Newspaper Page Text
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
You can get your credit report for free. Really.
I was surfing the Net the
other night and the first pop-up
ad I encountered said “Free
Credit Report in Seconds. Click
here.”
Always one to look for a bar
gain I clicked and immediately
saw a red flag: “Sign Up Today.
Order Now.”
The long and short of it was
that this company wanted me to
pay $79.95 for a “free” credit
report plus occasional updates
when adverse information was
placed on my record.
Out of curiosity I decided to
go direct to a consumer report
ing agency’s Web site to see
what information was available,
free or otherwise. I clicked on
Equifax and was informed that
for a mere $9.00 the company
would send me a copy of my
credit record.
I might have been duped into
paying this money to get infor
mation about myself had I not
been familiar with the Georgia
Fair Business Practices Act. At
OCGA 10-l-393(b)(29)(C), the
GFBPA provides that “Each
consumer reporting agency
which compiles and maintains
files on consumers on a nation
wide basis shall furnish to any
consumer who has provided
appropriate verification of his
or her identity two complete
consumer reports per calendar
year, upon request and without
charge.”
So, Georgians, save your
money and order a free credit
JACKSON -
From page 1A
Jackson the bullet had traveled
in a way that did not cause any
major damage.
His advice was to leave the
bullet inside the officer.
That upset Tiny Jackson.
She told the doctor he was not
about to leave a bullet in her
husband.
Another doctor came around
and the bullet was finally
removed from his back.
The woman who shot Ray
Jackson served a couple years,
and then was paroled.
Today, it makes Dekmar mad
to think about his friend and
fellow police officer being shot
by someone who was released so
soon.
“The actions of the parole
board was outrageous at that
time!” he said in a recent inter
view. “That would not be the
case today.”
SUMMIT —
From page 1A
grades on pop quizzes to ensure
that students are performing at
or above grade level.
Perdue, who has integrated his
small business background into
much of his educational reform
processes discussed implement
ing and expanding the concept of
“best practices” into the educa
tional realm. The governor said
that he always questions educa
tors about what educational
practices are currently working
for them and what they believe
could be better. “I just have one
favor of any educator I talk to,”
Perdue said. “I want you to be
honest. Don’t hold back, be bru
tally honest.”
But, perhaps, the most impor
tant part of the day was the
series of breakaway sessions that
summit attendees took part in
that afternoon. Attendees chose
between three different sessions
- improving classroom discipline,
letting educators be educators
and reducing truancy and
increasing parental involvement.
“The day as a whole has just
been awesome,” said Elaine
Shepherd, a teacher at Lake Joy
Elementary. “I was very
impressed with how insightful
and organized each speaker
was.” Shepherd, who attended
the special session on letting edu
cators be educators, said she real
ly felt like the breakaway session
was her chance to have some
input about educational process
es.
Maryanne Melnick and Ron
Busbee, both assistant superin
tendents with the Houston
County School System, said they
found the summit extremely
beneficial. Both Busbee and
Melnick attended the session on
letting educators be educators,
which dealt with releasing educa
tors from the burden of an
increasing amount of adminis
trative paperwork.
Danny Carpenter, Houston
County’s interim school superin-
hh $ x jyr WLrnn
Sid Moore
The Georgia Consumer
attnys@bellsouth.net
report from all three of the
major consumer reporting serv
ices, Equifax, Experian and
Trans Union. This can be done
either by snail-mail, e-mail or
phone.
You can reach Equifax at PO.
Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-
0241.
Experian is at PO. Box 2104,
Allen, TX 75013.
Trans Union receives these
requests at PO. Box 1000,
Chester, PA 19022.
The easiest way to get your
free credit report is by tele
phone, calling from a location
within the State of Georgia. For
this purpose, Equifax may be
reached toll-free at (800) 685-
1111; Experian at (888) 397-
3742; and Trans Union at (800)
916-8800.
I called Equifax and got a
Twenty-five years later this
summer, Jackson said that long
ago incident never gave him
cause to leave a career he loves.
His advice to younger police
officers is “always keep your
eyes open all the time!”
“I just went out and did my
job,” Jackson said. “Since then,
I have had no hesitation about
going into anything like that.”
He has many fond memories
of his years on the police force,
among them the friendship he
shared with former Perry offi
cer Brian Childress.
He also appreciates the work
Detective Calvin Proffitt does
overseeing domestic violence
cases and believes that helps
the city from seeing more vio
lent domestic situations.
When he is not working,
Jackson said he enjoys cutting
grass at home or taking trips
with Tiny Jackson ... especially
to St. Augustine, Fla.
• w tin
HHJ/Luci Joullian
Bud Cranford of Warner Robins protests outside the Agricenter
Wednesday during Gov. Perdue’s education summit.
tendent, said of Perdue, who cir
culated in and out of the break
away sessions speaking with
attendees, “He’s very well
informed of what the teachers of
Georgia want. He’s taking a
grassroots approach to educa
tional reform.”
The feedback generated from
the breakaway sessions will be
posted on the governor’s and the
state Department of Education’s
Web sites (gov.state.ga.us and
doe.kl2.ga.us) along with the
material that was gleaned from
the governor’s previous mansion
sessions.
Educators were not charged a
registration fee to attend the
computerized voice that direct
ed me to submit my Social
Security Number, the last two
digits of my year of birth and
the numerical portion of my
street address. Apparently the
computer already knew I was
from Georgia, so it informed me
that a copy of my credit record
would be mailed to me within 48
hours, free of charge.
Experian first tried to sell me
a service, but when I declined
and pressed “2”, the second
option, the computer asked for
my Social Security Number, ZIP
Code, and the numerical portion
of my address. It then gave me a
confirmation number and
informed me that my free credit
report, as mandated by Georgia
law, would be received in eight
to 12 days.
Trans Union was the only one
that informed me that Georgia
residents are entitled to two
free reports per year. It request
ed my Social Security Number,
my month of birth, my year of
birth, ZIP Code and the numer
ic portion of my address. It then
tried to sell me my
“Trans Union Credit Score” for
$3.75, which I declined by not
pressing any buttons. I was
then promised that I would
receive my free credit report in
about two weeks.
So contrary to popular belief,
there is occasionally a free
lunch ... or at least a free con
sumer report from those who
maintain information about you
He also likes spending time
with his granddaughter, Bianca,
who is 12 years old.
In the near future, Jackson’s
present chief, George Potter,
and his fellow officers plan to
present a medal to him - the
longest-serving officer on the
department - in recognition of
his brave actions to shield his
partner and others from gunfire
that hot summer night so long
ago.
“In my opinion, he is probably
one of the most well-rounded
officers and supervisor in the
department,” said Capt. Heath
Dykes. “He has a wealth of
knowledge and has taught me a
lot during my career. Sgt.
Jackson is a father figure to a
lot of officers here.”
While Jackson said he is hon
ored by this and appreciates
everyone in the department, he
looks at that night as one where
“I was just doing my job.”
summit, which was sponsored by
the Georgia Partnership for
Excellence in Education and the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce,
but, in keeping with the gather
ing’s brainstorming emphasis,
attendees were simply asked to
provide three possible solutions
to the educational problems that
were the topics of the breakaway
sessions.
Perdue conceded that taking
education in Georgia to the next
level would be a challenge. “Not
every child in Georgia is learning
the way we would like them to,”
he said. “The No Child Left
Behind law sets a high standard
and we welcome that.”
LOCAL
to sell to others.
It would do no good to get the
report if you did not read it and
make sure it was correct. When
I receive my three reports in the
mail I will go through that
process and let you know how it
It Ml]} carf
NO INITIATION FEE aJJL
Limited Time Only '***' ; 0,
gfSAti, FO&MO&e iNFO&MATiON JmWBWMBP
Jgjw * :
YOU 1 AU OF°THE
AVAILABLE SPECIALS
TIME ONLY!
SHARPEN YOUR STYLE
Frep are for the school year with
variety and value at
'The GaWerla.
Find all you need whether sweet,
'sporty, or scholastic.
&e You.
Bring in $1 00 in
dated
7/25/03 - 8/8/03
from any store
within The Galleria /O
and receive a free v'
sporty duffel bag
(one per customer, \ ✓
while supplies last). . Q. Xs. '/S
' / o / x xex
% XX X:
e/
V/ 7
= XT
J h p » -'-X
Galleria
went, and how to do it for your
self.
Sid Moore is a founding mem
ber of the National Association
of Consumer Advocates, and
was previously the litigation
coordinator for the National
SAVINGS?
zT Tht; Hamptons
of Perry
" THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN MIDDLE GEORGIA
395 N. PERRY PARKWAY PERRY, GA
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2003 ♦
Consumer Law Center and
Consumers’ Utility Counsel for
the State of Georgia. He is an
attorney who has lectured on
consumer advocacy in nearly 30
states. His column appears
Fridays.
cm
II
5A