Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government BlogGov Gab features five federal government employees blogging about the great government information they use in their daily lives.Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams- August 15, 2008 A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about avoiding mortgage foreclosure. I know that topic resonated with a lot of folks. In addition to other worries, homeowners must now be more guarded than ever against foreclosure rescue scams. The fear of losing their homes can make even the savviest consumers susceptible. The Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency both provide general descriptions of the most common foreclosure rescue scams: Lease-back or repurchase...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/avoid_foreclosure_rescue_scams The Local Food Bank- August 14, 2008 The shelves are bare. Everywhere. That's the word coming in from emergency food pantries around the country. During this challenging economic time, they're feeling the combined effects of fewer donations and as much as a 25 percent increase in the number of people needing assistance. Even some who have been giving faithfully for years to their local food bank are now finding themselves in need. Many of us hit a rough spot financially sometime in our lives. For me, that time was many years ago,.http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/the_local_food_bank Latest Presidential $1 Coin Debuts- August 13, 2008 Have you seen any of the presidential $1 coins in your change The U.S. Mint has issued more than one billion of these coins since February 2007. The coins are issued in the order the presidents served, beginning with George Washington, and four coins come out each year. Tomorrow the seventh presidential $1 coin makes its debut: Andrew Jacksons. As a boy, Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, and later gained national prominence as a hero of the War of 1812, when his troops defeated..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/latest_presidential_1_coin_debuts I Like to Bike- August 12, 2008 Just about every morning before starting to work I get on my bicycle and go for a ride. I ride about 5 miles a day, which isnt very much, but its all my schedule allows. Biking is great exercise, helps me manage stress, and strengthens my problem knees. Last week, we were in vacation in Avalon, NJ and it was bicycle heaven. Avalon is on a 7 mile long island and the island has a bike lane on one of the main roads. It was fun to ride the 14 mile loop around the island and it was really wonderful..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/i_like_to_bike Prevent Crime- August 11, 2008 In February a New Jersey news station wanted to see how people reacted when they witnessed a crime. They set up a scenario where actors stole wallets from other actors at a restaurant and then filmed the reactions of restaurant patrons. Many people didn't do anything until the victims noticed their wallet was gone, that's when they sprang into action. Those who did react generally went into full forceone lady chased a purse snatcher out the door and one guy even punched out the staged...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/prevent_crime Adults Going Back to College- August 8, 2008 I just got back from attending the American Council on Consumer Interests annual conference. ACCIs membership consists chiefly of academics and other professionals involved in consumer and family economics. It was good to catch up with colleagues and engage in lively discussions with the professors, but now I've started daydreaming about going back to college.Its been nearly 20 years since I graduated from San Diego State. Back then, my only selection criterion was affordability. Now, adults...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/adults_going_back_to_college Child Support- August 7, 2008 I had lunch with a special friend recently. She's a little over three and a half feet tall, loves French fries, recess and all things pink. She also loves her mom, who hasn't seen her in a long time. Her mom's not just been absent physically though. Her dad, who's struggling to pay the afterschool program bills, hasn't seen a child support payment from Mom in a long time either.If your child's other parent isn't paying child support, there are things that the government can do to help try to...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/child_support |