another in a different part of the Juvenile Court complex. After the transfer was completed, the drive "got lost in transit." The device contains 559 names but just 419 active accounts, because some victims' accounts have been closed since they became adults. Swann said 367 of the accounts contained less than $10,000 each. Lineweaver said the average account has $1,500 to $3,000. Lineweaver and Swann said they're waiting on advice from Metro attorneys before notifying the victims and their parents or guardians. Lineweaver's office asked banks late last week to watch for anyone trying to close an account, which would be unusual.

Metro Council OKs downtown noise bill

Vote on single beer sales is deferred By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • February 4, 2009 Downtown Nashville will be a bit quieter under legislation approved Tuesday by the Metro Council. But another bill backed by downtown quality-of-life advocates, a proposal to ban sales of single beers in the area, was delayed so sponsors can work to gather more support. The council unanimously approved the downtown noise ordinance, which represented a compromise after tourism officials balked at the first version of the bill. The final ordinance will limit recorded music to 85 decibels but won't restrict live music, one of Music City's calling cards. "It allows downtown residents to get a good night's sleep while preserving our reputation as a live-music mecca," said Councilman Mike Jameson, who represents downtown and sponsored the legislation. The council voted to defer the single-beer sales ban after adopting several amendments. Stores within the downtown interstate loop would be prohibited from selling single bottles or cans of beer. Supporters say the change would rein in vagrancy, litter, panhandling and public intoxication. The amendments call for the proposed law to expire in one year, and they remove an exception for craft and specialty beers that are often sold only as singles. But the changes didn't impress beer distributors, who remain opposed because they feel existing laws can address the problems cited by sponsors, lobbyist Joe Hall said. Councilwoman Erica Gilmore, the bill's lead sponsor, said she deferred it so the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and others can offer their opinions. "We're going to get some more weigh-in from other experts who deal with this in the city," Gilmore said. Tree ordinance approved In other business, the council:> >>Unanimously approved a residential tree density ordinance. It would require residential developers to put 14 tree units on each acre, excluding the building lots. A unit could contain one or more trees. Councilwoman Megan Barry, one of the sponsors, said the law gives developers incentives to save existing trees, which count more than new trees toward the density requirements. >> Deferred three bills concerning Habitat for Humanity's plans for a 350-house subdivision in northeast Nashville. Two of the bills would cancel Habitat's planned unit development district, forcing the organization to revise its plans, and rezone its land from multi-family to single-family, dramatically reducing the density. Metro attorneys advised the council to reject the bills, arguing that courts might rule the city targeted Habitat specifically and affected a particular class of people disproportionately. The Department of Law's memo said 93 percent of Habitat residents are members of minority groups.

January NES bills stir new calls

December charges also shocked customers By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • February 4, 2009 Nashville's Adugna Denbel purchased his first home in October, a 2,069-square-foot house built in 2005. But the thrill of being a first-time homebuyer lost its luster after he made payment arrangements to keep the place heated, Denbel said Tuesday. His most recent electric bill was $356, up from $190. "I've kept it at 68 and 65 degrees, no longer at 70," said Denbel. "I'm told nothing is wrong with the meter. It's just cold. Imagine that." Nashville Electric Service has received 35,000 calls — 12 percent of its residential customers — about January bills, including requests for payment arrangements. Some might also be among the 31,000 who called about their December bills, NES spokeswoman Laurie Parker said. A normal call volume for NES would be 2,000 a day, including making regular payments and typical inquiries, Parker said. After the January bills hit mailboxes, NES averaged 5,000 calls a day, mostly complaints, she said. NES serves about 355,000 customers in Davidson County and other parts of Middle Tennessee. "It's been unusual," said Parker. "It's been the perfect storm. The rate increases have been compounded with the cold weather." NES has maintained that the high electric bills stem from the Tennessee Valley Authority's 9.1 percent rate increase, the more than 20 percent fuel cost adjustment, extra days tacked on to bills and the cold weather. NES is working with customers, making payment arrangements and, in some cases, waiving late fees. It has customers who never had late payments calling and making arrangements. "We have people calling to complain, but they do pay the bills," Parker said. Denbel, originally from Ethiopia, said he went in person to deal with the issue, but there's not much he could do but pay the bill. The main question from many residential customers is why the kilowatt usage jumped at an exorbitant rate. Lori Eslick, who lives in an insulated home in Inglewood, said her kilowatt usage has increased by 3,000 kilowatts compared with last winter, translating to a January bill of $642. 26. "It just really makes no sense," Eslick said. "We are fortunate enough to be able to pay this. But no one can explain the kilowatt usage. Of course, my heart breaks for the people who can't afford these ridiculous bills."

Obama wants $500,000 executive pay cap at rescued firms

Associated Press • February 4, 2009 WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama wants to impose a $500,000 pay cap on executives whose firms receive government financial rescue funds, a dramatic intervention into corporate governance in the midst of financial crisis. The new restrictions, described by an administration official familiar with the new rules, are to be announced Wednesday morning at the White House. The steps set the stage for the administration's unveiling next week of a new framework for spending the money that remains in the $700 billion financial rescue fund. "If the taxpayers are helping you, then you've got certain responsibilities to not be living high on the hog," President Barack Obama said Tuesday. The move comes amid a national outcry over extravagant bonuses for executives heading companies seeking taxpayer dollars to remain solvent. Call it the maximum wage for some high-earners. The administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been made public, said the most restrictive limits would apply only to struggling large firms that receive "exceptional assistance" in the future. Healthy banks that receive government infusions of capital would have more leeway. Firms that want to pay executives above the $500,000 threshold would have to compensate them with stock that could not be sold or liquidated until they pay back the government funds, the official said. The president and members of Congress have been weighing various proposals to restrict chief executives' compensation as one of the conditions of receiving help under the $700 billion financial bailout fund. The desire for limits was reinforced by revelations that Wall Street firms paid more than $18 billion in bonuses in 2008 even while struggling with the economic downturn. Banks and other financial institutions that receive capital infusions, but are considered healthy, could waive the $500,000 salary cap and the stock restrictions under the new Obama rules. But the companies would have to disclose the compensation and submit the pay plan to shareholders for a nonbinding vote. The administration will also propose long-term compensation restrictions even for companies that don't receive government assistance. According to the official, the proposals include: -- Requiring top executives at financial institutions to hold stock for several years before they can cash out. -- Requiring nonbinding "say on pay" resolutions -- that is, giving shareholders more say on executive compensation. -- A Treasury-sponsored conference on a long-term overhaul of executive compensation. Top officials at companies that have received money from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program already face some compensation limits. But elected officials want to place more caps. "I do know this: We can't just say, 'Please, please,"' said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who has proposed that no employee of an institution that receives money under the $700 billion federal bailout can receive more than $400,000 in total compensation until it pays the money back. The figure is equivalent to the salary of the president of the United States. Compensation experts in the private sector have warned that such an intrusion into the internal decisions of financial institutions could discourage participation in the rescue program and slow down the financial sector's recovery. They also argue that it could set a precedent for government regulation that undermines performance-based pay. "It's not a government takeover," Obama stressed in an interview Tuesday with CNN. "Private enterprise will still be taking place. But people will be accountable and responsible." Even some Republicans, angered by company decisions to pay bonuses and buy airplanes while receiving government help, have few qualms about restrictions. "In ordinary situations where the taxpayers' money is not involved, we shouldn't set executive pay," said Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee. "But where you've got federal money involved, taxpayers' money involved, TARP money involved, and the way they have spent it, with no accountability, is getting close to being criminal."

Sleep support group forming at Summit

By Andy Humbles The Tennessean • January 30, 2009 Summit Medical Center will hold its first sleep support group meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 in Classroom A near the Visitor Lobby. Participation is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. The group’s purpose is to assist individuals or families about sleep disorders.Call 342-1919 for information.

Calendar: Best bets in Nashville

Events coming up in the Nashville area: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090201/COUNTY0103/902040333/1346/COUNTY

Crime Log January 27 - January 28

These are the most serious calls handled by the Metro police, listed by time, crime reported and address. Some reports may be unfounded. Police calls are listed by police precinct or town. When police cannot immediately determine the location of a crime, the address given is that of the police station or hospital where the crime was reported. Jan. 28 Antioch 8:20 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Murfreesboro Pike Hermitage 3:03 a.m., holdup/robbery, at Murfreesboro Pike and Expressway Park Drive 7:47 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 1500 block Elm Hill Pike 8:17 a.m., holdup/robbery, 10 block Fairfield Avenue 2:41 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block Bonnahurst Drive 3:35 p.m., residential burglary, 3100 block Earhart Road Jan. 27 Donelson 8:41 p.m., residential burglary, 3100 block East Lake Drive Hermitage 3:33 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Maritime Port 6:28 p.m., residential burglary, 70 block Robertson Street South 5:26 p.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Second Avenue South 6:04 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Lewis Street Una 6:19 p.m., shooting, 1700 block Borowood Drive