Scott Stringer

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer has released an updated comprehensive 75-page manual on immigrant rights.

The manual is available in 10 languages – including Arabic and Urdu for the first time – and is designed to help immigrant New Yorkers understand their legal protections and access a wide range of services that support foreign-born New Yorkers. The manual outlines resources available to all immigrants in the city, provides detailed guidance on recent local, State, and Federal legislation impacting immigrant communities, and offers information about available legal, health, and educational services.

“New York City couldn’t run without the immense contributions and ingenuity of our immigrant communities. They helped build our city – and they will help propel our city into the future," Stringer said. "But with Washington putting our immigrant neighbors in the crosshairs – attempting to split apart families and upend lives – we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with foreign-born New Yorkers who make our city the global capital of culture and innovation. We need to make sure all immigrant New Yorkers know that we have their back."

Stringer added: “That’s why we’re releasing this manual and offering it in more languages than we ever have. In these times, foreign born New Yorkers must have the tools they need to fight back, so they can make it in our city and help the five boroughs thrive like never before. We all need to be in this together.”

The manual is available in: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Haitian Creole, Russian, French and English.

The updated manual includes resources and information on: Public benefits; consumer rights; civic participation; healthcare; language access; citizenship; immigration services; and provides detailed information on deportation and detention, permanent residency, executive actions impacting immigration, and more.

Immigrant New Yorkers in need of direct assistance, can always contact the Community Affairs Unit at the Comptroller’s Office at 212-669-3916.

To read the full manual, click here

https://comptroller.nyc.gov/services/for-the-public/immigrant-rights-and...

The Giraffe, probably the tallest animals in the world, are in one of the Game Parks in Uganda.

“Uganda has been stable for the last 32 years during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and is going to be safe for tourists”

“We have complains that several people are involved in the sale of a strong substance, which is a mixture of dangerous drugs popularly as ‘enchwiri’. It is sold to unsuspecting people, including foreigners”

“Narcotic department and law are not working well. People should not come and smoke marijuana and die in our country. It is bad for our reputation. Tourism is a very sensitive industry that strives well in peace and security. When they come and encounter such things, it is really bad. I implore governmentto look at security from a deeper sense of the meaning”

GULU-UGANDA:Sixty-one year old Ms. Mountie Guy Watson (Rest in Peace) left the comfort of her home in Texas, United States of America, on a visit to see nature at work in this ‘Banana republic, once called ‘the Pearl of Africa’ by British Colonial masters.

She died suddenly of what doctors’ say was ‘Heart Failure’ on Saturday, February 17, 2018 from Bwana Tembo Safari Camp in Got-Apwoyo sub-county, Nwoya district which is located just outside Murchison Falls National Game Park in northern Uganda.

Uganda received a total of 1.5 million tourists in 2017 and intends to increase this number to four million by 2020.

Ms. Watson became the third out of six foreigners to die suddenly in Uganda in February 2018 alone.

The first to die suddenly was 41-year old, the late Mr. Alex Sebastian who died in a hotel room at the famous Sheraton Hotel (formerly Apollo Hotel), which is located in the heart of Kampala capital city on Monday, February 5, 2018. He was a Swedish national.

42-year-old Tersvouri Toomajuha Petteri, from Finland, died the following day from the Pearl of Africa Hotel. This Hotel is also located in the heart of Kampala Capital City.

The forth foreigner to die suddenly in Uganda, was the 76 year old German national, the late Ms. Rita Charlotte. She reportedly collapsed during a ‘nature walk’ at the Murchison Falls National Game Park in northern Uganda. She was rushed to Pakwach Health Center in West Nile sub-region, where she died on Monday, February.19, 2018.

The second German national, the fifth foreigner to die in Uganda was Mr. Hans Jurgen Vallant, who died suddenly on Friday, February 23, 2018 in Kampala. He reportedly died of heart attack.

The last recorded sudden death of a foreigner in Uganda was a Belgian national, a 54 year-old Eric Yvonur, who ostensibly committed suicide from Muyenga B zone, a suburb of Kampala city, on Monday, February 26, 2018.

He arrived in Uganda on Saturday, February 19 and two days later married one Ms. Joseline Mupfasoni, a Burundian national, in a private ceremony in Kampala. She has been arrested as a prime suspect of the death of this Belgian by police, to help in investigations.

“We are interested in this woman. We are going with her to help us in investigations”, state-owned New Vision quoted a senior detective on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

“The death of Eric Yvonur and Hans Jurgen Vallant brings to six, the number of foreigners who have died in Uganda over the last one month”, reports New Vision.

According to the Local council II, Chairpeson of Muyenga Parish, a suburb of Kampala, Mr. Omar Yasin, his office has received report of the sale of a strong substance, which is a mixture of dangerous drugs, popularly known as ‘enchwiri’ to unsuspecting people, including foreigners.

“We have complains that several people are involved in the sale of a strong substance, which is a mixture of dangerous drugs popularly as ‘enchwiri’. It is sold to unsuspecting people, including foreigners”, says Omar Yasin.

According to the minister in charge of Tourism, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, Uganda has been stable for the last 32 years and is going to continue to be safe for tourists.

“Uganda has been stable for the last 32 years during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and is going to be safe for tourists” says Prof. Kamuntu. He made this remark on Sunday, February 25, 2018, during the fourth Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo.

These deaths have not made it headline news in most news outlets in Uganda because of strict policy of government to conceal some of these deaths because it affects tourism industry negatively.

Two local journalists, Rev. Isaac Baka, the Arua based TV reporter is facing charges of treason and misprision of treason; and Charles Etakuri of the New Vision, were arrested because of some of their reports in the media considered dangerous to tourism.

According to Honorable Samuel Odonga-Otto, the Member of Parliament for Aruu South in Pader district, northern Uganda, government should not take these deaths lightly, but do everything possible to investigate such deaths and assure tourists that they are safe in Uganda. He complains that the narcotic department of the police and the law against smoking marijuana are weak and not working well.

“Narcotic department and law are not working well. People should not come and smoke marijuana and die in our country. It is bad for our reputation. Tourism is a very sensitive industry that strives well in peace and security. When they come and encounter such things, it is really bad. I implore government to look at security from a deeper sense of the meaning”, says the legislator.

Another legislator, Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, the Kyadondo East  MP, says security forces should work to keep Uganda safe instead of only reacting when insecurity occurs.

Because of these deaths, American Embassy in Kampala has raised travel advisory level for its citizens from the first level to second level out of four different levels.

“If you decide to travel to Uganda, do not physically resist and armed robbery ; food and drinks should never be left unattended in public especially in local clubs; use caution when walking or driving at night, carry a copy of your passport and visa and leave originals in your hotel safe” among others instructions.

Village Health Team (VHTs) Carry aside a nodding syndrome client at Bolo Health Centre II in Pader district after having a seizure attack during a meeting with Acholi Parliamentary Group Members of Parliament on Moday.

Pader-Uganda: Over 3,000 children have been affected by Nodding syndromein Northern Uganda; with an estimated case fatality of 6.7%. Nodding syndrome (NS) is a neurological condition with unknown etiology.

It is characterized in its early course by repetitive forward dropping of the head often in association with feeding and cold weather, and later by epileptiform seizures, neurological and cognitive decline and stunted growth.

Last Week, Legislators from Acholi Parliamentary Group toured the affected communities to assess the current situation of Nodding Syndrome patients in the districts of Omoro, Pader and Kitgum.

The first cases of Nodding syndromewere reported in 1997 in Internally Displaced People’s (Concentration) camps in Kitgum district; however, response efforts by the Ministry of Health and partners towards understanding the disorder and establish management only commenced in 2009.

Last week, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng was reported in the media saying “there is no nodding disease crisis” in Northern Uganda.

Meanwhile, legislators in the region disagree to her statement saying a cause to the sickness has to be found so that patients get proper treatment.

“I believe that the medical doctors know the cause of the syndrome because you cannot stay with a disease for more than 10 years without knowing it” Kitgum Member of Parliament Okin PP Ojara lamented.

In 2008 and 2009, cases were reported from Kitgum, Lamwo and Pader Districts in northern Uganda.

Whereas other cases exist in the new Omoro district, there is no clear community survey by government of Uganda to determine the current burden of Nodding Syndrome in the affected districts.

 “It is still a syndrome, not a disease because it has no clear treatment,” a statement by Kitgum General Hospital Superintendent, Geffrey Akena alludes further to a sickness that has faded lives and drowned hopes of Children in Northern Uganda for over 13 years.

The children aged 5-15 depend on three drugs to survive despite continued seizure. They mainly take sodium valproate and carbamazepine tablets supplied by National Medical Stores, to health facilities nearest to them. In situations where a child fails to take their medication, they relapse, according to Richard Otto, one of the trained Village Health Team (VHT) in Awere Sub County, Pader district. VHTs manage coordination of nodding syndrome clients with medics at community levels.

Otto says the children have been subjected to treatment that most are not responding to. He adds that most of the children have grown into adults while others have been abused as children.  

He adds that 10 girls with nodding syndrome have in 3 years been defiled and their condition make them more vulnerable during pregnancy.

“The pregnant ones, some are here, are not safe because the seizure can injure them and we fear these might bring complications for the client on treatment. Some have been neglected as people who cannot help.”

Despite isolation, discrimination and the difficulties that most parents associate with caring for nodding syndrome children, 50-year-old Doreen Akongo can never leave her 18-year-old daughter Alice Akello to suffer alone.

Akello is 7 months pregnant. She got nodding syndrome in 2006 when her mother was internally displaced by the LRA war at Awere Camp in Pader district. On returning to their ancestral home in Bolo Lamac village in Awere Sub County in 2008, her eldest daughter, Akello became a target by abusers who never sympathized with her vulnerability.

“I do not leave her alone at home. But sometimes, I have to go to the garden or market, so I leave her with her other siblings at home.” Akongo says.

However, she was disappointed when an unknown man waylaid and raped Akello as she wondered in the village. It is common among nodding syndrome clients to wonder whenever unattended to.

“I suspect that someone might have abused her as she wondered in the community. Now she is pregnant and I don’t know how she will push the baby. Just look at her. Right now she cannot think or talk like a human being.” Akongo told our reporter as she wiped tears rolling down her chin.

To address such miseries of Nodding Syndrome, government of Uganda designed key strategies in response to the epidemic including formation of a national and district task forces, development of training manual on Nodding Syndrome and training of primary healthcare professionals on case diagnosis and clinical management.

However, few of the key strategies have been effectively implemented.

At Bolo Health Centre II in Pader district, Akello had a 15 minutes seizure. The Health Centre gives drugs to the clients where the acting in charge is a nursing assistant, Edwin Okello, new to the sickness.

“Nodding syndrome is still new to me. I missed that training on handling nodding syndrome. They were training only in-charges where I was working. I am only familiar with Epilepsy.” Says Okello.

Okello is left to manage the Health Centre and about 30 nodding clients daily until his senior, the in-charge James Awany, enrolled nurse returns from his one month leave.

Okello is at times left with no option but to refer the clients for their treatment to Awere Health Centre III in Omoro district, about 8kms away.

Omoro district statistics show that 18 patients have died since 2012 while 254 children in Odek Sub County still have nodding Syndrome. The children mainly get their treatment from Awere HCIII.

At Awere Health Centre III, 18 year old Lucky Aromo awaits her turn to be attended to by a doctor. Aromo is an orphan from Lalar Village, Binya Parish, Odek Sub County in Omoro district.

Aromo is 8 months pregnant with her second child. She gave birth to her first child at 14 years. She was lured by a known man in her village on market day in 2014.  Her mother refused to let the father of the child take responsibility for fear that he might manipulate her because of her condition.

When Aromo conceived again with the second child, her mother rejected her and the pregnancy. Aromo now lives with her elderly grandmother in the village.

Aromo worries how she will give birth without the support of her mother since her seizure is still frequent despite obediently taking her medication.

“The father of my child promised to help me but my mother rejected him. He had promised to marry me but now, he rejects me too. He thinks he will be arrested and imprisoned because of me.” Says Aromo as she fidgets with her fingers, head dropping on her shoulder.

These are common scenarios in villages where children with Nodding Syndrome hail from.

Charles Oyoo Adot, the Local Council III chairman of Labongo Akwang Sub County in Kitgum district told our reporter that his area has become a study tour zone as many children suffer without consistent support to those affected and their families.

“378 households are affected here with 463 children having Luc Luc (Nodding Syndrome). Our children continue to suffer with no clear explanation as to what is causing this disease. The children are on medication but there is no food to feed them well.” Says the LCIII chairman.

58 children have so far died of Nodding Syndrome in this sub county while two others who wondered off, have never been recovered. Adot says the children always wonder looking for what to eat since the medication they are on is strong.

According to World Health Organisation, Nodding syndrome was first documented in the United Republic of Tanzania in the 1960s, then later in the Republic of South Sudan in the 1990s and in northern Uganda in 2007.

Several research initiatives have been instituted and implemented by institutions including the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Gulu University, Makerere University, Ministry Of Health, Mulago and Butabika national referral hospitals on various aspects of NS. These studies have included search for the etiology and risk factors, community beliefs and knowledge, clinical presentations and staging of NS and nutritional assessments.

Despite numerous and extensive investigations in all three countries, very little is known about the cause of the disease.

[Credit Repair]

The more credit repair clients I work with, the more countless myths and rumors I hear in regards to establishing credit, credit management, scores etc. Clients share myths with me they have believed for years about credit so it ends up clouding their judgement and assessment on how they use credit. I'll go over some and you may come across a few that you have believed for a long time to be true.

Credit Myths: 1. “I can boost my credit score by using prepaid credit cards and debit cards.”

Prepaid credit cards and debit cards are not reported to the credit bureaus, so using them doesn’t affect your credit score either way. If you are unable to obtain credit cards but want to boost your credit, use a secured credit instead. A secured credit card requires you to put up collateral to obtain the card, such as a car, boat, expensive jewelry, or an entire bank account. When you use the card responsibly, over time, your credit score increases, and then you can apply for a traditional unsecured credit card.

2. “Every time someone pulls my credit report, it decreases my credit score," Your credit score is affected depending on "who" is pulling your credit and how they pull your credit report. When you are applying for credit from a lender they will do what is known as a “hard inquiry” and it can decrease your credit score (only by a few points)

Additionally, when you apply for a type of loan (such as an auto loan) with a few different creditors, this typically counts as one inquiry if completed within a 30-day time-frame.

A "soft inquiry" is when a creditor reviews only a portion of your credit report for educational purposes. Generally, a soft inquiry is something a credit card company does before sending you a pre-approval notice in the mail. When you pull your own credit report, this also does not affect your credit score.

3. “Only certain types of unpaid bills show up on my credit report and affect my credit.” The types of debts that show up on your credit report are at the sole discretion of the creditor. If the creditor reports the paid and unpaid debts to the credit bureaus, it can be turned over to a debt collection agency can show up on your credit report.

It is true that certain creditors are known to report all paid and unpaid debts to one or more credit bureaus. Mortgage companies, credit card issuers, and even apartment complexes are some of the common types of creditors that report the state of your accounts to the credit bureaus. If you are unsure about whether a creditor or an account holder reports to the credit bureaus, simply make an inquiry.

4. “Salary, child support, alimony, and other income affects my credit score.” Income, whether individual or household, is not used to calculate your credit score. While the credit bureaus do not publish the exact formula used in credit score calculation, FICO reports the general calculation: Payment history accounts for 35% of the score, account balances make up 30%, credit history is 15%, the various forms of credit you have account for 10%, and new credit applications make up the last 10%.

You may make a lot of money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have good credit. Good credit is built by paying your bills on time and prudently managing your financial accounts.

5. “Since I don’t have any credit cards or credit card debt, I have a good credit score.”: Not having any credit cards does not ensure that you have a high credit score. On the contrary, having credit cards and properly managing them plays a big role in calculating your credit score. It is imperative to develop a credit history, which includes establishing credit accounts and paying off debt.

Creditors and lenders want to see that you have and can manage credit cards. When a creditor or lender sees that you do not have any credit cards, it will likely view you as a higher risk than those who have credit cards. It is wise to have at least one credit card as part of your overall financial management strategy.

These are just some myths that plague the credit world, educating yourself is the key to managing your credit and keeping it financially fit.

On March 10th, Credit Corrector Solutions is hosting a Free Credit Repair Seminar in the Bronx, NY.

To see all details & secure your seat, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-credit-seminar-learn-about-your-credit...

To subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive promotions go to our website and drop us your email:

https://creditcorrectorsolutions.com

For a free consultation about your credit fill out our form:

https://creditcorrectorsolutions.typeform.com/to/wxRZ8T

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Rex Tillerson.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition, a comprising U.S.-based African human rights activists calls upon Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to make it categorically clear during his upcoming trip to Africa that the Trump administration will hold accountable and sanction any state and non-state parties responsible for the deteriorating security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where imminent war is brewing, according to credible reports.

The last major conflict in Congo, which killed some six million people, was sparked by a joint invasion by Uganda and Rwanda; both countries are playing a similar negative role in the current insecurity.

African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition welcomes the recent US arms embargo on South Sudan but demands that Secretary Tillerson also end U.S. support for the oppressive and dangerous regimes in the region including Kenya and Uganda, that continue to fuel the conflict.

Tillerson is expected to visit Chad, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Nigeria during his March 6 - 13 trip, his first to Africa as Secretary of State. These countries are U.S. partners in what has been billed as a war against Islamist "extremists."

African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition demands that the Trump Administration take a broader view in its relations with Africa by rejecting authoritarianism and corruption which are themselves the primary source of terror and instability.

It must honor its recent policy position on Africa as announced in the U.S. National Security Strategy document (December, 2017) which states: “If necessary, we are prepared to sanction [African] government officials and institutions that prey on their citizens and commit atrocities. When there is no alternative, we will suspend aid rather than see it exploited by corrupt elites.”

African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition lauds the policy directive but laments its selective implementation. The Trump Administration has imposed sanctions on some government officials in Congo and South Sudan, but the leaders of these countries, along with those of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, all responsible for grave human rights abuses, have escaped sanction.

Such selective impunity only emboldens human rights abusers elsewhere, such as in Zambia and Tanzania, where opposition figures face threats to their lives, not to mention longstanding dictators in Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Togo.

African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition will monitor Tillerson's statements while in Africa -- and subsequent U.S. actions-- to see if the Trump Administration is serious about the Africa strategy announced in December.

Maurice Carney and Kambale Musavuli, executive director and national spokesperson, respectively, of Friends of the Congo state: "The people of Africa's Great Lakes Region have been caught in a death trap financed and buttressed by U.S. taxpayers through US support for authoritarian strongmen Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Joseph Kabila of DR Congo who prey on their populations. American citizens have the power to positively affect the lives of millions of Africans by pressuring their government to stop supporting these tyrants. Furthermore, the current U.S. administration should issue sanctions to Rwandan generals James Kabarebe, Charles Kayonga, and Jack Nziza who have been involved in the destabilization of the Congo, while general Alex Kagame should be investigated and sanctioned for his alleged role in the massacre of Congolese refugees in the Kiziba refugee camp in late February 2018."

Milton Allimadi, Ugandan-born publisher of The Black Star News and coalition member states: "In September 2017, Gen. Yoweri Museveni’s shock troops invaded Parliament during a debate on a controversial constitutional amendment that would allow him to rule indefinitely and violently arrested about 30 MPs. During the fracas, Betty Nambooze, an immensely popular Parliamentarian was hustled down to the basement where operatives manipulated her spine, rendering her crippled. Regionally, Uganda continues its destructive role in South Sudan by siding with President Salva Kiir's forces and pursuing a military solution against ousted Vice President Riek Machar's supporters. This has led to mass killings of civilians and undermined regional efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict. Museveni has also once again clandestinely invaded Congo to divert attention from his domestic problems. He and his regime are prime candidates for U.S. sanctions. Yet Uganda's military continues to be trained by the U.S. and the Museveni regime gets more than $1 billion in U.S. taxpayers' money each year. This must stop."

Claude Gatebuke, Rwandan genocide and civil war survivor, executive director of the African Great Lakes Action Network (AGLAN) states: “Paul Kagame and his government's role in destabilizing the Democratic Republic of Congo cannot be understated and must be addressed. Besides that, currently the Rwandan government is involved in a $5,000 per refugee deal to receive refugees and migrants expelled from Israel, while at the same time Rwandan soldiers and policemen were involved in a massacre against crowds of Congolese refugees in Western Rwanda. The country is so unaccountable for these atrocities that  it has decided not to renew its agreement with Human rights watch; an organization that has highlighted many of Rwanda's human rights abuses. The US must use its leverage as a top donor to address these issues or withhold aid in line with the administration's policy.”

Harlem Stage: Mothers of the Movement - Black Women Pioneers in Civiil Rights and the Arts

Harlem Stage, the legendary uptown venue that for over 30 years has promoted the creative legacy of Harlem and artists of color from around the corner and across the globe, is proud to present its Spring 2018 season of performances.

The season is curated by Monique Martin, newly appointed Director of Programming for Harlem Stage and features artists as #Disrupters, who take creative risk. They reflect the times via a range of artistic genres, offering audiences the chance to experience legendary performers and rising stars.

In March 2018, Harlem Stage, in partnership with the National Black Theatre and Carnegie Hall will present “Mothers of the Movements,” a celebration of the contribution of Black women pioneers from the Civil Rights and Black Arts movements. “Mothers of the Movements” is a two-part series that will take place in both Harlem-based institutions.

The performance is part of Harlem Stage’s signature music series Uptown Nights, which presents top artists in an intimate setting and a part of National Black Theatre’s Communication Arts Program used to advocate and promote alternative learning within the field and community

On March 9th at 7:30pm at Harlem Stage, longtime Lincoln collaborator, Marc Cary will re-imagine the seminal album, “We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite,” with Terri Lyne Carrington, Reggie Workman, Sameer Gupta, Edmar Colón, and other surprise guests.

On March 12th at 7:30pm, for the second part of the series, the National Black Theatre will present “The Black Woman: She Does Exist,” an evening of newly commissioned work that was inspired and in response to seminal texts written by Black women artists and activists of the 60’s such as Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, Ella Baker, and the women of SNCC.

These new works are being created by the next generation of vital Black women voices; writers Mfoniso Udofia, Chisa Hutchinson, Ebony Noelle Golden and ensemble. Seeking to strengthen the bonds between past and present, and in addition to the newly commissioned work, NBT has gathered pioneering Black women legends of the theater community to perform the original texts.

“Mothers of the Movements” is presented in collaboration with Carnegie Hall’s festival, “The ‘60s: The Years that Changed America,” which is a citywide festival that reflects on the turbulent spirit of the ‘60s: the quest for civil rights, equal rights, and social justice.

EVENT DETAILS:
March 9, 2018
7:30 PM
HARLEM STAGE GATEHOUSE
150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th Street)
Tickets: $20

https://www.harlemstage.org/events-list/2018/3/9/carnegie-hall-1960s-pro...

March 12, 2018
7:30 PM
National Black Theatre

2031 Fifth Avenue (National Black Theatre Way)

Tickets:

http://www.nationalblacktheatre.org

If you have worked with a nonprofit you may have experience getting lost in what we call the “fundraising priority maze.” Here’s what it looks like.

You know you need to raise money for your organization. Everybody else has a different idea about how much money is needed and how the funds will be used. You – as an executive director, college president, or fundraising professional feel as if you are encountering dead ends and detours when trying to accomplish what you believe is a simple task.  That task: define the organization’s priorities.

Priorities – and the funds required to advance these – are at the core of an organization’s very existence. They are also at the core of the fundraising case for support. If you are not familiar with what a case for support is, we offer this short description: it is a document that defines your organization’s mission, vision, priorities, and funding required to make an impact. There’s more to it than that, but as you can see priorities and the allocation of funds are at the core.

As you define your organization’s priorities and the funding required you may find yourself entering the fundraising priorities maze. A common point of entrance is a check of your strategic plan: are your fundraising priorities in line with the organization’s strategic priorities? Is your strategic plan up to date? As you check your plan you may enter further into the maze as you notice other aspects of your organization that may not be included in the plan. What do you do? Act? Pretend you never looked?

You enter the heart of the maze as you begin “navigating” board members, volunteer solicitors, staff, funders (foundations and government granting agencies), donors, and the organization’s chief financial officer.

As you share your priorities, you may feel that everyone has their own ideas and an “agenda” regarding what the organization’s money should be used for. Many will be persuasive in making their points. Some may thoughtfully examine your priorities and help you refine them. You’re going to have to figure out how to overcome objections, find your way around “roadblocks,” and build consensus so that when you begin fundraising everyone is on the same page.

Here is our suggestion for how to work your way through this maze. First take the time to “sell” your vision and goals to each constituency. If your priorities – and the related fundraising goals – are tied to the organization’s vision and goals you are one step closer to making your way through the maze.

But, as a leader you have to have an open mind, be willing to understand others’ priorities, and as appropriate accept and/or integrate the ideas of others. You will be wise to remember that not everyone wakes up in the morning knowing what your organization needs to raise money for and why. These conversations are the beginning of creating campaign awareness and consensus.

Bottom line: you may find yourself lost in the fundraising priority maze until you build consensus.

Copyright 2018 – Mel and Pearl Shaw

Mel and Pearl Shaw are authors of four books on fundraising available on Amazon.com. For help growing your fundraising visit http://www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

Images courtesy of 123RF.com

New York AG Schneiderman. Photo-Flickr

The attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts are leading a coalition of 17 attorneys general in opposing the Trump Department of Labor’s Proposed Rule, which seeks to expand the criteria for forming association health plans (AHPs) in order to evade the consumers protections enshrined in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and sabotage the ACA.

AHPs have a long history of fraud, mismanagement, and abuse, with millions in unpaid claims for policyholders and providers, often leading to consumer bankruptcies.  

“The Trump administration’s rule is nothing more than an unlawful end run around the consumer protections enshrined in the affordable care act, part of President Trump’s continued efforts to sabotage the ACA,” New York's Eric T. Schneiderman said. “These so-called association health plans have a long history of fraud and abuse – leaving consumers holding the bag when an unforeseen medical issue arises. We won’t stand by as the Trump administration seeks to gut the most basic protections for consumers in a dangerous, partisan effort to undermine our health care system.”

In addition to Schneiderman and Massachusetts' Maura Healey, other attorneys general signing on to the joint comment filed are from:  California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Vermont.

President Trump himself cited the sabotage of the ACA as the clear purpose of the Proposed Rule, stating while signing the order that he was “taking crucial steps towards saving the American people from the nightmare of Obamacare,” and tweeting the following day that “ObamaCare is a broken mess. Piece by piece we will now begin the process of giving America the great HealthCare it deserves!” 

Over the last few decades, Congress has legislated – including through the ACA – to protect health care consumers from AHPs’ fraudulent conduct. The Proposed Rule would undo critical consumer protections and unduly expand access to AHPs without sufficient justification or consideration of the consequences. 

The Attorneys General warn that projections forecast that the Proposed Rule, if finalized, would lead to several million enrollees shifting out of the ACA’s individual and small group markets into AHPs with far fewer health benefits and that the Proposed Rule would increase premiums for those remaining in the individual ACA market. 

State Attorneys General have extensive experience protecting individuals and small employers from predatory entities that seek to defraud or deceive customers through the use of AHPs. They seek that the Proposed Rule is unlawful and would invite fraud and wrongdoing in the health insurance market that will threaten the health and financial security of consumers nationwide.

The Proposed Rule reverses decades of agency and judicial interpretation of ERISA’s key terms, with the primary purpose of undermining the ACA  Because the DOL’s proposed changes would increase the risk of fraud and harm to consumers, undermine the current small-group and individual health insurance markets, and are also inconsistent with the text of ERISA and the ACA, the Attorneys General are urging that the Proposed Rule be withdrawn.

Ngugi

Ledisi 

Nansubuga Makumbi

A Manchester-based author whose debut novel was initially rejected by British publishers has won one of the world's richest literary prizes.

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi - who's from Uganda and moved to the UK 17 years ago - has won one of the Nansubuga Makumbi Prizes from Yale University in the US.

She will receive $165,000 (£119,000). "I haven't been earning for a long, long time," she says.

"I really put everything into writing. So for this to happen is unbelievable."

The prize money is more than double the amount that the Booker Prize winner gets, and organisers say it's the richest award dedicated to literature after the Nobel Prize.

Makumbi is one of eight writers to receive Windham Campbell Prizes this year spanning fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry - and is the only winner to have published just one full-length work.

Two other British writers are also on the list, both for non-fiction - Sarah Bakewell and Olivia Laing.

The prizes were created by writer Donald Windham and also carry the name of his partner Sandy M Campbell. They were first awarded in 2013 to "provide writers with the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns".

Makumbi said news of the award came out of the blue. "It's American, and normally it's people who have got so many books [behind them]," she said. "So I'm surprised how I was one of them."

Makumbi's debut novel Kintu was first published in Kenya four years ago after British publishers rejected it for being "too African". It was finally released in the UK this January.

Please see BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43315380?ocid=wsnews.chat-app...

Emmy nominated producer Antonio Moore discusses Terry Crews assault with Professor Tommy Curry and Attorney Lance Filer. Why were felony charges not brought? Why has #metoo been so silent on Crews’ sexual assault? is there a place for black males in the #metoo movement

According to USA Today, Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against a talent agent whom actor Terry Crews said groped him at a Hollywood party.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Adam Venit, an agent at William Morris Endeavor, twice grabbed Crews by the groin, but because there was no contact with his skin, and no restraint involved, the allegations were not a felony.

They sent the case to the Los Angeles city attorney, who prosecutes misdemeanors. The city attorney's office said Wednesday the statute of limitations for them to prosecute Venit had expired. The party was in February 2016. Crews did not report the incident until November 2017.

Crews has also filed a lawsuit against Venit.

After-hours messages seeking comment from Venit's office were not immediately returned. Crews' publicist declined to comment.

Riding the back of the tiger. Gen. Kayihura with generalissimo--before Museveni threw him under the bus.

[Saturday Morning Commentary]

This is my Saturday morning greeting to Pan-African sisters and brothers all over the world. And I'd like to share some thoughts specifically with sisters and brothers in Uganda, a country that's been struggling against 32 years of dictatorship under General Yoweri Museveni, who's been supported primarily by the United States and Britain. 

Clearly change is on the horizon in Uganda. The regime is now cannibalizing it's own members. As Ugandans know General Kale Kayihura, who is the vicious, brutal, chief of police, who's been the regime-enforcer, who's been responsible for exterminating Ugandans who have resisted Museveni's tyranny, and who's been responsible for eliminating General Museveni's opponents, and responsible in helping him together with the military in stealing presidential elections in Uganda--he was dismissed recently. 

This is not a sign of strength. This is a sign that General Museveni is now having to deal with the demons that he has created in Uganda. As Ugandans know the police force is ridden with corruption. There are elements in the police force that are outright criminals, recruited from the criminal elements and who are reporting to Kayihura himself. But Kayihura of course reports to General Yoweri Museveni. So any shortcomings in the police force in Uganda goes directly to General Museveni's failure. It cannot all be layed on Kale Kayihura. Museveni of course is a perfect individual as far as he's concerned; he's a God. He has never admitted to any failure in Uganda even though all the institutions are failing; yet, he blames everybody else except himself. 

But today sisters and brothers I'd like to focus on three elements -- these are the three key elements that have ensured Museveni's longevity; the pillars of dictatorship. They are, terror, number one; number two, diplomatic support from the outside world; number three, financial support from the outside world. 

On the element of terror, that is now crumbling right before our own eyes. Regardless of who Museveni appoints to succeed General Kayihura, that will not resolve the crises. The crises cannot be resolved without a complete fundamental change in the structure of government in Uganda, in the structure of the police force, in terms of new recruits, with a new philosophy, not a philosophy of corruption and terror. So the leadership alone is superficial and will not resolve the issue. So that means that of the elements of Museveni's hold on power, terror, is now coming to an end. And this is actually the right time for members of the Ugandan  police force to start making the right decisions. 

Start rejecting illegal criminal orders from the commanders. This is the time to join with the people of Uganda, your sisters and brothers, fellow Ugandans who want a better renewal and a new country and they want you to be a part of it. They want you to lead this change. So reject illegal orders; do not brutalize Ugandan citizens; refuse those orders. In fact, if you really want authentic orders you should take orders from an authentic and legitimate commander in chief, who is of course Dr. Kizza Besigye.

You the members of the Uganda police, you know, individually and collectively that Dr. Besigye won the elections of 2016. If I were you, I would seek guidance from Dr. Kizza Besigye who represents the wishes and aspirations of the millions of Ugandans who overwhelmingly elected him as president of Uganda. 

So that deals with the element of terror. Let's address the element of diplomatic support. The visit of Rex Tillerson the United States Secretary of State, who is still in Africa this week, he's in Kenya now. The fact that Uganda was not on his list of countries to support and to visit, it shows to you that all the resistance by Ugandans in Uganda, and Ugandans in Diaspora, including Ugandans here in the United States, is now bearing some fruit. We have been communicating, you from home and us here in Diaspora, collectively and individually to the State Department and to the White House and providing information, detailed information, about General Museveni's tyrannical regime and that is why finally he is being diplomatically isolated. What other reason is there for Rex Tillerson not to have gone to Uganda during this trip? 

Remember under the past administration how many times did Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State under Barack Obama, how many times did she visit Uganda? Uganda was almost like a second home to her. We should ensure that this isolation continues not only from the United States but from Britain as well which has also been a major supporter of this dictatorship in Uganda.

Finally let me address another important element; the financial support that General Museveni has been receiving from the West to ensure and perpetuate his dictatorship. We have been communicating with the State Department, with the U.S. Congress, with the White House and with the United States embassy in Uganda. And we've made this point--why would you want to support the regime which embezzles the money anyway? Forget even about the dictatorship and the tyranny. 

If the money was being put to good use it would be hard to make an argument against sending money to the regime. But in 2016 Deborah Malac the United States ambassador to Uganda herself made a statement lambasting the regime for stealing money that had been sent for the healthcare system. That statement is still on the website of the US embassy in Uganda. So what is the justification of sending more money? Right now, as I speak, there is an investigation going on about the millions of dollars stolen; money that had been sent to help South Sudanese refugees that are in Uganda.

And why are they in Uganda? Because of military intervention by dictator Museveni in the affairs of South Sudan. Instead of trying to reconcile the difference between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar he intervened militarily using even cluster bombs in December 2013 and escalated the tragedy in South Sudan; and yet he had been receiving money to support these refugees, who of course need support. But why should the money be sent through General Museveni when he has track record of stealing money and has been stealing this money for the refugees? So no more funding should be provided through the regime. Any support that is to be sent to Uganda should be sent directly or through independent agencies to the recipients, the intended recipients of this assistance. 

So those are the elements I wanted to address today. I want to send out my greetings as I always do to the youth of Uganda. The present is yours, the future is yours. We are depending on you to create a better Uganda. That is why we are working very hard, with all our energy, to remove the dictator, remove this dictatorial regime so that we can give you a better opportunity to handle the affairs of state in a much more constructive way than our generation has been able to do. 

Thank you very much sisters and brothers. Stay strong. I salute you. May the creator protect you and your family.  

The Oscar statuettes. Photo: Flickr

Guillermo Del Toro, the 2018 Academy Awards Best Director Oscar Winner for  “Shape of Water” said, “I think that the greatest thing our art does and our industry does is to erase the lines in the sand. We should continue doing that when the world tells us to make them deeper.” 

If the 90th Academy Awards are any indication, Hollywood appears determined to flip the proverbial script and rewrite longstanding, cinematic wrongs. From historic firsts to concrete calls to action, the Oscars reflected how far the institution has come—and how much further it has to go.  

The night was filled with a predictable mix of glitz, glamour and movie industry self-congratulation, but in the age of #OscarsSoWhite, a viral hashtag inspired by the 2016 Oscars shut out of people of color from all acting and directing categories; and #MeToo, a rallying cry that has become closely associated with the work of the Time’s Up movement, diamonds, gowns and tuxedos mingled carefully with the critical issues of diversity, inclusion and representation.  

It took two words from Best Actress winner Frances McDormand’s acceptance speech to bridge the gap between the storied institution and the intersectional, multi-cultural reality in which it makes movies, “I have two words to leave you with tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.”

Coined in 2014 by Stacy Smith, director of USC Annenberg’s Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative, an inclusion rider is a clause A-list actors can have added to their contracts that require producers to hire a diverse cast and crew in order to retain the actor. The rider allows major players in Hollywood to do more than wish away the dearth of diversity or pay lip service to inclusive representation in the movie making industry. It is a concrete call to action with real world ramifications. In a 2014 guest column for the Hollywood reporter, Ms. Smith noted that in 2013, if every A-list actor put equity in the contract, “the proportion of balanced films (about half-female) would have jumped from 16 percent to 41 percent." 

These issues, and attempts to tackle them with contractual solutions, are not limited to Hollywood or the Oscars. From the NFL to the boardrooms of major tech companies, diversity and inclusion are in the spotlight. The National Urban League has taken part in ensuring that communities of color are neither neglected, ignored nor poorly served in the aftermath of corporate acquisitions and mergers. 

In 2016, we joined a host of civic and civil rights organizations that signed onto a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Charter Communications before its acquisition of Time Warner. The MOU outlined concrete steps Charter would take to build on existing diversity efforts, including gender and racial diversification of its board of directors and taking steps to diversify its workforce. In response to concerns our organization, among others, relayed to Comcast after it announced its intention to acquire a majority stake in NBC Universal, an MOU was reached that affirmed the combined company’s commitment to be an industry leader in diversity. Through the MOU, a $20 million investment fund was established for minority media and tech entrepreneurs, among other initiatives. 

Since the well-earned outcry over the white washing of the acting and directing categories in 2016, change, however glacial, has come. The Academy has expanded its voting pool to be more inclusive across race, gender and age. This year, we watched as Jordan Peele, the director of “Get Out,” won for Best Original Screenplay—the first African American to win this honor. Rachel Morrison, who worked on “Mudbound,” became the first woman nominated for Best Cinematography. Dee Rees, who directed “Mudbound,” became the first Black woman nominated for Best Original Screenplay. When you recognize that this ceremony has been in existence for nine decades—and we are still touting firsts in a nation as diverse as ours—you must then recognize that there is much work left to be done on set and behind the cameras. 

Actors, like Michael B. Jordan, are already pledging their support and future use of the inclusion rider. I urge all actors who have the power to use their platform for change to commit to equity initiatives like the rider. The red carpet has been rolled away and the tuxes have been tucked back into their closets, but the work remains. The Oscars ceremony does not mark an end, it marks another significant step on the industry’s journey towards diverse representation on all fronts, writing in roles for voices and talent that have been historically erased from our screens. 

Marc H. Morial, President and CEO

Moise Katumbi in South Africa.

Officially, the Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to hold elections on December 23, 2018, but there are serious doubts given the lack of preparation by Joseph Kabila's regime. Meanwhile several of Congo's leading opposition parties have been meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the former governor of Katanga and presidential aspirant Moise Katumbi Chapwe made the following speech.

My dear friends, we are gathered on the blessed land of Africa to share our views and together, give a new impulse to our dear, great and beautiful country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. I recognise a lot of known faces here, some that I have not seen in years. I am very happy.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for responding without hesitation to my invitation. From all the provinces of Congo, Africa and beyond, you have travelled thousands of kilometres to join me here in South Africa. Your commitment, your availability touches me deeply. Together we will work for the future of our country.

I also want to thank the South African authorities. Whenever the fate of Congo has been threatened, the Republic of South Africa has responded in support. The Sun City negotiations continue to mark the collective memory. These negotiations have put an end to the war. They sealed our destiny.

Today, because of the arbitrariness and injustice in Congo, I cannot launch my Movement from my home country, your country, our country. And it is again South Africa that offers us its hospitality. In Nelson Mandela's country, democracy is lived day to day. Institutions work. Justice is independent. When the good example comes from elsewhere, let’s not be afraid to inspire ourselves from it. This country shows us that Democracy in Africa is not just a dream.

My dear friends, what brings us here is, above all, the rejection of the dictatorship that has settled in our beautiful country, and the desire to build a better world for our fellow countrymen. In the past couple of months, recent years, our countrymen have stood up to defend these values. Millions of Congolese marched across all countries and faced the bullets. Some have lost their lives. They are heroes. They are in our hearts and in our memories. We will never forget them. In memory of all these heroes, I ask you to observe a minute of silence.

My dear friends, let us take inspiration from the courage of our fellow countrymen. During these three days, let us live up to their sacrifice.

If you are here today, it is because you too are not afraid, that you too defend your convictions. These beliefs that we share, together, we will turn them into actions, and make them win. The Congolese people are watching us and want to see a strong opposition.

Personally, I was governor and you know, that when my convictions were no longer in agreement with the imposed political choices, I took my responsibilities. I was not afraid to resign, to mark my opposition because, in all circumstances, we must know how to reconcile morality and politics.

These three days together will help build the change of tomorrow and show the Congolese people that they are not alone, that we work and that we will win.

My dear friends, here we are in the final hurdle, before the change that our people demand. The conditions for considering credible, fair and honest elections are far from being fulfilled. Many fellow countrymen still languish in prison unjustly deprived of their liberty. Others are condemned to exile. Peaceful demonstrations are repressed in the blood. Private media close to the opposition is threatened or closed down.

The electoral process is still threatened by the dictatorship. CENI wants to impose a machine to cheat ... The electoral file must be audited and cleaned. The question of the vote of Congolese people abroad has still not been settled. The law on the distribution of seats has not yet been voted. All these points, lead us to commit ourselves. If we want elections to take place in time, we must prepare. This is the reason for our meeting here in South Africa.

My dear friends, I am addressing you today as the captain of the team that wants to win. Our victory is first and foremost about the seriousness, application and the work that we have to do together. Leave no room for improvisation. Let's work hard. Our country deserves it. It's urgent.

As of today, I ask you to work together. Not looking at the future with your eyes looking in the rear-view mirror. There is no G7 here, AR, Dynamics, Civil Society. There are no old and new here. There are patriots here who are determined together to build a new Congo. Let us be disciplined and worthy of the expectations of our people to be at the “Rendez Vous” of December 23 and bring to the Congolese people the change they demand.

I wish you fruitful exchanges and thank you again.

DA Gonzalez. Photo: Facebook 

Young students interested in learning more about different career prospects and responsibilities within the criminal justice system can gain valuable experience from a summer internship program announced today by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in participating in the program are eligible to apply if they live in Brooklyn or if they attend school there. The five-week paid internship runs from July 9 to August 10, 2018.

“We are thrilled to once again open our doors to high school students eager to learn about the criminal justice system. This type of exposure can help a student shape their goals, and imagine themselves pursuing a career in law. This internship is a great opportunity to observe how all the parts of our criminal justice system work together,” Gonzalez said.

Mulgrew added: “The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office gives our high school students real world work experience and quality mentoring. We are pleased to partner with District Attorney Eric Gonzalez on this project.” 

Selected students will be assigned to one of the many specialized units within the DA’s office, while also getting an overview of the criminal justice system. They can expect to assist with legal research and analysis; assist prosecutors preparing for trial; work on discovery; file maintenance and organizing court documents; participate in trial zone workshops; participate in judicial, legal and law enforcement-related field trips; and observe criminal proceedings including trials, guilty pleas and sentencings.

Interns will receive a MetroCard to cover their transportation needs which are being provided by the United Federation of Teachers.

During the five-week paid internship participants will receive a $150 stipend per week in addition to the weekly MetroCard. Internship hours will be: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm. Applicants are required to provide their most recent school transcript, a one-page resume, one letter of recommendation, and must submit a 300-word typed essay --12 pt. font and double-spaced-- on why they are interested in interning with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and what impact they think it will have on their future career goals and aspirations. 

To apply, please visit: http://apply.brooklynda.org  beginning today, March 12, 2018, to upload transcript, essay and resume. 

Only the recommendation letter should be emailed as an attachment to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office at hsinternships@brooklynda.org, with the subject line: Recommendation Letter (Applicant’s First and Last Name). All application materials must be received no later than Friday, April 27, 2018. For questions or assistance, please contact the High School Internship and Youth Initiatives Program Coordinator at (718) 250-4873.

Elyse Wood.  

[Path To Good Credit]

Sometimes a consumer doesn't have bad credit, or negative items on their credit report. Some, simply have not built enough of a credit profile to obtain credit.

Here are some Credit Builder Products you can apply for to begin to build credit.  These tradelines will guarantee you new lines of credit that reports directly to the credit bureaus every month. Here are your options, to help you reach a better credit score:

 How To Build Your Credit: 

HUTTON CHASE - offers a $1,500 line of credit However with this particular creditor you have the option of opening 2 lines of credit at $1,500 each for a grand total of $3,000 line of credit! Hutton Chase

Requirements: A minimum purchase of $150 at least once every six months. The $150 is charged to the established line of credit and split into five monthly payments of $30.

Those five monthly payments are reported to the credit bureaus. If the minimum purchase requirement is NOT fulfilled within the six month time frame, we charge a $20 membership fee which only keeps the account open and active but not reporting.

Here are a few key pointers about each account. Hutton Chase -

Reports to Equifax and TransUnion - No hard Inquiry, No Credit Check, No Income Verification -Possible boost in credit scores of 15-25 points the first month of reporting -$1,500 line of credit -Product line (electronics, cookware, savings club, etc) -$30 activation fee Sign Up here: http://huttonchase.com/ 

OX PUBLISHING offers a $2,500 line of credit that reports to Equifax only; however with this particular creditor you have the option of opening two lines of credit at $2,500.00 each for a grand total of $5,000 line of credit! 

By applying for an account today, you will have immediate access to your full advanced purchase amount in the eBooks/Music store! If you select to finance part of your initial purchase, you will owe monthly payments and those payments will not be automatically charged each month.

You will be required to log-in each month to pay your bill. Sign up here: http://oxpublishing.com/ MY JEWELER CLUB offers $5,000 line of credit 

To qualify for an account with you must meet the minimum below criteria: Requirements: You must be a US Citizen, be 18 years or older, have a valid social security number, have a monthly income of $1400 and complete the quick and secure online application. Start your account in 3 easy steps.

 Place a minimum of $100.00 of  products into your shopping and complete the secure online application. Complete payment for membership fee and any applicable down payments or sales tax. Check for an email from Adobe echo sign and sign your electronic credit agreement. 

There are a few reasons for denial. 1.) Active bankruptcy 2.) Outstanding Child Support 3.) Excessive IRS tax liens (Over $35,000) 

My Jewelers Club -Reports to all 3 credit bureaus (you will receive a hard pull on Experian only) -$5000 line of credit -Possible boost in credit scores of 15-50 points the first month of reporting -Product line (Jewelry) -$99 activation fee -Fully Refundable activation fee if not approved. Sign Up Here: https://www.myjewelersclub.com/ 

OTHER OPTIONS TO BOOST YOUR SCORE 

RENT REPORTERS - Why not boost your score with something you’re doing already. Paying your rent. Rent Reporters will report 24 months of your on-time rent payments to the credit bureau. CLICK on this link to get started. www.rentreporters.com 

SELF LENDERS  A credit builder account is a small loan that's held in a CD account for 12 months. The account is FDIC insured, earns 0.10% APY† interest and is held for you in your name during the term. The credit builder account offered inside Self Lender works like this: ⦁ Their banking partner lends you money that is held in a FDIC insured, certificate of deposit bank account ("CD account") for 12 months. ⦁ Next, you make 12 equal payments over the course of your term to repay the credit builder account. Payment history is reported to the credit bureaus each month. ⦁ At the end of the term, you've paid off your loan and your CD has matured (and earned interest!). Plus, you've demonstrated months of payment history to the credit bureaus. 

Sign up here: http://selflender.com/ 

FINGERHUT Fingerhut is a catalog and online retailer that sells a little bit of everything, from toys to electronics. Sort of like Amazon. Fingerhut offers a “Fresh Start Program” which is designed for people who want to shop and get what they want now while building their credit and buying power over time.

The Fresh Start Program is a one-time purchase installment loan that requires a low down payment before your order ships.You will get six months to pay off the remainder of your balance in equal payments, and get a MetaBank/Fingerhut Credit Account with a larger credit line once your balance is paid off.

If you complete the Fresh Start program, your Fingerhut Credit Account will have a limit of up to $250. The Fresh Start program does report to credit bureaus as an installment loan, so it will help you build your credit. 

Gettington Credit Card  is a no-fee credit account for Gettington customers. Gettington is an online direct retailer selling a wide selection of products. Gettington is a brand owned by Bluestem Brands, Inc, which has operated the Fingerhut brand since 1948. 

Gettington provides its customers with credit accounts through WebBank to make buying more affordable. Gettington Credit Card works like a store charge card for Gettington customers.  It has no annual fee and accepts people with below-average credit.

If your credit score is below average, for example, less than 680 FICO score, and look for a no-fee credit card to rebuild your credit history, Gettington Credit Card is a good choice, because Gettington reports your credit activities to multiple credit bureaus. 

All you need to do is to apply for the Gettington credit account online, make purchases for merchandises that you need anyway, and make payments on time to grow your credit score. They report to Transunion and Equifax. 

Adding these tradelines can build your credit and help with your credit utilization if it is already high. 

For more daily credit tips please join our

Facebook Group "Better Credit Community" 

For Credit Repair Assistance fill out our form:   

NRA's La Pierre--Florida youth strike back. Photo: Gage Skidmore--Flickr

[Speaking Truth To Power]

Last Friday, there was a very positive development in the wake of the Valentine's Day Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, that ended the lives of 17 students and school personnel in Florida; new gun control legislation was passed by Florida legislators.

It was the first time in over 20 years that Florida passed new gun control legislation, and by a Republican-controlled legislature. The measure was signed into law by the state's Republican Governor Rick Scott. 

The lesson here is: any obstacle—even those erected by politically powerful and wealthy organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), and their death merchants—can be defeated with determined activism, especially, if it is spear-headed by youth and strong sustained protests. The Marjory Stoneman students have won the first round in this fight against the NRA and those who oppose sensible gun laws.  The broader battle will be a longer one.

Indeed this law is only a start; it's by no means a perfect bill. Still, how many of us expected anything of substance to be done after this Florida shooting, which is just one of many mass shootings that occurs with regularity in America? 

Friday, Governor Scott signed Senate Bill 7026 into law, making it the first gun-control measure enacted after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on February 14. The law, known as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, has several noteworthy provisions. 

For one thing, it bans the sale or possession of bump fire stocks, which when attached to semi-automatic weapons alters their capability by allowing them to fire more bullets faster. The new legislation now permits law enforcement to seize weaponry from those deemed mentally unfit. It also introduces a three-day waiting period on all gun sales.

However, the most common-sense part of the legislation has already provoked legal action by the NRA. The law has raised the legal age for buying guns from 18 to 21. A violation of this part of the law is punishable by $5,000 and five years in prison.

In the aftermath of this school shooting many have, rightly, asked: why should an 18-year old—who wouldn't be able to buy beer or cigarettes—be able to purchase firearms? This age-requirement part of the law apparently exempts those who work as law enforcement officers and security personnel.

Many politicians, primarily Democrats, seem to agree the age of purchasing firearms should be raised to 21. Yet, this raises another troubling question that should be pondered here, which is: if it’s now wrong to sell guns to those under the age of 21, is it not also wrong to send them to war to kill people “over there”? This is a conversation for another column. 

Not surprisingly, the NRA filed a lawsuit against the State of Florida only one hour after the bill was signed into law. Named in the suit were Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen. Interestingly enough, Governor Scott, who is known to have an A rating from the NRA, isn’t named in the lawsuit.

"This bill punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual," executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, Chris W. Cox said. "Securing our schools and protecting the constitutional rights of Americans are not mutually exclusive." 

"We filed a lawsuit against the state for violating the constitutional rights of 18- to 21-year-olds," said Marion Hammer, lobbyist for the NRA in Florida. Governor Scott made it clear he is still an NRA supporter.

“I’m an NRA member, and I was an NRA member when I became governor. I’m going to be an NRA member when I’m not governor,” Scott said. “I’m sure there are NRA members that agree with this bill, some that don’t agree with this bill.”

The NRA suit alleges the new law violates the Second Amendment; and the 14 Amendment’s equal protection clause. It is an outrageous travesty that the NRA would use the 14 Amendment—which was adopted to confer citizenship and equal protection rights to former African Slaves—to argue for their selling of guns to kids.  

While it is obvious the NRA would use the Second Amendment in this lawsuit, Black Americans should be clear on this historical fact: The Second Amendment was adopted to protect the institution of Slavery and perpetuate Black oppression and exploitation in America.

The first tool of perverse power the Founding Fathers gave to White Americans was fictitious indoctrination about the, supposed, supremacy of White skin. This is a truly laughable notion. Why then doesn’t sunlight—which doesn’t seem to have a problem with Black skin—recognize White skin as superior?

The second instrument of deadly power given by wealthy White Slave-owners to everyday Whites was access to guns—contingent upon their stipulated participation in “State Militias,” which is stated in the Second Amendment—to impose their “superiority” over Black Slaves. Today’s police, as the primary inheritors of this political militia mechanism, use their gun power and “license to kill” with daily deadly consequences in Black America. Invariably, the mantra that follows these unlawful killings are that there are "a few bad apples" on the police force.

The most controversial part of this new Florida law allows schools, if they wish, to participate in what is called a “school guardianship” program that trains—and arms school employees. Governor Scott has said he is against arming teachers. However, as some observers have noted, under Florida law, the governor could’ve removed the “school guardianship” program from the law. Many have rightly decried arming teachers.

President Trump has talked disparagingly about schools being “gun-free zones.” Trump, and others, push the argument that arming teachers will decrease school shootings, and minimize the awful outcomes. This is not only an unfounded assumption but is also truly dangerous. Many unintended consequences will likely occur. For example, in a circumstance where a teacher is exchanging gunfire with an assailant, how will anyone—including police—know who the attacker is?

We should remember the ironic words of NRA CEO Wayne La Pierre from back in 1999. Ten days after the April 20, 1999, Columbine School Shooting when gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold took the lives of 12 students and one teachers, La Pierre said this: "We believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America’s schools. Period." Apparently, La Pierre has had a change of heart—or, maybe the change is in his bulging bank account.

It has also been importantly noted that this Florida bill does nothing to stop the sale of semi-automatic weapons, like the ones Nikolas Cruz used in his murderous rampage. The battle to ban assault weapons will not be easy to win. Much money is involved here, especially given the link between gun manufacturers and the war profiteers in the military industrial complex.

In 1994, Congress passed a federal assault weapons ban, under the broader Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, but the ban expired in 2004. After Sandy Hook, California Senator Dianne Feinstein tried to reintroduce a similar ban. Her attempts and those of other senators and representatives have failed as the NRA has flexed their lobbying power and spread their corrupt cash around Congress.

Not surprisingly, while the Marjory Stoneman students have forced Florida legislators to act, Capitol Hill remains silent. It will take more than marches to move this current Republican-control Congress to act. 

Some of them will have to be thrown out office. This year’s November election will be the most important mid-term election in a lifetime.