Lt. Governor Bauer meets with Secretary Josefina Carbonell of the Administration on Aging and Rep. Denny Neilson Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging to discuss how Senior Shield will help South Carolina's seniors make better business decisions.
Lt. Governor André Bauer officially launches Senior Shield
COLUMBIA -- Lt. Governor André Bauer, joined by Josefina Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging, toured South Carolina cities on Friday to present the first State of the State address from the Office on Aging. As part of the address, Senior Shield was launched, an innovative new program created to protect our most valued citizens, our seniors, from fraud and scams.
“It is time to shut down the South Carolina borders to scam artists who want to prey on our good-hearted senior citizens,” said Lt. Governor Bauer in announcing Senior Shield. “But we cannot do it alone – our success will depend on the active participation of leaders from business, non-profit community and government institutions to help us get the message out that the cutting edge, 21st Century technology of Senior Shield can protect families.”
Senior Shield is an innovative concept that emphasizes a free market approach by encouraging seniors to do business with businesses that agree to treat them ethically, and can prove they have insurance, post bonds, and have no outstanding consumer or regulatory complaints.
“Ensuring the financial independence and security of older people is a goal that we all share,” said Secretary Carbonell. “Clearly, our efforts to keep seniors living in their own homes and participating fully in community life are undermined by financial exploitation and consumer fraud. When seniors lose their life savings, homes, and other property through the efforts of scam artists and fraudulent business operations, not only is their ability to remain independent threatened, but often their confidence and spirit.”
Senior Shield educates seniors and their caregivers to trust only businesses that have “earned their Senior Shield.” A Web site (www.scseniorshield.com) and toll-free phone line (1-877-723-3771) have been established to assist seniors in finding trustworthy businesses and verifying they are in good standing.
Senior Shield is “powered” by SeniorCheckedSM patent-pending technology, created by Silver Nation, LLC. SeniorChecked makes it easy for businesses to apply for their Senior Shield, rapidly researches each business, processes background checks, hosts the search and verification directory and the business marketing and employee training functions.
“The first step to protecting seniors from fraud and scams is teaching them to ask Have You Earned Your Senior Shield?” said Lt. Governor Bauer. “A handout for seniors to assist them in asking this important question is available on the Web site (www.scseniorshield.com/handout). If the person has their Senior
Shield, you will know they have committed themselves to an independent, third party review that verifies they are crime free and reputable.”
Recruitment of South Carolina businesses and professionals for the Senior Shield directory has begun. For more information about earning your Senior Shield, visit www.scseniorshield.com or call toll-free, 1-877-723-3771. Additionally, businesses can participate in a free Webinar to learn more about joining Senior Shield. The first series of Webinars will occur on Wednesday, November 19th at 12pm NOON. Check the Website for subsequent Webinars.
About the Media Tour
On November 14, 2008, Lt. Governor Bauer traveled across the state with Josefina Carbonell, the Assistant Secretary of Aging, to officially launch Senior Shield. The press conferences took place at the State Capitol and airports in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Florence. The final stop was to have been at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, but due to inclement weather, they were unable to land at the airport and were diverted back to Columbia. Lt. Governor Bauer and the Office on Aging are in the process of scheduling individual appointments with the press in the Greenville-Spartanburg area and other regions of South Carolina.
About SeniorCheckedSM and Silver Nation, LLC
SeniorChecked is a Silver Nation product. Silver Nation, LLC is dedicated to developing technology solutions to serve and protect our nation’s senior citizens and assist them in living independently, safely and without fear. A privately held company that believes “silver” is the new “green,” Silver Nation is based in Bethesda, Maryland.
I am sure that most of you are aware that the Department of Motor Vehicles began accepting pre-orders for the I Believe license plate on their website www.scdmvonline.com on October 30, 2008.
I am pleased to announce that within 72 hours -- Saturday, November 1, 2008 -- all 400 of the pre-orders required to send the I Believe plate into production had been made. This is an outstanding testament to the convictions of people of faith in our state.
I have received numerous calls since the pre-order process ended from people concerned that they could not order a plate on the website any longer. This is true: You can no longer pre-order the plate because it is on its way to production – a great thing if you ask me.
Sometime in the next six to eight weeks the I Believe plate will be available for $29 ($5 covers the cost of plate production) in all DMV branches. Though we do not know the exact date that the plates will arrive in branch offices at this time, I will be happy to let you know.
I am available to talk about the separation of church and state, and if your faith-based group or senior group is interested in having me visit, please send me an email. Please keep in mind that we do receive a number of requests, and arrangements need to be discussed well in advance. Every effort will be made to accommodate your group.
For updates on the I Believe plate and other important issues please send an email to LTGOV@scsenate.org with Please Send Updates as your subject line and I will keep you informed.
In the meantime, here is an op ed column that appeared in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal on Sept. 28, 2008.
It may also be found at: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080928/NEWS/809280309
New Plate is No Threat, Just Reflects Core Values
By Lt. Governor André Bauer
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. -- The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, adopted on Dec. 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights to guarantee civil liberties.
I believe that every South Carolinian has the right to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and choose among dozens and dozens of license plates the one particular tag that reflects something they want to share with the rest of the world about their personality and beliefs.
Those among us who so believe may purchase a Secular Humanist plate. This is a self-described “organization of atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and other freethinkers based in Charleston, South Carolina.” (I am having a bit of difficulty in figuring out how “freethinkers” can come together on a common license plate design, which may explain why you see so few of them out on the road.)
Hopefully, within a few short days, those who so believe may also have the option to purchase an “I Believe” license plate. The working design features a large yellow cross superimposed over a depiction of a stained-glass church window and the words "I believe" appear at the bottom of the plate.
That is, unless a federal lawsuit takes away that right.
For those who say proclaiming “I believe” violates the constitution by giving preference to Christianity, I think this lawsuit clearly discriminates against persons of faith. I expect the state Attorney General to vigorously oppose this lawsuit because it is time that people stand up for their beliefs. Enough is enough.
I am proud and unrelenting in my support of the Legislature’s unanimous enactment of this plate.
Why? Because the “I believe” plate reflects core values that are meaningful to our society, promoting love, joy, and comfort in our spiritual lives, and accommodating to every citizen’s right of free exercise of any and all religions.
Not given so much publicity are the other tags that were also enacted legislatively this year and again reflect our core values. These specialty plates concern designs about veterans, including participants in Operation Desert Storm-Desert Shield/Operation Iraqi Freedom, and courageous recipients of the Silver Star and Bronze Star.
We have a process established for groups to apply for specialty license plates with the Department of Motor Vehicles. If someone wants to create an “I believe” license plate with another background, they have the ability to do so.
Check out the current choices on the DMV website, www.scdmvonline.com. You will see that there are plates for religious-affiliated universities like Bob Jones University, secular schools such as the University of South Carolina, and other groups like the Wild Turkey Federation. For the Jimmy Buffet fans, there’s a Parrot Head plate, which was also enacted legislatively, with the stipulation that any “profits” from the tag be used by the South Carolina Parrot Head Club Council to support the fine work of the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
With so much diversity in license plate design, and so many choices for individuals to display their values and priorities, why has this one tag design drawn such attention and criticism?
Interestingly, the people most likely to purchase an “I believe” license plate tell me that they are the ones who are aggrieved, rather than the ones who are bringing a lawsuit to deny them the right to choose an automobile tag that is witness to their core values.
Here’s what some people have told me:
• I do not understand why we cannot express (the "I Believe" tag) what a majority of our founding fathers believed in, Christianity. They certainly did not impose Christianity as a government sponsored religion that was required to be followed, but they freely expressed their personal beliefs of Christianity while being leaders of our nation. We should be allowed to have the same freedom today through a modern day method.
• I'm growing tired of the prejudice against Christians’ free speech protection. It's almost as though those who don't share our faith have more power to suppress our right to free speech simply because they don't have the faith.
Here’s what I tell people:
• Is the logic behind the “I believe” license plate any different from the logic behind those adopt-a-highway signs supplied by the state recognizing a church or Sunday School class for adopting the public highway and keeping it clean?
• Every time I have taken my oath of office as a representative, as a senator or as the Lieutenant Governor, I have done so by placing my hand on the Bible -- as does everybody who testifies in our courts, including those who may be called in the “I believe” license plates lawsuit.
• If the “I believe” lawsuit reaches the Supreme Court of the United States, the case likely will be heard in the courtroom with the stone frieze acknowledging the world’s great lawgivers, including Moses holding the plaques numbered I through X, and said to refer the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, not the Ten Commandments.
I believe that every citizen has the constitutional protections of free speech and expression. I don’t understand why witnessing for fundamental, enduring values is controversial or threatening.
PRINTABLE PDF
Lieutenant Governor André Bauer's
Task Force on Senior Fraud
“Closing SC borders to senior fraud”
A Message from
Lt. Governor André Bauer
I created the Lt. Governor’s Task Force on Senior Fraud with the goal of protecting South Carolina’s senior citizens by closing the border to those who seek to scam and defraud the elderly. Working with our friends in the General Assembly and our Task Force members, we are undertaking this endeavor to protect South Carolina’s seniors.
Magazine subscription scams, high-priced loans, the Nigerian letter scam, variations of the international lottery winner notice, and “Phishing” schemes have victimized far too many South Carolina senior citizens.
Working with members of the Lt. Governor’s Task Force on Senior Fraud, I want to help all consumers, especially our senior citizens stop scam artists before they strike. With greater public awareness of consumer fraud, more South Carolinians will be able to spot potential red flags to protect themselves and their families.
If you believe that you have been a target of a senior scam or fraud, or know of a senior citizen who has been victimized, please call the Department of Consumer Affairs at 1-800- 922-1594 or the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging at 1-800-868-9095. It is also important that you report any and all senior crimes to your local law enforcement agency.
Andre Bauer
Lt. Governor of South Carolina
(Click on any of the images above to see that portion of his speech.)