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A woman who writes about other female veterans and an Army vet with an eye on agriculture are among Washington residents who were honored in November with Outstanding Service to Veterans Awards for their contributions to the state’s veterans and their families.
The awards, co-sponsored annually by the Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and the state Department of Veterans Affairs, were presented at a luncheon in Auburn following the city’s 50th annual Veterans Day Parade.
The award recipients, all of whom participated in the parade, are:
· Donna Lowery, a Vietnam War veteran who co-authored a book about female veterans of the war.
· Sharon Kirkpatrick, chairwoman of the Washington State Women Veterans Advisory Committee and a volunteer at the state’s women’s prisons, where she works with incarcerated veterans.
· State Sen. Christine Rolfes, who has sponsored legislation in support of military members and their families.
· State Rep. Dick Muri, an Air Force veteran and supporter of veterans’ causes.
· Mark Oravsky, an Army veteran who helps engage other vets in agriculture and service-related projects.
· Kristine Reeves, who was an advocate for veterans’ issues while working as an aide for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
· Jason Alves, manager of the Veteran Conservation Corps for the state Department of Veterans Affairs.
· Eliseo “Joe” Dumlao, a veteran and readjustment counselor.

srmedia by — December 2, 2015 in News

With the holidays upon us, a new survey from the AARP Fraud Watch Network shows the traditional season for giving may become a peak time for taking among con artists targeting Washington consumers.
From charitable giving scams, to gift card and Wi-Fi cons, the survey report, titled “Beware the Grinch: Washington Consumers At Risk of Being Scammed During the Holidays,” reveals that most holiday shoppers in the state (67 percent) fail a quiz on avoiding popular holiday scams, while many regularly engage in risky behaviors that could put them squarely in the sights of holiday con-artists.
“While most of us focus on family and friends during the holidays, scammers are zeroing in on our wallets and bank accounts,” said AARP state director Doug Shadel. “We’re encouraging consumers to be on the lookout for some emerging and popular scams, and to also share the information with their families and loved ones to help keep them safe this holiday season.”
Among notable scams this holiday season, Shadel says charitable giving scams are especially prevalent.
“Washingtonians are very generous when it comes to donating to charity,” said Shadel. “But while it’s good to give, it’s important to give wisely.”
Last year, Americans gave $358 billion to charity, according to the National Philanthropic Trust. “But we also know that there are hundreds of bogus fund-raisers out there exploiting this generosity by keeping most of the money they raise for themselves,” said Shadel. “This is why it is so important to ask where the money is going and check it out before giving.”
Government officials who regulate charities and fund-raisers say that while most charities are legitimate, there are many fund-raisers, especially telemarketers, who keep 85 to 90 percent of the money they raise. According to AARP’s survey, nearly half (49 percent) of holiday shoppers in Washington don’t know that professional fund-raisers are allowed to keep most of the money they raise for charity as long as they don’t lie about how much they keep. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of those who donated to charity acknowledged making a donation during the past 12 months without asking the solicitor how much of their donation went to the charitable purpose versus to the cost of fund-raising.
“If you knew that for every $10 you gave, only a buck went to the charity and the rest went to lining the pockets of the telemarketer, you’d probably think twice before giving to that particular solicitor,” said Shadel.
Sixty percent of those who donated to charity said they made a donation in the past 12 months without verifying that the fund-raiser had the legal authority to raise money in their state. Nearly all holiday shoppers (96 percent) could not correctly name the government agency they should contact to verify the legitimacy of the charity or fund-raiser. (Washington consumers can check if a charity is registered by calling the Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-332-GIVE or online at www.sos.wa.gov/charities/.)

Package deliveries, wi-fi and ‘plastic’

Many holiday shoppers in Washington are unaware that package delivery companies are not responsible for stolen packages that are left at your front door without requiring a signature. A majority of survey respondents (83 percent) say they ship packages to friends without requiring a signature at least some of the time. Most (77 percent) holiday shoppers say that in the last year, a package has been left on their porch without requiring a signature.
Many holiday shoppers in Washington wrongly believe that it is okay to share sensitive information via free wi-fi networks as long as they are secured by https, when in fact, online security experts warn that consumers should never use public wi-fi to access bank accounts or to buy products online. About half of respondents (53 percent) say they will use free public wi-fi to shop for holiday gifts this year. Of those, many will use it to access sensitive financial information like their bank account (25 percent), buy a product (44 percent) or check credit card accounts (16 percent).
Consumer protection experts recommend the use of credit cards rather than debit cards for most purchases to better protect consumers from fraud and theft. With credit cards, you are liable for only up to $50 of fraudulent use. But in the case of a lost or stolen debit card, financial losses to the consumer can be much more significant. Most holiday shoppers in Washington (74 percent) say they will purchase some or all of their holiday gifts this year using a debit card.
Fraud experts report that thieves sometimes hit store gift card racks, secretly write down or electronically scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought the cards and activated them. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time you try to use the same card, the money is long gone. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of survey respondents say they intend to purchase gift cards this year from a gift card rack at a big box store, pharmacy or grocery store.
AARP offers the following tips on avoiding holiday scams:
• Ask and check. Before donating to a charity, make sure they are registered with the secretary of state and ask how much of the money goes to the charitable fund-raiser and how much goes to the charitable purpose.
• Surf safely. Do not use public wi-fi to check sensitive financial information, or to make purchases using your credit card.
• Sign off. Require a signature on all package deliveries. You can also write specific instructions for the delivery company on where to leave your package, and don’t forget, you can always have your packages delivered to you at work.
• Take credit. Use a credit card instead of your debit card when making holiday purchases.
• Skip the rack. Only purchase gift cards from reputable sources. Better yet, get them directly from the store they’re from – and preferably directly from the store cashier – and ask them to scan the card to ensure it has the correct balance.
• Don’t stress. Pay special attention to your health and well-being when making important purchasing decisions. Research shows that people experiencing life stressors such as an illness, loneliness or financial difficulties are less able to spot and avoid scams.
For more information and detailed tips on how to avoid all manner of holiday scams, visit www.aarp.org/holidayscams. Consumers can also sign up to receive timely fraud alerts from the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or by calling the AARP Foundation Fraud Fighter Call Center at 1-800-646-2283.

Jason Erskine, who wrote this article, is the communications director for AARP Washington.

Contributing Author by — December 2, 2015 in News

A retirement community in Gig Harbor and apartments in Tacoma are among 546 affordable homes statewide that developers and non-profit organizations will create or renovate with the help of $188 million in financing approved by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
In addition, the commission has launched new partnerships with Pierce County and Bremerton to provide downpayment assistance to homebuyers there, approved $5 million for a new pilot program with Habitat for Humanity of Washington State, enhanced its Beginning Farmer/Rancher program, and approved $12.4 million for nonprofit facilities in Seattle and Richland.
“Not only are we financing a large number of affordable apartments throughout western Washington, we’re also supporting homebuyers and enhancing communities,” said Karen Miller, chairwoman of the Housing Finance Commission.
In Gig Harbor, Heron’s Key, located at 4340 Borgen Blvd., will be built by a non-profit organization and is expected to include 194 independent living units, 36 assisted-living units, and 45 skilled-nursing beds.
Oak Trace Apartments, to be built at 7419 S. Verde in Tacoma by Trillium Housing Services/MacDonald Ladd Developments; will feature 58 apartments for lower-income residents in a location close to major services.

srmedia by — November 24, 2015 in News

With consumer prices down over the past year, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 65 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2016.
The Social Security Act provides for an automatic increase in Social Security and SSI benefits if there is an increase in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The period of consideration includes the third quarter of the last year a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was made to the third quarter of the current year. As determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of 2015. Therefore, under existing law, there can be no COLA in 2016.
This is only the third time in almost 40 years that there has not been an increase in the cost-of-living adjustment.
Under legislation passed in 1972, an automatic annual COLA was created. Starting in 1975 the COLA would be based on the annual increase in consumer prices and beneficiaries would not need to wait for a special act of Congress to receive a benefit increase.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet announced Medicare premium changes for 2016. Should there be an increase in the Medicare Part B premium, the law contains a “hold harmless” provision that protects approximately 70 percent of Social Security beneficiaries from paying a higher Part B premium, in order to avoid reducing their net Social Security benefit. Those not protected include higher income beneficiaries subject to an income-adjusted Part B premium and beneficiaries newly entitled to Part B in 2016.
In addition, beneficiaries who have their Medicare Part B premiums paid by state medical assistance programs will see no change in their Social Security benefit. The state will be required to pay any Medicare Part B premium increase.
Information about Medicare changes for 2016, when available, will be available at www.medicare.gov. For additional information, please go to www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

Kirk Larson, who wrote this article, is a Social Security public affairs specialist for Washington.

srmedia by — November 18, 2015 in News