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Hirono Talks Story at 2008 Hawaii National Guard 29th Brigade Departure Ceremony - Hirono, a 2012 winner of the National Guard Association's Charles Dick Medal of Merit, has long been a strong supporter of the National Guard.
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Hirono at 2008 Hawaii National Guard 29th Brigade Departure Ceremony - Hirono, a 2012 winner of the National Guard Association's Charles Dick Medal of Merit, has long been a strong supporter of the National Guard.
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Hirono Describes Her Support for the National Guard - Photographer: Ross D. Hamamura - RDHphoto.net
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Hirono with Maj. Gen. Hargett, Maj. Gen. Wong, and Hawaii Youth Challenge Academy Cadets - Photographer: Ross D. Hamamura - RDHphoto.net
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Hirono Receives National Guard Association of the United States??? Charles Dick Medal of Merit - Photographer: Ross D. Hamamura - RDHphoto.net
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Congresswoman Hirono Introduces Resolution Honoring Mother Marianne of Molokai - Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today was joined by Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01), and two Republicans, Congressman Richard Hanna (NY-24) and Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25) in
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Congresswoman Hirono receives Charles Dick Medal of Merit - Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono receives the Charles Dick Medal of Merit from the National Guard Association of the United States on October 6, 2012
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Congresswoman Hirono Congratulates Hawaii Small Business Forum on a Decade of Success - Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono provides the keynote address at the 10th Annual Hawaii Small Business Forum: "Emerging Technologies - What Do The Customers Want" in Waikele.
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Congresswoman Hirono Calls for National Renewable Energy and Efficiency Standard - Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) rallied energy leaders at the Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit in Honolulu to demand more accountability from politicians in Washington who are holding back our
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Happy Birthday, US Army - For 237 years, brave and dedicated soldiers have answered the call to duty and defended our nation. Mahalo for all that you do and the sacrifices you and your families have made for all of us.
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Current and Former Foster Youth in DC for Convention - Hawaii delegates participate in the 18th Nationall Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
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US Army Corps of Engineers - Hawaii - L to R: Jacqueline Conant, Projects Manager, Lt Col Douglas Guttormsen, Congresswoman Hirono, Anthony Paresa, Deputry District Engineer, Derek Chow, Chief Engineer
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Retooling Hawaii's Workforce for Today's Job Market - Congresswoman Hirono meets students and alumni at the Hawaii Job Corps Center in Waimanalo.
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A Hilo Classic - Congresswoman Hirono and renown aloha wear designer Sig Zane.
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Maui Puts Best Foot Forward for Visitors - Congresswoman Hirono briefs the Maui Visitors Bureau on her newly introduced VISIT USA Act.
In The News
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Congresswoman Hirono Announces Class of 2017 U.S. Service Academies Nominees
November 30, 2012
Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today announced her nomination of 29 students from Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District to the U.S. military service academies’ Class of 2017. ...
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Congresswoman Hirono Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Mother Marianne of Molokai
November 29, 2012
Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today was joined by Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01), and two Republicans, Congressman Richard Hanna (NY-24) and Congresswoman Ann Marie...
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Congresswoman Hirono Statement in Celebration of Thanksgiving
November 21, 2012
Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today released the following statement in celebration of Thanksgiving, as observed tomorrow: “On this weekend devoted to sharing gratitude, I ...
Watching Out for Hawaii’s Consumers
Unfortunately, scams can range a wide variety of fields, from not only mortgage and credit card schemes but also fraud scams that claim to prevent, treat, or cure health conditions and scams targeting immigrants seeking to become citizens. For the many hardworking people in Hawaii and across our country, scams and identity theft continue to threaten the most wary of consumers.
Below is a listing of resources on issues such as foreclosure prevention, scams, and money management. For additional information on how Congresswoman Hirono can help Hawaii’s consumers, read her MaziEmail or click here to submit a request for help.
Foreclosure Prevention, Modification Scams, Housing Resources
· Be aware of modification scam companies who promise to get you a loan modification for a fee. Only your lender/loan servicer can offer you a loan modification. To report alleged scammers, visit www.PreventLoanScams.org or www.LoanScamAlert.org.
- The Federal Trade Commission has many resources on foreclosure, fraud prevention and other consumer issues at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/ncpw/consumer-topics.shtml
· Act 48, Hawaii’s new foreclosure law regarding non-judicial foreclosures and the Mortgage Foreclosure Dispute Resolution Program within the State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) http://hawaii.gov/dcca/oah/mfdr/mortgage-foreclosure-dispute-resolution-mfdr.html
· Making Home Affordable program for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned mortgages http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/pages/default.aspx
· The National Mortgage Settlement for mortgages other than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com/
· Hawaii Attorney General David Louie’s highlights of the Joint State-Federal Mortgage Servicing Case Settlement http://hawaii.gov/ag/mortgagesettlement/index_html
· The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) website offers more information on the national mortgage settlement at http://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/foreclosure-prevention/correcting-foreclosure-practices.html
· In April 2011, the OCC, the Federal Reserve, and the Office of Thrift Supervision took action against the 14 large mortgage servicers. If your primary residence was involved in a foreclosure process between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, you may qualify for a free Independent Foreclosure Review https://independentforeclosurereview.com/
· The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has developed a Foreclosure Prevention Tool Kit which includes resources on how mortgage modification programs can help and how to handle foreclosure rescue scams http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/loans/prevention/toolkit.html
Certified Housing Counselors
There are HUD-approved non-profit housing counselors here in Hawaiʻi who provide FREE foreclosure prevention services. Contact any one of the following HUD-certified, non-profit housing counselors for free foreclosure prevention services:
· Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
http://www.legalaidhawaii.org/
Intake Hotline: 536-4302
· Hawaii HomeOwnership Center
http://www.hihomeownership.org/foreclosure.html
Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island: 523-9500
· Hale Mahaolu Homeownership and Housing Counseling
http://www.halemahaolu.org/site/380/mortgage_delinquency.aspx
Maui, Molokai, and Lanai: 872-4100
· Hawaiian Community Assets
http://www.hawaiiancommunity.net/index.html
Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai: 587-7886
Maui and Lanai: 760-510
Hawai‘i Island: 934-0801
· Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Hawaii
Foreclosure counseling http://cccsofhawaii.org/services/foreclosure_counseling.html
Bankruptcy counseling http://cccsofhawaii.org/services/bankruptcy.html
Oahu: 532-3225
Maui, Molokai, and Lanai: 242-8399
Kauai and Hawaii Island: 969-7136
Resources on Avoiding Fraud Scams
· Watch Health Fraud Scams – Be Smart, Be Aware, Be Careful and learn how to avoid falling for a health fraud scam http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ProtectYourself/HealthFraud/ucm270086.htm
· The National Consumer Protection Week website has a page dedicated to scam and fraud alert, including the grandparent scam and scams against immigrants http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/ncpw/consumer-topics/scam-fraud-alert.shtml
· Scam artists also target investors by posing as a stockbroker or investment advisor. Scams and Swindles: An Educational Guide to Avoiding Investment Fraud was developed by the National Futures Association to describe common types of investment scams and how to avoid them http://www.nfa.futures.org/NFA-investor-information/publication-library/scams-and-swindles.pdf
· The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a site to report fraud, waste, and abuse regarding email scams, mortgages, credit cards, credit report, bank accounts, and other financial products and services http://www.treasury.gov/services/report-fwa/Pages/ReportFWA.aspx
Medicare Fraud
· To report Medicare fraud, contact:
o Office of the Inspector General, US Department of Health and Human Services
Hotline: 1-800-447-8477
Email: HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov
o Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP Hawaii)
Phone: 808-586-7281
Toll free: 1-800-286-9422
Email: eoa@doh.hawaii.gov
· To report Medicaid fraud, contact:
o For fraud committed by providers, contact the Department of the Attorney General, State of Hawaii Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
Phone: 808-586-1058
o For fraud committed by recipients, contact the Department of Human Services
State of Hawaii Recipient Hotline: 808-587-8444
· Complaints about a health insurance plan or insurance agent/broker
o Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
State of Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection: 808-586-2630
Insurance Division Insurance Fraud Investigation Branch: 808-586-2790
Email: insurance@dcca.hawaii.gov
· Complaints about vendors selling health care products
o Better Business Bureau of Hawaii
Phone: 808-536-6956
Toll free: 1-877-222-6551
Email: info@hawaii.bbb.org
· “Healthcare Fraud is a Family Matter”
· “Stop Medicare Fraud”
· “Don’t Be a Target of Healthcare Fraud”
· “Medicare Fraud & Abuse”
Resources on Handling Identity Theft
To help you repair the damage and reduce the risk of identity theft happening to you, please visit the following websites:
· The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, prepared the guide, Taking Charge: What To Do If Your Identity is Stolen http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.pdf
· The Consumer Federation of America developed www.idtheftinfo.org/ and identity theft quizzes to see how prepared you are.
· OnGuardOnline.gov provides information on uncovering tax-related identity theft http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/onguard/articles/taxrelatedidtheft.shtml
· If a taxpayer receives an IRS notice indicating identity theft, they should follow the instructions in that notice. A taxpayer who believes they are at risk of identity theft due to lost or stolen personal information should immediately contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. Visit: www.irs.gov and use search term “theft.”
· Free Tax Return Preparation for You by Volunteers http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html
Resources on Credit Repair and Money Management
· The NAACP and the Federal Trade Commission are working together to provide information on money management techniques, the business side of consumer protection, and other resources. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/partnerships/naacp/index.shtm
· The Federal Trade Commission tells you what you need to know if you’re looking to reach out to a debt relief firm or a company that promises to repair your credit.
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/moneymatters/dealing-with-debt-relief-services.shtml
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/moneymatters/dealing-with-credit-repair.shtml
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre13.shtm
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit.shtm
o http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Get-Real-Debt-Help.pdf
· The Consumer Federation of America offers a credit score quiz to test your knowledge http://www.creditscorequiz.org/
· The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) offers a Quick Guide for Consumers on Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards to learn what each card is, how it works and the consumer protections available http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/information/ncpw/cardchart.html
· The FDIC also provide a Ten Things You Should Know about Debit, Credit, or Prepaid Cards list that may be helpful in planning your use of the various cards http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/information/ncpw/cardstopten.html
Webinars on New Healthcare Law Tax Credits for Small Businesses
- Small business tax credits (available to businesses and tax-exempt organizations)—who’s eligible for them and how to claim them
- The Hawaii Health Connector - our state health insurance exchange
- Cost containment
- Tools and resources available for small businesses interested in learning more about the law
1) Presentation slides
2) Webinar fact sheet
3) Audio from the Friday webinar