Tag: opinion

Thanksgiving In Perspective

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OPINION: Thanksgiving In Perspective

OPINION: From My Perspective

A Traditional Thanksgiving May Become a Relic of the Past

By Megan Wallin

As an adoptee with strong ties to and respect for my biological Oglala Lakota heritage—now three generations and several European ancestors away from life on the reservation—I’ve had some qualms with traditional American views of Thanksgiving.

There are quite a few people (Native and Non) who feel similarly, but I’ve also spoken with some elders who, despite being deeply ingrained in their tribal cultures, feel neutral on the subject. Their reasoning? Holidays are what you make them. For many, any holiday is a day off to share with loved ones and focus on gratitude, and that includes this one. Still, it remains a bleak reminder of the origin story behind genocide and intergeneration trauma.

Ironically, some of the people I’ve talked to who are most passionately opposed to Thanksgiving have entirely European heritage. They’ve proposed enjoying the day off but celebrating a Harvest Day, changing the title and the focus of a day ultimately rooted in celebrating colonialism that led to the destruction of tribes, families, cultures and languages. They’re certainly not wrong to think that.

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OPINION: Jonathan Pie Says Goodbye

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OPINION: Jonathan Pie Says Goodbye 

HUMOR:  Jonathan Pie Says Goodbye To Donald Trump

T.K. McNeil suggested this great Goodbye rant from YouTube by Jonathan Pie. Jonathan says everything I have ever thought about Donald Trump, plus some I never thought of. One hell of a rant. It is the best goodbye, good riddance speech you will ever hear. Check out Jonathan’s YouTube channel and subscribe. Enjoy. DSM

 

10 Tips On Dealing With Collection Agencies

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10  Tips On Dealing With Collection Agencies

D. S. Mitchell

Economic times have improved around most parts of the country, and the future is now optimistic. However, many people over the last several years experienced some very hard financial times. Many of those delinquencies remain unpaid and there are collection agencies who are still pursuing payment on those accounts. If you are in such circumstances the collection calls continue. It is important to remember, every citizen has legal rights when dealing with collection agencies. After a conversation with my long time friend Ed McKee, owner and senior broker of EME Funding services, Portland, OR he offered the following tips to pass on to my readers. Here are Ed’s 10 tips to help keep you from getting ripped off.

RULES FOR HANDLING COLLECTION AGENCIES:

1.) Realize that collection agents usually work on commission. So, obviously, the more money they get you to pay, the larger their paycheck.
2.) Please do not argue with the agent. Such behavior will not help. Stay calm and state your case clearly and succinctly. 3.) Don’t ask to speak to the agent’s supervisor. The supervisor got his or her job because they were good at collecting the most money. 4.) Never give information over the telephone. If it is an authentic collection agency they already have all the information they need. 5.) Use Money Orders or Certified funds to make all agreed payments. 6.) Keep records of everything. Make sure that anything you send through the mail has a return receipt. 7.) Make sure that you get written confirmation of any negotiated pay offs. 8.) Never accept the collection agent’s first offer. They will always call back with a better offer. Remember, nobody at the collection agency gets paid until you send in the money. 9.) Use strong sentences, “This is all I can afford to pay.” “This is all I will pay.” 10.) You will eventually want to repair your credit, during that process keep all correspondence between your credit repair service, and keep all copies of credit reports.

If you are currently experiencing tough times, or you have in the past, and are still dealing with collection calls, hopefully this short list will give you the basic information you need to keep as much money in your pocket as possible.

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