Friday / Labels: hot trend
'pink slips' Congress
Members of Congress have been talking about the "pink slips" campaign, which warns them against "charge-it-and-spend-it" government programs, cap-and-trade taxes and federalized health care, for some time among themselves. Now they're going public.
A news conference has been scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the House Triangle outside the U.S. Capitol to address the "pink slips" campaign that already has generated more than 4.5 million notices to members of Congress that their jobs will depend on their representation of America's real needs.
"They're talking about it, but they're only talking about it behind closed doors and in the elevators as they go up and down and in very whispered tones," said Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., "Because, what you hear are people saying, 'How many of those did you get or how many people came to your office today? And what are you going to do and how are you going to vote on this?'"
Price is expected to be one of several members of Congress at the news conference.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz.; and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, are among others expected to attend.
Janet Porter, founder and president of Faith2Action, will be there.
"Pink slips nearly three times the size of the Washington Monument have already been delivered to Congress demanding that the government stay out of health care, energy, and speech," said Porter.
"It’s encouraging to know that message is finally being heard – and not a moment too soon," she said.
The pink slips were credited by DeMint with having derailed Senate support for the House health-care plan that establishes a federal system that would fine citizens who don't purchase health insurance.
"These pink slips are getting to people right now," DeMint said. "It's the only reason people haven't passed something [the health-care bill] in the Senate."
Joseph Farah, founder and chief executive officer of WND, who helped set up the program, also will be there.
'Placed end to end, the 'pink slips' would stretch from the District of Columbia to the Sears Tower in Chicago,” he said. "If stacked, the pile of pink would be taller than the Sears Tower itself."
The stack of pink slips already dispatched to each member of the U.S. House and Senate is roughly waist-high.
Farah said the program is unprecedented, but the "rest of the news media seems determined to downplay it – even spike any mention of it.
"It's just like the tea parties and the massive rally in Washington and the town hall coverage – non-existent," he said.
But the decision-makers are noticing, DeMint confirmed.
"We've already received thousands of pink slips in our office, and I think this is a good wake-up call for Congress. I'm encouraged that Americans across the country are standing up and speaking out for constitutional, limited government. Congress needs to get the message loud and clear: stop the spending, stop the takeovers, and stand up for our freedoms."
Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., said private citizens will be the "final judge on the success or failure of the government."
"The pink slip campaign serves as a good reminder of the unavoidable fact that every member of Congress answers to their constituents and that they ignore their voices at their own peril," Akin said.
Earlier, Minnesota's Michele Bachmann, a Republican, offered her support for the program.
"The pink slips program is a great way to get the attention of members who have forgotten they will have to answer to the people next year on out-of-control spending and Washington power grabs," she said. "I support it! And I want my constituents to know I hear them loud and clear."
The program was launched by WND to allow Americans to send individually addressed pink slips to every member of Congress for a price of just $29.95.
The program is to advise members of the U.S. House and Senate that they could be facing a "pink slip" as early as 2010 if they vote for more spending, socialized medicine, cap-and-trade legislation and a hate-crimes measure.
"I believe this campaign, already tremendously successful beyond my wildest expectations, can have a real impact on politicians whose first priority is getting re-elected," says Farah. "I think this might be our last chance to give congressional Democrats something to think about before they destroy the country. It might be our last, best hope of stopping the madness."
The effort clearly reveals, says Farah, "that Americans are mobilized to take action to stop Washington's plans for bigger, more expensive and more intrusive government."
WND announced the campaign with a stated goal of 5 million notices, individually addressed, personalized with sender's name and address and delivered to all members of Congress by Fed Ex.
In the first week, suppliers of paper reported the campaign had completely tapped the nation's reserves of 8.5 x 11 inch pink paper. As the last full pallet of pink paper was delivered to the printer, new supplies had to be ordered and manufactured.
"It's our version of a stimulus program," said Farah.
The "Send Congress a Pink Slip" campaign ensures that a brief but poignant message will be delivered by Fed Ex to all 535 members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate – all for a remarkably low price based on economies of scale.
The cost of each message translates to 6 cents per message – individually addressed for both the recipient and the sender and shipped by Fed Ex.
"We encourage citizens to take individual actions," said Farah. "But when we act as a group, it's more cost-effective and the results more dramatic. Just try Fed Exing members of Congress yourself and see what it costs. We have learned from past experience that Fed Ex actually ensures delivery to members. What they do with them at that point is their choice."
"I believe this is already the most successful grass-roots effort in history," said Porter. "After all the town halls and tea parties and the massive demonstration in Washington, Congress still hasn't gotten the message. Now it's time to show them just how serious we are with a message aimed at what they most care about – getting re-elected."
The "pink slip" officials are getting is a warning that they work for the taxpayers. It lists four key issues that are deemed unacceptable to participants.
"If you vote for any of these, your real pink slip will be issued in the next election," it warns.
/ Labels: hot trend
SEND CONGRESS A PINK SLIP
Did you ever want to send an urgent message to every member of Congress, ensuring delivery to their offices on Capitol Hill and letting them know they are being watched?
Is that time now?
If so, a bold new program might be just what you are looking for.
It's called "Send Congress a Pink Slip." And it ensures that a brief but poignant message will be delivered by Federal Express to all 535 members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
The program is based on several other successful programs of the past, including one last summer that delivered 705,000 letters to senators protesting a "hate crimes" bill dubbed by critics as "the Pedophile Protection Act."
This time, organizers, including WND columnist Janet Porter, president of the Faith2Action organization, have their sights set on 5 million or more letters to all members of Congress.
"I believe this has the potential to be the most successful grass-roots effort in history," said Porter. "After all the town halls and tea parties and the massive demonstration in Washington, Congress still hasn't gotten the message. Now it's time to show them just how serious we are with a message aimed at what they most care about - getting re-elected."
The "pink slip" each official will get is a reminder that they work for the taxpayers. Each is individually printed with the sender's contact information under the closing salutation "Signed, Your Employer:".
The warning lists four key issues that are deemed unacceptable to program participants:
- government health care
- cap and trade
- "hate crimes"
- any more spending
To send individual notices to all 535 members of Congress through the Postal Service would cost you $235 in stamps alone – and your letters would be waylaid for irradiation in Ohio before they got anywhere near the Capitol.
The "Send Congress a Pink Slip" program permits participants to FedEx 535 individually addressed pink slips to members of Congress, each one with the name and address of the sender for just $29.95. One click is all it takes. Let us do the rest!
"This is a program that only works with massive numbers of participants that bring paper and printing and shipping costs way down," explains Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, which has conducted similar programs in the past - this one being the largest and most ambitious.
ALL PINK SLIPS ARE BEING SENT BY FEDEX. PLEASE DISREGARD "ALLOW 3 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY" AT CHECKOUT AS IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS CAMPAIGN. CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY. NO CHECKS PLEASE. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
Thursday / Labels: news
historic health care debate
The Democrat's $849 billion measure is designed to remake the nation's health care system, relying on cuts in future Medicare spending to cover costs — as well as on higher payroll taxes for the well-to-do and a new levy on patients undergoing elective cosmetic surgery.
Aides said the mammoth, 2,074-page bill would reduce deficits by $127 billion over a decade and by as much as $650 billion in the 10 years that follow, citing as-yet-unreleased estimates by the Congressional Budget Office.
"Tonight begins the last leg of this journey," said Nevada Sen. Reid, less than two weeks after the House approved its version of a sweeping remake of the health care system_ and nearly 10 months after President Barack Obama's Inauguration Day summons to action.
Obama welcomed Reid's action, saying, "Today, thanks to the Senate's hard work, we're closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible." There was no mention of Obama's longtime goal of signing legislation by year's end.
Republicans vowed a protracted struggle to block the legislation and deny the president a victory that would cap a tumultuous first year in office.
"This bill has been behind closed doors for weeks," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. "Now, it's America's turn, and this will not be a short debate. Higher premiums, tax increases and Medicare cuts to pay for more government. The American people know that is not reform."
An early showdown on the Senate floor is expected by week's end.
Reid's Senate measure would require most Americans to carry health insurance and would provide hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to help those at lower incomes afford it. Medium and large companies would not be required to offer coverage, but they would be forced to pay fees if the government ended up subsidizing their employees' insurance.
Beginning in 2014, the bill would set up new insurance marketplaces — called exchanges — primarily for those who now have a hard time getting or keeping coverage. Consumers would have the choice of purchasing government sold insurance, an attempt to hold down prices charged by private insurers.
After weeks of secretive drafting, Reid outlined the legislation to rank-and-file Democratic senators at a closed-door meeting. "Everyone was positive," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
That didn't mean there weren't problems — far from it. At his news conference, Reid pointedly refrained from saying he had the 60 votes necessary to propel the bill over its first hurdle.
Reid met privately earlier in the day with Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, moderate Democrats who have expressed concerns about the measure.
Nelson later issued a statement strongly suggesting he would vote with fellow Democrats on an initial showdown expected within days. Aides have said privately that Reid decided to retain an existing antitrust exemption for the insurance industry as a way of satisfying the Nebraskan's concerns.
Landrieu said, "I'm not going to be for anything that doesn't drive down costs over time."
Lincoln, the only one of the three who faces re-election next year, told reporters, "We'll wait and see."
With the support of two independents, Democrats have 60 seats, the precise number needed to choke off any delaying tactics by the 40 Republicans who appear united in opposition to the bill in its current form.
In general, Reid proposed an outline that is similar to the House-passed bill, but there were important differences.
He called for an increase of a half percentage point in the Medicare payroll tax for individuals with income over $200,000 a year, $250,000 for couples.
He also included a tax on high-value insurance policies, meant to curb the appetite for expensive care.
The House bill contains neither of those two provisions, relying on an income tax surcharge on the wealthy to finance an expansion of coverage.
Reid's measure also calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts in future Medicare spending, an attempt to satisfy Obama's call to curtail the growth of health care spending that is fiercely opposed by Republicans.
On another controversial issue, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told reporters Reid had decided to require the side-by-side sale of insurance policies that cover abortion services and do not, an attempt to satisfy both sides. That is far less restrictive than a House-passed provision that left liberal Democrats angry.
Ahead lie weeks — if not more — of unpredictable maneuvering on the Senate floor, where Reid and his allies will seek to incorporate changes sought by Democrats and repel attempts by Republicans to defeat the legislation and inflict a significant political defeat on the president.
Reid released his legislation more than a week after the House approved its version of the health care bill on a near party-line vote of 220-215.
According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, that House bill, with a price tag of about $1.2 trillion, would result in coverage for tens of millions of uninsured, and provide 96 percent of the eligible population with insurance.
Two Senate committees approved different versions earlier in the year, and while Reid has said he would produce a blend of the two proposals, in fact he had a virtual free hand to come up with a plan that could command the 60 votes needed to pass.
Anticipating a major struggle, the White House deputized Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to join Vice President Joe Biden in trying to clear the way for the bill's approval over the next several weeks.
Salazar, a former Colorado senator, is viewed as a bridge to moderate Democrats who are far outnumbered by liberals inside the Democratic caucus.
Daschle was Obama's first choice for secretary of health and human services, a position from which he was to try and oversee the administration's drive to enact health care legislation. He withdrew his nomination when it was disclosed he had not paid more than $120,000 in federal taxes over several years.
/ Labels: tolongin dong
Tambah basic postingan (tolongin dong)
Soalnya si empunya bingung bikin artikel student loan consolidation alias bahan menipis..heheheh
entah itu pengaruh di search engine g,,aku juga ga tau..hee
kalau teman-teman sesama blogger mempunyai saran bisa langsung komen disini..tolongin donk..oke sob..
Tuesday / Labels: For Immediate Release
Financial Aid Office Warren Wilson College September 2009
Though it’s early in the school year, students leaving Warren Wilson in 2009/2010
should consider consolidating student loans
Students who receive Stafford loans at Warren Wilson College to help pay for tuition will
have to begin repaying those loans six months after leaving Warren Wilson whether
graduating, withdrawing, taking a leave of absence. Students also have to begin repaying
loans if they fall below half-time status.
At that time, students may find themselves with loans from several different lenders and
will have to make separate payments to each of those lenders. To make monthly loan
payments simpler, students may want to consider loan consolidation.
Loan consolidation is provided by the U.S. Department of Education to help make
payments more manageable by combining all of a student’s loans into one account with a
monthly payment.
Why would student loans come from several lenders?
While student loans have always been backed by the Department of Education, the
lenders themselves have changed over the years.
Until this school year, Warren Wilson College participated in the Federal Family
Educational Loan Program for student loans. Through FFELP, students received
subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans from individual lenders such as SallieMae,
Citibank, College Foundation Inc., or Suntrust.
This year Warren Wilson implemented a Direct Lending program, which means all
subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans are now provided directly through the Federal
Government’s Department of Education.
To complicate things further, due to the rocky economy of the last couple of years, many
FFELP providers sold their 2008/2009 student loans to the Federal Government.
Students that have been here for several years could potentially have several different
loans to repay when they leave Warren Wilson. These payments could include a loan
from an individual lender like Citibank or Suntrust, an individual lender’s loan that has
been sold to the U.S. Department of Education, and the 2009-2010 Direct Stafford Loan.
Where can a student get a list of their student loan lenders?
Students can visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) at
http://www.nslds.ed.gov/ for a refresher on how many loans they have, the lenders, and
the total amount borrowed.
Where can a student learn more about loan consolidation?
To lean more about loan consolidation students should visit
http://www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov/.
For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at Warren Wilson at 828-771-
2082 or finaid@warren-wilson.edu.
Monday / Labels: older loans, Perkins, PLUS
Consolidating a Perkins loan
However, you should bear in mind that you will lose some of the deferment and cancellation provisions on your Perkins loan. For instance, the Consolidation Loan doesn’t have cancellation provisions for VISTA and Peace Corps volunteers, teachers at low-income elementary or secondary schools, or for full-time nurses, medical technicians, and law enforcement/corrections officers.Because Consolidation Loans may have repayment periods as long as 30 years, your monthly repayment amount on the Perkins portion of your loan may be less than what you were previously paying on that loan.
However, remember that extending the repayment period usually increases the total amount of interest that
you’ll be paying on the loan.
Endorser for PLUS loan consolidation
If you had to get an endorser on the PLUS portion of the original Consolidation Loan, you must use the same
endorser for the added PLUS Loan. If an endorser was not originally required but is required for the added
PLUS loan, the endorser must agree to repay the entire PLUS Consolidation Loan.
Provisions for older loans
The interest rate for a Federal Consolidation Loan made from July 1, 1994 to November 13, 1997 was the
weighted average of the interest rates on the loans being consolidated (rounded up to the nearest whole
percent) or 9%. When calculating the weighted average of interest rates, the consolidating lender must use
the interest rates that are in effect for each loan at the time the loan is paid in full for consolidation.
The interest rate for a Federal Consolidation Loan made from November 14, 1997 to September 30, 1998 is the bond equivalent rate of 91-day Treasury bills sold at final auction before June 1, plus 3.1%. The interest rate may not exceed 8.25%. If your lender received your Consolidation Loan application before January 1, 1993, you are responsible for the interest on the loan during periods of deferment. If your lender received your Consolidation Loan application from January 1, 1993 through August 9, 1994, the Department pays the interest on your loan during periods of deferment. (These interest payments do not cover any portion of the Consolidation Loan that represents aformer HEAL loan.) For loan applications received on or after August 10, 1994, the Department pays the interest on the Consolidation Loan during periods of deferment if the loan is made up exclusively of subsidized Stafford Loans.
/ Labels: Sold
When Your Student Loan Is Sold
• Why do lenders sell their loans?
For a variety of reasons, but usually to get cash in order to make more student loans. The loans are mainly sold to other lenders and organizations in a “secondary market” made up of state and private education organizations that specialize in buying and “servicing” student loans.
• What is servicing?
Some lenders and all secondary markets have contracts with student loan servicers, which are companies that take care of all the details—like collecting and processing payments, handling inquiries, and maintaining loan records—for them. Loan servicers “service” loans for many lenders and secondary markets at the same time.
• How will I know if my loan has been sold?
You’ll receive a letter from the lender who is selling your loan. When the loan is actually sold, the new owner or its servicer will send you a letter that explains why the loan was sold, who the new owner is, where to send your payments, and where to call if you have any questions. The letter will include a statement listing the loans they are servicing for you, the dates you took out the loans, the interest rate, the names of the loan programs, and the total amount you owe.
• What happens when my loan is sold or transferred?
You become indebted to the new owner of your loan—not your original lender. The new owner or its servicer may send you a new coupon book for your payments and may offer you some services that were not available from your original lender. But rest assured, the rate and terms of your student loan will not change.
Here are some tips to ensure that you’ll get along great with your new lender or servicer:
• Read all mail from the servicer.
• Call your servicer immediately if you are having difficulty paying back your loan. The servicer is there to help, and usually something can be worked out.
• Be sure to notify your servicer about changes in your name, address, telephone number, and student status. Since you’re likely to move around in the early years of repayment, make sure your servicer knows where you are so you won’t miss any important mail.
• Contact your servicer with questions about payments, deferments, and forbearances.
• Contact your original lender—not its servicer—to apply for a new student loan.
This tipsheet may contain material related to the Federal Title IV student aid program. While the College Board believes that the information contained
herein is accurate and factual, the tipsheet has not been reviewed or approved by the U.S. Department of Education. © 2007 The College Board. All rights
reserved. College Board and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their
respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.com. Permission is hereby granted to any nonprofit school to reproduce this
tipsheet for distribution to its students, but not for sale, provided that the copyright notice of the College Board appears on all reproduced materials.
• Read your first statement from the new owner carefully and make sure that the information is up to date. When a loan is sold, it can take up to 60 days for your payments to be forwarded from your original lender to the new owner or servicer.
• Include a return address whenever you send mail to the servicer.
• Always write your social security number and address on your check.
Saturday / Labels: Consolidation in Detail
Deferment and forbearance options
All deferment and forbearance options available to FFEL Stafford and PLUS borrowers are available to a
borrower who received a Consolidation Loan after July, 1993. Check your promissory note or our Web site
for deferment and forbearance options.
If you consolidate subsidized as well as unsubsidized Stafford Loans, you will still get the interest benefits
on the portion of the Consolidation loan that represents the original subsidized Stafford Loans.*
For instance, if you consolidate $4,000 in subsidized Stafford loans with $6,000 in unsubsidized Stafford loans, then 40% of your Consolidation Loan would be considered to be subsidized and would be eligible for the interest subsidy during periods of deferment. If you get a deferment later on, when the outstanding balance on your Consolidation Loan is $8,000, then interest will accrue on the $4,800 that represents the portion of the original unsubsidized loan.
As with Stafford Loans, you may pay the interest on a Consolidation loan as it accumulates during a period
of forbearance or unsubsidized deferment, or postpone paying the interest and have it capitalized (added
to the principal owed) when you resume repayment.
Cancellation options
It’s important to know that Consolidation Loans don’t have a cancellation/forgiveness provision for
teachers at low-income schools or for child-care providers. Therefore, you lose those options when you
consolidate your Stafford Loan. However, all of the other cancellation provisions that are available for a
Stafford Loan, are also available with a Consolidation Loan, including the cancellations for total and
permanent disability, unpaid school refund, forgery of aid documents, and attending a school that closed.
If some but not all of your consolidated loans are affected by consumer problems at your school, only the
portion of your Consolidation Loan that is made up of the affected loans will be cancelled.
