Art: I don't think we are bad mouthing the government. It is just strange that NARA and Soc.Sec. have increased their fees out of proportion to the service they provide. Since Genealogy has become one of the most popular activities these days, I truly believe that the powers that be are taking us for a ride. The excuse for the increase at SS was that they have do so much more research for the public now. Well, wait a minute there boys, first of all our taxes pay the wages for those GS-3/4 to open a file drawer and make photocopies and also we have to provide them with the name and number on the form because they Do Not do searches for us. I know how the government works or doesn't work because I am a federal retiree who chose a early out rather than stay around with the desperate and/or indifferent employees. Anyone who tries to do a good job is ridiculed and reminded to read their job description and the employee manual. Don't Volunteer isn't just for military details! ----- Original Message ----- From: Art Morgan <artmorg@wt.net> To: <MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 9:47 PM Subject: Re: [MISSISSIPPI] Letter to Tommy Thompson on SS-5 > It seems to me that it would have been much more to the point to ask Mr. > Thompson to give us an honest and straight forward explanation for why his > department found it necessary to raise the fees for these services. It's > possible you know that due to the increased number of people involved in the > genealogy process that the demands upon his office for this information > justifies the fee increases. If it's possible for him to explain these > increases I believe that he might be more than justified in charging more > money for this service. I would hope that those of us that depend upon this > information would be more than willing to pay a fair price for this service > rather than poor mouth the government on the basis that most of us are > disabled, or on fixed incomes and have to depend on the government for > another handout. I personally don't like being included in a category that > says most of us are in this position and that these increases put these > services out of our reach. I don't think this is true and I believe it > mars our collective position. If Mr. Davis wants to make this plea on the > basis of his own position then that's fine but don't put us all in that > class. I believe when one takes this position with one of our appointed > officials the result is that we are all painted with an unjustified negative > position and we do more harm than good. > > Art Morgan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bobbye Davis" <bobbye@microsped.com> > To: <MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 9:13 AM > Subject: [MISSISSIPPI] Letter to Tommy Thompson on SS-5 > > > > For those of you who would like to protest the increases in rates copy > this > > letter I sent to Sec. Tommy Thompson and sign your name to it.Maybe with > > enough protest we can get something done. > > Secretary Tommy G. Thompson > > U.S. Department of Health and Human Services > > 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 639-G > > Washington, DC 20201 > > > > > > > > Dear Mr. Thompson, > > > > As an avid Genealogist it has come to the attention of my self and > hundreds > > of thousand of others that we have literally been struck down by the > > increase in the price of the SS-5 form. > > This has been one of the most valuable lower priced tools we have had. > They > > have been $7.00 up until July 1,2001. Now the cost is $27.00 for just less > > than a half of a page of information. We usually have the correct SS > number > > written on the letter that is generated from the Ancestry.com web site. > So > > it is not hard for them to be found. > > Most people like me doing research are disabled and on fixed incomes. So > > the raise in fees puts us out of reach on this. A lot of us cannot > travel > > to look up records so we have to depend on volunteers,archives and on > line > > records. With these SS-5 records we can find missing birth dates, > parents > > names and ect. that may not be available elsewhere. > > Isn't there something that can be done to get this fee lowered to a > > reasonable level? > > > > Cordially, > > > > > > > > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi > > where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. > > > > ============================== > > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 > > > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > To subscribe and Unsubscribe with ease, visit http://www.rootsweb.com/mississi and scroll down and click the appropriate link for the list you want, then click on Send > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB >