Obama seeks debt collector proposal

[brentspeak]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111004/D9Q5E32O0.html

APNewsBreak: Obama seeks debt collector proposal

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON (AP) - To the dismay of consumer groups and the discomfort of Democrats, President Barack Obama wants Congress to make it easier for private debt collectors to call the cellphones of consumers delinquent on student loans and other billions owed the federal government.

The change "is expected to provide substantial increases in collections, particularly as an increasing share of households no longer have landlines and rely instead on cellphones," the administration wrote recently. The little-noticed recommendation would apply only to cases in which money is owed the government, and is tucked into the mammoth $3 trillion deficit-reduction plan the president submitted to Congress.

Despite the claim, the administration has not yet developed an estimate of how much the government would collect, and critics reject the logic behind the recommendation.

"Enabling robo-calls (to cellphones) is just going to lead to more harassment and abuse, and it's not going to help the government collect more money," said Lauren Saunders of the Boston-based National Consumer Law Center. "People aren't paying their student loans because they can't find a job."

[TheWraith]

1. Newsflash, folks: there are already robocalls to cell phones all the time.

It may be against the rules, but that doesn't stop it.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Huh?

:wtf:

Why is this so important exactly? Scratching my head on this one............:shrug:

[ProSense]

3. This is

one of those stories designed to spark outrage when there's not much there.

Here's the National Consumer Law Center release: Obama Deficit Plan Would Allow Debt Collector Robo-Calls to Cell Phones (PDF)

(Washington, DC) Buried in President Obama’s deficit reduction plan (see page 28) is a proposal to allow debt collectors “to contact delinquent debtors via their cellular phones” when collecting debts owed to or guaranteed by the federal government. The proposal will not help reduce the deficit and is harmful for consumers, the National Consumer Law Center warned today.

<...>

Currently, debt collection calls to cell phones are limited because collectors must check their phone number lists against a list of known cell phones and cannot call those numbers unless the consumer has provided that number as a way of reaching them. Though the proposal is limited to debts owed or guaranteed by the federal government, millions of consumers will be affected, including graduates who can’t pay their loans due to the terrible job market, homeowners who are behind in mortgages, and people who are in tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. Families who have lost their homes to foreclosure could be exposed to cell phone calls for years if the delinquency on their mortgage is sold to debt buyers.

<...>

The language from the President's proposal:

<...>

Allow agencies to contact delinquent debtors via their cellular phones. The Administration also proposes to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to facilitate collection of debts owed to or guaranteed by the Federal Government, by facilitating contact of delinquent debtors who are most readily reached on their cell phones. This provision is expected to provide substantial increases in collections, particularly as an increasing share of households no longer have landlines and rely instead on cell phones.

<...>

[brentspeak]

5. As usual, your own links don't support your blanket statement of spin n/t

[ProSense]

6. Yeah,

"As usual, your own links don't support your blanket statement of spin "

...that changes the information posted.

[chill_wind]

4. Lots of discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5015084#top

[FrenchieCat]

7. Lotsa of hyperbole and reaction out of porportion there......

Its like...Give me an excuse not to support this guy.
There, We found one...so no need to read the article.

I almost can't wait for a Real Republican (since they keep calling Obama one)
to go off on their ass. They won't know what hit them. Bet they get real selective
as to their outrage then...cause they'll have to just to keep from going crazy.

I'm just amazed how nothing positive this President does EVER gets that kind of response in reverse.
Or perhaps, I'm not so amazed.

[MNBrewer]

8. This will help people who have no money to pay the loans HOW?

[FrenchieCat]

11. Loans with whom?

[Autumn]

13. Well it won't, but they might be pressured to pay

and put money back in the government coffers. Surely there is something they can give up to pay their loans. Got to get money from somewhere.
I don't think the objective is to help the ones who can't or aren't paying their loans.

[MNBrewer]

15. Give up putting gas in the car, eating, rent, electric/gas bills

Assuming they can find a job.

Let's ask the poorest of us to squeeze out a few more dollars, by all means.

[Autumn]

16. This administration is good at that.

I find it amazing that I voted for someone who is so not on the side of the poor.

[PragmaticLiberal]

9. Honestly, I don't see how this is a major issue.....

[FrenchieCat]

12. Everything is fucking "Major" round here.....

Unless it is positive, than it's no big deal.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TK421]

17. Like this is positive?

[Thrill]

10. Baffled why someone trying to get re-elected would support this?

I don't get where he's getting his advice on this. No upside whatsoever

[TK421]

18. He's not trying to get re-elected, apparently n/t

[ClarkUSA]

19. OH THE OUTRAGE!! lol! Much ado about nothing, as usual.

"The little-noticed recommendation would apply only to cases in which money is owed the government"

"the administration has not yet developed an estimate of how much the government would collect"

In other words, there is no there there.

This OP is just another lame excuse to attack President Obama by focusing on one tiny aspect of his very liberal jobs bill, which Trumka has implored Democrats to get behind.

[FedUp_Queer]

20. "very liberal"?

You're on drugs, or your check from Obama for America came today. As I remember it, the big selling point was that it was heavy on Republican proposals. I remember the "You guys proposed this" meme of his speech. No, there is nothing liberal about this proposal. A real liberal proposal would involve a real jobs program to put people to work spending money repairing and rebuilding our 1950s infrastructure. I love the toadies who will look past the timidity of this president when it comes to the people who need real leadership, but, oddly, he never seems timid about expanding war and the reach of the national security state. Sure, I can name a couple good things he's done, but this man abandoned the middle class and poor so long ago it really doesn't matter.

[woo me with science]

21. Yay! Don't forget to add this to The List!

:puke:

www.obamatheconservative.com

[dionysus]

22. i love the forced poutrage in this lame thread.

:rofl: