FCC Asks Verizon to Explain Doubling of Fees

FCC Asks Verizon to Explain Doubling of Fees

This article is about the FCC inquiring about Verizon’s recent increase in fees that are charged to customers who break their contracts on smart phones.  Verizon has raised the fee for customers who cancel their smart phone contracts from $175 to $350.  The main FCC issue is that Verizon has not directly informed their customers about this increase in fees.  Instead, they only put the rate increase into the small print of the contract, where many people would never see it.  Verizon is justifying the fee increase by saying that the use of smart phones has increased significantly over the past several months and that there is a significant loss to the company when customers cancel their contracts early.

The main ethical issue here is whether Verizon is justified in doubling its fees.  While I understand that Verizon loses a lot of revenue when customers cancel their contracts early, I don’t believe that this gives Verizon the right to double their fees.  I believe that they are simply taking advantage of their customers, and that is unacceptable.  I also think that it is unethical to not directly inform their customers about the rate increase.  Since customers can readily change phone companies after their contracts expire, it would seem that Verizon should be doing more to take care of their valued customers.

R. Brow

CDC Warns of Fake H1N1 Flu Scam E-Mails

CDC Warns of Fake H1N1 Flu Scam E-Mails

This article is about a recent internet scam about the H1N1 flu vaccine.  There have been several different scams created by hackers that ask people to create a personal vaccination profile on the CDC web site.  However, the CDC does not have any such program, and the personal data is being used by hackers to spread computer viruses.  Therefore, the CDC is informing the public that they should not give out any personal data or respond to any e-mails that claim to have connections to the CDC.

The main ethical issue here is that the hackers are using the fear caused by a national pandemic to take advantage of people and pursue their own self interests.  It is certainly immoral to attempt to cause harm to others by spreading computer viruses.  However, it is even more unethical to take advantage of people who are in fear of the H1N1 pandemic.  Therefore, I hope that these hackers are found and punished for attempting to take advantage of so many innocent people.

R. Brow

Senate Votes on Long-Term Care

The Senate is going to keep the long-term care insurance plan in its health overhaul bill. The Republicans fell short of their 60 votes. It was 51-47. This care plan helps seniors and the disabled stay in their homes and not have to resort to nursing homes. Workers pay premiums and if they shall get hurt or become disabled, they will be payed 50 dollars daily. These monies can contribute to an independent living. This was the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s program.

This is a very good thing that the Senate is doing. Why it was ever re-voted on, I don’t understand. Does the Republicans not care about the people of America or are they just wanting all the benefits for themselves and not worried about the people? I like knowing that there are programs out there that can help us in our time of need. These are great investments because no one really knows what the future will bring.

Should you be paid for being on call?

Should you be paid for being on call?

This article is about a woman who was working for a company that had to lay some people off, her boss offered her a deal to do the same job she was currently doing but getting paid hourly with no benefits (she was salary before). Because of the scare of unemployment she took the offer but had nothing in writing. Her boss has told her she is to be “on-call” pretty much 24/7 but she only gets paid 40hrs a week. I know there are companies out there that do have employees “on-call” like resturants for example. But resturants use their judgement based on how busy they get or how long of a wait they are on. I dont really see there being a need, except for emergency personnel, for having employee’s on-call. But then again I dont feel they should be getting paid all hours of the day and night because they are on-call. I am stuck in the middle on this one, there is a resonable argument for both sides.

Robber Feeds Baby

Two suspects enter a home intending to rob the place in Indianapolis. One of them was an 18 year old boy who was picked up at Arlington High School and is now in police custody. While they were ram shacking the house, they heard a baby crying. The 18 year old warmed up a bottle in the microwave in order to feed the baby during the robbery attempt. He is held on charges of burglary, robbery, criminal confinement, and pointing a firearm.

It’s immoral and unethical to steal someone’s personal belongings that they’ve worked so hard for. However, it’s moral and ethical to feed a hungry baby. In this case there was a right and a wrong. They shouldn’t have been in the residence at all. This goes to show that some criminals have a heart. This is very strange.

Stealing From The Church!!!

Someone in Georgia went into Berean Baptist Church and stole very expensive equipment, microphones, laptops, and important information contained on the laptop. Whoever it was tried to break into the safe only to find that it was empty. This makes the fourth robbery within two years for the church. The ironic thing is that the robber left a note for the church. It read “‘Sorry but I’m poor. Forgive me Lord.’” The Rev. Roger Davis said maybe he needs to put up his own note letting potential robbers know to contact him and he’ll see about putting up a collection to help them out.

The robber is very disturbed if he’d rather steal from a church of worship. I’m the type that would rather go to the church for help, not take from them when they can offer it to you. I can tell that the person may have some conscience problems by leaving the note, but it doesn’t make it right. Like the Reverend said, come to him and he’ll try and make it right. Have faith in the Lord, don’t take from him.

Santa’s wish list: Flu shot & hand sanitizer

Swine Flu concerns

With all the confusion about H1N1 and who needs to get the shot, who doesn’t and why nobody realized about the seriousness about the santas. All of the country (and world) have santas who work from the beginning of December up until the big day and have thousands excited kids waiting to tell santa whats on their list. But now with the swine flu scare the santas are almost a must when it comes to getting the vaccination. Unfortuately santas are not officially in the priority high-risk group according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and because the vaccine is in limited supply. This article really isn’t an ethical issue but because of the worry of children getting swine flu they won’t be seeing santa this year. I just remember when I was little how big of a deal it was to go see santa at the near by mall!! Doctors can’t really tell parents not to bring thier kids to see santa but with the thousands of kids sitting on santas lap this year there will be a lot of germs and viruses going around, which is something to think twice about.

Officer Stealing Gas

Springfield Officer John Fulmer was arrested for petty larceny and misconduct in office. The State Law Enforcement Division charged the 51 year old after he was caught charging the town for fuel used to fill his personal vehicle. He was arrested and released on Friday with a 10,000 dollar bond.

If this isn’t one of the silliest idiotic things an officer can do, I don’t know what is. This is very much so an ethical issue. Everyone else has to pay for gas, why not Fulmer? He may have lost his job over $191 is gas for his personal vehicle. I know he makes well over this amount on his checks!!!

440 Year Sentence Upheld

Darry Hanna was convicted back in 2007 after the acquittal of the murder of his sister Teresa Hanna. United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, has upheld the conviction of Hanna’s charges on one count of conspiracy, nineteen counts of mail fraud, and two counts of wire fraud. The wire fraud was in connection with the August 2003 murder of his sister-in-law. There were also fraudulent attempts to collect on life insurance policies after her death. Hanna was sentenced to 440 years in prison. He tried to get it overturned by saying hat statements made by Teresa Hanna prior to her death, as well as a letter written by Davy Hanna, his brother, prior to his suicide, should not have been admitted as evidence in his trial.

I believe that the courts upheld the decision that’s right for justice. I can’t believe someone could actually get a 440 year sentence. How it’s possible is beyond me. But anyway, those statements that were introduced at his initial trial were relevant and I believe that he should rot in jail for the evil, despite, and immoral things he’s done.

Deputy Arrest in Chesterfield County

A Chesterfield County Deputy has been busted by Federal Agents on drug conspiracy charges. Albert “Brent” Surratt, III was arrested on Thursday, December 3, 2009. Surratt is charged with the manufacture of meth and possession of a firearm during a drug crime. Although he hasn’t been with the Chesterfield County Department long, he has been fired. He worked there since June of this year.

What is really going on in the world today? Instead of protecting and serving, Surratt’s a criminal in the justice system. How does that work? As we can see, this is not tolerated and he was relieved of his duties as a deputy but how are the people of Chesterfield County reacting to this new found information? Are they going to believe that their department is corrupt or not believe that they are corrupt because they took immediate actions?