February 25, 2010
Lake County News
AARON LAWLOR
County Board - District 18 
Mortgage Modification Program
Lake County Job Center
 
Core services are available to assist you with your resume, help you access websites and provide resources to answer your job search questions.  Each of the centers has a resource room with computers, print resources, a fax machine and phone for job seeker use.  Each center offers a schedule of workshops on a variety of topics and job clubs to provide on-going support.  These services are available to any Lake County resident.
 
Intensive services are the next step and involve extensive contact with staff.  These services include career assessments, job clubs, in-depth workshops and individual assistance with the job search process.  These services are available to any Lake County resident. 
 
In addition to these services, eligible job seekers may receive funding for training.  Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the Lake County Workforce Development can pay for qualified jobseekers to attend short-term training to enhance their wage and career possibilities.
 
What type of training is available?
We individualize training to the customer. Our customers have attended hundreds of types of training through different schools or training programs.  Successful completion of the training programs has opened up tremendous job opportunities for our clients.   
  
Who qualifies for training?
Training is available to Lake County residents ages 18 and above. Customers qualify based upon income, lay-off status, or special needs. In addition to the eligibility guidelines in WIA, customers must also be legal residents of the United States. Men ages 18 and above must comply with selective service requirements. 
  
How do I apply for training?
The first step is to attend an information session at one of the Job Centers.  The Career Specialist who leads the information session will tell you more about the eligibility process and next steps
 
Where are you located?
The Job Centers are located in Waukegan at the corner of Genesee and Washington (1 N. Genesee St.) and in Grayslake on the campus of the College of Lake County (800 Lancer Lane).  
   
To find out more about orientation and training, please call 847 377-3450
 
http://www.lakecountyjobcenter.com/

Lake County Approves Bike Path

The Village of Kildeer is pleased that the Lake County Board approved the intergovernmental agreement providing a bike path as part of the Quentin Road improvement between Long Grove Road and White Pine Road. The recently passed agreement is the first step towards realizing a regional path system than can connect municipalities in the SW portion of the County with each other and with three different Forest Preserve facilities.

 

The regional plan is illustrated on the map. The plan is divided into three phases each correlating with a planned major road improvement project.

 

Phase I includes the path segment between the Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve and the intersection of Quentin and White Pine road. This phase consists of the bike path that already exists along Long Grove Road and the new path portions that are to be built by Deer Park and Kildeer under the now passed intergovernmental agreement.

 

Phase II corresponds with LCDOT's Quentin Road improvement project from White Pine Road to Rt. 22. This segment is still in the engineering phase and provides the critical middle section serving as the connection between Phases I and III.

 

Phase III on the map corresponds with IDOT's Rt. 22 improvement project and it continues the regional path from Quentin Road east across Egret Marsh Forest Preserve and on to Herron's Creek Forest Preserve. 

BikeMap1

Census Coming Soon

The United States Constitution requires a Census of the population of the United States every ten years. In March of this year every household in Lake County will be mailed the 2010 Census form. The Census applies to all residents of Lake County, citizens and non-citizens alike. This form has only 10 questions and will take only about 10 minutes to complete. Federal law protects the personal information you share during the Census - this information is completely confidential and cannot be given to any other government office or provided to any business database. The 2010 Census does NOT ask for bank account information, salary or income, citizenship or immigration status, and does not ask for your Social Security number.

 

The Census population determines which states gain or lose representation in Congress. It also helps determine the amount of federal funding that will go to Lake County and its municipalities during the next decade. Data collected through the Census is used by decision-makers at all levels of government, as well as businesses and community organizations. Local elected leaders and planners look at Census data to help determine where and when to develop new roads, houses, schools, health care facilities, parks and recreational facilities, and other public services. A business or corporation looking for opportunities to grow looks to the Census to get an idea if its products could be sold and whether or not qualified workers can be found.

 

An accurate Census count impacts virtually everything that contributes to the quality of life in Lake County.

 

Watch your mailbox for the Census form coming to your residence in March and when it arrives fill it out and MAIL IT IN! Returning your completed Census form by mail is the most efficient and fastest way to GET COUNTED! A Census worker must visit every household that does not return a form. These visits unnecessarily raise the cost to compile the Census and will certainly take more time than just filling out the form and putting it back in the mail.  

 

You can find a sample Census questionnaire form like the one you will be mailed on the Census website.

Flush Responsibly!

Did you know....that when you flushed down the toilet or poured down your sink or floor drain certain products may damage the sewer pipes in our home and yard, the sewer system in your neighborhood, Lake County's pumps and treatment facilities, and the environment?
 
The Lake County Public Works Department is asking residents to please refrain from disposing of certain products down your sink. The following items should NEVER be flushed down the toilet or discarded through a sink or floor drain:
 
General Household Waste - Dispose of in the trash
  • Wet/dry cleaning cloths (Swiffer, etc.)
  • Any plastics (bags, gloves, condoms)
  • Sanitary napkins and tampons
  • Antibacterial wipes (Lysol, etc)
  • Cooking oil, fat and grease
  • Diapers and diaper wipes
  • Cloth, rags and string
  • Laundry dryer sheets
Household Chemical Waste - Use a chemical waste disposal program
  • Pharmaceutical drugs
  • Over-the-counter medicines
  • Household cleaning chemicals
  • Hygiene or personal care products
  • Fuels, motor oil and antifreeze
  • Paints and paint thinners
  • Perfumes and cosmetics
  • Lawn care chemicals
To learn more about household chemical disposal options from the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) call 847.336.9340 or visit www.lakecountyil.gov/swalco.

New Credit Card Rules

... from SmartMoney.com 

What to ExpectCreditCard1
 
Unexpected rate hikes. Over-limit fees. Double-cycle billing. Those are just a few of the credit-card practices that have trapped millions of consumers into a life of constant worry over mounting debt. In less than a week, these practices will be history.
 
On Feb. 22, 2010, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) takes effect. It puts forth new rules for credit-card issuers that are arguably the most consumer-protective in the history of credit cards.
 
If you're the type of person who reads every piece of mail sent by your credit-card companies, then chances are you already have a fair idea of the changes coming. (Credit issuers have been mailing out change-of-terms notifications that explain the details in recent weeks.)
 
Then again, credit-card rules are hardly ever simple -- and the CARD Act is no exception. Below are the key changes that the new law puts forth, along with some notable exceptions that could still allow consumers to get in trouble with their credit cards.
 
CreditCard2Finance Charges, Interest-Rate Hikes and Notifications
 
· No rate increases for the first 12 months after opening an account.
· Rate increases can only be applied to new charges.
· Annual and application fees cannot exceed 25% of your initial credit line.
· No more double-cycle billing.
· A six-month minimum promotional-rate period.
· No more over-limit fees, unless the card holder opts in.
· No fees to make credit-card payments online or over the phone, unless you make a payment on your due date.
· Must give 45-day notice of pending rate or fee hikes or any other significant changes to credit-card terms.
 
Exceptions, Caveats, Loopholes:
 

CreditCard3-  Rate hikes are allowed if you're more than 60 days late with a payment.
-  Some banks have already found a way around the rate-hike issue, by increasing card users' regular interest rates to as high as 29.9% and then refunding a part of that rate for each month that the customer pays on time.
-  Double-cycle billing, although prohibited, can technically still exist for credit cards that don't have grace periods. ·
Issuers have been calling consumers asking them to opt in for over-limit fees in exchange for lowering that fee, says Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, a consumer advocacy group.
 
What they're not saying is that if people don't opt in, the transaction will be denied and they will not be charged over-limit fees in the first place, Wu says.
 
If you make a purchase under a "deferred-interest" plan (such as "No interest for six months," for example), the company may let you choose to apply extra amounts to the deferred-interest balance. Otherwise, for two billing cycles before the end of the promotional period, your entire payment must be applied to that balance. Carrying a "deferred-interest" balance is a risky proposition altogether, says Wu: Unless the balance is paid in full over the specified period, the company will charge all interest retroactively once the promotional rate expires. "We think deferred-interest plans should have been banned," Wu says.

 
Billing Statements, Payments and Disclosures
 
·   Billing statements must be sent 21 days before the due date.
·   Your due date should be the same date each month.
·   Payments are considered on time when received by 5 p.m. on the due date or the next business day after a holiday or weekend.
·   Payments above the minimum must be applied to the highest-rate balance first.
·   Each monthly statement must include information on how long it would take you to pay off your balance if you make minimum payments only and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal; and how much you need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in 36 months and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal.
·   Statements must also include a warning that by making only minimum payments you will pay more interest and it will take you longer to pay off your debt, as well as a toll-free number to call if you want to be referred to a credit-counseling service.
 
CreditCard1College Students and Young Adults
 
* No credit cards for college students unless co-signed by a parent or they can demonstrate "ability to pay."

* No credit-limit increases if you are under 21 and have a co-signer without that co-signer's permission.

* No credit-card marketing and freebies on college campuses.
  
 Parents with kids in college...Note this well....
 
  • Issuers will likely start appealing to parents to co-sign their children's credit cards. And the Federal Reserve has specified that issuers have the option of keeping the parent on the hook even after the young person turns 21, Wu says. "If that younger person keeps the credit card for 20 years, the co-signer is liable that whole time."
     
  • Issuers are not allowed to give out freebies for signing up for a credit card on or near a campus -- which still allows them to set up shop near popular off-campus venues and offer freebies to everyone, whether or not they apply.
       
    • Prescription Drug Card
     
    County residents can take advantage of a prescription drug discount card program.  The free card that is accepted at most pharmacies offers average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.  This is intended for people without prescription coverage or on medicines not covered by your plan.  The card may also be used where accepted to fill prescriptions for pets.  To receive a card, click here.     
    Aaron Lawlor - Proudly Representing Lake County's 18th District
     
    AaronLawlor2Dear Friend,
     
    If you know others that would like updates on issues important to our area, please forward this on.  If you have been forwarded this and are not on my mailing list, please click "Join Our Mailing List" below.
    Please don't hesitate to contact me with your questions and concerns regarding this or other issues.  You can reach me via email or on my cell at 224-639-3138.
     
    It is an honor to serve you on the County Board. 

    Sincerely,
                                                     Aaron Lawlor
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