What the SSA and a lot of other Govt Agencies want you to do, is go away and not "bother" them... They have forgotten what the Oath which they signed when they went to work in Civil Service says...that they pledge to SERVE the people of this great Nation...and the increase in prices is designed to get you to stop "bothering" them...That is why it is so high... No way could an entry-level clerk cost that much, to provide that small service, and if they use higher level clerks, they are over- qualified... You can see, I have little sympathy for Government Workers, most of whom have a "cushy job" with tenure, and lots of benefits... To every one that doesn't want to SERVE the Public, get out of the way, there are ten more waiting in line to replace You... We still need a firestorm of mail upon Congress... Gerry >From: "Tree Mother" <tonin1@airmail.net> >To: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [MISSISSIPPI] Letter to Tommy Thompson on SS-5 >Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:12:37 -0500 > >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 > > > > >==== 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. > >============================== >Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: >Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. >http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

Enough!