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Grant Expert Warns
Consumers to Beware of NY Consumer Protection Board
Free money master Matthew Lesko demystifies
government grant programs and claims.
Kensington, MD December 28, 2004 --
www.lesko.com/truth [Grant expert Matthew Lesko] claims the
New York Consumer Protection Boards (CPB) misleading statements
in their new report about government programs can be hurting up
to 50 million of the same consumers they are trying to help.
Because of the high volume of consumer complaints, the CPB
recently issued a report cracking down on scam artists who
charge high fees by promising
www.lesko.com/truth [free government money]. It is a noble
effort to try to eliminate cheats and crooks in our society but
not the right approach because it is turning millions of
taxpayers away from government programs who are eligible for
this help, says best-selling author Matthew Lesko.
Throughout the CPB report and in its nationally distributed news
release, the agency warns consumers against trusting anyone
selling information about little-known government money
programs. The CPB claims most consumers already know about these
programs or can easily find out. But recent studies by the
Congress, U.S. investigative agencies and non-profit
organizations prove that:
* 4 Million Seniors can receive up to $1,000 from Medicare but
they dont apply because they are unaware of the program (*1)
* 6 Million Families are missing out on free health insurance
for their kids (*2)
* 10 Million Families can get up to $4,000 a year for groceries
but dont apply (*3)
* 800,000 College Students can receive grants up to $4,050 but
dont apply (*4)
* 29 Million Seniors dont know they can get colonoscopies, bone
mass measurement, prostate cancer and glaucoma tests paid for by
Medicare (*5)
And if the CPB says its so easy to find out about government
programs, then why does a recent U.S. Government Accountability
Office study (*6) reveal that:
* 39% of recent consumers who called the Medicare hotline with
questions got the wrong answer or no answer at all, and
* 96% of the doctors who called into Medicare got the wrong
answer or only a partial answer.
The CPB report characterizes Matthew Leskos web site and some of
his books as providing solid and useful but then blames Leskos
legitimate advertising as somehow encouraging scam artists. The
CPB also discloses that there are zero complaints and no
investigation against Lesko.
NY Consumer Protection Board Doesnt Know U.S. OMB
The CPB also states that there is very little free money
available for individuals from the government becauseExperts say
most government grants only go to agencies and organizations not
individuals. They base this statement on their interview with an
U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official.
Although this is a true statement from OMB about government
grants, it is a false statement about all free money from the
government. OMB categorizes most free government money to
individuals under the term direct payments. The OMB budget
figures show that in 2003 the government gave out $250 billion
in grants to individuals (most of which go through local
governments and agencies) but also gave out $1 trillion in
direct payments to individuals (*7). The CPB should call back
the OMB and get the correct information.
And if there is very little money available to individuals, why
does the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
write in a recent book (*8) that consumers receive $1.2 trillion
dollars in federal, state and local government handouts every
year?
About Matthew Lesko
Lesko has devoted over 25 years educating consumers on how to
get their tax dollars back from government programs that have
been enacted into law. Recently, he has been giving lectures to
wounded GIs at Walter Reed Hospital (www.lesko.com/walterreed.html)
about little-known government money programs that can help these
veterans put their lives back together as well as helping Iraqi
War Widows (www.lesko.com/starsstripes).
They, too, are all unaware of the thousands of government grant
and free money opportunities that can help in their hour of
need.
It seems an abuse of power by the NY Consumer Protection Board
to issue press releases and reports that mislead consumers about
the opportunities available to all taxpayers to improve their
lives.
Please visit
www.lesko.com/truth for more information. Matthew Lesko is
available for interviews 24/7.
Contact:
Debbie Samson
800-261-6147
e-mail
protected from spam bots
*for more details see
www.lesko.com/truth
(*1)http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04363.pdf
(*2)http://www.kff.org/medicaid/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=28333
(*3)http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04346.pdf
(*4)http://www.acenet.edu/resources/HigherEdFacts/issue-briefs/2004FAFSA.pdf
(*5)http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03958.pdf
(*6)http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05130.pdf
(*7)http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/pdf/hist.pdf
(*8)Running On Empty by Peter G. Peterson, former Chairman of
Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2004 New York: Farrar, Straus
and Giroux)
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