Welcome back … it’s time for some additional tidbits to satisfy your informational cravings.
First of all, let me remind El Tecolote readers who own cell phones that January 31 is the last day to block sales calls made to your cell phones.
Yes, that’s right, as of Feb. 1, all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies, so you will be swamped with sales calls. To make matters worse, you will be charged for these calls. But, if you act now, you can prevent this from happening by calling 888-382-1222 from your cell phone and asking to be placed on the National Do Not Call List. Doing so, blocks your cell number for five years. Oh those scrupulous telemarketers, they’ve convinced the cell phone companies to sell them their phone lists. Is nothing sacred? In any event, pass this information on to others. Let’s protect our right of privacy!
Speaking of scams … did you hear about the property tax reassessment scam? Well, yours truly, almost fell for it. I got a very official looking document titled the 2010 Property Tax Reduction Form from a company in Granada Hills that calls itself the Property Tax Adjusters. For a $189 service fee they said they could verify that I have been paying more property tax than I needed to – $749 more.
In fact, in their literature they said they would prepare and submit “all necessary documentation to the County Assessor’s Office and Assessment Appeals Board, and will act as your agent in all dealings with the County Assessor’s Office and at all Assessment Appeals Board hearings.” Unfortunately, a number of people have been duped. Consumer rights groups are encouraging anyone who received such a letter to file a complaint with the California Attorney General’s Office Public Inquiry Unit at (800) 952-5225. Good grief! What will they think of next?
Here’s a novel cultural happening that is emerging once again in our fair city. It’s called the 3rd Annual Poets 11 that sponsors a citywide poetry contest and a poetry reading series at branch libraries in the City’s 11 districts. The deadline for poetry submissions is March 1. Winning poets will receive $50 and their poems will be published in an anthology. For more information visit friendssfpl.org or call (415) 626-7500. Maybe I’m a poet … but I don’t know it …but I have some words to show it? Hmmm…I think I’m in the zone. Anyone for a reading!
On the international front, the recent detention of a U.S. government contractor in Cuba has exposed a secretive U.S. program aimed at destabilizing the Cuban government. The program seeks to “improve the flow of information” by sneaking in computers, cell phones, DVD players and other communications equipment into Cuba for encouraging the use of blogs, Twitter and YouTube.
Launched in 1997, the Bush administration continued to support the program at a cost of $45 million in 2008. At that time, news reports cited expenditure abuses and even the theft of $600,000. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is making overtures to warm up relations with Cuba by entertaining the idea of opening up travel to Cuba for U.S. citizens. In fact, major U.S. travel operators met recently in the nation’s capital to listen to Cuban officials via satellite TV speak about the benefits of travel to Cuba. How ironic.
It appears that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. And, our tax dollars continue to be ill spent on ineffective programs that only foster corruption. Is there no end to this madness!
As for the final word … congratulations to El Bohemio News for reportedly 40 years of publishing. Their January 8 edition boosts a near full-page reprint of a city proclamation honoring the newspaper. But, wait, on its inside page staff box it claims 39 years of publishing. In fact, it says it was founded on January 6, 1971. If you do the math that makes El Bohemio News 39-years-old, right? Hmmmm….