January 21, 2005

Re: Ninth Update To October 14, 2004 Correspondence

Dear Senator:

Frankly, the canned, computer-generated form letter, dated 12-14-04, from Donald S. Clark, Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) forwarded by one of your staffers in Austin is laughably unresponsive.

Clearly, you have not been well-served by staff. Apparently, your employees in Austin have not read the original correspondence of October 14 and eight follow-up letters sent to your Washington office.

Had they read the material, it would have been immediately clear, information was not sought from your office, -- instead, badly-needed action. … Information had earlier already been supplied by credit reporting agencies (CRA's), as well as from a complaint filed with a glaringly unresponsive FTC long before the October 14 letter sent to your Washington office. … Correspondence ignored by your office that carefully and in great detail indicated abuses and other problems needing immediate attention from you and your colleagues.

FTC does not investigate individual complaints against CRA's. Precisely, one of the problems addressed in the first letter to your office. It is time for Congress to force desperately-needed change in that policy. Why haven't you and your colleagues taken action? Years, ago?

As clearly and repeatedly indicated in copies of correspondence forwarded to your office, several credit reporting agencies have fraudulently posted criminally obtained information in their reports and have, either refused to answer correspondence, or refused to make changes.

Worse, Experian has twice fraudulently altered my File Explanatory Statement. Twice. … A Statement, allowed by law, that had been submitted to expose the fraud perpetrated by Datasearch on behalf of Baptist Air Life. Laughably, the criminals at Experian recently removed the directly related fraudulently posted Datasearch listing. -- A false listing at the behest of Baptist Air Life that necessitated posting of the File Explanatory Statement in the first place. Yet, they have not, to date, removed the fraudulently altered Statement that they criminally manufactured and posted. Only, the fraudulent listing by Datasearch was deleted.

Also, fraudulent information can be posted at any credit reporting agency at no risk to the credit reporting agency or the business posting such information. Why?

Consumers don't know where this information is posted, and have to go to each credit reporting agency individually to determine what is posted and where it's posted. Why?

This is outrageously unjust and unduly beneficial to corrupt and abusive credit reporting agencies and their equally corrupt and abusive business clients. When will you and your congressional colleagues force change? When?

When will you sponsor legislation forcing a change in federal statutes that will prevent insurance companies and employers from requiring and/or gaining access to credit information that is none of their damned business, and used to falsely and fraudulently discriminate against citizens? When?

There is an immediate need for investigation and prosecution, not information disingenuously supplied by FTC, since credit reporting agencies will not regulate themselves, and are not regulated by the Federal Trade Commission on an individual basis. Why not? When will this outrageous policy change? What will you do?

As repeatedly stated in earlier correspondence, it is time for a congressional investigation and direct oversight of credit reporting agencies and their shills in the Federal Trade Commission. Why haven't you and your colleagues already taken action? Respectfully, is every damned legislator bought and paid for?

Credit reporting agencies are egregiously incapable of providing accurate credit reports. They do not respond to complaints, or are utterly unresponsive when they do. They post contradictory information as repeatedly indicated in earlier correspondence to you.

If the Federal Trade Commission does not investigate and prosecute individual complaints, who does? The U.S. Attorney? If not, do you think your constituents are adequately served? Who protects our interests on an individual basis when credit reporting agencies fraudulently and criminally alter submitted File Explanatory Statements? Yet, no one investigates? No one prosecutes? No one?

How many of your constituents can afford counsel or file suit? … Or is this the intention of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)? -- That is, unfair, unjust benefit to corrupt and abusive credit reporting agencies and the equally corrupt and abusive firms that benefit from their false information?

Respectfully, wake up, Senator. Your constituents expect and demand better. Why should the public have to jump through hoops to remove fraudulent information? Nearly all the time, unsuccessfully. Why? Don't you understand or care about the damage done the public?

This writer has not, does not, and will not ever seek credit. As a burn survivor, my information was fraudulently released by an unpaid medical provider. … A $10,000 medically-required helicopter flight to the Brooke Burn Center. Information released, without permission or knowing consent. … The only medical debt not forgiven, because this writer refused consent to a demanded future property search, and declined to provide other demanded information not germane to the billing. Think it right, Senator? Would you put up with it?

Furthermore, the information used by Datasearch on behalf of Baptist Air Life to shaft this writer on credit reports was fraudulently obtained when this writer was hospitalized, in pain, and medically drugged. In no condition to give informed consent. In the future should a medical provider ask for personal information, he or she will be promptly told to go to hell. After all, personal information is not private and certainly, unprotected.

Again, without question, the "credit" reporting industry is incapable of posting accurate information, serves only itself and the best interests of the business community. Certainly, not consumers. To date, the issues contained in the October 14, 2004 letter remain unresolved, and have been deliberately and conveniently ignored by your office.

The glaring failure of your staff to react responsively in a timely fashion to pressure the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this case is appalling. Then again, your staff did nothing some seven years ago in response to another unrelated matter. In fairness, however, you may not have been directly informed of the current matter, -- or the earlier one. Then again, if you're not directly responsible for your employees, who is? … Or is the problem the fact this writer is a political independent, has not and will not contribute money to political war chests? Won't line the pockets of our legislators?

Despite the wall conveniently provided by staff, as a United States Senator, not royalty, you should be aware of outrageous abuses, and growing ire of an increasingly divisive, divided, disenfranchised public extremely tired of unresponsive, deceptive, irresponsible, worthless government. … Government that is hopelessly corrupt, abusive, and designed to serve itself and the business community, not the public.

Precisely, why correspondence germane to this unresolved matter will continue to be sent to your office. -- For whatever the hell it's worth. … Apparently, the round basket. Also, all correspondence germane to this issue will be posted on the Liberty In Peril website upon re-launch.

After all, readers have a right to know how corrupt and abusive credit reporting agencies and their shills in the Federal Trade Commission truly are. … How unresponsive, their legislators and their offices as well. Sadly, the division in our once great country will only grow. Why? … Respectfully, Senator, look in the mirror.

Sincerely,
 

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly, The Llano Ledger
P.O. Box 997
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

Cc: 1) James Aldredge, Constituent Liaison, Austin office
      2) File