I get mail from my Senator and I write back

Subj: GAO Report on Credit Card Rates and Fees
Date: 10/13/2006 6:28:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: senator_levin@levin.senate.gov
To: ____Lucky_____
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear M. ______:

I thought you might be interested in the findings of a recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that discloses excessive credit card fees, unfair interest rates, and disclosure problems. I asked GAO to look into this matter and issue a report on its findings to help shine a light on these practices that ought to be stopped. I believe this issue is a matter of simple fairness because so many American families depend on credit cards for everyday needs.

The report found several unfair or confusing credit card practices that take advantage of consumers. One abusive practice in which some credit card companies engage is charging interest on the full balance of debt incurred by a cardholder regardless of whether the cardholder has repaid a portion of that debt on time. For example, if a cardholder starts a cycle with a zero balance, charges $500 on his or her credit card, and makes a payment of $450 by the due date, some credit card companies charge interest on the full $500 instead of the $50 that is owed. That means even if a consumer pays 90 percent of his or her debt, he or she is still charged interest on the full 100 percent, not the remaining 10 percent. Compounding this problem is the fact that many consumers are unaware of these charges until they appear on their bill.

The report also found that credit card holders are subject to late fees that are higher than ever before. GAO reported that the average penalty in 2005 for making a late payment was $34. That's a 115 percent increase from the average late fee of $13 in 1995. The highest late fee was $39 per occurrence. That's a steep fee that can take a real bite out of a family's budget.

GAO also reported a number of hidden fees that are not disclosed in the materials provided to cardholders, such as charging families a $15 fee to pay their credit card bill over the phone before the late fee kicks in. It seems wrong to charge money to pay a bill. Additionally, GAO found that current fee disclosures are difficult to understand, bury important information, and often fail to convey to cardholders when late fees would be charged and what actions could result in penalty interest rates.

While consumers should make smart choices and do their best to avoid excessive debt, credit card companies should not exploit vulnerable consumers by imposing unnecessary and costly fees that can make it almost impossible for many to pay down their debt in a reasonable time. I plan to introduce legislation in the Senate to ban the abusive practices exposed in the GAO report and to protect consumers who seek to pay off their debts in good faith.

Further details on the GAO report, as well as a link to the report itself, can be found on my website at [http://www.levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=264552]. In addition, you may be interested in a recent article published in The Washington Post on this issue, which can be found at [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101850.html].
Sincerely,
Carl Levin

Dear Senator Levin's Office,
I already knew these findings. They are a part of our slide into a debtor/ wage-slave society.
Please tell me, Why did our Democratic Senators go along with the recent bankruptcy bill and Federalist Society Supreme Court nominations who will uphold the rights of corporations as "individuals" when you all should have been working for us, the so called "mythical little people"? I can answer that. Because you and your GOP colleagues are all "two sides of the same coin", that coinage being the lobbyists, corporations, and rich donors who keep you in office.
I understand the need to be re-elected to do your job, but somehow the job changes once you gain office. Stability in the system is not worth the bunco game that is being played on the american citizenry, no matter if we are asleep at the wheel or not.
Or, along the same lines of "what do Democrats STAND for these days", can you please tell me how nine of the ten rights outlined in the Bill of Rights have been usurped by the Executive Branch, and if it was only done to protect us in time of a war (on "Terror", a technique, not a nation) then can you tell me how we will know when we have won this war and we can reclainm our Constitutional Rights?
It seems we don't need the 10 Commandments on our statehouse lawns as much as our Bill of Rights or the Geneva Convention.
Or we could post the fine print on our Credit Card Agreements.
Sincerely,
Mrs. _______
Grand Blanc, Michigan

And Mr. Senator Levin has recently made contacting his office more difficult for the ordinary angry constituent. Makes me wonder if he gives a shit, if I am not a lobbyist or contributor with a check:
...
My mail bounced back:
Thank you for contacting me via email. In order to better process the large amount of e-mail I receive, I have opted to use a web form to receive email messages. This form allows me to sort and respond to the email I receive in a more effective and timely fashion. You can access this form by clicking this link http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm. Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin