AARP Online Community: aarpfl - My Journals & Blogs

AARP: Floridians 50+ Outraged at Failure to Protect Mortgage Buy

For Immediate Release

July 23, 2008

AARP: Floridians 50+ Outraged at Failure to Protect Mortgage Buyers

AARP Florida Calls for New Leadership in Office of Financial Regulation

TALLAHASSEE, FL – AARP’s Florida State Director Lori Parham issued the following statement Wednesday on controversy regarding oversight of Florida mortgage brokers by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation:

“On behalf of AARP’s 3 million members statewide, AARP is deeply disappointed in the state’s lax oversight of mortgage brokers. It is outrageous that Florida regulators have allowed convicted criminals, including felons found guilty of financial crimes, to be allowed to hold sensitive mortgage-broker licenses or to work as loan originators.”

“Faced with rising fiscal pressure and fixed incomes, older Floridians and those living with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to mortgage fraud. The state clearly has failed in its obligation to protect these citizens.”

“Since 2004, Florida property insurance rates have tripled, housing costs are high, food and fuel costs are skyrocketing, prescription drug costs are rising twice as fast as overall inflation, and millions of older Floridians are one serious illness away from financial ruin. Now the state is issuing licenses to steal to convicted felons.”

“It is time for new leadership in the Office of Financial Regulation and a new approach to protecting Florida consumers of all generations.”

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Added: July 23, 2008
Views: 3 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

If you could Ask the Next President One Question...

Recently AARP sent out an e-mail giving members in Florida the chance to respond to this question and here are some of the responses to this question.

I would like to know when they are going to finally check into lowering the cost of health insurance.

Sharon Garaffa,

Summerfield

I'm diabetic and have a serious heart condition. I do not qualify for social security disability or Medicaid. I'm not old enough for Medicare. There are a large number of us out there in our country. What as president can you do for people like us?

Richard Armstrong

We are a middle class retired couple, 7 years away from being eligible for Medicare. We currently pay over $8000 per year for medical insurance; it goes up significantly every year and is our largest single expense. I have great empathy for the uninsured, however many middle class families are suffering from the cost of insurance. If you are elected president, what will you do to make health insurance more affordable for middle income families?

Fran & Howard Lubell

Deland

My question to the Presidential candidates would be: Do you intend to fix Medicare Part D so that people like me who have ongoing medical problems don't fall into the Donut Hole?

Trudy Miner

Oldsmar

As a fifty-something teacher, who has worked for 32 years expecting to be able to count on Social Security in retirement, I am concerned about both its solvency and proposals to privatize. What will you do to assure that the “rules,” under which we’ve functioned our entire working lives, don’t change for those of us approaching retirement in the next ten years?

Larry Simon

With the enormous amount of promises being offered by the candidates to solve a myriad of national problems, how can you expect to achieve your goals with the continuing lack of bi-partisanship among our congressman coupled with the relentless influence of 30,000 plus lobbyists in Washington?

Ron Armillei

Orlando

What will you do to remove the financial ruin that most of us face, if responsible for long term nursing home care?

JW Jones

Fort Pierce

As our population is aging, how do you plan to ensure that social security benefits will not only be continued, but that they will increase with the cost of living so that social security is a viable source of income for the elderly/retired population?

Dave Watts

St. Petersburg

Since many Baby Boomers had their contributions deducted from their pay checks in their working years to comply with the number of quarters necessary to fulfill retirement payout, what new betterment are we to expect as an increase in Social Security for those who qualified by necessity out of our own pockets?

JoAnne Varco

Miami Beach

Would you be willing to approve AARP creating a grade card for you, listing 12 of what it believes to be your key campaign "promises", and would you candidly respond to the grades given by AARP, each January after your inauguration?

Eugene K. Pool
Lutz

I don't want to know what you're opponent is not going to do. What is your plan to make health care affordable to all elderly persons without first forgoing all their hard earned assets?

Hugh & Barb Brisson

Cape Coral

Added: July 22, 2008
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AARP State Director's Statement on Florida unemployment rates

The following statement was issued by Lori Parham, AARP Florida State Director regarding Florida unemployment rates.

“We continue to see Floridians struggling to find financial security, and things are getting tougher every day. June’s unemployment rates remain higher than last year. Experts at the Florida Economic Estimating Conference tell us that things are not going to get better before the end of 2009.

This news comes on the heels of a study released earlier this week that Americans are not saving enough and will likely outlive their retirement savings. With high unemployment and the slump in housing and jump in prices from food to gas, it’s getting harder to save.

But Floridians should take heart in knowing that they have the power to impact change on the issues of financial security. AARP is leading Divided We Fail, a national initiative aimed at raising the voices of millions of Americans who want elected officials to find broad-based bipartisan support on the issue of financial security.

Floridians – all Americans – need the tools to be able to save and prepare for their economic future. The time is even more critical as we continue to see unemployment rates grow. Unless we set party politics aside and all work together to find solutions, the future will be bleak for many Floridians.

Learn how you can get involved, visit www.dividedwefail.org.

Added: July 18, 2008
Views: 32 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP FLORIDA KEY VOTE NEWS ALERT

AARP Thanks Congress for Keeping Medicare Fair, Overriding White House Veto

Bipartisan Bill Improves Low-Income Help and Boosts Quality through National E-Prescribing, Helps Ensure Access to Doctors

SUMMARY: Today the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override a White House veto and pass important Medicare legislation. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act will improve Medicare’s low-income programs, boost health care quality with a system of national e-prescribing, and help ensure the access of patients to their doctors.

FLORIDA

VOTED YES TO PASS MEDICARE BILL

VOTED NO ON MEDICARE BILL

FL	Bilirakis	X
FL	Boyd	X
FL	Brown, Corrine	X
FL	Brown-Waite	X
FL	Buchanan	X
FL	Castor	X
FL	Crenshaw	X
FL	Diaz-Balart, Lincoln	X
FL	Diaz-Balart, Mario	X
FL	Feeney	X
FL	Hastings, Alcee	X
FL	Keller	X
FL	Klein	X
FL	Mack	X
FL	Mahoney	X
FL	Martinez	X
FL	Meek	X
FL	Mica		X
FL	Miller, Jeff	X
FL	Nelson	X
FL	Putnam	X
FL	Ros-Lehtinen	X
FL	Stearns	X
FL	Wasserman Schultz	X
FL	Weldon		X
FL	Wexler	X
FL	Young, Bill	X

*Did not vote

** How a legislator votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating his or her legislative performance, which should also include such things as constituency services and committee work.

“Yesterday’s vote is a victory for the 44 million Americans who depend on Medicare,” said AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham. “This bipartisan legislation will help more Americans afford their health care bills while bringing doctors offices and pharmacies into the 21^st century with e-prescribing.”

Parham added, “We applaud Senators: Nelson, (D); and Martinez, (R); and Representatives: Bilirakis (R-9th); Boyd (D-2nd); Brown (D-3rd); Brown-Waite (R-5th); Buchan (R-13th); Castor (D-11th); Crenshaw (R-4th); Diaz-Balart (R-21st); Diaz-Balart (R-25th); Feeney (R-24th); Hastings (D-23rd); Keller (R-8th); Klein (D-22nd); Mack (R-14th); Mahoney (D-16th); Meek (D-17th); Miller (R-1st); Putnam (R-12th); Ros-Lehtinen (R-18th); Stearns (R-6th); Wasserman Schultz (D-20th); and Wexler (D-19th); Young (R-10th) for their continued support,”

“We are disappointed that Representatives Mica (R-7th) and Weldon (R-15th) voted against this important legislation,” Parham said. “This bill would begin to bring down health care costs for millions of Americans, while reducing dangerous drug interactions with electronic prescriptions.”

AARP has been advocating for several months to ensure that lawmakers keep Medicare fair for the people who depend on it when Congress addresses physician payment cuts. AARP has also been advocating for this bill’s improvements to Medicare, particularly the low-income programs and electronic prescribing.

Since launching the “Keep Medicare Fair” initiative in April, AARP’s grassroots volunteers and activists have sent more than 1.2 million messages to Congress and the White House. As part of this effort, an AARP survey released May 19 found that of adults 50-plus, 81 percent oppose additional increases to Medicare premiums and 66 percent are less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who supports those increases.

AARP notified the 110^th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its 39 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members.

“We believe people make the right choices when they understand the issues and positions taken by their elected officials. AARP intends to ensure that its members get that information,” Parham concluded.

Added: July 17, 2008
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Medicaid offers Limited Access to Home, Community-Based Services

New AARP Report Finds Older Americans Have Limited Access to Home and Community-Based Services under Medicaid

In Florida, 91percent of Medicaid LTC funds for older people spent on nursing homes; only 3 percent of elders want to get care there

WASHINGTON—Florida is doing a subpar job of using Medicaid long-term care funds to provide care to older and disabled adults in their homes and communities, where they prefer to get care, rather than nursing homes according to a new report by AARP’s Public Policy Institute. Florida ranks 41^st in the nation in achieving a good balance of care between community-based and nursing-home care, the report finds.

AARP experts found some promising signs among state government efforts to balance long-term care (LTC) options under Medicaid. Unfortunately, according to the report, Florida spends 91 percent of Medicaid funds on nursing-home care for older people and adults with physical disabilities who have limited financial resources. According to a 2006 AARP survey, only 3 percent of AARP members in Florida want to receive long-term care in institutional settings, such as nursing homes.

Nationally, 75 percent of Medicaid LTC spending for older people and adults with physical disabilities pays for institutional care in nursing homes. In contrast, states other than Florida have done a much better job balancing Medicaid LTC for people with MR/DD, spending just 39 percent on institutional care. The majority of funds supports people in home and community-based settings.

The report, A Balancing Act: State Long-Term Care Reform, is the first to examine Medicaid spending on long-term care for older people and adults with physical disabilities, separate from other LTC users such as people with mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD).

“This report proves that Florida could rebalance long-term care – and draw down additional federal dollars – if our state’s leaders would agree to do so. Other states have done so successfully,” said AARP’s Florida State Director, Lori Parham.“With services for Florida elders and children already slashed to the bone, we hope that this report points the way toward a better model using home and community based services for older adults and those living with disabilities.”

The report highlights some steps Florida has taken to improve its support of long-term care, including Florida’s Community Care for the Elderly program. The program saves taxpayers $500 million a year by helping about 33,000 frail elders avoid nursing-home and hospital stays, but it has a 17,000-person waiting list. Unfortunately, Florida lawmakers cut funding for the CCE program by $1.6 million this year, Parham noted.

The report examines Medicaid LTC funding because Medicaid is the primary payer for LTC in the country. “This underscores the need for better government and private sector financing options for long-term care. Balancing Medicaid LTC options will require a commitment from our state officials and cooperation from federal authorities. HCBS can be both cost-effective and responsive to the preferences of older people and adults with disabilities,” said Parham.

The new report includes state rankings and can be found at: http://www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/programfunding/2008_10_ltc.html.

Added: July 11, 2008
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FMA and AARP work Together to Imporve Medicare Access

Florida Medical Association and AARP urge Florida’s Congressional Delegation to Protect Access and Improve Medicare

AARP, FMA Call on Florida’s Congressional Delegation to Override Presidential Veto on Bill that Would Halt Cuts to Doctors and Keep Medicare Premiums Fair for Patients

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida doctors and older Floridians are announcing a concentrated effort to persuade Florida’s members of Congress to override President Bush’s veto of a critical bipartisan Medicare bill that would stop a 10-percent cut to doctors who treat Medicare patients, keep Medicare premiums fair for all patients, and make significant improvements to a program that 44 million Americans depend on.

On Wednesday, Senator Mel Martinez, R-Florida, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, joined in supporting HR 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The bill passed the Senate 69-30 over strong White House opposition.   Earlier, the bill had passed by a bipartisan landslide in the House of Representatives, attracting the support of 23 of 25 Florida House members. By Thursday, the White House had announced that the president would veto the bill.

If the bill is vetoed and the veto stands, doctors would see their Medicare reimbursements slashed by 10 percent as of this month. Caught between rising costs and dwindling reimbursements, doctors across the nation have indicated that they may be forced to close their doors to Medicare patients if the reimbursement cut is not averted.

“We thank Sen. Martinez, Sen. Nelson and all other members of the Florida delegation who supported this important legislation. We believe HR 6331 is critical to preserving older Floridians’ access to their doctors and to improving Medicare,” said AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham. “For the sake of 44 million older Americans and people with disabilities who depend on Medicare, we urge all members of the Florida delegation to override the President’s veto.”

“Floridians cannot afford to leave care for our nation’s seniors and disabled individuals hanging in the balance,” said Dr. Karl M. Altenburger, president of the Florida Medical Association (FMA). “We urge all members of the Florida delegation to support this critical piece of legislation. We need the support of every Florida member of Congress to ensure patient access to care and improve health security for 44 million Americans.”

AARP’s Florida state office and the FMA will continue to work together to protect Medicare, Parham and Altenburger pledged. AARP volunteers are calling, writing and visiting members of Congress across Florida and in Washington to thank them for their support and to urge them to continue to stand with seniors and doctors. Florida physicians also are continuing to contact members of Congress to underscore the importance of overriding the anticipated veto of this bill.

During earlier stages of the debate on Medicare legislation, hundreds of thousands of AARP supporters, including 42,500 in Florida, called and emailed Congress, signed petitions, wrote letters to their local papers, and participated in related events around the country. In addition, more than 41,000 patients and physicians called Congress through the AMA grassroots hotline, and the AMA aired radio and television ads urging members of Congress to put patients’ access to care before insurance profits by voting for the bill.


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Added: July 11, 2008
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AARP Debuts TV Advertisements featuring Sens. Obama and McCain

Lori Parham: “This nation doesn’t need another stump speech and AARP is here to ensure that we get more than just promises.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- AARP and Divided We Fail will launch a new round of advertisements Monday in the Tampa television market as part of a national effort to help secure lifetime health and financial security. The ads quote both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain and then asks Floridians to help ensure that the candidates’ promises to address the health care and financial security crises become action.

“While Senators Obama and McCain have focused on health care and financial security, we need to be certain that rhetoric turns into action,” said Lori Parham, AARP Florida state director. “We wanted to note their words in the ads as part of our effort to demand action on these issues. The attention paid to the health care and financial security crises is important, but fulfilling the promise to deliver on their promises is far more critical.”

Divided We Fail’s and AARP’s most recent ads are part of a multi-million dollar effort aimed at ensuring our elected leaders deliver on their promises to address health care and financial security. The ads join a strong grassroots movement started by Divided We Fail last year. To date, millions of activists who have signed on to the campaign in one form or another, including more than 300 U.S. Representatives, and a majority of U.S. Senators, including Senators McCain and Obama.

“Floridians, and indeed, all Americans deserve better than what they’ve gotten from Washington in the past,” Parham said. “This nation doesn’t need another stump speech and Divided We Fail is here to ensure that we get more than just promises.”

Divided We Fail Florida Campaign Manager Jeff Johnson said the more than 50 million people Divided We Fail represents and the millions more involved in this effort have been clear on one thing: “Enough is enough.”

“We’ve heard enough promises, the time for action is now,” Johnson said. “These ads are just another step in the Divided We Fail initiative to remind Senators Obama and McCain that we’re watching what they say and will hold them accountable if they’re elected.”

The ads include the following statements from them:

Sen. McCain: “We need tax policies that respect the wage-earners and job creators.”

Sen. Obama: “It’s harder to save. It’s harder to retire.”

McCain: “The biggest problem with the American health care system is that it costs too much.”

Obama: “We will have a health care system, not a disease care system.”

The ad concludes with a voiceover that states, “Call and make sure their talk turns into real solutions.” The ad debuts in Tampa on Monday, July 7, with ads running for about three weeks. A video copy of the ad is available online at www.dividedwefail.org.

Added: July 3, 2008
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Florida Team Selected To Advance Solutions To Nursing Education

For Immediate Release

June 25, 2008

FLORIDA TEAM SELECTED TO ADVANCE SOLUTIONS

TO NURSING, FACULTY SHORTAGES

FLORIDA TO PARTICIPATE IN AARP, RWJF, LABOR DEPARTMENT SUMMIT TO ADDRESS NURSING EDUCATION CAPACITY

Tallahassee, Fla – Florida was selected by AARP, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to participate in the first Nursing Education Capacity Summit in Washington, D.C. June 26 & 27. The goal of the Summit is to identify solutions to the nurse faculty shortage that is forcing nursing schools to turn away thousands of qualified nursing candidates each year. Summit participants will identify and develop approaches to improving nursing education capacity – with the ultimate goal of reversing the persistent nursing shortage that could leave the United States without enough nurses.

Florida will send a team of multi stakeholders to the Summit including Laura Cantwell, program coordinator. Other states participating include: AL, CA, CO, HI, IL, MA, MD, MI, MS, NC, ND, NJ, OR, SC, TX, VA and WI. They will share best practices and focus on four key areas: strategic partnerships and resource alignment; policy and regulation; increasing faculty capacity and diversity; and education redesign.

“AARP recognizes the important role that states play; they are where the rubber meets the road in terms of health care delivery,” said Senior Vice President of the AARP Public Policy Institute and Chief Strategist for the Center to Champion Nursing in America Susan Reinhard. The Center to Champion Nursing in America is a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Nurses play a significant role in reducing medical errors and improving health care quality, which is why we urgently need to find solutions to address both the shortage of nurses and the shortage of faculty to educate them,” Reinhard added.

Florida is uniquely positioned to contribute to the Summit because of their commitment to team work, demonstrated best practices related to increasing the nursing workforce, and excellent capacity to build even more effective partnerships for solutions in the future.

The Summit comes at a critical time for nursing. Latest surveys project that the United States could fall short by close to half a million registered nurses by 2025 absent aggressive action. Currently, the supply of new nurses is failing to keep pace with rising patient demand, in part because a significant number of interested and qualified nursing school applicants have been turned away in recent years due to a growing shortage of nursing faculty.

“The time to simply talk about the problem is over,” said RWJF Senior Program Officer Susan Hassmiller. “What’s essential now is to fundamentally rethink how nurses are and should be educated and how they should be deployed in the workforce. The experiences of these states offer the best hope for achieving these goals.”

The AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Foundation programs provide security, protection and empowerment for older persons in need. Low-income older workers receive the job training and placement they need to re-join the workforce. Free tax preparation is provided for low- and moderate-income individuals, with special attention to those 60 and older. The Foundation’s litigation staff protects the legal rights of older Americans in critical health, long-term care, consumer and employment situations. Additional programs provide information, education and services to ensure that people over 50 lead lives of independence, dignity and purpose. Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP. For more information visit www.aarp.org/foundation

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

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Added: June 25, 2008
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AARP Dismayed by Senate Vote to Block Medicare Improvement Bill

AARP Dismayed by Senate Vote to Block

Medicare Improvement Bill

Bipartisan Package Would Have Improved Benefits for Prevention, Mental Health and Low-Income Programs, Boosted Quality through National E-Prescribing

Summary: Today a minority of the U.S. Senate blocked critical legislation to protect and improve Medicare for the 44 million Americans who depend on it. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, which would have improved Medicare’s prevention, mental health, and low-income programs and instituted a national program for electronic prescribing, was blocked by a group of Senators during a procedural vote.

Florida	VOTED YES TO MOVE MEDICARE BILL TO DEBATE AND VOTE	VOTED TO BLOCK MEDICARE IMPROVEMENT BILL
Nelson, Bill (D)	X
Martinez, Mel (R)		X

*Did not vote

** How a legislator votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating his or her legislative performance, which should also include such things as constituency services and committee work.

“While we are disappointed by today’s outcome, we applaud Senator Nelson voting to improve Medicare and bring this bill to the floor for an up-or-down vote,” said AARP State Director Lori Parham. “This bipartisan legislation would have helped more Americans afford their health care bills while bringing our doctors’ offices and pharmacies into the 21^st century with e-prescribing. We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Nelson and his colleagues to pass a bill this month to improve Medicare and keep premiums fair for the 44 million Americans who rely on the program.”

Parham added: “We are disappointed that Senator Martinez voted to block this Medicare improvement bill from open debate and an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. This bill would begin to bring down health care costs for millions of Americans by boosting Medicare’s prevention, mental health, and low-income programs and promoting e-prescribing—one way to reduce harmful and costly medical errors.”

AARP has been advocating for several months to ensure that people in Medicare do not face an unfair increase in their premiums when Congress addresses physician payment cuts. AARP has also been advocating for improvements to Medicare, particularly the low-income programs, including raising asset limits, simplifying the application process and improving collaboration between Medicare and the Social Security Administration to screen people who may be eligible for low-income help and not know it. The bill brought up for a cloture vote today included all of these changes.

The AARP initiative, titled “Keep Medicare Fair,” to date has generated more than a half million phone calls, e-mails and petitions sent to Senate offices. As part of this effort, an AARP survey released May 19 found that of adults 50-plus, 81 percent oppose additional increases to Medicare premiums and 66 percent are less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who supports those increases.

AARP notified the 110^th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its 39 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members. “We believe people make the right choices when they understand the issues and position taken by their elected officials," Parham concluded. "AARP intends to ensure that its members get that information,”

Added: June 13, 2008
Views: 108 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

Economic Stimulus Payment Scam Notice - IRS

This particular email notice has been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for action. If you or someone you know receives this or a similar request, do not follow the link or provide any personal information.

A few things give it away as being a false notice:

1. In the From line note that the return address is irs.guv

2. The IRS does not refer to this as an Economic Stimulus "Refund" - the correct terminology is Economic Stimulus Payment

3. There is no June 10, 2008 deadline for claiming the stimulus payment

4. The IRS never asks for personal information such as direct deposit information via email

5. The Note about the SPAM folder at the bottom of the email is an attempt to disarm wary recipients.

From: Internal Revenue Service [mailto:service@irs.guv]¹

Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Bush program to jumpstart economy. Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund².
The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.
Please follow the link and fill out the form and submit before June 10th, 2008³ to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as possible.

Submitting your form on June 10th,2008³ or later means that your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.

To access Economic Stimulus Refund, please click here <http://adsl-065-012-243-253.sip.mia.bellsouth.net/> ⁴.

Note: If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, that is because of the large amount of e-mails we are sending out or because of the restrictions implemented by your ISP.⁵

Added: June 6, 2008
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