A local Brooklyn institution is endangered

Porn Apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone.

Even if you don’t have an iPod or an iPhone, your kids probably do. While the devices have a lot of great uses, there are some things you might not want your kids to see. This is a warning about the ‘adult side’ of the iPods.

We’re used to seeing applications for Facebook, MySpace, the weather, but unless you’re actively searching for it, there’s one type of ‘app’ you probably didn’t even know was there. It is relatively new.

Use an ‘adult’ search term, like ‘porn’, and you get dozens of applications you probably wouldn’t want your ten-year-old to see. Some of the photos are tame. Others might make you blush. One app we found, talks you through a stripping game.

There are ways to prevent your child from ever seeing it. You have to know how to block it.

On your home computer, go to iTunes. Find ‘preferences’. From there, click on the ‘parental control tab’. Make sure the ‘restrict explicit content’ box is checked. You can then lock those settings using your password.

OK, now that’s safe. But there’s another problem. These mini-computers have web browsers. There’s a way to control those too.

Find ‘settings’ on the device. Then tap ‘general’, then ‘restrictions’. In here, you can set parental controls for the web, or really anything else on the phone.

If you have a ‘family’ iTunes account, you’ll only have to change your settings once.

If your kids each have their own accounts, you’ll have to change them individually.

Just some straightforward advice to make sure your child’s favorite device, remains safe for their use.

There are ways to save big on your energy bills.

There are companies that will help make your home more energy efficient.

A contractor can add insulation to a wall by boring holes into the exterior of the wall.

They will seal up your windows, doors and ventilation ducts. Your money could be escaping from other spots as well.

Heat could be leaking through walls, through the attic and through the crawl space. Let them seal them up.

There is one new website called www.energysavvy.com. Enter your zipcode and get started.

Use the website to figure out how your house ranks in energy efficiency.

Answer several questions about your home and the appliances inside it.

Based on what you find, you calculate a score. If your house is a 25, that’s a very energy inefficient home.

A 95 is very efficient.

You can now calculate how much you’d save if you made some changes.

One homeowner discovered that if she made some changes she could save over $4,000 on her energy bill over the next 4 years.

Contractors will give you recommendations on how to get the biggest bang for your buck, based on your score.

They’ll also let you know about rebates and tax credits you may be eligible for if you do the work.

What you end up saving now, could help fund your retirement in the future.

The website helps put you in touch with a select group of ‘green’ contractors in your area who have a strong background in maximizing energy efficiency in homes.

Web applications that let users change or ‘spoof’ their Caller ID are gaining in popularity.

One such service allows you to change the phone number that shows up on someone else’s Caller ID, to be whatever you want it to be.

SpoofCard, (www.spoofcard.com), is a service that takes your phone number and changes it to anything you want it to be.

SpoofCard lets you dial anonymously by blocking your caller ID number and replacing it with the number of your choice.

Many people use it as a privacy tool. You’re blocking your number from view or even pretending to be someone else.

You can even mask your voice with male and female voice-changing settings.

Some people report using this technology to catch a cheating spouse.

SpoofCard could also let people invade your privacy.

If someone were to call another person and put someone else’s cell phone number in as a spoof Caller ID, it will allow the spoofer to get straight into their voicemail.

SpoofCard’s president says the service is legal. It just depends on how you use it. He admits it’s a fine line between sneaky and unlawful practices.

Over the last year SpoofCard has increased their business by 200%.

The company has also developed LiarCard, (www.liarcard.com).

LiarCard is a system for detecting the truth using voice recognition technology. You can call someone from any phone and find out if they are being truthful over the phone.

LiarCard uses an audible sound effect or heartbeat that only the LiarCard caller can hear. It’s only activated if the technology determines the person on the other end, is lying or under stress.

How accurate is it? The company claims the technology is based on government and military technology out of Israel and that it’s 90% accurate.

Both cards work like a phone card.

Enter your phone number then enter the number you would like to dial anonymously..then enter the number you would like to show up as the Caller ID.

SpoofCard starts at $4.95 for 30 minutes and LiarCard is just $10. For 30 minutes.

If you can solve the problem plaguing Toyota, the unintended acceleration in millions of vehicles, you could win a $1,000,000.

Edmunds.com, the automotive buyers' research site, says it's going to offer $1 million to whomever can figure out once and for all what's causing the unintended acceleration in Toyota's and other vehicles and can solve the problem.

Not only will you be rich, but you'll be richer knowing you may have saved scores of lives.

"To be fair," says Edmunds analyst Jessica Caldwell, "this problem has happened at other car companies".

This is an industry-wide problem. Right now Toyota is under the microscope, but this problem on unintended acceleration has spanned the automotive industry for a few decades now. Audi had this problem in the 1980's, Toyota's having it now.

" We feel someone should step up and take the lead in this matter. Saying that we're going to investigate the matter; saying we're going to look into it, isn't saving lives.
" The challenge is for people to be able to replicate this whole idea in a laboratory setting, not on the open road. If they can replicate it one, two or three times, we can work with that."

Edmunds engineers would then continue the testing.

People are already blogging on the Edmunds.com website.

"It's already started," said Caldwell, "people are brainstorming out there. They want to get to the bottom of this. Obviously a million dollars helps, that's the motivator, let's be honest, but there is a lot of interest, a lot of ideas.

For more information go to www.edmunds.com

What would you do if Channel 11 gave you $1,000 in cash?

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs issued more than 2,000 violations in citywide crackdown of income tax preparers. Commissioner Mintz Warns Consumers of Refund Anticipation Loans Illegally Marketed as “Fast Cash” or “Instant Refunds”

Mints is also encouraging New Yorkers to file taxes for free at nyc.gov/onlinefreetaxprep.

Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz today announced that during a month-long investigation of income tax preparers throughout the City, DCA inspected nearly 800 tax preparation businesses and issued 2,010 charges for violations including illegally advertising refund anticipation loans (RALs) as “instant” or “rapid” refunds. Total fines from the enforcement sweep could reach more than $1 million.

DCA inspected income tax preparers charged with violations in 2009, as well as businesses located in neighborhoods with large populations of immigrants or high usage of refund anticipation loans. The Department issued violations to nearly 250 income tax preparers, a compliance rate of 69 percent, which was up from 65 percent in 2009, and 56 percent in 2008.

“Consumers only have to wait eight to 10 days to enjoy every penny of their refunds from the IRS, and with the City’s new, free online tax preparation service, filing today is easy,” said Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz. “Refund anticipation loans are such expensive and unnecessary products that tax preparers and lenders generally have to violate New York City law and lie about them to sell them.”

Refund anticipation loans are predatory, high-interest loans often marketed as “instant,” “rapid,” or “24-hour” refunds. However, they are actually expensive, high interest-bearing loans that consumers must pay back even if their refund is not as large as they had anticipated – a fact that is often not disclosed by income tax preparers. RALs are not illegal in New York City, but income tax preparers must disclose that these products are loans with annualized interest rates as high as 500 percent, significantly decreasing an expected refund

The medical spa is still making unwanted news!

How do you get your complaint about car trouble heard?

In the case of Toyota, filing complaints did help initiate recalls.

You can file a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. This agency does have limitations. It's not obligated to investigate your complaint and there is no consistency in how they deal with them. As few as five complaints have triggered an investigation that led to a recall. Other investigations that led to recalls haven't started until 1500 complaints accumulated.

In fact, once an investigation is launched, it takes about 262 days on average, to conclude and result in a recall.

Unfortunately, as a consumer, you have little choice. NHTSA is really your only outlet.

So if your brakes are performing unpredictably and the mechanic at the dealership hasn't been able to fix the problem, file a complaint at NHTSA.gov and click on "report a vehicle defect," or call 888-327-4236.

You may be contacted by the agency and your issues will be investigated to see if it’s part of a "safety defect trend".

There is some information you'll need to complete online including the model of the car and the vehicle identification number. You will be prompted to fill out the following information: events leading up to the failure, how often the failure occurs and what the consequences were, and any repairs or replacements you've done. You'll also want to describe all the conditions of the road, and what you were doing at the time.

That web address for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.gov

And you can share the experience with your friends at the same time.

The founder of Boxee, Idan Cohen, wanted to create a way to integrate video streaming of movies, TV shows, music and photos with the added bonus of being able to do your social networking too. Boxee allows you to do all that.

Think of Boxee as a social media center that let’s you simplify content streaming.

It starts out as a web-based streaming site, again, combining TV shows, movies, music and photos.

Buy the software, forget the computer. You are now able to endlessly screen content.

And from here on in, it’s free.

Boxee also hosts hundreds of apps.

With Facebook and Twitter apps you can share whatever your favorites are with your friends.

Boxee, the box, even looks different. The technology is brand new.

Again, no computer required.

Everything you’ve downloaded from the internet is exactly as it appears on your TV screen.

The box connects directly to your TV and internet connection.

The remote is sleek looking.

“On one side,” said co-founder Idan Cohen, “is a very simple directional remote and on the other side it has a full qwerty keyboard.”

Look for the boxee to be in stores as early as this summer.

It’s expected to retail for $199.

While you’re waiting to buy one, go ahead and download the Boxee iPhone or iPod Touch app to remotely control your Boxee software. That’s free.

A new and advanced utility meter called a "smart meter" is coming under fire in some states.
Some customers with the device are getting larger than normal electricity bills. And now some folks are wondering just how smart the new meters are.
Jennifer Stanfield, who lives in Dallas, Texas, got an electric bill for December that was for $1,000.
" To pay for these bills", said Jennifer, "I'm cutting out any kind of social life I have. I'm not eating out. I'm not going out and meeting friends after work."
This is even after she got new windows; and she keeps her thermostat at 56 degrees.
After all that, her January bill was still up there, $800.
Those high bills, she said, didn't start until their local utility company, Oncor, replaced their mechanical electric meter with a digital one.
Ree Watner, also of Dallas, got so concerned, she organized several dozen neighbors to protest the smart meters, after their bills were so high.
Ree has also started a blog and a petition.
Now for the first time, a state official, a senator from Central Texas, is asking that the meters be independently tested by a third party.
The local utility company supports the independent testing.
"ONCOR fully supports independent third party testing of a significant sample", said Catherine Cuellar, ONCOR spokesperson. " We want to rebuild that public trust. Based on our experience, we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of those tests."
ONCOR blames the weather. The National Weather Service confirms last December was colder than the previous four.
But records show the state refused to do a cost-benefit study on smart meters two years ago, even after cities asked for it.
A Houston utility just yanked 3,000 digital meters because of software failures.
Smart meters and high bills are at the center of a class-action lawsuit in California.
Jennifer Stanfield can't wait for winter to be over, hopefully these high bills will be too.

Woman Waits Two Years For Armoire

Mary Burell of Brooklyn has been waiting a long time for an armoire.

She ordered one two years ago. After many delays she got a delivery of an armoire, but it wasn't the one she ordered. Plus it was too big. In fact it wouldn't even fit through her front door.

The furniture store where she bought it said they'd 'fix' it; maybe cut it down.

Marie said no.

"It was much bigger than the one I ordered. They said they would send somebody to cut it down. The woman at the store started yelling and screaming and I haven't heard from them since.

I work very hard. I deserve to buy what I want and I should get what I pay for."

What she wanted and what she paid for was a beautiful Georgian style, white, armoire which matched all her other bedroom furniture. You can see from the photo above, it's a pretty distinct style.

We can never make any promises but wanted to work this out for Marie.

We headed over to the furniture store on Flatbush Avenue.

We headed right for the woman Marie had been dealing with.

As you can imagine there was a lot of back and forth.

Like a lot of furniture stores it said right on Marie's receipt: " No Refunds. Exchanges Only".

In the end the store did the right thing and then some.

Marie didn't have to settle for just getting something else in exhange. She got a refund of several hundred dollars.

She was happy in the end. Now she can get the armoire she wanted in the first place.

If you want to register a complaint over a business you're involved with reach out to the Better Business Bureau.

What would you do if Channel 11 gave you $1,000 in cash?

Help Me Howard To the Rescue!

Westchester got nailed in the storm this past weekend. How do you begin to dig out?

A Bronx car buyer can't get car dealer to hand over the car he paid for

Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz is warning banks not to use text messaging to enroll customers into overdraft protection services. Starting July 1st banks can no longer automatically enroll you in their overdraft protections service. They must get your permission to do so. Commissioner Mintz takes issue with banks trying to get you to sign on in a text message. “Nobody can make a decision like that on a text message,” said Mintz. “Text messaging is obviously a completely inappropriate way to give somebody the terms and conditions of a banking service like overdraft protection.”

The Department of Consumer Affairs put out the following consumer alert:

The Department Issues Consumer Alert Urging New Yorkers to Watch Out for Deceptive Text Message Solicitations

Commissioner Mintz Calls on Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke to Prohibit Financial Institutions From Using Deceptive Text Messages to Obtain Consumer Overdraft Consent

Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz today warned firms not to undermine new federal regulations with aggressive solicitations to enroll New Yorkers into overdraft protection services. This message comes after the Department learned the marketing firm SoundBite Communications has promoted its “text message solution” to financial institutions that will need to obtain consent from their customers beginning July 1 before enrolling them into overdraft services. In a letter to the firm, Commissioner Mintz cautioned against aggressive marketing strategies that defy new federal regulations of overdraft protection and threaten the financial security of consumers. In a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Commissioner Mintz also asked that the Federal Reserve to prohibit financial institutions from using text messages to obtain consent from their customers before enrolling them into overdraft services, a tactic that would eliminate the consumer’s opportunity to make informed choices about overdraft protection services.

“Only four more months remain before banks must stop automatically enrolling their customers into expensive overdraft protection services without their consent, a practice that generated more than $38 billion alone last year,” said Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz. “Many banks have already begun aggressively marketing overdraft services and DCA is working hard to ensure that any business soliciting New Yorkers is doing so legally and transparently – and not deceptively – so New Yorkers can make informed choices.”

Last March, DCA urged the Federal Reserve Board to require banks to obtain consumers’ consent before enrolling them into overdraft protection services, effectively banning automatic enrollment into overdraft. In New York City, DCA enforces the Consumer Protection Law, allowing the Department to stop deceptive marketing of products and services to New York City consumers. Under the leadership of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Department has prosecuted national tax preparers and wireless phone companies for these types of violations. Since 2005, the Department has secured more than half a million dollars in settlements from wireless phone companies for deceptive advertising.

The Department also issued a consumer alert warning consumers not to be tricked into costly overdraft protection services marketed by banks through deceptive text message campaigns. Beginning July 1, 2010, banks will be required to obtain customer consent before enrolling them in overdraft protection. DCA is asking New Yorkers to send any marketing materials, such as e-mails, advertisements, text messages, and any other communication from banks that urge customers to keep overdraft protection plans. Hard copies can be mailed to 42 Broadway, 8th floor, New York. NY 10004 or e-mailed it to DCA at overdraft@dca.nyc.gov.

What would you do if Channel 11 gave you $1,000 in cash?

Promoter of Credit Repair/Debt Relief Services Settles FTC Charges. Marketer Sam Tarad Sky and his companies illegally charged consumers for services they never performed.

The following is a consumer notice put out by the Federal Trade Commission:

A promoter of credit repair and debt relief services has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that he deceived consumers into paying thousands of dollars based on false promises that he could help solve their credit and debt problems.

According to the FTC, the promoter falsely told consumers he could improve their credit reports by removing negative information such as judgments, foreclosures, tax liens, bankruptcies, repossessions, and child support delinquencies, from the reports regardless of how old or accurate the information is. The FTC’s complaint also alleged that he and his lawyer falsely told consumer reporting agencies, as a reason to dispute negative items, that consumers were identity theft victims.

The FTC complaint charged that the marketer, Sam Tarad Sky, and his companies illegally charged consumers up to $2,199 before performing any services and failed to tell customers they could cancel the contract within three business days. He also falsely told consumers who bought debt relief services that they could satisfy their debt by paying much less than the full amount owed, such as 30 cents on the dollar.

The proposed settlement order against Sky and his companies bars them from deceiving consumers about any credit repair or financial good or service, and requires them to back up any debt relief claims they make, inform consumers that they have a right to cancel, and tell past clients how to have their escrowed funds returned. The order against Sky’s attorney, Kurt A. Streyffeler, and Streyffeler’s law firm, Kurt A. Streyffeler, P.A., bar them from misrepresenting any credit repair or financial good or service, and from violating the Credit Repair Organizations Act. All of the defendants are barred from selling or otherwise disclosing customer information.

The orders impose judgments of almost $2.5 million against Sky, Credit Restoration Brokers LLC, and Debt Negotiations Associates LLC, and $100,000 against Streyffeler and his law firm. The judgments will be suspended because of their inability to pay. The full judgments will become due immediately if they are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.

The Commission vote to authorize the complaint and stipulated final orders for filing was 4-0. The documents were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Division.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe”
that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated court orders are for settlement purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. Stipulated orders have the force of law when signed by the judge.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and
unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

Applicants told they got the job and then got the blow-off!

Craigslist wants it's online users to keep safety in mind when they use craigslist.
Craigslist employs a wide array of technological and staff measures to suppress scam attempts.
Scams that do reach the site are generally quickly identified and removed by user flagging.

For those scam attempts that do make it through, craigslist provides a link on every page about "avoiding scams," so people don't get involved in one.

Rule #1 for avoiding scams on craigslist is:
--DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON.
Craigslist says if you follow this one simple rule you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.

Rule #2 for avoiding scams is:
--NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service. Anyone who asks you to do so, is a scammer.

If you need to report a scam to the authorities, do so. Authorities generally want to hear from users themselves, not from craigslist.
Use this website to help you report a scam: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Now that the forms have reached your home, it’s worth repeating how important it is that you fill them out.

The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in history. The 10 questions should take you just about 10 minutes to answer.

120 million households across the country will be counted. The U.S. Census Bureau’s New York regional director, Robert Groves, urges everyone in the New York and New Jersey area to be counted.

“When you receive the form, immediately fill it out and mail it back,” says Groves. “You’re community is counting on you.”

Here’s why it’s important to be counted.

The number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives, state and local redistricting, and the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal, state and local governments, all rely on census data.

Mailing back the questionnaire is the easiest and cheapest way to ensure a full and accurate count. “It’s a lot less expensive to get responses back by mail than it is to send census takers to knock on doors of households that failed to respond,” says Groves. Every one percent increase in the mail response rate saves about $85 million in operational costs.

Remember, census answers are confidential. Strict federal laws prohibit the Census Bureau from sharing personally identifiable information with any other government agency or law enforcement. All census staff are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data.

For more information about the 2010 Census and the locations of Questionaire Assistance Centers, Be Counted sites and language assistance visit www.2010census.gov.

Questionaire assistance is available in English (866-872-6868), Spanish (866-928-2010), Chinese (866-935-2010), Vietnamese (866-945-2010), Korean (866-955-2010) and Russian (866-965-2010).

If you or someone you know speaks another language not listed, please check out the Bureau’s language assistance guides also available in 60 languages online.

2010 CENSUS LINKS
Main Page: http://www.2010census.gov

NY Regional Website: http://www.census.gov/regions/new_york

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, more): http://2010.census.gov/2010census/involved/index.php

NY Regional Facebook ID: New York Regional Census Office

Local data: Data from the 2000 Census and American Community Survey are available at http://www.census.gov Enter the specific city or zip code into the “Population Finder” on the right hand side.

A Father's Son is Spirited Out of the Country by his Ex-Wife and Disappears.

The following is a consumer warning regarding bus tour companies accused of defrauding customers, put out by the Department of Consumer Affairs:

Brooklyn-Based Crosby Tours Inc. Failed to Provide Tours or Refunds to More Than 130 Consumers Who Prepaid for Bus Tours

NYC Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz and Attorney General Cuomo announce legal action to recoup restitution for New Yorkers Scammed by Bust Tour Company.

New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz and New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that both offices notified Brooklyn-based Crosby Tours, Inc. and its principals of pending legal action for charging more than 130 consumers for tour bus services that were never provided and then failing to provide refunds after the company closed.

The Department of Consumer Affairs and the Attorney General’s Office notified Crosby and its principals, Reed Elson, Frank P. Scarpinito and Monika Bialokur, of its intention to sue, seeking full restitution to victimized consumers as well as penalties and costs to the state and New York City.

Elson, Scarpinito and Bialokur previously worked for Biss Tours, a company that was the subject of legal action by the Attorney General’s Office and Department of Consumer Affairs in 2008 for refusing to refund consumers for trips that never took place.

“New Yorkers who saved their hard-earned money for well-deserved vacations deserve their money back and we are working to do just that,” said Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz. “We urge New Yorkers who find themselves in a similar position to call 311 so we can help.”

“This tour bus company booked trips, took money, and then shut down without delivering on its promises,” said Andrew Cuomo. “When customers reached out for help to the company, they were left without answers, and so today we are taking legal action.”

The joint investigation revealed that Crosby accepted advance payments from consumers for future tour bus services which they failed to provide. The company closed down in November 2009 without providing refunds to consumers whose trips never took place. In one instance, Crosby changed the tour pick-up time without giving consumers adequate notice, causing some of the consumers to miss the tour.

After an investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Attorney General’s Office concluded in March, Crosby’s principals sent refund checks to only some of the victimized consumers. Many consumers have still not been paid refunds.

Consumers who did business with Crosby Tours and believe they were defrauded are urged to contact the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs at 311 or nyc.gov/consumers or the Attorney General’s Office at 800-771-7755 / www.ag.ny.gov.

Commissioner Mintz and Attorney General Cuomo urge consumers who are considering hiring a travel service or agent to follow these tips:

Book trips with a reputable vendor. Contact the local consumer protection agencies, such as the New York State Attorney General or the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, to check if the travel business has a history of complaints. New York City residents should call 311 to check the complaint status of any business.

Double check all the details especially when vacations are booked through a third party travel agency. Get all the contact information for the trip, such as charter buses, rental car companies, hotels and airlines and then verify the arrangements.

Get all the details of the trip in writing, including cancellation fees and the businesses’ refund policy. Consider travel insurance for added protection.

Pay with a credit card. Many credit card companies can provide customers with refunds when there is a dispute about the services delivered. However, consumers should only provide trusted businesses with credit card information.
·

NEW YORK CITY CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER JONATHAN MINTZ AND ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO ANNOUNCE LEGAL ACTION TO RECOUP RESTITUTION FOR NEW YORKERS SCAMMED BY BUS TOUR COMPANY

DCA enforces the Consumer Protection Law and other related business laws throughout New York City. Ensuring a fair and vibrant marketplace for consumers and businesses, DCA licenses more than 71,000 businesses in 57 different industries. Through targeted outreach, partnerships with community and trade organizations, and informational materials, DCA educates consumers and businesses alike about their rights and responsibilities. DCA’s Office of Financial Empowerment is the first municipal office of its kind in the nation with a mission to educate, empower and protect New Yorkers with low incomes. DCA’s OFE administers a citywide network of Financial Empowerment Centers and other products and services that help these New Yorkers make the best use of their financial resources to move forward economically. For more information, call 311 or visit DCA online at nyc.gov/consumers.

What would you do if Channel 11 gave you $1,000 in cash?

Starting May 1, New Jersey will require all drivers under the age of 21 who don’t have an unrestricted license , to display a decal on both license plates.

The reflective red stickers are designed to help police identify vehicles operated by teens who may be violating passenger limits or breaking curfew laws.

The decals are required under Kyleigh’s Law, named in memory of 16-yr-old Kyleigh D’Alessio of Long Valley, New Jersey. The honor student was killed in a car driven by another teen in 2006.

Former Governor Jon Corzine signed the measure, known as “Kyleigh’s Law” in April of 2009.

The decals will cost drivers $4 for a set.

Info on Provisional License / Learner Permit Laws:

· The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has placed restrictions on both a learner’s permit and a provisional license. These provisions, which are part of New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, went into effect in 2001, but have recently been revised under state law.

· Starting on May 1, drivers with a learner’s permit must be supervised while driving by a driver who is at least 21 years old with a valid state driver’s license and who must have at least three years of driving experience.

· Additionally, drivers with a learner’s permit may not drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5 a.m., and can have only one passenger besides the accompanying driver.

· The MVC allows exceptions to the time allowed on the road for employment and religious reasons.

· For a provisional license, drivers must be at least 17 years old and while they can drive unsupervised, they are not allowed to drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5 a.m., with the exception of employment or religious reasons.

· Like drivers with a learner’s permit, drivers with a provisional license are allowed only one passenger besides the driver’s parent or guardian.

Teen Driving Statistics and Studies:

• 16 year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.

• 31% of teen drivers killed in 2006 had been drinking, according to NHTSA. 25 percent had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

• Studies have shown that teenagers learn from consequences NOT lectures / warnings

• Studies show that teenagers need to be provided warning of loss of privileges and enforcement of those consequences

• 2005 study by Temple University indicates that the frontal lobe of the brain leads to inability assess risks until 25 years of age

Teen Driving Safety Tips:

• Talk to your kids about traffic safety early and often - before they reach driving age.

• When your teenager begins driving, set rules and then clearly outline the consequences of breaking the rules.

• Remind your teenager that driving is a privilege - a privilege they will lose if they don't drive by your rules.

• Set the standard. Parents need to teach safe driving behavior from the beginning. As the parent, you can start by modeling safe driving behavior anytime you drive your kids anywhere, even before they begin to drive.
• Talk to your teen about safety issues and the rules you are setting. Explain each one of your rules and the consequences for breaking it.
• Write up a contract with your teen driver to make sure they drive by the rules and drive as safely as possible.
• Makes sure your teen driver knows the laws and as any provisions to their license like number of passengers allowed and travel times
• Provide a safe car for teens and invest in a good student driver school / program
• Make sure teens maintain the car Maintain your car--getting your oil changed as recommended, your tires inflated as to your car's specifications, and your wipers changed when needed.
• Talk to them about the dangers of aggressive driving, drinking and driving, and distracted driving such as texting or talking while driving
• Tips for how parents can save money on insuring a new driver:
• Increase your deductibles for collision coverage – since it primarily only covers the physical
damage to your car as a result of an accident that is your fault

Buy an older car for your child
If you are gainfully employed full time with health insurance choose the Health PIP option
Shop around

Links to sources:

The Star-Ledger: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/kyleighs_law_requiring_decals.html

The Daily Record: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100306/COMMUNITIES/100305106/1005/NEWS01/Morris-County-judge-OKs-law-requiring-decals-on-teen-driver-cars-

NY Post; http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_law_on_teen_license_plate_decals_wlj89mdD1yzq9ni0OsThbM

The Record; http://www.northjersey.com/news/transportation/88322527_Teens__license_plates_will_now_have_special_stickers.html

Imagine being locked up in a New York City subway car...on purpose.

Blind Student Victor Has to Choose Between His Guide Dog or His Education.