The best thing to lobby would be to provide greater funding to the National Archives and Library of Congress for the preservation of our heritage -- records of national importance, including personal heritage. The reality (after living in the DC area, is that this just isn't an area of interest/priority for them -- particularly in an election year). It's just not. They get THOUSANDS of emails a day on various topics and access to records is just not a "hot" topic. (I have friends that work on the Hill, including a Chief Counsel. We've discussed this.) The SSDI problem is that the laws were already changed, without fanfare or notice to the public. Reversing a law, once in place, will be difficult. Since 911 the fever is toward protecting security rather than opening access to records. STATE records vary by the state. Some are more restrictive than others -- FAR more restrictive. Better to find a member/members who might support this, and go that avenue. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ronald and Laura Bozzay" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 10:13 AM Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths If we all write to our respective congressmen/women we have the voting power to get this reversed. Elected representatives weigh their mail and count their emails on topics. Lobbyists use this info to their advantage. You want it changed...start sending emails to congress. Big business knows how to use lobbyists to get what they want. But the reality is all the money in contributions do not offset a large voter base. I grew up watching this in action. Start sending those notes now if you want this changed. Laura >________________________________ > From: Marilyn L. Arnold <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 8:22 AM >Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > >From: <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > >>Less free sites are available every week. >> > >fewer > >true. My biggest complaint is not w/Ancestry (which provides a lot of buck >for the money) it's with all the sites where you used to be able to get tel >#s, addresses for free and now it's pay only $20-30/shot. Now THAT should >be free! > >Yes, it is a concern for those on limited means, but going to a FHL, with >limited hours vs. 24/7 connection there's no comparison. Don't have to get >dressed up; can relax w/my coffee. I mean $300/yr, or $0.83/day is cheap. >I can't GET to a FHL for that $$$ and I drive a hybrid not a beast >box/SUV/truck-class vehicle. Home vs. no coffee, no comfortable clothes, >people talking loudly ... which is worth more? > >Ancestry, in business terms, is the big gorilla in the closet -- no real >competitors (for US resources). But GWB put the country into two major wars >12 years ago, plus a republican-dominated legislature, at the same time, >rather than raising taxes to fund these wars, lowered taxes -- leaving no >money for discressionary spending. What this meant, in simple terms was >that we (US) went from having a record surplus under the previous >administration to a record deficit), as we (US) were spending BILLIONS more >money than we were taking in in revenue (taxes). > >While these (SSDI records, census, other public records) probably should be >free (after all, they are -- public!), they will never be under current >economic circumstances the US was thrust into under this administration. >Yes, it would be great if all these records were digitized and free, but we >(in the US) are in a terrible economic position -- caused by the billions >and billions we're spending internationally, without any offset in >income/compensation -- and funding for things that you (I, many) feel might >be important -- like free access to public records via digitization at the >National Archives, Library of Congress, is just not going to happen any >time >soon. That's just the reality. > >Ancestry is ONE of several contractors now making $$$ doing just this an >charging the public for access to these records. (Our government is >oursourcing this project.) And (as a 12-15+ year user of Ancestry) the QC >has seriously gone downhill as they've done more outsourcing to foreign >countries.) Is this appropriate? Probably not. Is this an appropriate >discussion for this list? Probably not, either! I'm new to the list so >please don't dump for this one post. > >As to the SSDI records themselves ... we (you, I ... all of us) have LOST >access to them in the last 6 months, without notice. (Probably an >appropriate post) >REF: >http://megansmolenyak.posterous.com/social-security-administration-extends-foia-r >For those of us interested in family history, this will only make it harder >to find family members. I personally am very blessed to have found my >Mother's cousins families and it was only through the SS-5. It's been >such >a joy. Without this information ... it would have been families lost >forever ... very sad ... > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> >Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 2:00 PM >Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > >>I agree with you both, Marvin and Max. Less free sites are available every >>week. >> > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without >the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message