30 MAR 09: Who Thinks You Are a Millionaire?
Did you know I work for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York? It was news to me, too. The last time I visited that area was 16 years ago -- and while I took a tour of the New York Stock Exchange, I bought a souvenir hat instead of stock.
This discovery came to my attention during Serious Spring Cleaning, when I reviewed a letter I set aside from months ago. It contained a free copy of my credit report -- and the report stated I work for the Federal Reserve Bank. That may also explain why so many of my credit card accounts were listed as "current."
I'm mailing a corrected version of that credit report to Florida - and based on what my brother told me Sunday night, I should have sent it sooner. He said the different occupation could be a sign of identity theft. If that's true, at least somebody traded up....
An online search found yes indeed, there's another Richard Burkard in government work -- except he's with the Government Accountability Office in Washington. He happens to be part of the G.A.O. "Fitness and Athletics Association." If we ever meet, I want the challenge to be in racquetball and not running.
This isn't the only case of mistaken identity I've faced lately. Several days ago the phone rang at home during breakfast, with someone offering a sure-fire investment idea. This is known in the sales business as a "cold call" - and committing thousands of dollars over the phone to a total stranger truly gives me the chills.
The man invited me to invest in a company called "Source Energy." I don't remember much about what else he said, because he had me at "invest." That is, he had me running the other direction....
"May I ask where you got my name?" I said to the man. He told me I was on a list of people with "a net worth of more than one million dollars." Which beggar on a Columbus street started spreading that story, after I bought him dinner?
The Source Energy man then admitted his offer was for people with an income of at least $200,000. Aw c'mon - I only called myself a Doctor when I was a boy because "Doctor J" Julius Erving sounded cool.
The man also figured I was in the "35-percent tax bracket." To be honest, I couldn't tell you what tax bracket I'm in - and scoring 63 percent in the NCAA basketball bracket currently has me far down in 273rd place.
I suppose I should consider these things compliments. My credit score is near the top of the scale, and someone out there must think I'm loaded with "mad money" in the middle of a recession. But I've seen my investments drop in value like so many other people - so for now, a "big spending" day might be a pricy loaf of "wheat berry" bread for $2.50.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Several recent topics have blog readers writing. We start with a response to the heat being faced by the Muscogee County District Attorney....
Hello,
I've been in town visiting family and came across some of the recent criticism written about Julia Slater's decisions. I want to point out that I have had some dealings with Julia recently and have found her to be diligent and genuinely concerned about correcting inaccuracies she has inherited in her new position. Most recently, her office recovered the dog tags Richard Davis was wearing the night he was murdered. His parents have been asking for the return of these and other items for many years, but to no avail. This may seem like a small gesture, but a soldier's dog tags are sacred to military families. More than that however, is where they were found: at the bottom of a box with misc. items totally unrelated to the case. It's no surprise now that the many requests for personal evidence items fell on deaf ears in the past.
Julia has had to create a team of people to sort through and organize the evidence room at the courthouse because over the years, if someone needed a box, they would just empty the contents of one into another. This should be considered a mishandling of evidence and a concern to everyone. Hopefully, when the room is sorted out, Richard Davis's missing rib bone will be found.
As to whether or not she should have opted for the death penalty in the doctor's hospital shooting, that's not something I want to comment on one way or the other. But I would like to know where the criticism for former Muscogee County D. A's were when other murder cases just as deserving of the death penalty were passed over for the very same reasons?
Cilla McCain
Cilla has a special interest in the Richard Davis murder case, as she's written a book about it which will be published next fall. Former District Attorney Gray Conger and his aides decided against seeking the death penalty in that case, as they were concerned about a lack of evidence [21 May 06]. Who could have guessed it might be hidden under a stack of boxes?
It was stunning enough for us to learn Richard Davis's remains were kept in a box inside the Government Center [29 Mar 07]. But now we learn one of the bones is missing?! Let's all hope some sick city employee doesn't try to sell it on eBay.
On the other side of the issue, we have this:
Ms.Slater needs to wake up and face the music...Murder 3 times over calls for the death penality . When is election time again?
For the District Attorney, it's not until 2012. And with so many so-called "prophets" predicting the apocalypse by then, the only ouster may come from a Higher power.
Let's move to an issue where there now seems to be some unity. We received a "Press Release," which we're editing a bit....
We are excited to announce that two great Social Blog Sites of Columbus Georgia are now Joining Forces and Merging to become The Hottest Diverse Social Blog in Columbus Georgia.
www.columbusga.ning.com is now merging with www.columbusgeorgia.ning.com
We are taking Social Blogging to a whole new level and we hope you will join our diverse vibrant community of leaders, readers, writers, artists, and forward thinkers....
The owners of the two social blogs have decided to combine our efforts and create the number one major Social Blogging Empire of the Southeast....
These two S-Blogs broke away several weeks ago from InTown Columbus -- and now they're talking about an empire?! You don't even hear the Amos family talk about Aflac with language like that.
The merged web sites empire promise free membership and free advertising. This is how you can tell the operators have regular full-time jobs - because otherwise they'd be operating their "empire" from public access computers at the library.
Let's take one more e-mail, from a man we mentioned Friday:
"Sir" Richard:
Your recent cliche about my coming out of retirement is well worth considering. Here's the deal! I'm trying to contact Yella Fella, and if he will help me I will get back in the saddle.
The mayor of "Hurt'sboro has promised to buy us whiskey and to provide beer for our horses if he can scrape up the cash.
I'm plannin' a party for those varmints - a necktie party that is. Would you like an invite?
Your Pard,
Constable????
R.J. Schweiger
Robert Schweiger attached a picture of himself upon a horse named Sheba, ready for duty. But I hope he doesn't wind up in one of those Western barroom brawls -- because that "disabled" Hurtsboro Police Chief might have to come to his rescue.
I've never been invited to a "necktie party" before. This sounds like fun - and I'll bring the brown worsted wool knit one which had co-workers impressed a few weeks ago.
We thank all of you who write us - and now let's quickly check some Sunday headlines:
+ The Phenix City Amphitheater stage remained under water, due to a high level of the Chattahoochee River. This was a great illustrated sermon on faith waiting to happen, but no church moved its service there.
+ The Columbus Cottonmouths lost at Fayetteville 4-3 in overtime, and face an elimination game tonight. You can tell the hockey is getting serious - because not one player was penalized for fighting. [True!]
+ Columbus State University held a reunion for the 1984 baseball team, which went to the Division II College World Series. The game truly has changed in the last 25 years. Back then, fans were more concerned about the size of George Steinbrenner's mouth than the arm muscles of players.
+ Instant Message to the Auburn University College Republicans: Did you go ahead and stage that outdoor "tea party" Friday? Or were you afraid the rain might leave brown stains on the sidewalk?
SCHEDULED TUESDAY: The city of Columbus wants it, so why isn't the city marking it?....
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BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 638 (- 54, 7.8%)
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.
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