How Can You Minimize Your Risk
- Protect your SIN. Dont use it as a piece of ID and never reveal it to anyone unless you are certain the person asking for it is legally entitled to that information. When an organization requests your SIN, ask if it is legally required to collect it, and if not, offer other forms of ID.
- Pay attention to your billing cycle and ask about any missing account statements or suspicious transactions.
- Immediately report lost or stolen credit or debit cards.
- Carry only the ID you need.
- Do not write down any passwords or carry them with you.
- Protect your computer and its information by installing Internet security software products.
- Be extremely careful when you provide personal information via email or over the Internet. Take extra care when providing information on social networking sites such as Facebook.
The Trap Of Issue Organizing
When I began this research, I assumed that many of the most recognizableissue advocacy organizationslike the American CivilLiberties Union, Greenpeace, NARAL Pro-Choice America, AmnestyInternational, and the National Right to Life Committeewouldrank among the largest civic organizations in the country. But noissue organization comes close to matching the scale of the largestfunctional organizations.
Although issue organizations often play an important role in advancingfocused policy agendas, they are inherently limited in scopeand scale. They do not offer the kinds of services and benefits thatfunctional organizations do. Rather, issue organizations start withthe assumption that caring about an issue is enough to motivatesomeone to become a member or make a donation.
But most Americans dont view themselves primarily as activists.As a result, issue organizations rarely grow toengage more than a few hundred thousandmembers. They struggle to build independentdonor and revenue bases, instead becominghighly dependent on foundations and largedonors. The top five issue groups combinedhave fewer members than the NRA alone.They are an even smaller fraction of themembership of AARP or the largest churches.
What Are Contract Rate Programs
An OTA Contract Rate is a narrow marketing approach, offering a direct contract between your property and one Online Travel Agent. This can be strategic as there are many perks that are offered your property because of that direct agreement. When these two are combined, it offers a comprehensive global and targeted approach to online distribution.
Contract Rate/Merchant Model Programs
Participation in the Contract Rate or Merchant Model program will guarantee preferred placement of your property on some of the major Internet Travel websites. Not only will you get preferred placement, but your property will also be positioned with additional information, included additional marketing information and exterior/ room type images.
Contract Rate programs are agreements between a particular travel website and a property. Often times, these travel websites require deep discounts on your rack rates , but will provide preferred placement and access to additional information on your property. Almost all the major travel websites have Contract Rate programs.
BookingCenter does allow you to manage this program through our software. For more information on this program, Pricing GDS and OTA Programs
Another popular Contract Rate program is Booking.com. They are atypical because they do not require a discount on your rack rates, instead they charge a commission on the backside of the reservations. We can also setup your interface to Booking.com.
- Expedia / Hotels.com
Recommended Reading: How Long Does It Take To Get A Government Phone
Creating A Virtuous Cycle
Immigrant organizations provide some of the most compellingexamples of how functional organizing can build scale and impactat the local level. CASA de Marylands Multi-Cultural Center islocated in the heart of the Langley Park neighborhood , where almost two-thirds of residentsare immigrants. The Multi-Cultural Center is the largest of CASAsfive immigrant Welcome Centers where CASA offers members abroad array of services.
In addition to providing direct services, CASA has also been inthe forefront of policy fights for national immigration reform. InJune 2012, President Obama announced that the US Departmentof Homeland Security would not deport DREAMers, young immigrantswho came to the United States before they were 16, havegraduated from high school, and have kept a clean record.
CASA sprang into action to help young immigrants throughoutMaryland obtain the documentation and support they needed toqualify for this program. In a few short months, through individualoutreach and legal clinics, CASA helped nearly 2,000 DREAMersapply for the program and become dues-paying CASA members.
Read more stories by Peter Murray.
Criticism Of The Aarp
AARP is one of the strongest lobbying groups in America, and because of its efforts, it often receives attention for exerting its influence in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals. Its non-profit operations also receive millions of dollars per year in the form of federal grants. Some argue that its positions fall into the more liberal part of the political spectrum.
Read Also: How To Become A Federal Government Contractor
Mainly Funded By Legal Health Insurance Industry Kickbacks
Everyone knows that AARP, formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons, provides, for its 37 million members age 50 or older, significant discounts on travel, entertainment, clothing, dining and other items. The total annual revenue from membership dues in 2012, the latest year for which data are available, was $281 million.
Much less known is the fact that the major source of revenue that year and going back decades is not membership dues, which are $16 a year, but royalties from UnitedHealthCare, a health insurer for which AARP is one of the leading sales promoters. In 2012, these health insurance royalties from United amounted to $471 million, 1.7 times larger than membership dues revenue and two-thirds of the total royalties AARP received for selling various kinds of insurance and other products. AARPs total royalties in 2012 were $724 million, more than half its total revenues and 2.6 times its membership revenue. Another important source of revenue for AARP is payments for advertising in its publications, which totaled $131 million in 2012.
What does all of this mean? First, AARP is clearly more like a business than an advocacy group for Americans 50 and older. At the end of 2012, the net assets of AARP were $877 million, an increase of $98 million over its net assets at the end of 2011.
Is any of this new? Not really. We reprint, below, an excerpt from an article in the February 2004 issue of Health Letter:
How The Government Subsidizes Aarp
At the beginning of his second term in 2005, President Bush launched the most ambitious domestic initiative of his presidency: the reform of the financially strapped Social Security program through a system of private retirement accounts.
This much-needed reform was premised on allowing workers to set aside 4 percent of the 12.4 percent Social Security payroll tax for private accounts. In a series of speeches and town halls meetings, President Bush emphasized the impending financial crisis that would hit the program in the not-so-distant future.
AARP Campaigns Against Private Retirement Accounts Early on, the Bush proposal met fierce resistance from an unusually united Democratic Party and a well-financed network of special interest groups. By far, the group that did the most to defeat the Presidents Social Security reform plan was AARP. AARP is the nations largest and most powerful organization ostensibly lobbying for the interests of the elderly. With a claimed membership base of 35 million and revenue of $878 million in 2004, AARP certainly had the most resources of any interest group, conservative or liberal, that was involved in the Social Security debate.
Mobilizing its full-time staff of 1,800 and a network of 300,000 volunteers, AARP sent activists to dozens of congressional town hall meetings and generated more than 460,000 phone calls to Congress complaining about the private account plan.
AARP Gets Millions in Funding From Federal Grants
Recommended Reading: Government Jobs In Mcdonough Ga
Avoid Medicare Open Enrollment Scams With Aarp
Medicare Open Enrollment Scams
Open enrollment happens every year from October 15 through December 7. This is the time for Medicare enrollees to review their current coverage and the costs for next year and decide if they want to make changes. This will determine their coverage and premiums, as well as out of pocket costs, for all of 2022. So naturally, most Medicare enrollees are going to want to look at their options and shop for the best deal for them.
What to watch out for:
- Medicare imposters calling or even going door to door offering free gifts or limited time offers in exchange for your Medicare number. Medicare will NEVER call or go door to door this way. If the government agency that runs Medicare needs to contact you, they will only send a letter through the mail.
- Other imposters will call and claim you are due a refund of premiums that you supposedly overpaid the previous year. They will ask for your Medicare number and bank information to forward this supposed refund. Of course, getting that information allows them to raid your bank account as well as make fraudulent charges with your Medicare card.
- Beware of pushy sales people, even if they are from legitimate insurance companies. We have already heard some reports of high-pressure tactics from insurance sales people. You have until December 7 to make any changes, so take your time and make sure you are getting the coverage that is right for you.
Know your options:
Heres Why Ill Never Ever Join The Aarp
Correction: An earlier version of this op-ed stated incorrectly that six out of seven federal dollars go to benefits for seniors. The sentence was a misstatement of an Urban Institute finding that the federal government spends $6 on elderly people for every $1 it spends on children.
Stephen Miller is a writer living in Reston, Va.
Today I got another letter from AARP. The letters have been coming pretty much every week for 25 years. But in the past two months theyve changed. AARP used to ask me to join. Now the letters from the lobbying group for older Americans say that I have joined but I havent paid my bill.
The latest one has on the envelope in big red letters: Immediate Attention Requested. It says, Thank you for joining AARP. But two sentences later it adds: If youll promptly return the enclosed invoice with your payment, we will reinstate your membership and youll once again be a member in good standing.
So am I new member or a lapsed member? Neither. I have never joined AARP. And never will.
I suspect these new letters from AARP are a computer error, but I cant be certain. At least once a week, I get a phone call from someone who tries to sell me things by suggesting that Ive already ordered the product: wheelchairs, walkers, medical alert systems, whatever. The caller says something like: Your order is in the warehouse ready to be shipped. To complete the purchase, press one. Which of course I never do.
To read more on this topic:
Recommended Reading: How To Find Money Government Owes You
Other Free Tax Preparation Services In Montgomery County
AARP Foundation’s Alternative Tax Preparation Program is set up to help taxpayers do their own taxes. The taxpayer will enter their own data into web based tax software. The ATP Program can answer tax questions concerning the documents and the tax forms. It is all virtual. More information and to register can be found at . Community Action Agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program:
Online Distribution More Connections Means More Bookings
Real-time visibility to over 20,000 travel websites and travel agent systems used by over 650,000 travel agents worldwide
Seamless two-way integration with automatic booking import and synchronized availability updates.
Managed in your PMS with easy-to-use allocation and pricing tools giving you complete control and flexibility.
Make selling and managing online bookings easy with a BookingCenter Property Management System. As a BookingCenter customer, you have access to the worlds largest online distribution networks and OTAs like Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Asia Rooms, Jetsetter and more.
With our wide selection of online distribution connections and program get real-time visibility to over 20,000 travel websites and travel agent systems used by over 650,000 travel agents worldwide. Rates and Availability are all managed in your PMS with easy-to-use allocation and pricing tools giving you complete control and flexibility.
Leverage Marketing opportunities with Consortia Programs. Participation in Consortia Programs enables targeted rates to specific markets through thousands of travel agents worldwide.
Hundreds of other OTAs we connect to are listed here.
Pay per booking or unlimited subscription to fit your needs. Contact us to learn more.
Schedule a Live Demo Now!
Get a FREE Demo of MyPMS today!
No downloads. No software installs. No credit card required.
Read Also: Verizon Wireless Government Phone Number
The United States Needs A Single Payer Health Care System
The time has come for AARP, the most powerful citizen lobbying group in Washington, to speak out loud and clear in favor of single payer health care reform in the United States. The 34 million members of AARP have been subjected to demeaning, condescending, and elusive tactics long enough by a paid Washington staff that has failed to convince the AARP membership that its ties to the insurance industry have prevented it from demonstrating objectivity in its responsibilities to its members and the American people.
Single payer is so blatantly superior to any other system that has been paraded before the American people, that it is in the words of The New Yorker magazine, almost embarrassing to have to reassemble the pile of evidence that demonstrates that contention to be true.
This editorial is intended to serve as a rallying call to AARP volunteers everywhere to take over the leadership of the organization on the issue of health care reform and to demand that AARP open its eyes, ears, and heart to what is clearly best for the American people.
First, let it be said that single payer is intrinsically a free-choice system in which the private system of health care delivery is maintained. The patient has absolute control over his/her choice of health care provider.
These are the principles AARP should stand for and this is the position the Association should be taking as it advocates what is best for the American people.
References
The American Association Of Retired Persons Will Suspend All Tax Prep Activities In The United States Including Several In Oregon The Suspension Will Likely Last Through The Remaining Tax Season
https://www.oregon.gov/dor/Pages/index.aspxGovernments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation.
Recommended Reading: Government Grants For New Windows
What Can You Do To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
- Be extremely careful when you provide personal information such as your SIN, or date of birth over the phone.
- Never provide personal information by Internet or email. The CRA does not ask you to provide personal information by email.
- Be suspicious if you are ever asked to pay taxes or fees to the CRA on lottery or sweepstakes winnings. You do not have to pay taxes or fees on these types of winnings. These requests are scams.
- Keep your access codes, user ID, passwords, and PINs secret.
- Keep your address current with all government departments and agencies.
- Register for My Account on the CRA Web site at canada.ca/my-cra-account and check your personal information regularly to ensure it is current and valid.
- Choose your tax preparer carefully! Make sure you choose someone you trust and check their references. You may also consider authorizing your representative to use the CRAs secure Represent a client online service. Always review your return, agree with the content before filing, and follow up to ensure you receive your notice of assessment as it contains important financial and personal information that belongs to you.
- Before supporting any charity, use the CRA Web site at canada.ca/charities-giving to find out if the charity is registered and get more information on the way it does business.
- Be careful before you click on links in any email you receive. Some criminals may be using a technique known as phishing to steal personal information.
Expansion Of Membership Base
The acronym A.A.R.P. originally stood for the American Association of Retired Persons, but in 1999 the organization officially changed its name to AARP, to reflect that its membership and focus were no longer exclusive to retirees. AARP changed its membership requirements to do away with all age restrictions, making it possible to gain full membership at any age to take advantage of AARP-negotiated discounts for travel, dining, entertainment, and shopping.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Fund For Startup From Government
American Association Of Retired Persons
verified
Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
American Association of Retired Persons , nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to address the needs and interests of middle-aged and elderly people in the United States. Its membership is open to all persons age 50 or older, whether working or retired. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The AARP was founded in 1958 by a retired teacher, Ethel Percy Andrus, with the goal of helping older Americans remain physically and intellectually active by serving others. In 1982 the AARP merged with the National Retired Teachers Association , an organization that Andrus had founded in 1947 to obtain pension and health insurance benefits for retired educators.
One of the AARPs major functions is as a legislative advocate for the elderly at the federal and state levels, working to influence the passage of legislation that affects older citizens. The steadily rising proportion of elderly in the American population had given the AARP a membership of more than 30 million by the late 20th century. This large membership, coupled with the higher voting rates of elderly Americans, helped make the AARP one of the most powerful advocacy groups in American politics by the centurys end.
