YOU CAN DO ANYTHING...JUST NOT EVERYTHING!!!

Installation of 2015 Officers & Directors

OUR TROOPS NEED YOUR HELP

Dear members, Our nation’s military is reaching a critical point as the Pentagon is being forced to propose drastic cuts that will ultimately threaten our local installations. Our troops need your help. As a follow-up to the Department of the Army's recent assessment of Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield, a team from the Department of the Army in Washington, D.C., will visit our community to receive citizen input prior to making further decisions regarding the future of our bases. This is the Coastal Georgia community’s important opportunity to show the Army how much we value our installations and the men and women who serve here. We hope you will join us November 17 at 6 p.m. in Liberty County at the Performing Arts Center, 2140 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, to voice your support. The assessment could reduce our nation’s troop size from approximately 560,000 to 420,000 by 2020, causing Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield to lose up to 16,000 soldiers and hundreds of civilian workers. With more than 28,800 military and civilian personnel in the area contributing to a $5.6 billion economic impact, this loss will be devastating to those who serve, to our community and to the nation as a whole because of the tactical and strategic value provided by these local bases. Of course this effort alone will not provide a guarantee, but it is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. We must continue to look for ways to help ensure we keep this important strategic and economic resource in our community. Thank you, Bill Bill Hubbard CEO Savannah Chamber of Commerce 101 E Bay St., Savannah GA 31401 Direct: 912.644.6421 Fax: 912.644.6498 Email: BHubbard@SavannahChamber.com Web: SavannahChamber.com

Election Day Free Rides & Contest

Posted on October 29, 2014

Chatham County voters can get a free bus ride to the polls on Election Day, courtesy of Chatham Area Transit. On November 4th, during polling hours (7 AM-7 PM), CAT is offering FREE rides on all fixed route and paratransit services. Express routes are excluded.

Once you’ve voted, take a photo displaying your “I’m a Georgia Voter” sticker, then post the image to Chatham Area Transit’s Facebook or Twitter page by November 6th using the hashtag #cat2vote. All submissions must identify the polling location and which bus route was used in order to qualify to win a prize. CAT Marketing Department will select their two favorite photos and winners will be announced on Friday, November 7th. Remember to Like and Follow us while you’re there, and let us know which pictures you like best, too!

CAT routes serve several polling locations throughout Chatham County. To find out if your polling location is on one of CAT’s routes, use our Google Transit Trip Planner (click on Plan Your Trip in the banner above) or call 912-233-5767 for route and schedule information. Make your plans to get to the polls and Catch a CAT at absolutely no charge on Election Day!

Savannah Area REALTORS® are proud to support Buddy Carter for Congress

HOW RECENT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AFFECT FLOOD INSURANCE

Lee Beckmann, Manager of Government Affairs, Georgia Ports Authority, Speaks at the monthly RCA Membership Luncheon

Jesse Petrea for State Representative

The Savannah Area REALTORS® presented a check to Jesse Petrea on behalf of the Georgia REALTORS®.

Jolene Byrne for School Board President

The Savannah Area REALTORS® presented a check to Jolene Byrne for School Board President on behalf the Georgia REALTORS®.

SIP & SWIRL....TOAST FOR THE CURE!!!!!

The Savannah Area REALTORS® presented a check to Buddy Carter on behalf of the National Association of REALTORS® on April 23, 2014.

Members of the Savannah Area REALTORS® participated in the Housing Fair held this past Saturday, April 12th

Young Council of REALTORS® Give to One of Their Own

Misty R. DeBlasio, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty, is battling cancer and was presented a check by Bill Miltiades on behalf of the Young Council of REALTORS® and the REALTOR® Relief Fund. Please keep Misty in your thoughts and prayers.

IMPORTANT: IRS Warns of Pervasive Telephone Scam

IRS YouTube Video:
Tax Scams: English | Spanish | ASL

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned consumers about a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

“This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country.  We want to educate taxpayers so they can help protect themselves.  Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer,” says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. “If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn’t the IRS calling.” Werfel noted that the first IRS contact with taxpayers on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail.

Other characteristics of this scam include:

• Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
• Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security Number.
• Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
• Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
• Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
• After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:

• If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov.  Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint.

Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information.  This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.

More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.  You can reblog the IRS tax scam alert via Tumblr.

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Karen L. Russell

Internal Revenue Service

Small Business/Self-Employed

Senior Stakeholder Liaison 

 Email:  karen.l.russell@irs.gov

Mobile:  478-334-1998

    Fax:  877-477-8492

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Savannah Area REALTORS® Make Donation to Safe Shelter

Tommy Danos, VP of Community & Public Relations, presented a check for $520 to Safe Shelter of Savannah.  The proceeds were collected during the photo session with Studio 16.  Thank you to everyone who made a contribution.