Sunday December 19, 2010 9:37 AM PST

Forest Roads Closed Due to Storms. Website & alerts from Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort(CARE)-Station Fire areas

Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort (CARE) for the communities and areas affected by the "Station Fire" burn areas.

A multi-agency public outreach program committed to providing timely recovery and safety preparedness information following the recent wildfires. This especially relates to the areas affected by the 2009 "Station Fire" area. CARE includes the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and many other agencies.

http://dpwCARE.org is a unified CARE website that provides extensive information including:

* Alerts

* Latest News

* Current Conditions including road closures

* Safety Preparedness

* Assistance Programs

* Development/Rebuilding

http://dpwCARE.org

A free e-mail based service of messages sent by the LADPW from the Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort (CARE). It is available to notify interested parties in a timely manner of news and events of specific interest. Register at http://dpwCARE.org

You can also link to CARE via the official website of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at www.lasd.org

The most recent CARE message is as follows:

December 18, 2010

FOREST ROADS TO CLOSE DUE TO STORMS

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has announced that based on the current forecasted storms, it will close public access to all County roads within the Station Fire burn area at 2 a.m. on Sunday, December 19, 2010.

As a result, the Angeles Forest Highway, Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, will be closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles, including Public Works personnel. Residents living in the burn areas will not be permitted to use the roads until the closures are lifted.

Public Works will reopen the roads after the threat of rain or the storm systems have passed and debris and damage inspections of the roadways are completed. Due to the forecasted storms, the Foothills Incident Unified Command is advising residents in at-risk burn areas to be alert, monitor the weather reports, and remove vehicles from the streets where possible.

Residents can also visit the CARE website at www.dpwcare.org for further updates as this series of storms approach.

Residents, business owners and persons with access or functional needs may also call 2-1-1 for LA County information and referral services regarding post disaster resources that are available to those affected by the floods and debris and mud flow. The toll-free 2-1-1 number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 211 LA County Services can also be accessed by visiting www.211la.org.

You’ve probably seen the pitches on TV and the Internet or found them stuffed in your mail: official-looking communications complete with logos and letterheads that look vaguely like those used by the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies.

They are instead criminal enterprises posing as do-gooders who promise to get you out of the mortgage jam you’re in. They claim they can persuade your lender to cut your monthly payments, forgive all penalties, slash your interest rate and even get your loan balance reduced. If your lender won’t cooperate, they say they’ll perform "forensic audits" on your mortgage and convince a court that your entire loan transaction should be canceled because of technical mistakes in the paperwork.

Bogus firms always insist on getting your money upfront — often thousands of dollars — and then do little or nothing. But now the Federal Trade Commission is cutting off the main fuel supply for mortgage modification scammers: Under new rules outlined Nov. 19, the agency plans to ban virtually all upfront payments, institute mandatory disclosure rules and clamp new federal restrictions on lawyers who participate in mortgage modification schemes.

Under these rules, companies that offer mortgage relief will have to contact your lender or servicer and give you a written proposal describing the key changes to your mortgage terms that the note holder is willing to make before any money can be collected in advance.

Modification companies also will be required to make clear that they have no connection with any government agencies or program, and that you’re free to reject any offer from the lender, with no requirement to pay a fee.

The rule also prohibits modification firms from using one of their most commonplace and destructive ploys: They can no longer instruct clients to stop communicating with their lender or servicer. Many scammers not only urge unwary consumers to let them handle all negotiations but also direct them to stop sending in payments — or worse, to send all payments to the modification company. Typically that has the effect of rendering any modification with the lender or servicer even less likely.

The FTC estimates that bogus modification companies have stolen millions from unwary homeowners in the last two years. Ironically, there’s been a huge increase in the number of abusive schemes in the wake of the federal government’s efforts to create legitimate foreclosure relief programs. The FTC has brought more than 30 cases against these operations, but the agency has had no way to control the pervasive advance-fee requirements that are so costly to consumers.

Now, when that portion of the new rule takes effect Jan. 31, the FTC will be able to proceed against any firm that collects upfront fees without obtaining the required written proposals at no charge from lenders. It will be a litmus test: If a firm seeks to charge you anything or collects money upfront, it will be in violation of federal law and subject to harsh civil penalties.

The only exception will be for lawyers, who typically require retainers before they begin negotiating on a client’s behalf. They will be permitted to collect retainer fees for modification efforts but only if they deposit the money into "client trust accounts" under state bar regulations. Lawyers who charge advance fees also must be licensed by state authorities and be in compliance with state laws and regulations governing professional conduct.

Joel Winston, the FTC’s associate director of financial practices and a lawyer himself, said in an interview that "a disappointingly high percentage of fraudsters [in FTC loan modification cases] have been lawyers — they’re just fraudsters with law degrees."

Nonetheless, Winston said, the agency recognizes that "legitimate practitioners" can play a valuable role in negotiating modifications for consumers, and the FTC doesn’t want to cut this off by banning upfront retainer payments outright.

Source: The Los Angeles Times, Kenneth R. Harney

If you have the ability to arrange your own workspace, your desk placement is one of the most important things for you to consider. The ideal position for a desk would be facing the door, with your back to the wall. This puts you in a position of authority and security. Having as much natural light as possible will be ideal, as long as you are not directly facing the sun. Even florescent lights that cause a glare can be too much, causing eyestrain and fatigue.

Use your desk drawers to organize supplies, and keep the top of your desk as open and clutter-free as possible. This will go a long way in helping you feel that you are able to handle your task load each day. Keeping a plant on the corner of your desk does a few things for you: it rounds the corner of your desk off – which is desirable – it encourages creativity, and it also increases the oxygen in the room, and filters toxins from the air.

California expects mortgage-aid program to begin in weeks
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) reported this week that its “Keep Your Home California” program will be delayed because of logistical issues with the program.  The program was scheduled to begin Monday, Nov. 1.

What You Should Know:

• The “Keep Your Home California” program is a $1.83 billion government aid program that will pay down loan balances and provide monthly cash assistance to struggling California homeowners.
• One of the logistical complications that has caused the delay is the fact that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last week instructed their loan servicers to participate in the program, dramatically increasing the number of potentially eligible homeowners.
• Funded with federal money, the program offers four different types of cash assistance for an estimated 100,000 low- to moderate-income California homeowners.  Additionally, eligible borrowers must have endured some sort of loss of income.
• The two primary forms of aid include $875 million dedicated toward unemployed Californians who need help making their monthly payments, and $790 million to be used to directly reduce mortgage loan balances.
• Although the program has been delayed for several weeks, homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments are advised to not wait for assistance programs to begin before contacting their servicer or lender.  Instead, homeowners should begin working with their lender or servicer at the first sign of difficulty.
• More information about the “Keep Your Home California” program can be found at www.keepyourhomecalifornia.org.  A toll-free hotline soon will be established.

Source: The Sacramento Bee

There are certain aspects of home design that consistently run into trouble with Feng Shui principles. Long, narrow hallways are always a problem. In many homes built today, there is a single long hallway (sometimes per floor), off of which all bedrooms, offices, and bathrooms are located. Long, straight hallways are places where chi can build up more speed than is desirable, and become "raging" chi, causing stress or tension.

In many homes, chi rushes down the hallway and right into a bathroom at the end of the hall, which symbolically, is a place that flushes chi away. This can create a constant energy drain if not remedied. It helps for hallways to be decorated in warm colors.  Art in the hallway can also help to slow energy down. Stagger the art from side to side as you go down the hallway to create the feeling of a meandering path by drawing the eye from one side to the other as you pass through the hall.  Some practitioners advise the use of crystals in the hallway in order to better direct chi.

Source: Full Bloom Feng Shui – Helen Arabanos

Well-qualified borrowers with good loan-to-value ratios and steady employment are increasingly finding it difficult to refinance because of medical billing mistakes impacting their credit reports and scores, according to mortgage bankers and real estate agents.

What You Need to Know

Nearly 14 million Americans have errors on their credit report due to medical collections, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a non-profit organization focused on health care research.

Unnoticed credit errors, such as small, unpaid balances on medical bills, can make refinancing a mortgage difficult or, in some instances, impossible.  If approved for a refinance, unpaid bills can result in the borrower paying higher closing costs.

It is critical that consumers routinely review their credit reports to ensure the reports are accurate and up-to-date.  Consumers are entitled to one free credit report annually from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp.  The report does not include the credit score; however, the score can be obtained for a small fee.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this fall that could provide relief for homeowners with medical-debt troubles.  The Medical Debt Relief Act, which is currently in the Senate, would remove settled medical debt from credit reports after 45 days, instead of the customary seven years.

Read the full story

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Americans—both current homeowners and renters—still strongly aspire to own a home and to maintain homeownership, despite a slow recovering housing market, according to a study released by Fannie Mae.  However, demographic trends combined with financial caution among consumers are contributing to an increased willingness to rent.

More than half (51 percent) of current homeowners and renters say that the housing crisis has not affected their overall willingness to buy a home, according to the study. However, while homeownership aspirations are high for the long-term, Americans have near-term doubts about buying.

Overall, according to Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey third quarter results, one-third of Americans (33 percent) would be more likely to rent their next home than buy, up from 30 percent in January 2010. Among renters, 59 percent said they would continue to rent in their next move, compared with 54 percent in January 2010.

Source: Fannie Mae

December 16, 2010

Hello Glendale Cyclists and Pedestrians,

Topics this week:

• Zero Tolerance for Distracted Driving
• Let’s Step Up Safe Routes to School in Glendale 

Read about it at: http://la-bike.org/glendale/?p=1896

The theory of the five elements teaches us about the interactions of those elements. In creating healthy energy flow in the home, we look to balance those elements. One way to do this is to create auspicious five element arrangements. You might start by looking at problem areas in your home to see which elements are missing from the space, or by creating these arrangements where you would normally have decorative items in your home.

If you have a dresser in front of a mirror, you could start there. The mirror represents the water element. Place a plant in a clay pot in front of that mirror to incorporate wood and earth. You could then add a candle for the fire element. For the metal element, you could use a small bronze statue, a coin, or candlestick.

There are many possible permutations. For example, you can also use colors to represent the different elements. Adding a red item where you need fire, or a white item where you need metal are easy ways to bring in an element.

Source: Full Bloom Feng Shui – Helen Arabanos

We’ve seen this before.  An ostensibly conservative legislator sells out California taxpayers by voting for a massive tax increase and everyone is left dumbfounded wondering how could this possibly happen.  Later – maybe months or even years – the official gets a cushy, high paying appointment on some worthless board or commission.  For those who believe that these deals aren’t cut way at the time of the offending vote, we’ve got some swampland in Florida to sell you.

Let’s review.  As part of the budget deal of 2009, the California Legislature slammed taxpayers with the largest tax increase ever enacted by any statehouse in the history of America — $12 billion.  Huge increases in the state’s income tax, sales tax and the car tax hit ordinary California citizens at the worst possible time.  But, in order to enact this tax increase, three Republican votes were needed in both the California Assembly and Senate.  Since virtually all Republicans had signed a “no-tax” pledge, taxpayer activists thought there was a sufficient cushion to prevent the tax increase from going forward.

But the deal went through with exactly three Republican votes in each house – the bare minimum to get the job done.  In the Senate, the votes came from Abel Maldonado (no surprise there as he openly sold out for placing the Open Primary measure on the ballot), Dave Cogdill (big surprise as he was a staunch conservative) and Roy Ashburn (also a surprise given the conservative bent of his district).  In the Assembly, the Republican votes came from Roger Niello of Sacramento (but Niello had never signed the pledge), Assemblyman Mike Villines (huge surprise) and Anthony Adams, who had run for office as a staunch fiscal conservative and had signed the no-tax pledge.

The tax increases approved by the Legislature were imposed immediately and had a devastating effect on California’s economy.  Moreover, hanging over the heads of California taxpayers was another $16 billion in tax increases – basically extending the already imposed tax increases – for an additional length of time.  But the extension of these tax increases was put before the voters in May of 2009 and, by now, California voters had had enough.  Proposition 1A was defeated by a 2-1 margin.

The track record of those who betray taxpayers is not good.  Both Villines and Maldonado ran for statewide office and lost.  Niello ran for the California Senate but was bludgeoned by his main opponent, Ted Gaines, who used Niello’s anti-taxpayer vote to great advantage in a very conservative district.  Roy Ashburn termed out and his political career is over.  Anthony Adams was the target of a recall effort that almost qualified and was vilified by talk radio throughout Southern California.  Although not termed out, he chose not to run for reelection realizing that, except for close relatives, he wouldn’t be getting any votes.  (And even the close relatives were in doubt).

Regrettably, it appears that at least some of the votes for the budget deal were purchased with promises of appointments to the myriad of worthless boards and commission for which California is so famous.  In the case of Anthony Adams, who has no experience in the field of corrections, he received one of the juiciest plums of all:  A spot on the California Board of Parole Hearings which pays over $111,000 per year.  Along with benefits, including medical and retirement, the value of this payoff is well in excess of the salary alone.  Villines, too, got an appointment to a lesser board (paying “only” $40,000 annually).

For taxpayers, such betrayals are very painful.  But there are several actions citizens can take to minimize the risks of this happening in the future.  First, voters should base their support more on actions than promises.  Although not foolproof, voting for candidates with a proven track record of opposing tax increases helps.  Second, for all the criticism of “pledges,” we now know they can be very helpful.  Any candidate unwilling to sign a “no new tax” pledge should be immediately suspect.  Third, any legislator who violates his promise to his constituency must not get a free pass.  Activists from taxpayer groups, conservative organizations and the Tea Party movement must play the role of enforcers to ensure that anyone who supports tax hikes pays with the price of their very political careers.  For those who believe this is distasteful, get over it.  This isn’t personal.  It’s business .

Source: Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association -– California’s largest grass-roots taxpayer organization dedicated to the protection of Proposition 13 and the advancement of taxpayers’ rights.