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Life & Times Transcript
06/28/05 Coverage of Town Hall Los Angeles speakers on Life and Times is made possible by a grant from the Boeing Company. Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- It's easy to get into debt and hard to get out, but should someone profit from your troubles? Travis Plunkett>> Agencies that charge so-called voluntary fees that aren't voluntary. Agencies that don't offer good quality credit counseling to consumers. They simply shove people in credit card consolidation plans. Val>> And then, there are all kinds of ways to give a child in need a little boost in life. Meet one man who's doing it with violins. It's all straight ahead on tonight's Life and Times. Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val>> Earlier this year, Congress passed a new bankruptcy law and there's a provision that says anyone declaring bankruptcy must get credit counseling before and after. But what happens if you can't trust your credit counselor? As NewsHour correspondent, Jeffrey Kaye, tells us, when it comes to credit counseling, even nonprofits, the consumer must beware. Commercial>> "Are you overrun by debt? Are creditors breathing down your neck?" Jeffrey Kaye>> For years, ads from outfits promising credit relief -- Commercial>> "My credit card debt was outrageous." Jeffrey Kaye>> And debt assistance -- Commercial>> "How much credit card debt do you owe?" Jeffrey Kaye>> Have been everywhere. Commercial>> "Get out of debt and get on with your life." Jeffrey Kaye>> The billion dollar credit counseling industry has been scrutinized by Congress and sued by federal and state regulators. But the new bankruptcy law signed last month by President Bush will generate even more business for the troubled industry. President Bush>> "In recent years, too many people have abused the bankruptcy laws." Jeffrey Kaye>> The new law requires debtors to get financial counseling before and after declaring bankruptcy. Consumer advocates worry there won't be adequate policing of counseling agencies. Travis Plunkett>> "There are legitimate, honest, good credit counseling agencies, but this bill does not do enough to keep consumers from falling into the hands of the scam artists." Jeffrey Kaye>> Travis Plunkett, Legislative Director of the Consumer Federation of America, has catalogued a wide range of scams. Travis Plunkett>> Agencies that charge so-called voluntary fees that aren't voluntary. Agencies that don't offer good quality credit counseling to consumers. They simply shove people in credit card consolidation plans. Jeffrey Kaye>> Kale Kelly and his wife, Tricia, have advice for people in need of debt counseling: Don't be fooled by promises. Kale Kelly>> The promises of great things that are to come. If you are to pay this one small fee, your whole life is going to change. You're not going to believe it. Jeffrey Kaye>> The Kelly's owed about five thousand dollars. With six children, bill paying can be daunting, but like many Americans in debt, they were behind mostly on medical bills. Early last year, they turned to Master Credit Corporation, a Los Angeles company that promises to help clients fix their credit reports and get out of debt. Kale Kelly>> They told me it was twelve hundred dollars and pretty much the way they explained it was that they would go ahead and mail out letters and do all the footwork for you to get the derogatory stuff off your credit. Jeffrey Kaye>> Tricia Kelly thought that was too good to be true. Tricia Kelly>> I didn't believe that it was possible for them to just magically erase everything off our credit without you doing anything. Jeffrey Kaye>> She was right. Twelve hundred dollars and nine months later, the Kelly's credit score hadn't improved and Master Credit wasn't returning phone calls. Kale Kelly>> I finally had to sit down and draw up a threatening letter, more or less, and mail it to them. Jeffrey Kaye>> Eventually, Master Credit, a tax exempt nonprofit organization, refunded their money. Scott Houston worked for Master Credit in 2003. Now a salesman in a San Diego adult bookstore, his title at Master Credit was Counselor, a job he admits he was unqualified for. Scott Houston>> Well, it was on-the-job training, so to speak. But, no, I wasn't professionally trained as a credit counselor. Just how good as a salesman was the main thing. Jeffrey Kaye>> Houston was paid on commission. The more he sold, the more he made. For twelve hundred dollars, you would -- Scott Houston>> -- You would tell them not to pay their bills, yes, basically. Jeffrey Kaye>> In addition, Houston says, clients would get an informational booklet and Master Credit would indiscriminately dispute credit report items, a hit or miss proposition. Scott Houston>> And we would relate it to shaking a tree with a bunch of apples on it. The first time you shake that tree, a bunch of the apples fall off. Jeffrey Kaye>> Houston says, with some counseling, customers could have easily done for themselves what Master Credit did. Scott Houston>> I think twelve hundred dollars was too much to pay for what they were actually doing, yes. Jeffrey Kaye>> Master Credit owner, Tim Clark, would not be interviewed on camera. On the phone, he said his company has lowered its fees, offers counseling, disputes only inaccurate credit reports, and never advises customers not to pay debts. Commercial>> "Borrowing power." Jeffrey Kaye>> The credit counseling industry was born in the 1960's. It was financed mostly by major creditors, banks and credit card companies as a way to recover debts. As consumer debts skyrocketed in the 1980's and 1990's, unscrupulous players seized opportunities. Commercial>> "Ameridebt is a nonprofit organization that offers. . ." Jeffrey Kaye>> Many credit counseling agencies trumpet their IRS-recognized nonprofit status. The new law requires that agencies that counsel bankrupt debtors be nonprofit and approved by United States Trustees, a branch of the Justice Department. But regulators say debtor beware. Mark Everson>> The credit counseling organizations have been a mess. Jeffrey Kaye>> Mark Everson, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, says many nonprofit credit counseling outfits are in league with profit-making firms. Mark Everson>> We have over half of the industry under audit now in terms of revenues and we've issued proposed revocations or actually revoked the charitable status of about twenty percent of the industry. That shows how seriously out of line many of these organizations have become. Commercial>> "Debt-free is a nonprofit organization that really cares about you." Jeffrey Kaye>> Plunkett says consumers should avoid companies like Debt-free which primarily sells debt management programs with monthly fees. Some people simply can't afford them. By Design Financial Solutions, a forty year old organization, enrolls less than a third of its clients in debt management plans. When Umberto Luis, Jr. walked into By Design Financial Solutions recently, it was his second in-person session with counselor, Jonas Chester. Jonas Chester>> "When it's bold, it means that it's negative. It's negative. It's something past due." Jeffrey Kaye>> Luis is behind on credit card payments and Chester went over his credit reports. The sessions and reports cost fifty dollars. As a nonprofit, the agency prides itself on providing cheap, sometimes free, credit advice, says executive David Johnson. David Johnson>> So we look at the budget, the total income, living expenses, the debt load, assets, liabilities, to see what is the true financial picture for this individual and what can they do to change that picture? Just if cutting some spending areas is going to correct the problem, then they walk out with a budget and some suggestions on how to manage cash flow and they're good to go. Jeffrey Kaye>> Legitimate tax-exempt agencies that counsel debtors should meet a key test, says IRS Commissioner Everson. Mark Everson>> Have they been counseled to change their family planning practices in the financial area to make sure that they're going to work their way out of debt? Jeffrey Kaye>> In addition to IRS scrutiny, the Federal Trade Commission has taken action against seventy companies in the last ten years, but much more needs to be done, says consumer advocate Plunkett. Travis Plunkett>> The industry is in a state of flux and in a state of turmoil, so we have a situation where the new cops are on the beat, but the bad guys aren't yet in jail. Jeffrey Kaye>> So to those people who say that the enforcement has been inadequate, your answer is what? Mark Everson>> I agree. Jeffrey Kaye>> You'd like to do more? Mark Everson>> We need to do more and we are increasing our audit resources looking at the problems within exempt organizations by over thirty percent over a two-year period. Jeffrey Kaye>> The bankruptcy bill signed by President Bush will take effect in October. I'm Jeffrey Kaye for Life and Times. Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org and click on "Life and Times". Val>> So you think your job isn't challenging enough? How about this one? Department of State Coordinator for Reconstruction in Iraq. Well, that's the job that Robin Raphel has taken on. Robin Raphel was a speaker at Town Hall Los Angeles. She spoke with reporter, Sam Louie, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angels where they talked about the challenges of rebuilding in a war zone. Sam Louie>> Ambassador Raphel, thanks for joining us on Life and Times. As the State Department's Coordinator for Iraq Reconstruction, what exactly is it that you do? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> (Laughter) Well, first of all, let me say that it's a great pleasure to be here. I've been asked that often, as you might imagine. Basically, since the State Department took over all responsibility for Iraq policy last year when sovereignty was returned to the Iraqi government, I've been working to coordinate the activities of the five implementing agencies for our 20.9 billion dollar reconstruction program. Sam Louie>> When we talk about reconstruction, what exactly are we referring to? Reconstruction seems so overwhelming and big at the same time. Ambassador Robin Raphel>> There are several elements to it. One, as I said, is helping to rebuild some of the basic infrastructure in Iraq. The oil production sector, the electricity grid and electricity generation, water and sewer plants, the basic infrastructure. Repairing schools and hospitals and so on. Sam Louie>> What would you say are the top three areas of physical reconstruction that need to be made? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> Some of the same ones that we've already made progress in (laughter). Electricity would certainly be one with demand growing both on the household level, but also it will grow increasingly on the industrial level as factories and so on come back up online. So that's going to be a continuing area of focus. Again, the oil sector. The potential for oil production in Iraq, of course, is enormous and that is their main source of foreign exchange, their main source of income, so a lot more work can be done there. We need to focus more on the agriculture sector which was neglected during the Saddam Hussein period, which has enormous potential. Certainly Iraq was one of the breadbaskets of the Middle East historically and has enormous potential. Of course, still, even in its rather underdeveloped state, the biggest employer. Sam Louie>> When we talk about democracy in Iraq, do you think the Iraqi interim government is on schedule for the August 15 deadline for a constitution? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> They say they are. They're determined to stick to this timetable. It's very fast. It's an accelerated timetable, but in everything we've heard from the Iraqis at this recent international conference in Brussels and this morning when Prime Minister Jaafari met with the President, he reiterated his determination to meet those deadlines. Sam Louie>> Let's talk about the security forces. Right now, how would you describe or evaluate how they're doing at this point? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> The Iraqi security forces, I would say, are getting better every day all the time in every way. They're really making progress. To date, we've trained at a basic level over ninety thousand Iraqi police inside Iraq and in a police academy in Jordan. We've trained close to seventy-five thousand military forces. There is much, much more to be done both in terms of basic training heading towards a goal of 135,000 police and also more specialized training in counter-insurgency and other specialties, but a lot of progress is being made. Sam Louie>> I read an estimate that there are 140,000 American troops right now in Iraq. Do you think that increased presence is actually a cause for the growing insurgency? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> First of all, 140,000 is about right, but that number has been steady over the last year, so that's not an increase. I think what's really important here is for the Iraqis to be able to take the lead and, over time, I expect that there will be more and more Iraqis doing the patrols, being the face of the security force in Iraq, as the American coalition forces return much more to the background to be in a supportive role, so there won't be so much of occasionally provocative element of American forces on the streets. Sam Louie>> You brought up time. That seems to be a very big issue on everybody's minds, especially the American public. How long do you think American troops will need to sort of stay there? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> Well, as I think you know, we've been very careful not to put a timetable on the withdrawal of the coalition forces. I think that's very important for two reasons. One, it needs to be a results-based decision to draw down the coalition forces. That is to say, the Iraqis need to be able to do what the coalition forces have been doing and replace them before it would be advisable to withdraw the coalition forces. The second very important point is, if we announce a timetable, what does that say to the insurgents? I think it would be a big boost to them because they'd figure all they had to do was out-wait us. Sam Louie>> Are you worried at all that this will turn into another Vietnam? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> There are many differences between Iraq and Vietnam. One of the most important ones is that the Iraqis, by and large, welcomed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. I would say that 99.999 percent of the Iraqis were over the moon to see him gone. He was a vicious, cruel, arbitrary, heinous dictator and the benefit to the Iraqis of the freedom to be able to organize, to express themselves, to have a voice over their own future, really triumphs over the difficulties for many, many Iraqis. Sam Louie>> What do you think the future holds for Iraq and its people? Ambassador Robin Raphel>> Well, I'm very optimistic about the future of Iraq. I'm optimistic because the Iraqi people are tenacious, dedicated, courageous. They've shown this time and time again over the last years and indeed over the last decades as they put up with the regime of Saddam Hussein. Before the Saddam Hussein regime, Iraq had one of the most educated populations in the Middle East. There are very gifted and well educated engineers, doctors, lawyers, and so on and they are truly committed to a better Iraq, a better future for themselves, their families, their children. So I am very optimistic, I repeat, for the future. Sam Louie>> Ambassador Robin Raphel, thanks for joining us on Life and Times and thank you very much for your insight. Ambassador Robin Raphel>> Thank you. It was indeed a pleasure. To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val>> You're about to meet a man who has a firm belief that, if you want to give children in poor neighborhoods a leg up on life, give them a musical instrument. His name is Peter Quesado and I met him more than fifteen years ago. What was he doing then? And what's he doing now? Take a look. [Film Clip] Val>> Peter Quesado has come to Bushnell Way Elementary School in East Los Angeles with something very unusual: violins. Peter Quesado>> "We have to check these out because they're brand new, totally untried and they will be just grand for the kids, you know." Val>> Few children in this neighborhood have ever held a violin, much less learned to play one. [Film Clip] Peter Quesado>> "This is "Turkey in the Straw" in Yiddish." >> "It's what now?" Peter Quesado>> "Turkey in the Straw." >> "In Yiddish (laughter)." Peter Quesado>> "Yeah, this is in Yiddish." [Film Clip] Peter Quesado>> "Thank you very much." Val>> Peter has been introducing classical music to kids in less advantaged neighborhoods for more than three decades. I met him in the late 1980's when we did this story on the Barrio Symphony. This was Peter back then. [Film Clip] Peter Quesado>> The reason I decided to call this the Barrio Symphony as opposed to the Hispanic or Chicano Symphony was to include everyone in the Barrio. In thirty-seven years that I've been attending the Los Angeles Philharmonic, there have only been six Hispanic names. Every time I tell that story, I feel outraged because, as I say, this is the Los Angeles Philharmonic and not the New England Philharmonic. Val>> Today, he's a little grayer, still charming, humble and completely committed to his single purpose. Peter Quesado>> When you develop the brain with music, you open it to literature, to the mathematics, to all sorts of things, poetry and what have you, and it makes a more wholesome, meaning complete, person. >> "We have a very special guest today and a big surprise for you boys and girls. I'd like to introduce Mr. Peter Quesado from the Barrio Symphony who is here to present something to us, so let's give him a hand, please." Peter Quesado>> "Thank you very much. Today on behalf of the Barrio Symphony, we would like to give you from our heart to Donalind Dominguez, can you come up here, please?" Peter Quesado>> Today you saw our focus on violins because the spring programs in the schools have suffered terribly. Band instruments are easier to learn. They're more durable and it takes less to learn. A string instrument takes forever to learn, to get professional at it, so we need to start at a younger age, so the Barrio Symphony will be doing a concert. Val>> Peter's mother encouraged him to take up the violin when he was a boy. He worked hard, went to a local musical conservatory, but then got married and had kids and his first love had to be set aside. But then his daughter's high school was producing a musical. He volunteered as music director and his first love was reborn. In 1974, with support from musicians in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he managed to start the Barrio Symphony. At that time, there was a young violinist, Celina Gomez. How did she get her violin? Celina Gomez>> Well, we didn't have enough money. I mean, I'm not saying that we were poor, but we did not have enough money to buy any kind of good instrument. So we went to this dealer, this kind of like recycling thing, and we bought an instrument for seventy-five dollars. But the thing is, it didn't have a case. I would always bring my instrument in a bag. Peter Quesado>> "Your own violin to have and to hold." Val>> It's stories like hers that inspired Peter to expand his mission. Now he gets supporters to buy violins or donate old instruments, cellos, clarinets, and give them to children who could never afford one of their own. Peter Quesado>> "Miss Amanda Morales, here is your very own violin to have and to hold. You're getting married to a violin. Congratulations." Peter Quesado>> You saw me marry them to their instruments today and that's how most of us feel. This instrument becomes your life partner. No matter what happens, you're married, divorced, whatever, that instrument is always there faithful and true to you. As I told them earlier, this instrument can take you all over the world, you know, and you get paid for going all over the world. It's a lot of fun. Peter Quesado>> "I don't think I'd be able to see the Pyramids if it hadn't been for my violin. It's wonderful. Another thing I want to say to you, boys and girls, you continue with your instruments and they become your magic carpet. What do I mean by this? Well, as a boy, I started about the same age you all did. I have been to Egypt. I have been to Jerusalem. I have been to Europe, France, London. I have been to China, Japan, the Philippines, South America, Latin America, Mexico. I just got back from Dearborn, Michigan where we were all snowed in -- as far away as Dearborn, yeah. But the thing is, what took me there? My violin. My violin took me there. I got to see the Pyramids because of my violin. I got to see Jerusalem because of my violin. I even got to see the Hawaiian Islands because of my violin. Stay with your violin and God will continue to bless you with many, many blessings, but number one, it will make you happy. Those who hear you will be very happy. [Film Clip] Val>> The first notes are a little squeaky and the violins need tuning. They're also a little bigger than the girls are used to. But to Peter, this sound is as sweet as a newborn's first cry. Peter Quesado>> "The level of playing that you heard today may not have been the kind of level that you might hear in a more sophisticated neighborhood, but the heart, the warmth, the excitement was there. It was thrilling to me. Thanks to the fathers and mothers." It's my hope that the parents will show up with the children, further causing them greater bond. Val>> And what might these young musicians sound like in a few years? [Film Clip] Val>> If you'd like to learn more about the Barrio Symphony or donate an instrument, you can call Peter at (323) 466-4425. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val>> Next time on Life and Times -- If there was a cheaper, cleaner alternative fuel for your car, you'd want to use it, right? So why is it so hard to find? >> You know, if they can do it in Santa Barbara or in Ventura or in Oakland or Berkeley and San Jose and Santa Cruz, I think they should be able to do it here. That's why we're trying really hard to get a public pump open. Val>> That's next time on Life and Times. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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