Illegitimate Governor Gretchen Whitmore - MLK Humanitarian To Respond In Deposition Style To Trump SOTU

I have to determine if she is just really dumb or brilliantly nefarious.

I am going with the former until evidence proves, otherwise.

All I can say is that this will be better than any kind of deposition one can creatively conjure.

Since I have an international audience in hand, I thought it would be optimal for me to request assistance:

On November 22, 2019, DTE came to an elderly woman's home, in her 70's with her sister in her 80's, to install a new gas line.
They have lived there for 35 years.
The workers busted the brick and foundation with sledgehammers, destroying the ventilation system for the water heater.
The home is almost 100 years old.
The workers even left their tools.
We all called to request immediate, emergency assistance to repair the damage, but DTE refused to respond.
State Senator Stephanie Chang just referred to constituency request for emergency help back to DTE, who never returned calls.
Gretch's office was just rude and referred the matter to DTE, who never returned the call.
As of this posting, there is still no hot water and they are sick.
I was considering this an act of retaliation, just because it is a predictable pattern of practice when dealing with Michigan social welfare issues, but, hey, what do I know?
I know nothing because no one will call back and help them.
So much for that MLK humanitarian award....

Considering the fact that Gretch is not duly elected, she probably does not respond to humanitarian emergency requests for assistance because she is an illegitimate governor.

Whitmer set to deliver Democratic response to Trump's State of Union address

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer gives a speech
after receiving the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award
Capturing that look of complete indifference to due process

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will give the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Feb. 4, six days after delivering her own State of the State speech in Lansing.

Whitmer will deliver the response beside U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, who will give a separate response in Spanish.

The response is usually given by an elected official whom opposition party officials tag as a rising star. Trump's speech will come one day after the Iowa caucuses and likely in the midst of the Senate impeachment trial.

Whitmer said the response would serve as an “exciting opportunity” to show Democrats “getting things done.”

“Across the country, Democrats are staying focused on building a stronger, more sustainable country for future generations,” Whitmer said.  “As leaders, it’s our responsibility to ensure a safe, healthy future for our children and families, and that’s exactly what we’re working toward in Michigan."

But Republicans hit Whitmer's record as lackluster.

"She’s had ample time to make a difference for our state, but her past year in office has been nothing more than photo-op's and sound bites," said Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox. "Ultimately, Gretchen Whitmer's decision to side with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi makes it that much easier to give our state a new governor in 2022."

Whitmer rode to a 2018 victory in Michigan on a promise to “fix the damn roads,” but making good on the vow has proven difficult with divided government.

The first-term governor's proposal last year to increase the 26.3-cents-a-gallon gas tax by 45 cents was opposed by GOP leaders and effectively died in late August when House Minority Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills, declared Whitmer's tax plan an “extreme” that likely wouldn't happen.

The debate over road funding options eventually led to a breakdown in negotiations with GOP legislative leaders.

When the Republican-controlled Legislature sent the governor a budget that shifted existing funds from other departments for a one-time $375 million payment toward roads, the governor made 147 line item vetoes, slashing $947 million from the state budget and transferring another $625 million within departments.

"Caught in the middle of Whitmer's political budget retribution were at-risk students, people with autism, public safety, and healthcare services," said Tori Sachs, executive director of the Michigan Rising Action political action committee. "Our state and nation deserve better."

The Democratic governor did slash funding for charter schools, an autism alliance, rural health care and county road patrols, but most of it was restored after negotiations with Republican lawmakers.

Whitmer made Michigan the first state in the nation to declare a ban on flavored vaping products out of concern for youth usage and an uptick in lung injuries, but the ban was halted by the courts amid a challenge from vape shop owners.

But her first year in office included victories, including the signing of bipartisan legislation that reformed Michigan's no-fault auto insurance, changes that had eluded consensus for about 40 years. Some Democrats criticized her for signing the Republican-inspired legislation.

Whitmer has “rolled up her sleeves” during her more time in public service, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a Friday statement with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announcing Whitmer’s selection.

“Her decades of hard work on behalf of the people should serve as a model for our nation,” Pelosi said. “She’s a forward-looking leader who is laser-focused on solving problems for everyday Michiganders and is uniquely qualified to deliver Democrats’ message of progress for all Americans.”

Whitmer’s efforts in Michigan are a “model for public servants everywhere,” Schumer said.

"Whether it's pledging to 'Fix the Damn Roads' or investing in climate solutions, Governor Whitmer's vision for the future is exactly what this country needs, and I'm thrilled she is giving the Democratic response,” he said.

As a "fierce leader" for Michigan's families, Whitmer will highlight how Trump's "broken promises have devastated our state," said Lavora Barnes, chairwoman for the Michigan Democratic Party.

"Gov. Whitmer was critical to our party’s success up and down the ballot in 2018, and I look forward to working with her this year as we fight to beat Donald Trump, re-elect Gary Peters to the Senate and turn every corner of Michigan blue," Barnes said.

Democratic former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin of Detroit appears to be the last Michigan politician to have given a State of the Union response, according to U.S. Senate records. In 1984, Levin was one of several members of Congress on a panel who responded to then-President Ronald Reagan's address in a partly taped and partly live program.

Then-House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Grand Rapids, a Michigan native, gave the first televised response to a State of the Union address in a 30-minute rebuttal alongside Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen to President Lyndon Johnson's 1966 and 1967 addresses, according to U.S. Senate records.

"Today, thanks to the efforts of Dirksen and Ford, the opposition response is anticipated and discussed almost as much as the president’s speech," according to the Senate Historical Office.

The last sitting governor to give an official response to a State of the Union speech was then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican who responded to then-President Barack Obama’s speech in 2016. Haley was Trump's United Nations ambassador until deciding to step down at the end of 2018.

Democrat Stacey Abrams, a former minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, gave the response to Trump’s speech in 2019.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Ron Brierley Being Defrocked From Knighthood For His Trafficking Tiny Humans Transposable Model

 Ron Brierley being knighted

When you own a corporation, you are held to a higher realm of laws, known as Ethics.

Upon being defrocked, you fall from the heavens to be tried by the laws of the land, and in this instance, it looks like the laws surrounding the commerce of trafficking tiny humans.

He was a knight.

He stole the children's legacies in reverse mortgages, which is one of the first asset forfeiture operations of "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth.)

TRANSLATION: WHEN GRANDMA AND GRAMDPA HAVE THEIR PENSIONS STOLEN AND EXFILTRATED OVERSEAS THROUGH FAKE ASS CHILDREN'S TRUSTS, THEY WILL SELL THEIR GRANDCHILDREN'S LEGACIES SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO EAT DOG FOOD, WHEREBY THE DISTRICTS ARE REDRAWN, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE SHUTTERED, AND THEY CAN CONTROL THE VOTE BY INSTALLING THEIR OWN CHRISTENED CITY, COUNTY & STATE ADMINISTRATORS TO IMPLEMENT MORE CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE LAWS & POLICIES PASS BY THEIR CHOSEN "ELECTED ONES".

It is just another transposable model for stealin' the children, land & votes.

Gerrymandering.

Heartland buys reverse mortgage firm

#maytheheavensfall

Millionaire businessman Sir Ron Brierley charged with possessing child pornography

Ron Brierley 

Sir Ron Brierley was trying to board a flight to Fiji when he was arrested. (Supplied: Alchetron)

Multi-millionaire businessman and one of Australia's most feared corporate raiders Sir Ron Brierley has been charged for alleged possession of child pornography.

Key points:
Sir Ron Brierley founded one of New Zealand's biggest investment firms
He was allegedly found with child pornography on his laptop at Sydney Airport

The 82-year-old was granted conditional bail and will continue living at his Point Piper mansion
The 82-year-old investor was arrested at Sydney International Airport after being stopped by Border Force officials as he was attempting to board a flight to Fiji.

NSW Police have been investigating the matter since August after an anonymous tip-off from a member of the public.

https://www.heartland.co.nz/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartland_Bank

The financier was allegedly found with a "large amount" of child pornography images on his laptop when detectives seized his carry-on luggage about 6.30am yesterday.

Mr Brierley, who is a former trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was charged with six counts of possessing child pornography.

The New Zealand-born businessman was given strict conditional bail, including that he continue living at his Point Piper mansion, and is due to appear before the Downing Centre on February 10, 2020.

A car is parked outside a nice house with palm trees and a blue sky
PHOTO: Sir Ron Brierley's Point Piper home. (ABC News: Rani Hayman)
With no capital, Sir Ron founded R. A Brierley Investments in 1961, which grew to become one of New Zealand's biggest companies.

https://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/

In 1988, he was knighted for his "services to business management and the community".

Mr Brierley mentored many Australian business leaders, including BHP director Malcolm Broomhead and the co-founder of Afterpay, Anthony Eisen.

Mr Brierley stepped down from his last role in a listed company in June this year when he retired as chairman of Mercantile Investments.

"Due to age and health issues, I can no longer give the total commitment to the company which it requires and which shareholders deserve," Mr Brierley said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange earlier this year.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

No Due Process For Civil Rights Leaders In Detroi

It will be alright.

No one cares because they did the same thing to my Sweetie.

Society has no civility for the rights of due process of "ThePoors" (always said with clinched teeth).

This is how you bleachbit history.

Lyft driver wants to clear his name after rider's 'smell this' warning post

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Facebook post about a young woman's scary experience during a Lyft ride is getting a lot of attention online, but the driver at the center of it says she got it all wrong. He says his small gesture of kindness got completely blown out of proportion.

Driving for Lyft is a retirement gig for William Thomas. He's been doing it for three years.

Lyft driver says rider’s warning post on Facebook was misconstrued
A metro Detroit man is trying to clear his name as a Lyft driver after a rider shared a warning on Facebook with his photo and license plate not to accept a ride from him.

"East side, west side, north side, south side, I'm everywhere," he said. "I love it, man."

The once cross country bus driver and civil rights activist from Selma, Alabama has a motto: "When I can help one person my day is not in vain."

It's that giving spirit that spiraled into a warning on Facebook with a post that's been shared hundreds of times now.

"My face is plastered everywhere, all the way down in Florida," he said.

Friday morning he picked up a female passenger from Amazon in Romulus, Mich.

"I said how you doing because I ask that to everyone. She said, 'I'm sick.'"

William, getting over a cold himself, offered her some peppermint oil. He and his wife are big into essential oils after her brain aneurysm three years ago.

"I put it on [a tissue] and I said, 'All you got to do is [sniff] and pass it over your nose and it will help you breathe.'"

William had no idea she was taking a picture for a warning post later on, and that she was scared for her life.


Another post includes his picture and license plate.

"All three of my sisters called my crying carrying on, 'Your picture is all over Facebook.' I said for what? What did I do?"

It's spreading in neighborhood groups, too, some with more than 100,000 followers.

FOX 2 reached out to and spoke with the passenger who made the post, who told us she does not have any intention of taking the original post down. She said at that moment she was passed the tissue, she felt threatened and was genuinely scared.

The passenger also contacted Lyft to try and open an investigation but said Lyft wasn't planning on doing so. The passenger has not contacted police about what happened.

William insists he was just trying to help. He wants to clear his name and he's worried the public shaming will affect his job. Even if the passenger did take the post down, it likely wouldn't make a difference because of how much it's already spread.

"I can't believe you try to help people and they stab you in the back like this."

William also went to Woodhaven Police in Michigan to see if there was anything they could do to stop the post from spreading but unfortunately there was nothing they could do.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Modern Human Trafficking: Michigan Attorney General Intervenes In Elder Guardianship Asset Forfeiture Case, But Not Child Welfare

If you think this is an egregious situation of personal inurement, by a public official, who just so happens to preside over the case which was referred to her husband, wait until you see what goes on in child welfare.

This is the latest trend of transferring corporate parental rights for asset forfeiture.

Caring Hearts may not be a foreign corporation, but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is, where the Michigan Catholic Conference is the foundational cornerstone of chattel law in Michigan.

The only difference between an elder probate case and a child welfare case is that you can fraudulently bill Medicaid in Child Welfare, because no one cares.

Wait, I almost forgot, foreign corporations are taking over the guardianship business because there are no civil rights in privatization.

Nessel: Macomb County Probate judge's guardianship appointment violated law

A Macomb County judge violated state law when she appointed a guardian-and-conservator company that reaped financial benefits from the appointment, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel.

State Public Administrator Michael Moody, on Nessel’s behalf, argues in a legal document Friday that Probate Judge Kathryn George created a law violation by appointing Clinton township-based Caring Hearts of Michigan Inc. as guardian and conservator for Robert Mitchell and Barbara Delbridge last November, over a daughter and stepdaughter of the couple.

Caring Hearts hired Executive Care to perform the care for the couple, according to the state. Both companies are owned by Cathy Kirk. In addition, Caring Hearts employed the firm of her husband Robert Kirk -- Kirk, Huth, Lange and Badalamenti -- for legal services. The trio of companies share the same address on Hall Road, east of Romeo Plank Road.

Caring Hearts charged more than $250,000 for about six months of care.

George through a spokeswoman declined to comment Monday, referring the matter to court officials.

The Attorney General in the filing Friday seeks to intervene in the Probate case, saying that all prior transactions are “voidable” due to the arrangement.

The law in question says, the “Court shall not appoint as guard an agency, public or private, that financially benefits from directly providing housing, medical, mental health or social services to the legally incapacitated individual.”

Moody comments in the brief, “The intention behind this provision is to prevent conflicts of interest.”

“All of these financial transactions set forth in Caring Hearts’ Final Account are presume to be affected by a conflict between personal and fiduciary interests, and therefore voidable,” Moody adds.

Caring Hearts attorney Edward Nahat disputed Nessel's claims Monday, saying state attorneys misapplied the law and should not have sought to enter the case.

"The Attorney General's petition ... misapplied the statute to these circumstances and is over-reaching by trying to intervene in a case she shouldn't be involved in," Nahat said.

He said the law quoted by state lawyers applies to investments and housing transactions, neither of which Caring Hearts and Executive Services were involved.

He said George knew of the arrangement.

Nahat called Nessel's involvement "heavy handed," noting that it has drawn publicity.

He said Caring Hearts supports a review of the accounting and charges in the case.

"A remedy is already available to the family," he said. "They can get their own day in court. They don't need the Attorney General's help."

Probate Court in September 2018 instituted a policy that requires a company or fudiciary must reveal whether a person related to the company or fudiciary is performing a service for the fudiciary or company, according to John Brennan, deputy court administrator.

Brennan said he does not believe the relationships were disclosed in the Mitchell and Delbridge cases.

Expenditures will be reviewed over the next several months. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 10.

Nessel issued a news release on the matter Monday.

“It is absolutely incumbent on the courts to ensure that the state’s guardianship system is providing properly for the vulnerable and that the court-appointed conservators fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to those in their custody,” she said. “That does not appear to be happening in the case of Caring Hearts, which was appointed by Judge Kathryn George as guardian and conservator for Robert Lee Mitchell and Barbara Delbridge.”

Nessel added that the "Estates and Protected Individuals Code specifically prohibits certain financial self-dealing by the guardian with respect to the ward.”

Nessel announced in May that George was under investigation for her role in the case involving the couple following reports initiated by WXYZ-TV (Channel 7).

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack and Macomb Chief Judge James Biernat Jr. at that time of the announcement released a joint statement in support of the probe.

Family members of the couple said George should have appointed them as guardians and conservators to watch over the care and finances of the couple, both 70 or older and in declining health.

Mitchell’s daughter, Marcie, and other family members complained their visits were limited and that caregivers installed a 6-foot fence around the property near Hall Road and Van Dyke Avenue that blocked the vision of family members who resided next door. The said the couple were virtual prisoners in their home.

They also raised questions about the guardian and conservator company's spending from the couple's more than $2.5 million in assets.

Caring Hearts and Executive Services in early June withdrew from serving as guardian and conservator. Attorney Terry Gilsenan was named temporary guardian, and attorney Martin Brosnan was name temporary conservator.

On June 26, Judge Biernat, who had taken over the case, granted Marcie Mitchell guardianship over her father, Robert, and Anita Little gained guardianship over her sister, Delbridge.

The pair on Friday also were named conservators, although each has to file a bond and paperwork in order to take over.

Attorney Frank Cusumano said Monday he plans to file a legal action on Little's behalf "to unwind the transactions" involving Caring Hearts, Executive Services and the law firm.

"Anita Little wants to do her part to make sure that this activity does not occur and injure another family," Cusumano said.

The older couple are currently residing in a facility in Genesee County, closer Marcie Mitchell’s Clarkston home.

The case developed as Nessel has been vowing to crack down on elder abuse. She formed Michigan Elder Abuse Task Force earlier this year shortly after she took office. This summer, she conducted a statewide “listening tour” to hear complaints about elder abuse and complaints about Probate Court, which oversees will and estates of incapacitated and deceased individuals.

Robert Kirk last month was removed as a state Public Administrator for appointment to certain Probate cases.

George has served as a Macomb Probate Judge since 2003. More than a decade ago, George came under the scrutiny of state officials and removed as chief probate judge for her relationship with a now-defunct guardianship company, conflict with the second probate judge and dysfunction at the court.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Why Is Daniel Levinson Still Around? More Medicaid Fraud In The Residuals Of The Peculiar Institution

Why is Daniel Levinson still here?

They do these OIG reports all the time and guess what happens?

Nothing.

Do you want to know why there is no compliance with the federal Medicaid waivers and state requirements in overseaing adult day care centers and adult foster care homes?

There are three reasons:

1. The States Medicaid Fraud Control Units do not do crap because they are clueless;
2. These operations fund political campaigns; and,
3. These are subcontracted by the states under foreign corporations, as corporate parents, and, therefore, the States have no jurisdicitonal standing to enforce any mandates, funded or unfunded, regulation, law, financial reporting requirements....you get the picture.

All the feds have to do is get that Conjugal Collaboration to terminate parental rights of all these corporations by bearing witness.

These corporate parents only, by law, have to give these individuals $50 a month from their Social Supplemental Income or other Social Security funds.

These corporate parents are also taking over all inheritances and property of these disabled individuals.

Daniel Levinson has been watching this crap for years, yet has been silent.

Perhaps, he was silent due to his passionate dedication to taking copious notes of what they do.

If our federal and States governments can allow the continuance in preserving the residuals of the peculiar institution, then, perhaps, it is time to just end the industry of salvaging souls.

U.S. HHS OIG FOUR STATES DID NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL WAIVER AND STATE REQUIREMENTS IN OVERSEEING ADULT DAY... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr Tells The Tale Of Stealin' From Our Elders

Bill Barr talks about his first social media smear where some fraudster had a fake Facebook ad with his image as a former DOJ attorney, promoted giving away secrets to get grants.

He said he worked with the local television station to correct the matter.

This is about senior fraud scams.

We are not supposed to live like this.

Why are people considered "vulnerable" in the first place?

We are not supposed to treat the elders like this.

We are not supposed to treat the children like this.

We are not supposed to steal legacies.

Stop the stealin'.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

DOJ Coordinates With Kansas To Protect The Legacies Of Children

The U.S. Department of Justice is in full force, implementing its agenda, which seems to be systematically dismantling layers upon layers of social fraud schemes against the people.

This historic act is a financial protection in the best interests of the elder.

What may be extrapolated from this operation are charity solicitation fraud schemes through child welfare NGOs, which will always target the elderly.

It is quite interesting that the Kansas Attorney General is an enthusiastic participant in these activities considering the fact that the Kansas Legislature has introduced asset forfeiture legislation of the elderly and disabled (code for children) under the care of the state in guardianship, "to counter the increased costs of care" or so they say.

Kansas has no Auditor General so someone has to make sure the elder population is not getting ripped off by unscrupulous operations within the state government, too.

I believe I would be secure in proffering a passionate panegyric that the next phase of Jeff Session's Office's agenda is going to be protecting the best interests of children, the legacies.

Justice Department Coordinates Nationwide Elder Fraud Sweep of More Than 250 Defendants

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and law enforcement partners announced today the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history.   The cases involve more than two hundred and fifty defendants from around the globe who victimized more than a million Americans, most of whom were elderly.  The cases include criminal, civil, and forfeiture actions across more than 50 federal districts.  Of the defendants, 200 were charged criminally.  In each case, offenders engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors.  In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused losses of more than half a billion dollars.  The Department coordinated its announcement with the FTC and state Attorneys General, who independently filed numerous cases targeting elder frauds within the sweep period.

Attorney General Sessions was joined in the announcement by FBI Acting Deputy Director David Bowdich; Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell; FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen; and Kansas Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General Derek Schmidt.

“The Justice Department and its partners are taking unprecedented, coordinated action to protect elderly Americans from financial threats, both foreign and domestic,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “Today’s actions send a clear message:  we will hold perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable wherever they are.  When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal – criminal prosecutions to punish offenders, civil injunctions to shut the schemes down, and asset forfeiture to take back ill-gotten gains.  Today is only the beginning.  I have directed Department prosecutors to coordinate with both domestic law enforcement partners and foreign counterparts to stop these criminals from exploiting our seniors.”

The actions charged a variety of fraud schemes, ranging from mass mailing, telemarketing and investment frauds to individual incidences of identity theft and theft by guardians.  A number of cases involved transnational criminal organizations that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims, while others involved a single relative or fiduciary who took advantage of an individual victim.  The schemes charged in these cases caused losses to more than a million victims.

"Winners. That’s what so many of the people who received these solicitations in the mail thought they were. But they’re not. They are victims(link is external) of scams that Postal Inspectors have seen and investigated for decades. In fact, some of the same operators we encountered 20 years ago are back. But so are we. Yesterday, Postal Inspectors around the country executed search warrants on 12 locations that some of these same operators used to run their scams. We’re letting the American public know – and especially our vulnerable older Americans – that Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect them and ensure their confidence in the U.S. Mail,” said Chief Postal Inspector Cottrell.

“Over the last year, the FBI has initiated more than 200 financial crimes cases involving elderly victims who were devastated financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. Picking up the pieces of these fraud schemes can be equally as traumatizing for the caregivers of these elderly victims,” said Acting Deputy Director Bowdich.  “The FBI reminds seniors and their caregivers to be vigilant. If any person believes they are the victim of, or have knowledge of fraud involving an elderly person, regardless of the loss amount, they should report it to the FBI.”


Actions against mass-mailing fraud industry

As part of the initiative, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and others, brought numerous cases this past week in a coordinated strike against more than 43 mass-mailing fraud operators, including criminal charges against six individuals.  In addition, law enforcement agents executed 14 premises search warrants from Las Vegas to south Florida, served numerous asset seizure warrants, and coordinated with the Vancouver Police in Canada, who executed over 20 warrants, including search warrants on business premises.

“The defendants targeted elderly and vulnerable consumers both in the United States and abroad, using U.S. addresses and the U.S. mails to try to legitimize their fraudulent schemes,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue.  “They sold false promises of life-changing prizes that never came true.  We will pursue the perpetrators of these mail schemes wherever they are located, and hold them accountable.”

These recently filed cases particularly targeted transnational criminal actors who collectively defrauded at least a million victims out of hundreds of millions of dollars.  Indeed, just one of the schemes prosecuted criminally by the Consumer Protection Branch operated from 14 foreign countries to cost American victims more than $30 million.  Click here for map showing a transnational, single fraud scheme.

Mass-mailing fraud inflicts hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to elderly U.S. victims each year.  Department prosecutors and U.S. Postal Inspectors have taken a comprehensive approach to combatting this fraud, disrupting and prosecuting individuals who manage the schemes, artists who draft the fraudulent solicitations, list brokers who supply victim lists, and individuals who collect victim payments. Click here for fact-sheet with cases on mass-mailing fraud.


Actions against other elder fraud schemes

Prosecutors across the country from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices have heeded the call to focus resources on elder fraud cases.  Over 50 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department Components filed elder fraud cases in the last year.  A list of Elder Fraud cases is provided on this interactive map. 

Some examples of the elder financial exploitation prosecuted by the Department include:

• “Lottery phone scams,” in which callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before one can receive lottery winnings;
• “Grandparent scams,” which convince seniors that their grandchildren have been arrested and need bail money;
• “Romance scams,” which lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose;
• “IRS imposter schemes,” which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes;
• “Guardianship schemes,” which siphon seniors’ financial resources into the bank accounts of deceitful relatives or guardians.

Many of these cases illustrate how an elderly American can lose his or her life savings to a duplicitous relative, guardian, or stranger who gains the victim’s trust.  The devastating effects these cases have on victims and their families, both financially and psychologically, make prosecuting elder fraud a key Department priority.


Public education

The Department has partnered with Senior Corps, a national service program administered by the federal agency the Corporation for National and Community Service, to educate seniors and prevent further victimization. The Senior Corps program engages more than 245,000 older adults in intensive service each year, who in turn, serve more than 840,000 additional seniors, including 332,000 veterans.

Using its vast network operating in more than 30,000 locations, Senior Corps volunteers will communicate about elder fraud to potential victims across the country and will use their skills, knowledge and experience to educate their peers and caregivers about the most prolific types of schemes and how to avoid them. Click here for information on Senior Corps’ efforts to reduce elder fraud.


Coordination with state officials

Kansas Attorney General Schmidt highlighted the cases filed by state Attorneys General targeting elder frauds within in the sweep period, and he emphasized efforts at the state level to combat elder abuse and protect seniors from fraud and exploitation.  He encouraged all of the state Attorneys General to devote enforcement and public education resources to preventing financial exploitation of senior citizens.


Coordination with foreign law enforcement

Exceptional assistance from foreign law enforcement partners amplified the effectiveness of the Department’s initiative.  The sweep announced today benefited greatly from the work of the International Mass-Marketing Fraud Working Group (IMMFWG), a network of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Europol, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.  The IMMFWG is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Justice and FTC, and law enforcement in the United Kingdom, and serves as a model for international cooperation against specific threats that endanger the financial well-being of each member country’s residents.  Attorney General Sessions expressed gratitude for the outstanding efforts of the working group, including law enforcement action taken as part of the sweep by the Vancouver Police Department in Canada to halt mass mailing schemes that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims worldwide.

Elder fraud complaints

Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.  The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

Are those "Other Special Grants" a trust fund of forfeited assets of the old and young of "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth) in the State of Kansas?

Schaun Sullivan, the State Budget Director, used to be the Secretary for the Department for Aging and Disability Services, just saying.

I wonder if any of these "Other Special Grants" funds are going through political campaigns?

But hey, what do I know?

KANSAS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Fee-for-Service Provider Manual by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Financial Exploitation And Abuse Of Elderly Is The Same In Child Welfare

Court Appointed Guardian Private Corporations

The Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice today published an article online that discusses new ways to identify financial exploitation and abuse of the elderly.

Great.

The Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice decided to put skin in the game and come up with a new reason to utilize its human databases to scrap up all that 'financial exploitation' going on with elderly adults.

See, I am critical because the same goes on in child welfare, but, I digress.

The state courts assign representatives to older persons, in many instances, a private corporation.

The private corporation takes all their assests, just like they do in foster care.

The state will take all assets to "repay" for care, just like they do in foster care.

There is no civil rights assistance by the States attorney general because the States attorney general contemporaneously advocates and advises the state, which has made judicial determination for the appointment of a privately contracted representative, just like they do in foster care.

This means that the elderly individual, family members, or anyone of affinity, is forced to come out of pocket to hire an attorney for a civil action, which many, if not all, cannot afford.

Same thing happens in foster care.

The States become the beneficiaries.

So, instead of legal assistance program, or a direct phone or email to report fraud, these tech guys got a bunch of money to figure out how they can get into the financial fraud game using the human databases.

One of the variables is to detect real estate ownership of these elderly persons.

Besides, what do you think is going to happen once financial exploitation is identified among elderly adults?

The same thing that they do when fraud is identified in foster care.

Computers Learn To Detect Financial Abuse of the Elderly

Computer learning may provide a new avenue for creating tools to identify financial exploitation among elderly adults.

Extending on work by Drs. Shelly Jackson and Thomas Hafemister on the characteristics of elder financial exploitation,[1] NIJ funded researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to see if computers can “learn” how to: (1) distinguish between financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse; and (2) differentiate between “pure” financial exploitation — when the victim of financial exploitation experiences no other forms of elder abuse and “hybrid” financial exploitation — when financial exploitation is accompanied by physical abuse or neglect.

This study demonstrated an innovative way to leverage administrative data to understand patterns of financial exploitation.

The researchers found that computer models were effective in identifying financial exploitation and its subtypes. This study may provide practitioners with ways to use existing data to identify financial exploitation among elderly adults.

Carmel Dyer, Jason Burnett, and their team used a Texas adult protective service administrative statewide dataset with 8,800 confirmed cases of elder abuse. The data were randomly split 80/20. The larger dataset was used to “train” the computer to detect patterns for financial exploitation and differentiate between pure financial exploitation and hybrid financial exploitation. The smaller dataset was used to test the computer models on accuracy in classifying the financial exploitation cases.

The computer algorithms were reliably able to predict clients who experienced financial exploitation compared with those who experienced other forms of elder abuse. Understandably, the main factors that distinguished the financial exploitation from other types of abuse were misuses of financial assets.

In distinguishing between pure financial exploitation and hybrid financial exploitation, the computer algorithms were able to make modest improvements in prediction accuracy compared to chance. The biggest factor that set the two apart was that hybrid financial exploitation cases were more likely to have an apparent injury (e.g., skin tears, bruises). Hybrid financial exploitation cases were also more likely to include clients who had overburdened caregivers, were facing a foreclosure, and were physically dependent than pure financial exploitation cases.

This study demonstrated an innovative way to leverage administrative data to understand patterns of financial exploitation.

The computer was able to learn how to distinguish financial exploitation from other types of elder abuse and further learn patterns of pure financial exploitation versus hybrid financial exploitation. The study only used the first confirmed abuse case, and there may be additional information to be learned from those who have repeat adult protective service reports. The researchers hope these data algorithms can be transformed into web-based applications so that practitioners can monitor financial exploitation in real time and quickly intervene.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS: House Democrats to Trump Administration: Florida Nursing Home Tragedy Is a Wake-Up Call to Protect the Fundamental Rights of Residents Against Abuse

WASHINGTON – In the wake of disturbing reports of the neglect of nursing home residents in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, 46 members of Congress called on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to maintain current protections for elder Americans against abuse in nursing homes.

In Florida, 12 residents died and more than 100 were hospitalized after a long-term care facility failed to evacuate residents after losing air conditioning in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. In Texas, similar abuse occurred at a facility that refused to evacuate despite severe flooding. The letter is led by Representatives David N. Cicilline (RI-01), John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01).

They wrote: “The horrific reports of abuse at facilities in Florida and Texas in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey underscore the need for your agency to reconsider upending the legal protections of those who have worked and saved for their entire lives to retire with dignity. This is a time when we should be protecting our nation’s seniors, not rolling back their fundamental right to hold wrongdoers accountable for neglect and abuse.”

Last year under the Obama Administration, CMS finalized a strong rule that prohibited the use of pre-dispute, mandatory (“forced”) arbitration clauses in nursing home admission agreements.

Nursing-home residents stand to lose virtually every cause of action against unscrupulous caregivers unless these current protections against forced arbitration in nursing-home admission contracts are preserved.

As the letter notes, following an extensive notice-and-comment rulemaking process, CMS determined that forced arbitration undermines the ability of health investigators to prevent and remedy abuse in nursing homes.

But under the Trump Administration, CMS has already begun the process to end this protection.

The letter follows a letter from House Democrats—including Representatives Johnson, Cicilline, Conyers, Nadler, and Sanchez—in 2015 that called on CMS to adopt these protections.

The group of House Democrats denounced plans by CMS Administrator Verma to roll back existing protections, writing “Americans in nursing homes deserve better. It is vital that residents and their families are able to enforce their rights and hold nursing home operators accountable for dangerous facility conditions and the inhumane treatment of residents. We strongly urge CMS to protect the health and safety of nursing home residents, particularly in light of recent events, by maintaining the current prohibition of forced arbitration clauses in nursing home admission contracts.”

Congressional Letter To CMS On Nursing Home Protections 10032017 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Lil' Miss Hot Mess Daire Rendon Is An Equal Opportunity Disenfranchiser

Lil' Miss Hot Mess Daire Rendon,
Chairwoman for the Michigan House
Standing Committee for
Families, Children, & Seniors

Yes, that is correct.  

Lil' Miss Hot Mess, the Chair for the Michigan House of Representatives Standing Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors has disenfranchised the residents of Michigan, again.

But, this time, she jacked the seniors.

Giving credit, where credit is not even necessary to acknowledge, LMHM did, at one point in her illustrious career as Chairwoman, did provide public notice of a meeting more than 7 days in advance, but I shall assume the was just a token gesture to appease her colleagues that I had to chastise her.

This is so messed up; neigh, she is the hot mess.

So, tell me, honestly, how would some elderly individuals, or even the caregivers, who wish to participate in the public discussions of Alzheimer's conditions, treatments and services get to the State's great capitol of Lansing, to physically attend the meeting, or just to live stream on social media to people back in their constituent districts, locals, or living rooms, where someone who is concerned could watch the meeting, with a 23 hour and 48 minute public notification of the meeting?

Well, at least there is one thing that can be definitely said about LMHM Rendon, she is an equal opportunity disenfranchiser!

No wonder Michigan has a severely ignored the problem with the soaring rates of poverty.

Hey, LMHM, you do know I shall continue to taunt you, utilizing the most delicious morsels delivered to me from your inner circle, until you get your act together, right?

This message was posted on April 19, 2017 at 9:12 a.m. via email.

Standing Committee Meeting

Families, Children, and Seniors, Rep. Daire Rendon, Chair

DATE: Thursday, April 20, 2017

TIME: 10:30 AM

PLACE: Room 327, House Office Building, Lansing, MI

AGENDA:
Presentation from Lindsay Brieschke and Jennifer Howard with the Alzheimer's Association

Presentation from Keith Morris, President of Elder Law of Michigan

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

To view text of legislation go to:
 http://www.legislature.mi.gov/mileg.aspx?page=CommitteeBillRecord

Committee Clerk: Taylor Thrush
Phone: 517-373-7256
e-Mail: tthrush@house.mi.gov

Individuals needing special accommodations to participate in the meeting may contact the Chair's office.

Schedule changes or cancellations available at http://www.house.mi.gov/publiccommitteeschedule/
Notice posted: 4/19/2017

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Conyers Flags $301 Million in Prescription Drug Savings for Michigan Seniors Under the Affordable Care Act

(DETROIT) – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new data showing that seniors and individuals with disabilities who have Medicare prescription drug plan coverage have saved $8.9 billion on prescription drugs due to provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that closed the “donut hole” coverage gap in Medicare Part D. In Michigan, 142,120 individuals with disabilities and seniors saved more than $142 million on prescription drugs in 2013 alone – an average of more than $1,000 for each beneficiary – and more than $301 million since passage of the Affordable Care Act. After the release of this new data, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, seniors and individuals with disabilities who were enrolled in Medicare Part D – the prescription drug benefit program – ran the risk of falling into the ‘donut hole’ coverage gap that would send out of pocket expenses for prescription drug benefits skyrocketing. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the ‘donut hole’ has been closed, saving seniors as well as people with disabilities millions on prescription drug benefits. In Michigan alone, 142,120 individuals have saved more than $301 million since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, with an average beneficiary saving more than $1,000 each. It is clear that the historic Affordable Care Act is already having a positive impact in aiding consumers and reshaping our previously broken healthcare system,” said Conyers.

Under the discount program in the Affordable Care Act, in 2010, anyone with a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan who reached the prescription drug ‘donut hole’ got a $250 rebate. In 2011, beneficiaries who landed in the ‘donut hole’ began receiving discounts on covered brand-name drugs and savings on generic drugs. Next year, Medicare Part D participants who fall into the ‘donut hole’ will receive savings of about 53 percent on the cost of brand name drugs and 28 percent on the cost of generic drugs. These savings and Medicare coverage will gradually increase until 2020, when the ‘donut hole’ will be closed.

###

The Annual Open Enrollment period for health and drug plans began on October 15 and ends on December 7. For more information on Medicare Open Enrollment and to compare benefits and prices of 2014 Medicare health and drug plans, please visit:http://www.cms.gov/Center/Special-Topic/Open-Enrollment-Center.html.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Conyers Opposes Republican Plan to Protect Millionaires and Cut Social Security Benefits

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement criticizing Speaker Boehner’s refusal to accept a balanced approach to avert the end-of-year automatic spending cuts and tax increases, as well as the Speaker’s decision to include Social Security benefit cuts in these discussions:

“Despite clear evidence that the American people support balancing the deficit by requiring the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes, Speaker Boehner announced a plan today that would allow millionaires to keep their tax cuts,” said Conyers.

“This so-called ‘Plan B’ is not a balanced approach to deficit reduction and it should be rejected.   

“I resent that Speaker Boehner has chosen to put cuts to Social Security benefits for current and future retirees on the table as a way to resolve the budget crisis.

“The change in the way Social Security calculates yearly cost-of-living-adjustments, called ‘Chained CPI,’ would place an increased  burden on elderly Americans - nearly 70 percent of whom rely on Social Security for more than half of their income and whose benefits average less than $15,000 per year.  Under this proposed policy, benefits would be cut by 0.3 percent annually and would increase over time.  As a result, the older and poorer a beneficiary becomes, the larger the benefit cut.

“The fact that Republicans would seriously consider cutting the current and future Social Security benefits of all Americans to benefit the wealthy few is unconscionable and unacceptable.  We cannot ask our seniors and the most vulnerable to bear the burden of deficit reduction.

“If Congress were to pursue this unwise course of action, we would not only be embracing a deeply unpopular policy, but also ignoring the will of the American people. A recent poll by Hart Associates in the days before the November election found that an overwhelming 84 percent of Americans said they did not want their Social Security benefits cut. 104 House Democrats have also already stated their opposition to including Social Security in any deficit reduction package. 

“Any debt deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits is unacceptable.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

U.S. Rep John Conyers: America must uphold commitment to seniors

U.S. Rep John Conyers: America must uphold commitment to seniors 

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

It is important we look back at why we honor the elderly among us for their hard work and wisdom passed down through generations. Since 1963 when President John F. Kennedy led us to officially pay tribute to older citizens, and again in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter changed the name of May to Older Americans Month, we have continued to honor those who are 65 years and older for their many contributions to this great country.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 there were more than 40 million citizens in the United States who were 65 years of age or older, some 13 percent of our population. Those numbers are expected to more than double by 2050 as more seniors enjoy their golden years in retirement and collect Social Security. It's important that we mention Social Security because seniors' lives are much different now than they were in the 1930s, when hundreds of thousands of elderly people were forced out of their communities and into state-run "poor houses" because of need, injury, or destitution.

America swore we would never return to those shameful days. When the program was developed in 1935, half of all older Americans in this country lived in poverty. Today, that number is down to 10 percent.

Unfortunately, a small but persistent group of current and former elected officials have been stomping around Washington, D.C., trying to slash Social Security benefits in the name of deficit reduction, including through the failed Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission plan.

Recently, billionaire Peter G. Peterson hosted an ultra-exclusive "Fiscal Summit" in Washington. House Speaker John Boehner attended this event and stated that he endorsed the Bowles-Simpson plan.

The irresponsible Bowles-Simpson plan raises the full retirement age for all Americans to 69, cuts Social Security and Medicare benefits for those left most vulnerable by the Great Recession, and changes the formula that has made our Social Security program stand the test of time.

Social Security has a $2.7 trillion surplus in the Trust Fund and is funded completely by the contributions of hard-working Americans. If it isn't broken, don't break it.

We have a choice in this country of whether we will embrace dismantling our social insurance foundations and return our parents and grandparents to poor houses, or reinforce a system generations of Americans built from the ground up.

Our founding fathers and mothers passed down to us a Constitution that has stood the test of time and a country that has seen war, hard times and triumph,while building a sense of resiliency. These are values that Republicans and Democrats share and must remember going forward, because they are values older Americans cherish too.

Previous generations invested in and maintained our Social Security system during their lifetimes, and now it is our turn. Presidents from Roosevelt to Reagan did their part to create and sustain the New Deal. Now, it's is our turn to maintain the system, not to turn it over to reckless Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers who would gamble away this critical source of retirement security.

Older Americans can give us a glimpse not only into our pasts, but also into the kind of future we want to create for our children and grandchildren. As we honor them, let's recommit ourselves to strengthening and preserving Social Security for future generations.

U.S. Rep John Conyers, D-Detroit, represents Michigan’s 14th District in Washington.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©