plus 4, A classic Mercedes gets a "green" makeover - San Francisco Chronicle |
- A classic Mercedes gets a "green" makeover - San Francisco Chronicle
- Manufacturers get $35 million in clean-tech incentives - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- State suspends Greenville car dealer's license for selling nonexistant ... - WZZM 13
- 45 Consumer Credit Tips for the 45-day Countdown to the Credit CARD ... - YAHOO!
- New Berlin alderman in resignation flap could be reinstated - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
| A classic Mercedes gets a "green" makeover - San Francisco Chronicle Posted: 08 Jan 2010 12:56 PM PST My ride is a 1979 Mercedes Benz 300 TD, which I bought in 1984 from a friend's sister. Now, some 25 years later, I have been able to create a classic station wagon with green technology. "The Red Car," as it has became known, moved with me from Menlo Park to Annapolis, Md., in 1993, and returned to California in 2001. During its stay on the East Coast, the odometer stopped working at 213,000 miles -14 years ago! By 2001 I had become so attached to the car that I uncharacteristically spent $900 shipping it to California when Kelly Blue Book estimated its value at $438. I rationalized my decision by convincing myself that it was the only car that my dog, Joe, would ride in. I have been an avid gearhead since high school -- having owned an assortment of sports cars, family movers and a jalopy or two over the years - but the Red Car has been my favorite. Something about classic design style and German engineering. Once back in California, I continued to drive the car until about 2005 when I was pulled over and issued a "fix-it" citation for excessive smoke, a cracked windshield and a broken tail light lens. After lots of reflection (particularly on the $2,000 work estimate) I drove it to European Auto Repair in Sunnyvale, where it had been serviced its entire life, except for the eight years in Maryland. I handed the signed title to the owner, Bil, and offered it for parting out. Less than a week later, and after more days of agonizing, I called Bil back and asked, "Do you still have my car?" "Yes," replied Bil, "Matto, our parts specialist, has been on vacation the whole time. It's still parked where you left it." "If I pay you to make all the repairs, will you give it back to me?" I asked. "Sure," he said. "It will be ready at the end of the week." The ticket was resolved and Joe had his ride back. I knew I was getting dangerously irrational about this machine. I had bought a Honda Hybrid for the daily commute, and The Red Car became the weekend hauler. It turned out to be particularly useful as the vehicle of choice to pick up my elderly mother in Portola Valley for short jaunts around Northern California, lots of Sunday lunches out, and family holidays at my house. The seats are relatively high off the ground, so it's easy for a senior to get in and out, and the huge cargo area in the back made hauling around a walker or wheelchair a breeze. In 2009, while researching the possibility of converting The Red Car to run on biodiesel fuel, I found Janet Migliore at M-B Repair in San Mateo. (Bil and Matto had sold their shop and retired.) As it turned out, Janet had all the resources to help get the car upgraded to an almost as-new condition. She was able to get it converted to biodiesel, reupholster the front seats, replace the wood trim on the dashboard, make a few mechanical fixes including the odometer (with 100,000 miles added to it), and then have the entire car painted in its original factory color. Between buying the car used in 1984 and the recent capital upgrades, I have probably invested less than $25,000. Considering I've driven it for 25 years, that's not too bad, especially when you just look at it. Joe is glad it's back and we can take some comfort knowing that biodiesel is much better for the environment than petroleum diesel. The engine, still all-original, is a 5-cylinder three liter that usually gets over 25 miles to the gallon. It's a modern twist on a classic wagon. We want to know why you drive what you drive. Submit a few paragraphs about your car with the subject line "My Ride" to cars@sfchronicle.com. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Manufacturers get $35 million in clean-tech incentives - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Posted: 08 Jan 2010 01:17 PM PST Minorities in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin were two to three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for swine flu, a disparity that city and state health officials vowed to combat as the second wave of the pandemic diminishes and the possibility of a third wave looms on the horizon. "Local health agencies have to play a stepped-up role in reaching out to racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities, those who are homebound and the homeless," said Seth Foldy, state health officer. "That is our next challenge." Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan K. Baker said the disparity, which is evident also during normal seasonal flu, was not surprising. "Is it troubling. Yes, it's troubling." From Aug. 30 to Dec. 21, non-Hispanic whites in Milwaukee were hospitalized for the H1N1 virus at a rate of just over 14 for every 100,000 people; the rate for blacks was almost 28 per 100,000, and for Hispanics, more than 32 per 100,000. In the same period, the statewide hospitalization rates were 11 per 100,000 for whites, almost 38 per 100,000 for blacks and more than 30 per 100,000 for Hispanics. The hospitalization rate for American Indians in Wisconsin was almost 35 per 100,000. »Read Full Article Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| State suspends Greenville car dealer's license for selling nonexistant ... - WZZM 13 Posted: 08 Jan 2010 12:34 PM PST LANSING, Mich. (WZZM) -- Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today suspended the license of a Greenville used car dealership after investigators found the owners took money for extended warranties, but failed to activate warranty contracts for the customers. In a statement today, the Department of State says La Fond Auto Sales on W. Carson City Rd. sold extended warranties to 34 customers between February 2007 and November of 2009, but the dealership owners did not send the money or initiate any contract with the warranty company. "Our investigation found that La Fond Auto Sales was selling nonexistent warranty coverage to unsuspecting used car buyers," Land said in the statement. "Preying on Michigan residents will not be tolerated and will be met with appropriate consequences." The state investigation began in October of 2009, when a La Fond customer complained to the Secretary of State's office after their 1995 Pontiac broke down one month after it was purchased from the dealership. According to the statement, the customer paid $1,799 for the 48-month extended warranty. But a Dept. of State investigator found La Fond did not follow through with the warranty company, Complete Automotive Repair Services of Murrysville, PA, to give the customer protection. The investigator found 34 similar instances involving customers who purchased cars from La Fond, according to the Secretary of State's office. The Greenville dealership is owned by John Dennis La Fond and his son Jonathan Dennis La Fond. It opened in November of 2007. The Department of State says it has received numerous complaints about the dealership, which led to administrative actions taken in December 2003, April 2007, and April 2009. The suspension announced today prohibits the La Fonds from buying, selling, offering for sale or dealing in vehicles and used vehicle parts. The state will next schedule an administrative hearing to determine if further action is needed, including continuing the suspension or revoking the La Fonds' business license. The Michigan State Police have also launched a criminal investigation of John and Jonathan La Fond for obtaining money under false pretenses. To read more from the Department of State's news release, click here. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| 45 Consumer Credit Tips for the 45-day Countdown to the Credit CARD ... - YAHOO! Posted: 08 Jan 2010 11:44 AM PST "A Tip a Day Will Keep the Bill Collector Away" Norwalk, CT (PRWEB) January 8, 2010 -- Carrie Coghill Kuntz, Director of Consumer Education for www.FreeScore.com, suggests these 45 Consumer Credit Tips 45 days before the Credit CARD act goes into effect. 1. Pay your bills on time. Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your credit score. 2. If you have missed payments, get current, and stay current. 3. Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. 4. If you're having trouble making ends meet, see a legitimate credit counselor. 5. Keep balances low on credit cards and other forms of "revolving credit." 6. Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed. 7. If you've been managing credit for a short time, don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. 8. Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time. 9. Re-establish your credit history if you've had problems. 10. Remember that it's okay to request and check your own credit report. 11. Be sure to check your own credit report as you order your credit report directly from the credit-reporting agency, through AnnualCreditReport.com, or through an organization that provides credit reports and scores to consumers, like FreeScore.com. 12. Read the fine print. If you receive an offer for a pre-approved credit card or if someone says they'll help you get a credit card, find out the details first. 13. Be sure you know what interest rate you'll be paying and for how long. You also need to know about any annual fees, late charges or other fees, and whether there are grace periods for payment before interest is applied. 14. Look for a credit card from someone else if the terms of a credit card offer aren't provided or aren't clear. 15. Shop around. There are many different types of cards, such as secured cards, cards that can also be used as telephone calling cards, cards that allow you to both charge something and pay later, and cards that can only be used to charge merchandise from a catalog. 16. Don't pay fees upfront to get a credit card. 17. Don't pay someone to help you get a credit card. If you have good enough credit, you can get one yourself, and if you have bad credit, no legitimate lender is likely to give you one. 18. Get help if you feel you're in over your head. Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS), a nonprofit organization, provides low- or no-cost services to consumers who need a plan to repay debts and improve their credit. To find the nearest CCCS office, call them toll-free at 1-800-388-2227. 19. Make sure the information is correct on all your reports. Sites like FreeScore.com will give you all three credit bureau reports — and their scores. 20. Sign up for a credit monitoring service. Certain credit score reporting services offer monitoring as an additional level of protection. Make sure you compare credit monitoring services before you make a decision. 21. Set goals, and put them in writing. Everyone's circumstances are different, so spend some quality time thinking about your own priorities. 22. Track spending. Categorizing your spending and then scanning your list for excesses will quickly reveal your weaknesses. 23. Change your attitudes about money. 24. Learn how to say no to your spouse or children without feeling guilty. 25. Check to see if your bank is changing how it handles overdrafts on your debit card. If you have good credit, you may want to consider applying for an overdraft line of credit to guard against your checking account being emptied. 26. Turbo-charge your savings rate. 27. Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score. 28. Read credit card mail. It may be boring, but with the Credit CARD ACT around the corner, companies are sending out valuable information about card changes. If you ignore these messages, it could cost you. 29. If need be, increase your hours, or take on a side job. It doesn't have to be a permanent move, just something to get you through a rough patch. 30. Pay off debt rather than moving it around. 31. Get a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Interest rates are tax-deductible and much lower than credit cards. Use a HELOC to pay off high-interest debt, but be sure you can repay the HELOC, or you risk losing your house. 32. Check to see whether your credit limit has been lowered. Starting in February, credit card companies cannot change fees for exceeding a credit cap unless you "opt in" or agree to pay for the convenience of exceeding a limit. If you don't opt in, your credit card may be rejected when you near your limit as a precaution. 33. Trim recurring expenses. Remember that an "either/or" approach isn't necessary; often, all that's needed is downsizing, not elimination. 34. Reduce, reuse, recycle, or repair. Become a do-it-yourselfer. Use your innate ingenuity to come up with ways to get what you need without having to buy new (or breaking the law). 35. Know what's important. People and relationships, not possessions, are the truly valuable things in life. Cherish them, and experience what it's like to feel truly wealthy. 36. Create an emergency fund by saving six months' worth of living expenses to tide you over during any job loss. 37. Don't panic if you find a mistake when checking your credit report. Remember that a lot of mistakes result from simple human error, but make sure you http://www.creditfyi.com/Credit-Library/How-to-Guides/How-to-Dispute-a-Credit-Report-Error.htm [dispute the error on your credit. __title__ dispute the error on your credit 38. Pare down major expenses. You can save on auto insurance, for instance, by increasing your deductible, taking a safe-driver course, or installing a car alarm. 39. Don't take chances. If you suspect that someone else is using your identity or committing some kind of credit fraud, report it immediately. 40. Spend as you earn. Overspending could lead to financial quagmires for you and your family. 41. Check in with the credit bureaus if you're concerned about employer credit inquiries. 42. Check your credit report before financing a major purchase, after you've been turned down on a loan, when bill collectors start calling, after your wallet has been lost or stolen, and when you're putting your financial house in order. 43. Know your rights when it comes to the Credit CARD act. For instance, credit card companies will be prohibited from arbitrarily changing the terms of their contract with a cardholder, banning the so-called practice of "any-time, any-reason rate change." 44. Gather information when you dispute a charge. The credit bureaus will need written proof, so gather information — both original documents and photocopies — to support your claim. 45. Finally, and most importantly, pay all your bills on time. FreeScore, LLC, is a service that provides consumers with access to their credit scores, reports and monitoring. For more information, go to www.FreeScore.com. ### Aaron Berger Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Berlin alderman in resignation flap could be reinstated - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Posted: 08 Jan 2010 01:24 PM PST Minorities in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin were two to three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for swine flu, a disparity that city and state health officials vowed to combat as the second wave of the pandemic diminishes and the possibility of a third wave looms on the horizon. "Local health agencies have to play a stepped-up role in reaching out to racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities, those who are homebound and the homeless," said Seth Foldy, state health officer. "That is our next challenge." Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan K. Baker said the disparity, which is evident also during normal seasonal flu, was not surprising. "Is it troubling. Yes, it's troubling." From Aug. 30 to Dec. 21, non-Hispanic whites in Milwaukee were hospitalized for the H1N1 virus at a rate of just over 14 for every 100,000 people; the rate for blacks was almost 28 per 100,000, and for Hispanics, more than 32 per 100,000. In the same period, the statewide hospitalization rates were 11 per 100,000 for whites, almost 38 per 100,000 for blacks and more than 30 per 100,000 for Hispanics. The hospitalization rate for American Indians in Wisconsin was almost 35 per 100,000. »Read Full Article Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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