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Post 27
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THE AMERICAN LEGION |
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As the Commander of American Legion Post 27 for the 2009 -2010 year I want you to know that it is my intention to do my best to make it a year of unification of effort among the Post, Auxiliary, Sons, Riders, 40 et 8 & 8 et 40. We are a family, our purposes for existence are closely aligned and united we can and will make it happen. Every member is important and I encourage each of you to attend your regular meetings and make your feelings known. The meetings are the best way to get your message out (without the misinterpretation gossip creates) to many people at the same time. That is where the actions take place and where your vote counts. I encourage you to speak with the elected officers of your organization and to volunteer some of your time to make it happen. If every able bodied member would donate only 3 hours a year there is nothing we couldn't accomplish together. I believe we should maintain our Post Home and support our members but we must also support the programs of the American Legion nationwide which have fallen at the wayside over the past several years. After all, we are a non-profit charitable organization that should be helping our community where help is needed, not just providing a gathering place for veterans and their families. Lets take a more active part for veterans, their families and the children of our community. This year, lets all work together and make Post 27 the place to be a member. We are the biggest Post in Arizona and together we will be the best. For God and Country, ....Felix Gonzalez, Commander Proposed Changes to the Post 27 Bud Hansing reported on proposed by law changes
For full text
Squadron 27 Member Jeff Frain represents the Detachment of AZ at the Legion Winter Conference in Washington, DC For more info
SAL Sqdn 27Announces Commander's Scholarship
Meeting Dates have changed For Details
Post 27 Holds Annual
Americanism Dinner
Pictures of the 2010 Ceremony on Photo Page
Apache Junction
Mayor John Insalaco
CENSUS 2010: The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years. It is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and the next one will be in the summer of 2010. Your participation in the census is required by law. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, consisting of 10 questions. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and federal law protects the personal information you share during the census. Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. With preliminary work starting on the 2010 Census there are some basic cautionary notes for you to be aware of:· 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.· While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, the Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers nor will employees solicit donations. Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home.· 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.[Source: NAUS Weekly Update 25 Sep 09 ++] Kansas City Star Vets should guard against this scam A word of warning to all local veterans: If anyone purports to call from Veterans Affairs and asks for credit card numbers, bank numbers or any other financial information, watch out. It’s a scam. And a note to those involved: Playing on the health care fears of those who served this nation is about as low as it gets. In this con game, the caller says the V.A. has changed its prescription procedures and - to ensure that medicines will continue to be available - the agency needs some financial data. But Gerald Cross, the undersecretary for health, says his organization "simply does not call veterans and ask them to disclose personal financial information over the phone." This is a variation on a common scam. The sick and elderly are sadly vulnerable to such fears and polite enough to answer a stranger’s phone call or e-mail. A basic piece of advice is to never give out any private financial information to strangers who call demanding it. That’s not how legitimate businesses work. If you do provide information over the phone or online, make sure you know to whom you are speaking. And it’s a good idea to double-check the phone number or source of the e-mail to ensure you are dealing with a legitimate company or group. Sadly, veterans especially should be on their guard right now.
REMEMBER,
Riley Dobberstein and Felix Gonzalez present a
check for $2800. from the
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Credit Card Charges Update: The Federal Reserve’s new rules for credit card companies mean new credit card protections for you. Here are some key changes you should expect from your credit card company beginning on 22 FEB 2010:· Rates, fees, and limits: Your credit card company has to tell you when they plan to increase your rate or other fees and how long it will take to pay off your balance. There can be no interest rate increase for the first year after you open an account. There are some exceptions including a late payment of more than 60 days or an introductory rate. If your credit card company does raise your interest rate after the first year, the new rate will apply to new charges you make. If you have a balance, your old interest rate will apply to that balance.· Restrictions on over-the-limit transactions. You must tell your credit card company that you want it to allow transactions that will take you over your credit limit. Otherwise, if a transaction would take you over your limit, it may be turned down. If you do not opt-in to over-the-limit transactions and your credit card company allows one to go through, it cannot charge you an over-the-limit fee. If you opt-in to allowing transactions that take you over your credit limit, your credit card company can impose only one fee per billing cycle. You can revoke your opt-in at any time.· Caps on high-fee cards. If your credit card company has an annual fee, the fee cannot total more than 25% of the initial credit card limit. For example, if your initial credit limit is $500, the fees for the first year cannot be more than $125. This limit does not apply to penalty fees, such as penalties for late payments.· Protection for underage consumers. Cardholders under age 21 will need to show they are able to make payments; otherwise a cosigner may be required.· Billing and payments. Your credit card company must mail or deliver your credit card bill at least 21 days before you payment due date. In addition, your due date must be the same date each month. The payment cut-off time cannot be earlier than 5 p.m. on the due date. If your payment due date is on a weekend or holiday (when the company does not process payments), you will have until the following business day to pay. If you make more than the minimum payment on your credit card bill, your credit card company must apply the excess amount to the balance with the highest interest rate. Finally, credit card companies can only impose interest charges on balances in the current billing cycle, thus eliminating "double-cycle" billing.Be an informed consumer and review your credit card statements and disclosures. Contact your credit card company with questions or seek guidance from a military aid society, your local military bank, credit union, or Military OneSource. For additional info on Federal Reserve’s rules refer to www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/wyntk/creditcardrules.htm. [Source: NMFA Newsletter 26 Jan 2010 ++]
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| Seniors Healthcare Costs: Seniors received
no annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2010, but drug costs
and the premiums of prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plans
are making some of the biggest jumps in years. Among those coping
with the worst cost increases are nearly 11 million people enrolled
in Medicare Advantage plans. Premiums of those plans have increased
from 25%-32% on average, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
But 667,000 people with Medicare Advantage plans had to find a new
plan altogether for 2010. Insurers cancelled some plans in response
to new government spending cuts and requirements. The average
monthly premium of Part D drug plans also rose 12%, and many
enrollees of those plans are paying higher co-payments or
co-insurance costs. According to a study released in May 09 by The
Senior Citizens League (TSCL), seniors’ buying power has shrunk by
20% since 2000. If the Social Security COLA were based on the CPI-E,
however, retirees with an average benefit of $460 in 1984 would have
received about $12,856 more through the end of 2010. TSCL is highly concerned that seniors are getting put through the wringer and the situation will continue next year. Government economists predict that there may be no COLA again in 2011. Healthcare reform legislation would require even deeper cuts to Medicare Advantage and changes to Part D that would raise premiums for high-income seniors under pending healthcare reform legislation. Unlike other senior advocacy organizations, TSCL is strongly opposed to healthcare reform provisions that raise premiums, and out-of-pocket costs of beneficiaries. TSCL believes that the steep increase in healthcare costs over the past year while the CPI went down and was minus (-1.7) through September 2009 vs. September 2008 is proof that the annual method of calculating the COLA is broken and must be replaced. TSCL strongly supports new legislation that would more fairly and accurately base the annual COLA on a "seniors" CPI and guarantee that beneficiaries receive a minimum COLA of 3% every year. U.S. Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) introduced the "Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act of 2009" (H.R.4193) in Congress on 3 DEC 09. It has since been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Education and Labor, where it is pending further action. The bill, if signed into law, would amend the Social Security Act with regard to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Social Security beneficiaries receive. Currently, the COLA is based upon the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W), which tracks the spending patterns of young, urban workers. This legislation would calculate the COLA based upon the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E), which tracks the spending patterns of seniors. Also, the bill would guarantee that the Social Security COLA is never less than 3%. [Source: TSCL Social Security and Medicare Advisor, Vol. 15, No. 2 dtd 25 Jan 2010 ++] |
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Meet your Leaders of the Post 27 Family From left to right: Cory Woodstock, ALR President; Max
Wood, SAL Commander;
For details
Things you need to know-
BURIAL BENEFITS
DoD expands Purple Heart eligibility to POWs
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Message from Xavier Rodriguez SAL Detachment Commander
As Detachment Commander for Arizona this year
I have For more information
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Reminder! |
White House Greetings Requests US citizens can request Presidential greetings for the following:
Special Extra Earnings for Military Service Please share this with anyone who's had active duty service prior to January 2002 and planning for retirement. In a nutshell it boils down to this:
You qualify for a higher social security payment because of your
military service, for active duty any time from
1940 through 2001
(the program was done away with in January 2002. In January 2002,
Public Law 107-117,
the Defense Appropriations Act, stopped the
special extra earnings that have been credited to military service
personnel. Military service in calendar year 2002 and future years
no longer qualifies for these special extra earnings.).
Up to $1200 per year of earnings credit (see below website for more
detail) credited at time of application - which
can make a
substantial
difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement.
You must bring your DD-214 to the Social Security Office - and you
must
ask for this benefit to receive it!
Click here for the full article and the link
to Social Security PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE A Presidential Memorial Certificate is available to honor the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans. This is an engraved paper certificate, signed by the current President, and expressing the country's grateful recognition of the veteran's service in the United States Armed Forces. Eligibility for this award includes the deceased veteran's next of kin and loved ones. More than one certificate may be provided, if desired. You may apply for a Memorial
Certificate in person at any VA regional office, or by U.S. Mail only.
Requests
cannot be sent via e-mail. There is no form to use when
requesting the certificate. Include your mailing
address with your
request and a copy of the veteran's discharge documents. Don't forget to notify the Post if you have a change of address
Please include: Your name, Membership number,
You may be eligible for
Click here for more info. Request Copies of Military http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/
Monday - Saturday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM |
FROM THE POST COMMANDER.........
