OCR Text |
Show 4A Tuesday November 12, 2002 Staff editopial Be careful of holiday scam artists By KEN LARSON 809. The reason you are asked to call varies. It Sun Advocate publisher can be to receive information about a family member who has been ill, to tell you someone has been arrested or died, to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people often unknowingly return these calls. Every once in a while it's necessary to remind our readers of the various scams that are played upon the uninitiated by the criminals of this world. There have always been scams but its seems with the advance of the internet and increased technology there are more and more unsuspect- If you call the number, you may be put on hold for a long period of time, or you will get a long to keep you on recorded message. They will ing people getting ripped off. And, as the holidays approach and the season of charitable giving is here, more and more people will be victims. ' the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. The surprise comes at the end of the month when you get your telephone bill; you'll learn you have been charged a high pice for the call. The 809 area code is located in Dominican numRepublic and can be used as a expensive scam currently taking place has been brought to my attention. Never respond to telephone calls or pages that tell you to call an "809 telephone number. That 809" can alert you to a scam that is quickly spreading and can easily cost you a lot of money. One particularly ber, similar to 900 numbers in the United States. There is no requirement that you be notified and warned of charges and rates involved because it is not covered by U. S. regulations. Here is another scenario. This year's most a message on your answering machine or pager that asks This is how it works. You receive you to call a ty number beginning with area code appropriate holiday gift may be a charity donation made on behalf of a loved one, but watch out for con artists. Most charity fundraising is legitimate, but fraud activity increases during the hola giving mood. Be- idays because people are in cause con artists often capitalize on recent disasters, consumers still need to be especially careful when donating to relief efforts such as the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Even though the disaster was well over a year ago scams are stifl being conducted concerning these attacks. The very idea of this gives you a concept of how ruthless these people are, because they target "Wtttiaflttw cnzt Awful Md mM Mnos Iwppinlng Mining thwtni want to com.y In our counting well-kno- events where immediate help is needed. Fortunately most con artists are fairly easy to spot once you know what to look for. Here are some suggestions to avoid getting scammed by fake charities. Stick with charities you know ami itiate contact yourself. Legitimate bust In- charities main-- (Continued on page 5A) Bneat EditiPial Rural traditions will include change By RICHARD SHAW It Staff reporter Most people have heard of the cabin syndrome. The cabin syndrome says that often people will buy a piece of property out in the country, build themselves a little bit of heaven and then try to keep eveiyone else from doing the same thing on the property that surrounds them. In other words they try to find ways to dose the door to further development once they have their place in life set There is also an opposite side to this syndrome. I call it the "move in and want to change 1 everything" syndrome. Although I have been very aware of this syndrome for many years, it never struck me as it has the last two weeks. I recently spoke with a friend who lives in Washington County whose family owned a farm near the Yoyo area for seems in the lastfew years that many people California and Nevada have been moving onto "five acre ranchette type lots in the That in itself has never bothered him he said. some of his family hates the development going on, his problem is with how these people want to change things. Although "They have moved here from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and other big cities," he says. "Many have told me they moved away from those places to get away horn the crime, the pollution, the traffic and the people. The problem arises in that they dont realize to get away from those things they have to give some other things up. Like convenience. , that at county commission and town meetings, these people are always clamoron every coring for more services and a ner so they dont haw to drive so for to pick up milk and get gas. He feels they basically want Los Angeles without all the hassles. He told me "7-1- 1" Glut A story I heard on KUER (our public radio tion from the University of Utah) this morning, brings that story even more to the front for me. The story spoke of a couple who decided to move from a suburb of Chicago to Montana after they bought a few acres there. They wanted to get away from the city and an the people. However they ended up with more "country than they bargained for with wildlife overrunning their land and cattle grazing on their lawn. But more upsetting to them seemed to be the services they didn't have. For instance they had to haul then own garbage to the land fin because there was no collection service available. The list went on and on. ' Now their "little piece of heaven" is up for sale because they found that it wasnt what they expected. They plan to move back to a city where they are more comfortable. Stories abound in the old west of communi- - (Condnued on page 5A) column Worker rights not obstacle to security By RON BIGLER Minute Man Metis This is an absurdity and an insult to all work ers. According to President George W. Bush and the png of union busters in his administration, the American people cannot trust union members to assist in the war against terrorism. As debate in the U.S. Senate heats up over creation of the new Homeland Security Depart- ment, the president is demanding that Congress give him the unchecked authority to strip away the collective bargaining rights of federal workers in the new agency. Bush wants the freedom to hire, fire and promote Homeland Security personnel "at will" -meaning that he could hire and fire workers for any reason he chooses. Cynically, he wants the public to believe that preserving the collective bargaining rights of about 45,000 federal employ- ees wouM cause the war a halt on terrorism to grind to - What about reports that Bush who was takbreak down oh the ranch in that month-lon- g had received prior warnings about the Waco ing - threat of terrorist hijackings? Did union rules cause the administration to drop the ball? And what about those hardworking field agents who were stonewalled by higher-up- s in the FBI during the investigation of suspected terrorists at flight schools? Were they stymied by burdensome union rules? These failures were not caused by union con- tracts that ensure fairness in the hiring, firing, and promoting.af federal workers. What's more, Bush already has the authority to suspend the collective bargaining rights of federal workers whose "primary function" is "intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work." Thera's no reason to give him further power to deny collective bargaining rights to secretar mjKIWM'ffltS ies and other support staff at federal Since September 11, 2001, New Yiork City workers most of whom are union members -have responded bravely and efficiently in the face of anthrax attacks, bomb threats and other heightened security concerns. If the mayor of New fork City can protect 8 million people with a unionized work force, there's no reason why the president cant do the same at the federal level. Bush.and tus allies in Congress have so for . refused to back off from their efforts to put the war on terrorism in the service of union busting. And he has threatened to veto any legislation - that does not give him the power he seeks. Here's a question that the president needs to Letters to the editor Medical liability crisis affects us all Editor According to the American Medical Association (AMA), at least adozen states currently face serious medical liability crises, largely fueled by anufcra&igious cultural mind set and jury awards jumping by more than 70 percent (to an average of $3 .5 million) between 1995 and 2000. Medical malpractice insurance rates have kept pace with the ominous trend, forcing more and more physicians to retire early rather than continue coping with metastasizing annual premiums. In Ohio, one of the states on the AMAs dire-strai-ts list, the top eight insurers raised their medical malpractice rates by 52 percent this year alone. In late July, Dr. Romeo Diaz astngical oncologist in Westlake, Ohio, reluctantly informed his patients and staff that he was retiring (at age 60) due to his soaring liability insurance bill IWo yearsago, the premium was .Last year, it jumped to $46,000. This year, it rocketed to $83,000 due by August 7. Kathy Ftitsch of Vermillkth, Ohio has been a patient of Qr. Diaz since 1993, when she begin fighting die first of two bouts wife breast cancer. She describes him as "a man who I feel saved by life twice." She recently made an appointment after noticing a lunjp near her rib cage. When she arrived at Dr. Diaz's office on July 29, she immediately felt that something was wrong, suite some patients appeared to haye been crying and the staff was lets ' cheery than usuaL the she had no Happily, lump deed turned out to be nothing more than fatty tissue. Her relfef turned to dejection, however, when Dr. Diaz, with fo tear in his eye, told her that he was dosing his practice. i. As reported in the September 2 issue of the AMA newspaper AmericanMedkalNews, "Fritsch didn't want to lose her physical, so she rallied Dr. Diaz's other patients for a common cause: They would raise $40,000 to cover die insurance increase add keep their doctor from retiring" Fritsch began contacting the news media and made the first contribution ($ 100) to the campaign Meanwhile, members of Dr. (Continued on pegeSA Issues rather than private personalities nV entities. AUsubnussioMmust verified VX' priortb publication." Thfipaperfeserves the right to edit letters not only fe satisfy ispace X answer: Is it really more important to suspend collective bargaining rights than it is to work out a compromise that protects homeland security and the rights of federal workers? U.S. senators who are opposed to this . power grab are doing the right thing Sub Advocate . The voice of Carbon County since 1892 ADMlNISTKATtn Publisher KenLaston Addrem: 845 East Main, Price, Utah. . Telephone: (435) ' Fax : (435) . ADVETmwc AdmtUa f Director Postmaster Scad change of addrcm to 845 East Main Street, Prise, Utah 84SOL SMricy Stubbs SmIm. Lynnette Lenar . Christa m Jesmi Fanehn FatdONdl Cksstfieds, Legate lynda Barnett mrroMAL Editor r Ljrsada Johnson Reporter oma Office Manager Linda Thayn Circulation Daria Lee .. norma " . J V' Subscription rates: 50 oeats per copy, J37 per pear in Carbon and Emeiy counties, 540 in Utah and SS4 outside ef Utah per pear by mail. Internet: httpwwwjuaadxonV . j! 'l . 1 ;! Entire contents copyright 02882 Sun Al rights rasened. No part Advocate Inc. Monday - Friday ' 830 ajn. to 5 pjn. 45'' deadline: Monday at 10 ajn. far Tuesdays publication and Wednesday at U ajn. for Thursday's pubtfcation. 174-96- 0) Reporter Rgupdonitt Classifieds Publication No. (USPS Issued twice a week at Price, Utah. Periodical postage paid at Price, Utah, and at addt tional mailing office PO Boa 589, . Dale, Utah 84511 . .. .. . RkhsidSwiv Lynda Barnett 637-073- 2. 637-271- |