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Lusk Creek Visit

On Tuesday, April 11, I toured part of the Lusk Creek Wilderness in the Shawnee National Forest. We visited Salt Peter Cave, the Natural Bridge (shown above), and High Point Bluff. This tour gave me the opportunity to see first hand many of the concerns regarding the use of the Lusk Creek Wilderness. The Shawnee National Forest is a beautiful treasure for southern Illinois. I encourage you to take the opportunity to visit the forest if you get the chance. For more information on the Shawnee, you can visit their website at www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/shawnee.

REMINDER:

· Medicare Part D Sign Up

This is a very important opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those who do not have a prescription drug benefit plan, to obtain one through Medicare. I want to make sure that seniors and others who apply, first, get all the information they need to make a decision; second, that they understand they have choices and options and need to make a decision that fits their personal needs.

While the Medicare Part D program officially began on January 1, 2006, Medicare beneficiaries currently on Medicare actually have until May 15, 2006, to make their choice without penalty.

There are numerous plans available to Medicare beneficiaries in Illinois, and I’m sure there are still some questions.

I will be hosting seminars on April 21st and 22nd, for Medicare beneficiaries to gather additional information on the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and to sign up. The exact times and places are:

Friday, April 21, 2006, 10:00 a.m.- 12 noon

Lakeland College Kluthe Center, Room 222, 1204 Network Center Drive, Effingham;

Friday, April 21, 2006, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Sanford-Brown College, 1101 Eastport Plaza Drive, Collinsville;

Saturday, April 22, 2006, 10:00 a.m.-12 noon

Southeastern Illinois College, A144, 3575 College Road, Harrisburg;

Saturday, April 22, 2006, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Frontier Community College, Richard L. Mason Building, Room 25, 2 Frontier Drive, Fairfield.

Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is the best place to get assistance in making your Medicare prescription drug plan choice. Feel free to contact them at 1-800-548-9034 or visit the Illinois SHIP website, http://www.idfpr.com/DOI/Ship/ship_help.asp.

Also, Rx for Illinois, A Partnership for Prescription Assistance, works to provide access to over 475 programs that help people without prescription coverage pay for their medication. They will be in Springfield, Illinois on April 4, 2006. For more information, please visit their website, www.pparx.org, or call 202-835-3436.

Also, for more information on how to sign up, please visit my website, www.house.gov/shimkus.

D.C. and District Talk

· Taxpayer Rights

I have recently become a cosponsor of H.R. 5114, the Taxpayer Return Choice Act of 2006.

This bill will prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from launching a “return free” tax system. A “return free” system would allow the IRS to prepare tax returns, then notify the taxpayer what they think the taxpayer owes.

I cannot support a system where the IRS acts as both tax preparer and tax collector. Such a system would bring inherent risk that the IRS would not utilize all potential deductions that someone might be eligible for.

Treasury Secretary Snow stated before a House subcommittee last week that he did not support a “return free” system.

I would also like to remind everyone of the quickly approaching April 17 deadline to file 2005 tax returns or extensions.

If you have any questions, please visit www.irs.gov.

Constituent Corner

· Disaster Loan Assistance

The Director of the Small Business Administration’s Field Operations Center East, Frank Skaggs, is encouraging individuals who want to apply for disaster loan assistance not to wait until they settle with their insurance companies.

If one waits on settlements, they could just be delaying their own recovery effort. According to Mr. Skaggs, most homeowners, renters, and business owners will find that they are not fully covered for their damages and will need additional funds to complete repairs. If these individuals don’t apply by filling out their SBA Disaster Loan Application, then they will not be able to receive this needed help.

Even if a person has insurance, they should call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA and register for assistance.

For more information on Disaster Loan Assistance, you can visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/loaninfo/dloanassit.html.

· National Volunteer Week

The week of April 23 – 29 is dedicated to National Volunteer Week.

Volunteering and charitable giving is one of the most selfless acts that one can provide. It is important that we each take time to do our part to make our communities, nation, and world a better place. National Volunteer Week is not only a great week to get involved, but also a week to thank all of the individuals who spend so much of their time helping others.

For more information, please visit www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw.

· Library Donations

I am pleased to announce an award of classic books to ten libraries in the 19th District by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through the We the People Bookshelf program, these libraries will receive 15 books on the theme of “Becoming American”.

Receiving books will be Bluford Elementary School, Metro-East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Farmersville-Waggoner Public Library District, Glen Carbon Centennial Library, Bond County Unit 2 High School in Greenville, Harold Repp Memorial Library at Zion Lutheran School in Litchfield, Lawrence Memorial Library in Springfield, Tri-Township Public Library District in Troy, Vandalia Community High School, and Wayne City Unit 100 Schools.

Libraries are valuable sources of information at schools and to the community. I hope that these works will increase the knowledge of our history and culture.

For more information on these awards, please visit www.neh.gov.

· Internet Phishing Scams

Internet scams are all over the Internet and even with spam blockers, they manage to get through into our email accounts.

Many of these emails will falsely make you believe that they are contacting you from a legitimate business, while trying to hook unsuspecting individuals. A recent scam actually tells you that you have violated an actual law and quotes an actual case that was won. With this factual information, they try to gain ground. They tell you that if you do not pay a specific price, say $500, within a certain timeframe, they will sue you for not less than twice that amount.

Luckily, in 2005, only 2.5 percent of people receiving these types of false claims actually fell for them. This number is down from three percent in 2004. The bad thing is that the amount of theft went from $690 million in 2004 to $1.5 billion last year.

For more information on these scams, please visit www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/phishingalrt.htm.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Thursday, April 27, 2006, Amy Weber of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Dahlgren and Belle Rive. In Dahlgren, she will be in the Dahlgren Senior Center on Third Street from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. In Belle Rive, she will be at the Belle Rive Village Hall at 109 S. Main from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit my web page at www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.shtml. I hope you stop in to see us!

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in recess until April 25, 2006 for a district work period.

· Keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site for upcoming legislation: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Lincoln Shot

On this day, April 14, 1865, as a part of a Confederate conspiracy to reclaim their loss, John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln in the head. Lincoln was carried across the street where he survived until early morning and passed away. He was the first U.S. President to be assassinated.

For more information, please visit www.historychannel.com.

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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