Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) sponsored Senate Bill 31, which is now known as the Georgia Power tax. The controversial bill moved swiftly through both chambers and lander on Governor Perdue’s desk long before the session ended. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for May, 2009
A wetland never forgets it’s a wetland
In Georgia, for every two acres of trees cut down, about one acre of roads, parking lots, driveways and rooftops is added. Construction changes the way our land handles rainy weather, often increasing the size of floodplains for many streams, and creating new wetlands by changing drainage patterns.
Doug Everett - PSC Chairman
Commissioner District 1
deverett@psc.state.ga.us
Georgia Association of Flood Plain Management
The formation of GAFM is the result of the concerted efforts of numerous individuals and organizations sharing a common desire to forward the cause of sound floodplain management. Membership in GAFM is open to all professionals, public and private entities, students and citizens interested in or involved in floodplain, watershed, stormwater, wetlands and hazard mitigation management and/or related disciplines within the State of Georgia. Read the rest of this entry »
Are you paying too much for insurance? Are you tired of getting the run-around from your insurance companies? Download the I-Can Roadmap and learn how to steer clear of insurance pitfalls.
The less you know about your rights as an insurance consumer, the more of your money insurance companies will get. We can help you face your insurance companies on a level playing field. Read the rest of this entry »
It shouldn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that insurance companies are the reason doctors’ insurance rates have skyrocketed. Yet, doctor and hospital lobbying groups in Georgia have ignored the data about rising insurance rates and rising insurance industry profits. Read the rest of this entry »
The first few years of our new century brought hardship for American businesses and investors. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the stock market slumped, the airline industry still hasn’t recovered, thousands of Georgians lost their jobs, gave up expected pay raises, lost health insurance coverage, and fought for ways to keep their families’ budgets on track. Read the rest of this entry »
The insurance industry can no longer blame rising premiums on “frivolous” or “jackpot” claims, according to new reports of record-shattering profits. Read the rest of this entry »
Lawmakers must act to protect underprivileged Georgia communities from predatory tax preparers:
* The IRS currently requires tax preparers to disclose the financial terms of RALs, yet consumers continue to be duped into taking out high-interest loans at high costs because of the confusing financial fine print. Georgia law should force tax preparers to disclose the real terms of the loans in layman’s terms and strengthen penalties for tax preparers who fail to do so. This disclosure could be easily accomplished through fact sheets provided to consumers and displayed in plain sight in tax preparers’ offices. Read the rest of this entry »
Uninsured motorist (UM) insurance pays victims of car crashes for medical bills and property damage when the at-fault driver either has no insurance, or their insurance coverage is so low that it doesn’t fully cover the costs. Read the rest of this entry »
Paying to borrow your own money
Through Refund Anticipatory Loans (RALs) tax preparers, such as H&R Block, pressure consumers to take out high-interest loans carrying annual percentage rates as high as 700 percent. Most of these consumers are recipients of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - which helps moderate the heavy income tax burden for poor families - whose households would benefit the most from this annual tax relief. Read the rest of this entry »
Paying on paid-off cars
Title pawn loans are short-term, high-interest loans that use a borrower’s car title as collateral. Title lenders often target poor communities and military installations with promises of hassle-free fast cash. In reality, borrowers often do not understand the ultimate price of their title loan - which is cryptically hidden in contracts with confusing financial language. Read the rest of this entry »
Not in our state
Payday lending was never legal in Georgia. But the penalty for offering payday loans was never harsh enough to deter lenders, nor did it give the police much incentive to enforce the law. Read the rest of this entry »
Since 2006, Georgia Watch has pushed the legislature to add more consumer members to the State Medical Board – members who work outside the medical profession. Consumer members help balance the interests on the board and improve the representation of average consumers in closed-door disciplinary hearings. Disciplinary hearings occur after alleged incidents of malpractice or negligence. Read the rest of this entry »
In 2005, several statewide advocacy groups promoted what we believe is a sound approach that would go a long way to lower malpractice premiums for doctors AND promote patient safety: House Bill 779, also known as The Consumer Right to Participate Act.
Read the rest of this entry »
As many as 195,000 people are killed by medical errors each year, according to health care consulting firm HealthGrades Inc. Even so, providing safer care for patients in doctors’ offices, hospitals and nursing homes is not a priority for many of our state leaders or the health care industry.
Hospital-acquired infections are one of the top ten leading causes of death in the U.S. and significantly increase the cost of health care. Read the rest of this entry »
Hope Now – Alliance of HUD-approved counseling agents, mortgage companies, investors and other mortgage market participants that provides free foreclosure prevention assistance.
Call 888-995-HOPE or visit www.hopenow.com
Read the rest of this entry »
*Source: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
1. Don’t ignore the problem.
The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house. Read the rest of this entry »