MORE “REAL” NEWS and INFO ON 2010 CENSUS

Matt Taibbi and RFK Jr on Obama’s Sellout to Wall Street
Go Left TV
http://www.alternet.org/story/145083/matt_taibbi_and_rfk_jr._on_obama%27s_sellout_to_wall_street

[Duchess Note: Obama sold his soul to the “center/right” long before he took up residence in the WH a year ago. Dig deep into research on his background, and you will see he never ever was a “true” progressive. You want true progressives, look to the likes of Kucinich and McKinney. They have always been there for “we the people”. Obama’s slick, majorly overpriced commercialized campaign told some truths, but there were also many “white lies” coated in sugar to make it palatable to the masses. Many of the masses “drank the Kool-aid” and went along with it. After 8 years of the Bush/Cheney regime, many were starved for “change”, and many desperately grasped onto Obama's slick campaign. Those of us who saw beneath the “slick campaign” and his “smooth, double speak speeches” were not deceived, and we voted our conscious (plus values) in November 2008. Were you deceived?]

Unemployment: The 2010 Time Bomb
John Nichols, The Nation
New figures show jobs were lost in December at ten times the expected rate.
http://www.alternet.org/story/145048/unemployment%3A_the_2010_time_bomb

Can They Do That? How You Get Screwed at Work
Liliana Segura, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/story/145035/can_they_do_that_how_you_get_screwed_at_work

[Duchess Note: Going forward, the “Personal News” segment will be posted once a month. Since receiving a digital camera for Christmas, a “Pix Gallery” will also be posted once a month displaying the "experimentation". Please stay tuned………..]

2010 Census to Begin – Basic Advice
Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers
by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door; they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org/.