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Kissing Obamacare Goodbye

http://noisyroom.net/blog/2012/07/11/kissing-obamacare-goodbye/

By: AJ
Hat Tip: MJ

We are going to end Obamacare at the state level by using the KISS principle – Keep It Simple, Stupid, so let’s get it started!

Using simplicity and common sense, we Americans can take this into our own hands and do what we need to do to prove that Obamacare is irrelevant and unnecessary at the state level.  All we need is a simple solution, which this article provides, and one state that will pursue this by doing a little homework.

Let me start by telling you what this is NOT… this solution is not reliant on the politicians who foisted this upon us or the spineless politicians doing nothing to end it.  It is not dependent upon repeal, courts, nullification, state-wide voting, Constitutional amendments, petitions or polls.

Now let me tell you what this is… it is about picking one or more states that will do some simple homework to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Obamacare law is not applicable in their state.  If we do this, we can proactively take control of the narrative to announce that Obamacare is irrelevant because the state is already compliant.

BACKGROUND:

First, Obama and his comrades established that the fundamental basis of Obamacare is to ensure that everyone has healthcare.  They claimed that 12 to 30 million people are going without healthcare and these people have a right to it.  Has anyone challenged this with actual data that shows who these people really are?  Read on and you will find out.

Second, Obama and his comrades claim that the 12 to 30 million phantom people are our poor and disadvantaged.  This enables a powerful narrative that the media and left-wing talking heads can push onto the uninformed and ignorant 26% who support Obamacare.  Is anyone challenging this narrative with actual truth?  Not yet.  That’s why, when we convey facts and even show sections of the actual legislation to uninformed people, their bottom line response is, “Well I think everyone should have healthcare.”  Again, the false narrative wins the day, the uninformed remain ignorant and they actually believe that these phantom people who want healthcare cannot get it.

Third, the Obama narrative has now advanced to “States need to expand the Medicaid rolls” and some GOP Governors are flatly saying “No.”  What these Governors fail to see is where this narrative is going.  Medicaid is for the poor and disabled, so the spin masters are setting the stage for their next assertion; “Republicans won’t expand the Medicaid rolls because they want poor and disabled people to die.”  When are these GOP Governors going to flatly say that the poor and disabled are ALREADY covered by Medicaid?  And tell the truth that expanding the Medicaid rolls is a false narrative.

GOP Governors are playing checkers while Obama and his comrades are playing chess and are a few moves away from checkmate.  Instead of responding to Obama’s narrative and falling into his trap, do some homework and speak boldly to create a completely different narrative.  In other words, expose the truth.

SIMPLE SOLUTION:

States can take control of the narrative by defining a clear, true and concise narrative that lets people know that, from our poor to our elderly and everyone in between, all who want healthcare can already get it without Obamacare.

Can a state prove this?  Yes.  I contend that all a state needs to do is gather totals… the total number of people served by each of the categories delineated below.  Every provider, insurer and program know how many people they serve in a given state.

Get the totals, add them up and then compare that number with the total population of the state to see how many people are not receiving healthcare from any of these categories.  The number will either be zero or a very small percentage of the state population.  Then, just a little more homework will reveal that the vast majority of this small segment of the state’s population is actually young, healthy people who choose not to spend their money on it because they don’t need it, they don’t use it and they don’t want it.

Take a very close look at all these programs and healthcare-delivery vehicles (below) that have been in place without Obamacare and before Obama took the Presidency.  Look at all the people covered in these categories.  A majority of working Americans who already have healthcare plans actually have no idea that all these programs exist and, unfortunately, Obama’s lies sound believable to them when no one counters him with the truth.

• Medicare: for everyone aged 65 and older.
• Medicaid and/or SCHIP (e.g. CA has MediCal and Healthy Families): for everyone who is poor and disabled.
• TRICARE: for service members, retirees and their families.
• Veterans Administration: for Veterans.
• Employer-based: for individuals and families covered through their employer.
• University-based: for University/College attendees (e.g. CA has a mandatory fee that all students must pay which provides healthcare coverage whether they want it or not).
• COBRA: for individuals and families who are in-between jobs/left their job for whatever reason.  If they are unable to find new employment and their income remains low (e.g. unemployment), they become eligible for Medicaid, Hospital/Doctor Financial Waivers, and they can go to clinics or even private providers.  One size doesn’t fit all and these people have choices.
• Tribes: for individuals and families who are members of an Indian Tribe.
• Clinics: for individuals and families who receive healthcare from community-based/free clinics.
• Private Provider: for individuals and families who choose to pay for their own healthcare through private providers.
• Religious Exemption: for individuals and families who choose to be exempt for religious reasons, which includes people such as the Amish, Muslims, Mennonites and Hutterites (because purchasing insurance violates their religious beliefs).
• Hospital/Doctor Financial Waiver: for individuals who receive free healthcare directly from doctors/hospitals because they submitted a ‘financial hardship’ form.

Don’t forget that Obama and his comrades gave the states another category:

• Obama/HHS Waiver: for millions of Obama’s lobbyists/special-interest friends/campaign contributors who received an Obamacare waiver directly from Obama’s HHS secretary.

After a state gathers the grand total of all the above categories and subtracts it from the state population, the state can create their own waiver in order to protect young peoples’ right to choose and once they are in this new category, everyone is accounted for in terms of healthcare and Obamacare is proven irrelevant and unnecessary because the state is already compliant.  Everyone who wants healthcare already has it.

• *Freedom-of-Choice Waiver: this is a new category (if needed) for the majority of young people who seek to exercise their unalienable Right, as granted by our Declaration and Constitution, to choose not to spend their hard-earned money on healthcare because they do not use, want or need it while they’re young and healthy.  The Freedom-of-Choice Waiver accomplishes the exact same thing as the waiver granted at the Federal level by Obama – it exempts people who want exemption; therefore, it is completely consistent with Federal precedence.

Take control of the narrative Governors!  Do your homework!  Don’t fall into the latest trap.  Expanding Medicaid rolls is a false flag.  Our poor and disabled are already on Medicaid and, in fact, many who are not poor and can afford healthcare are on the Medicaid rolls already.  We don’t have $100 million a year in Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse by accident.  So don’t take the bait!  Medicaid rolls don’t need expanding because our poor and disabled already have Medicaid.  So get out there and spread the truth!

While we’re on the subject of going on offense and getting the truth out there, notice that Obama’s campaign rhetoric includes sound-bites that give the false impression that Obamacare will give people whatever healthcare they want – for free – and up to now, his lies remain unchallenged.

Know this… Obamacare does not address the quantity or quality of healthcare; it merely asserts that once the federal government controls our healthcare, a 15-member panel and about 159 new government agencies will decide the quantity, quality and location of treatment IF they allow you to have it.

Who is challenging Obama about the federally controlled Medicare program that, by far, denies more claims for the people it serves than any other form of healthcare coverage?  Quantity or quality is not even part of the debate when talking about Obamacare because Medicare already shows us what happens when the federal government controls healthcare.  Get out there and spread the truth about this!

Make no mistake, Obamacare does not make healthcare a “right,” it takes away our right to choose and it forces our young people to pay into a monstrous system that destroys the best healthcare system in the world, transforms citizens into serfs, creates another massive redistributive system that seizes the fruits of our labor and gives the federal government control of our finances and our lives.  As Mark Levin says, it forever changes the relationship between government and citizen.

So… which states will remain on defense and constrain their public responses to the false narratives and clichés thrown at them by Obama and his comrades?

And… which states will do their homework, gather the totals and create the media firestorm that will stop Obamacare dead in its tracks?

Which state will be the first to prove that Obamacare is irrelevant in their state because they are already compliant and everyone who wants healthcare already has it?

Which state is ready to go on offense and protect individuals and businesses in their state from Obamacare? 

Let’s get it started!  If states do their homework, take control of the narrative and spread the truth, we’ll be kissing Obamacare goodbye in short order.

References:

• Killing Obamacare Before It Kills Us – Part 1: The Political Battlefield
• Obamacare Now Estimated to Cost $2.6 Trillion in First Decade
• Report: 83 percent of doctors have considered quitting over Obamacare
• A State Revolt Against ObamaCare Emerges
• Ohio takes tough health law stance
• Gov. Scott: Florida will not implement insurance exchanges or expand Medicare
• Rick Perry joins Republican governors who won’t implement Obamacare
• List of 27 States Suing Over Obamacare
• Obamacare Bill 4872

BEST KEPT SECRET OF THE CENTURY: Laws our Government Agency Leaders don’t know, or are purposely keeping from the Taxpayers! 

By Alexis Stuart, the Credit Whisperer®

Question: can an individual donate to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and/or The Department of Defense and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes?

Can you guess which government agency still refuses to provide a written answer?

Can you guess which government agency provided the correct answer?

Can you guess why any government agency would not want taxpayers to know the Best Kept Secret I have discovered?

Can you guess why none of our government officials or any current presidential candidates are suggesting this idea?

Uncovering this “BEST KEPT SECRET OF THE CENTURY” all started in 2006, with an idea I had to help The Social Security Funds.  I first thought, “Why not donate to Social Security?” Then, I thought, I could start a nonprofit and get people to donate to our mission to help Social Security.  We could use the donations to help people buy or start businesses, create jobs and at the same time contribute to the economy and increase revenue to the Social Security Funds.  In a few years our nonprofit could donate to Social Security Funds when it is scheduled to run out of money.  As a Real Estate Broker and business owner, always looking for another good business to buy, I would follow the progress of small businesses for sale on the Multiple Listing Service. Many times, if the owners could not sell the business, they would end up closing.  I wanted to help employees build their credit power so they could buy the business from their boss, keep it alive and keep all of the employees working.  

This raised the question, “can a nonprofit donate to social security?” Better yet, “can an individual donate to social security and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes?”

To find the answer I called The Social Security Administration Commissioner’s office on February 2, 2006 and was told by the secretary that she had never been asked that questions before. I was put on hold while she tried to find the answer. The secretary returned and told me she could not find anyone that knew the answer. Because no one in the office knew if donations were allowed, or if an individual could write them off on their taxes, she told me to write a letter to the Social Security Administration Commissioner and pose the question. 

It took three months to get an answer, but I received a letter dated 5/3/06 from Annie White, Associate Commissioner of Social Security Administration stating  “You may be interested to know that section 201(i)(1) of the Social Security Act currently provides for tax-deductible gifts to the Social Security trust funds”. The entire letter is available online at www.creditwhisperer.com/solution.htm   

I did form a nonprofit organization; Credit Power Educational Foundation, Inc., and part of our mission is to “STRENGTHEN our national economy and Social Security Fund”.

After watching many news reports on how the Department of Defense is the main purpose of the Federal Government and how Medicare and Medicaid were also running out of funds, I decided to ask them the same question I asked the Social Security Administration.

On March 14, 2011, I first called the Medicare and Medicaid office and the female who answered the phone said she had never been asked that question before. She put me on hold and then told me she could not find anyone that knew the answer and they would need to have someone call me back. I did not get a return call.

Next on March 14, 2011, I called the Department of Defense, and just like my call to the Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid, was told by the Public Communication Responder for the Department of Defense that he did not know the answer so he put me on hold while he asked someone else. He returned and said they did not know if donations were allowed or if you could write them off on your taxes, so he put in a written request for an answer.

I did receive an email confirming my question and the following is a portion of the answer:

 “Unfortunately the Department of Defense does not accept monetary donations but we thank you for your interest and support.  We encourage you to visit our Community Relations website which lists a variety of pre-screened charitable organizations focused on supporting the military community.  http://www.ourmilitary.mil/help.shtml”

Question Reference #110314-000075

---------------------------------------------------------------

   Topic Level 1: Department of Defense

   Topic Level 2: Policy and Programs

    Date Created: 03/14/2011 02:06 PM

    Last Updated: 03/15/2011 04:14 PM

          Status: Solved

[---001:001561:14959---]

Because of other business activities I did not get back to my quest for an answer with Medicare and Medicaid until May 19, 2011. I again called trying to get an answer to my questions.  I was told to send a letter.  I called back and asked for the Director of Medicare and Medicaid and was transferred to Danette Greenwood, the personal secretary of Dr. Donald M. Berwick. I asked Danette “Can an individual donate to the Medicare or Medicaid Trust Fund and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes?  Danette was very quick to answer “NO!” 

I asked Danette if I could speak to Dr. Donald M. Berwick and she said “I handle all of his calls”.  I asked if they do not accept donations could Dr. Berwick suggest that Congress, the Senate and President Barack Obama change the law. Danette suggested I contact my congressman to suggest a change in the law. I told Danette that I had already written to many congressmen and Senators and only received a few automated responses.  I suggested that Dr. Berwick has connections it would make more sense for him to bring it to the attention of the IRS, Congress, the Senate and President Barack Obama that we need to change the law so individuals can donate to the Medicare and Medicaid funds and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes.

Danette finally agreed and told me to email my idea in and she would forward it to Dr. Berwick.  I sent an email on May 19, 2011. I did not get an answer, so I called Danette on June 3, 2011 and asked if she forwarded the email to Dr. Berwick. Danette said she forwarded my email to a group of people who would be responding to my email. Danette said she would check to see if any progress had been made in getting me an answer. I asked Danette if she would please put the answer in writing. Danette said she could not put her verbal “no” answer to my “can you donate question” in writing, but she would send me an email confirming that she received my email.  

I called Danette again on June 6, 2011 at 1:14pm

A man answered phone: “OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR”. He asked what it was concerning and put me on hold, came back and told me Danette had just gone into a meeting and he said he left a message at her desk.

I asked for his name and he refused to give it. He said it was none of my business and he did not want to be involved in the middle when my business is with Danette.

I then asked for Dr. Berwick and the man who refused to give me his name said he would never forward me directly to him, that Danette takes care of his schedule.

I called back on June 7, 2011 at 12:14 p.m.

I was able to speak to Danette; she said they would be getting back to me next Monday on June 13^th.

Danette still would not send me an email with the verbal “no” answer to my “can you donate question”. She said the other group of people will get back to me.

Danette agreed to send me a confirmation with a time line to get an answer to my question. She also agreed to send me an email after she called the other people to push them for an answer and let me know when I might expect an answer.

I called Danette again on June 8, 2011 at 11:55 a.m. I think I spoke to the same man with no name. He said Danette was in a meeting and she already had my message from before. I asked his name and he refused, saying, “I do not give out my name to anyone outside CMS”.

On June 8, 2011 at 1:21 p.m., I called Danette again and spoke to the man with no name. He said “Danette is busy, it is ongoing”. He refused to let me hold for Danette. I asked if Danette was avoiding me. He claimed Danette was not avoiding me and suggested that I email her.  I told him I was a taxpayer and wanted to hold. He said “That is not going to happen”, and hung up on me.

I sent Danette another email and received a response.

Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 1:47 PM

RE: Response requested

Hi Alexis,

I will follow up with the component today to see exactly how long they will be in getting you an answer and get back to you as soon as possible.

Regards,

Danette

To see the email go to www.creditwhisperer.com/solution.htm

I still do not have an answer as of July 12, 2011 from Danette, Dr. Berwick, or the “component”.

On June 30, 2011 Danette finally told me to contact Dianne Heffron, the staffer working on an answer.  It took six days for me to finally connect with Dianne Heffron who is the Director of Financial Management Group of the CMSO

Dianne told me she had not received my email. She was able to find my email while I was on the phone. I refreshed her memory as to the fact Danette Greenwood had forwarded my letter and emails to her. Dianne said she was still working on an answer for me. So far she believed that I could donate to Medicaid on the state level, but not to their department. She suggested I contact Toby Douglass, the Secretary of the California Department of Health. She said they only match the state payments. (Another wrong answer)

Dianne said she was still doing research on the Medicare side. She did not know who would even be able to take the donation. She was sure that her department not able to take any donations.  I asked if she could put her answer in writing. Dianne said since the letter was addressed to the Director, Dr. Donald M. Berwick, she could not answer my letter or questions in writing. Dianne said Dr. Donald M. Berwick would need to down-grade the response to her.  She said that could take two weeks to get the down-grade.

I suggested that I send another letter addressed to her so she could answer it. Dianne said that would work, so I re-sent the letter, and another email, addressed to her on July 6, 2011.

I phoned Dianne Heffron on July 12, 2011, but she did not answer, so I left a message. I still do not have an answer.

I sent a letter to Dr. Berwick on June 15, 2011 informing him of the additional information I had uncovered concerning donating to the Medicare and Medicaid Trust.  A copy of the letter is available at www.creditwhisperer.com/solution.htm

Most people are unaware of this option, including Ms Greenwood.

I continued my research after I was told by Danette Greenwood that an individual cannot donate to the Medicare or Medicaid Trust Fund and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes. 

It seems that contrary to the information I was given by Danette, an individual actually can donate to Medicare and Medicaid and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes.

I contacted the IRS and spoke to Jacob, i.d. #1054973526.

Jacob put me on hold while he searched for the answer to my question, which was:

“Can an individual donate to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and/or The Department of Defense and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on their taxes?”

Jacob told me to look in Pub 78 to find organizations that are currently tax exempt. He said Pub 78 lists most organizations but does not include all organizations and it does not list Federal, State and Local government organizations as they are not required to file for tax exempt status.

I asked Jacob for more details of how donations to a government agency can be written off on your taxes.  Jacob had to put me on hold again to search for additional information.  Jacob instructed me to search for Pub 526 on their website and to look at Table 1, page 2. Table 1 defines “Deductible as Charitable Contributions” for “Federal, state, and local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purposes (for example, a gift to reduce the public debt)”.

Here is the link for pub 526: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

I asked for additional information to clarify the terminology “public purpose”.

Jacob was unable to answer my question and transferred me to the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS. I spoke to Miss Lee, i.d. # 1001181273.

Miss Lee was also unable to answer my question and needed to put me on hold to find the answer: She did not find anything to further clarify the terminology “public purpose”.

Miss Lee said, Federal, State and Local government organizations are not required to apply for formal recognition. She also said any government organization could request an Affirmation Letter to show that donors could donate to their organization and write it off on the donor’s taxes. 

Miss Lee also suggested that I look at Pub 557, page 30, which defines what a “government unit” includes.

Here is the link for pub 557: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf

I asked Miss Lee if I could get an Affirmation Letter to prove I could donate to a government organization.  She said if I could give her an address, she would search to verify if the government organization was in their system. If she found them in the system she could then send me an Affirmation Letter.

Because I had already spent 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to this point with the IRS, I asked if she could hold while I gathered the addresses for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Department of Defense.

As I found each address, Miss Lee was able to first confirm the Social Security

Administration, then Medicare and Medicaid, but was not able to confirm the Department of Defense.

Miss Lee said she would send me separate Affirmation Letters for the Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid, that confirms that I can make a charitable donation. I have received the two Affirmation Letters and a copy is available at www.creditwhisperer.com/solution.htm

I asked if I could speak to a supervisor as Miss Lee could not explain why she could not find the Department of Defense in their system. 

Two days later a supervisor, Mr. Cordell, i.d. # 1000196899, returned my call. Mr. Cordell said, “The Taxability of Donations account for the Department of Defense was not active”.  He said if I could contact someone at the Department of Defense and ask them to call (877) 829-5500 they would be able to verify and reactivate their account by phone.

Mr. Cordell said because government organizations are not required to file a 990, their account can go inactive. Once the Department of Defense calls the IRS, they will be able to verify the account and have it placed back into an active status.  After that, I will be able to request an Affirmation Letter for the Department of Defense.

You would think if the head of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and the Department of Defense and any other governmental unit could raise extra money via a tax deductable donation they would be talking about it and encouraging as many people as possible. Isn’t this solution better than relying on taxes being raised.

It does raise the question, how to control the spending? We need to get control of the spending and we need reform.  If our government officials were more responsible in how they spend our tax dollars, then the public might be more willing to donate.

It is understood that we need to reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and the Department of Defense. We need to eliminate the fraud and keep our officials from using the funds for unauthorized purposes. The wealthy would be more willing to donate if they had more confidence that the government would protect the funds, and if a firm plan was in place for reforming the systems. The reform is needed no matter if we voluntarily donate or the money is taken from us as a tax.

I have been told by The Social Security Administration, The Medicare Office and The Department of Defense that no one has ever asked if an individual can donate to their organizations and write it off as a tax-deductible charitable gift on the donor’s taxes.   

Once I discovered government employees didn’t have a clue, to prove my point this is the “BEST KEPT SECRET OF THE CENTURY”, I decided to call a few CPA’s in several states and posed the same question. Surely, they will know.  I found that most CPA’s did not have a clue. The CPA’s also did not have any clients that had ever donated to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or the Department of Defense or had ever asked if they could. The nicest and most knowledgeable CPA I spoke to was George Williams in Allen, Texas. Thank you George, for your kind words and interest in my quest.

So why do we have laws to allow us to make a charitable donation, yet our government officials, employees and CPA’s don’t know about it?

Why has no one educated the public about this solution to help the entire country?

I feel our country is more important than any embarrassment any government official may fear. Our government officials need to start making the public aware.

Recap as to knowledge of the tax law:

The Social Security Administration has been aware that an individual can donate and write it off as a tax deductible contribution since May 3, 2006 and has not notified the public.

Danette Greenwood gave me an incorrect verbal answer. Danette is the personal secretary to Dr. Donald M. Berwick, the director of Medicare and Medicaid and is still unaware of the law unless Dr. Berwick has read my letter dated June 15, 2011. Dianne Heffron the Director of Financial Management Group of the CMSO

is working on a written answer, but the verbal answer I have received from her is incorrect. I finally received an email response from Danette Greenwood on July 26, 2011 citing IRS Publication 526 after I pointed out this publication in my letter to Dr. Berwick on June 15, 2011.

I sent a letter to Dr. Berwick on July 27, 2011 asking the following:

Now that Peter M. Kelchner, CPA, at CMS, has researched Publication 526 and recognized that the Federal government is considered as a qualified organization for charitable purposes, I again ask the following questions:

1. Will you please set up a donation page on the website for both Medicare and Medicaid?
2. Can you bring this matter to the attention of the public, and the employees of the Department of Health and Human Services? You can even go further and ask the public to voluntarily donate to Medicare and Medicaid instead of relying on their taxes being raised.
3. Can you start an ongoing educational campaign to bring Publication 526 and Section 170(c)(1) to the forefront, so people will realize there is the possibility to donate to Medicare and Medicaid?

On August 20, 2011, I received a letter dated August 15, 2011, from Joseph Dion, Lead Ethics Administrator with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Obviously he did not understand the questions I posed to Dr. Berwick in my letter dated July 27, 2011.

As of August 22, 2011, I have not received an answer from Dr. Berwick to my letter dated July 27, 2011.

Department of Defense sent me a response which was incorrect and may still be unaware unless they read my email dated June 13, 2011. The DOD still needs to contact the IRS at (877) 829-5500 to reactivate their account. I have made multiple calls to the Department of Defense. Commander Kathleen Kessler told me to send a letter to the Secretary of Defense. She told me no one has the authority to connect me to someone that can call the IRS to reactivate their account.  I sent a letter on 7/8/11 to Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense. As of August 17, 2011, I have not received an answer from Leon Panetta to my letter dated July 8, 2011. I phoned the IRS to ask for an Affirmation Letter on August 16, 2011 and spoke with Miss Lee, i.d. # 1001181273 again.  Miss Lee told me the Department of Defense is still not showing as an active government unit. Miss Lee submitted a referral asking for a letter referencing the Department of Defense as a government unit as tax deductable. She said it may take 30 days to get a response.

All documents can be viewed at www.creditwhisperer.com/solution.htm

I am just one of the little people. I need the help of government officials, media, teachers and the public to spread the word. You can all make a difference.

Alexis Stuart, the Credit Whisperer®,

is the author of “CAPITALIZE on CREDIT POWER”

This book will build a better country!

You can purchase the book at www.capitalizeoncreditpower.com

or www.creditwhisperer.com

© 2011