January 24, 2009

Dear Friends,

A lot has happened since January started a few short weeks ago. We have a new Congress, a new President, and unprecedented challenges before us. I just wanted to take a moment to keep you up-to-date with everything that’s been happening.

The Economy

* Last week, I introduced an amendment to prevent any company that receives funds as part of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) from outsourcing any new customer service or call center jobs to a foreign-based company. Given the rising unemployment rate – both nationally and in our district – I don’t think it’s unreasonable to demand that American workers are used to fill any new customer service jobs for the companies that are assisted with American taxpayer dollars. This amendment passed in the House by a voice vote.

* Tax season is just around the corner. Thankfully, the Internal Revenue Service has just introduced a new program, called Free File Fillable, which will allow taxpayers to electronically file their returns regardless of income level. For more information, visit the IRS Web site.

* Also, the IRS has suspended the mandatory retirement distribution requirements for the 2009 tax year. In past years, people over the age of 70 ½ were required to withdraw a portion of their retirement income if it was earned on a tax-free basis. However, given the portfolio losses many people have dealt with over the past year, President Bush signed a law in late December that suspended this requirement to allow people to continue saving and investing toward retirement.

Employment Opportunities

* On January 27, there will be a job fair at the YMCA in Kings Mountain. Participating employers include: Bayada Nurses, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Coventry Healthcare, and Gastonia Sheet Metal. The address is: 211 Cleveland Avenue Kings Mountain, NC 28086.

* The US Census Bureau recently opened an office in Charlotte, and will create 15,000 temporary jobs in preparation of the 2010 Census. All jobs start at $8.75/hour and schedules are flexible More information on these jobs can be found at www.2010censusjobs.gov

And, in other news:

* On Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power televisions will go digital. If you have a television that is currently connected to cable, satellite, or another television service, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you have an analog television – one that receives signal via “rabbit earsâ€