The Miami Herald published an enlightening article on the disparity in internet access in the homes of South Florida residents: 3 in 10 in South Florida don’t have Internet. If this doesn’t underscore the absolute necessity of really addressing the digital divide, I don’t know what will.

You can’t get very many jobs nowadays without applying online and being contacted via e-mail, that’s just the way it is. If you have children, don’t cripple them by purchasing luxuries like video games and expensive clothing  if they don’t have the necessities. Internet access is a necessity.

Woo-hoo! We’ve just launched our new Facebook page for Blogging Black Miami to offer you another means of staying connected to us and each other. Feel free to “fan” us or “like” us, or whatever it is that Facebook is offering now. We’re excited by this opportunity to continue our mission of informing, educating, entertaining and engaging our readers. Smooches…

'Blogging While Brown' to be held June 18-19 in Washington, DC

Periodically, e-mails warning of a scam involving calls from the 809 area code circulate. The e-mails contend that there has been fraud associated with unscrupulous pay-per-call operators in that area code. However, the message contains some misinformation, especially the highly exaggerated cost of a phone call to the 809 area code, which is a legitimate area code for the Dominican Republic. Fortunately, this scam is less prevalent in recent years as a result of work done by AT&T to eliminate access to fraudulent pay-per-call operators.

This long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently incur high charges on their phone bills. Consumers usually receive a message telling them to call a phone number with an 809, 284 or 876 area code in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. The caller assumes the number is a typical three-digit U.S. area code; however, the caller is actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charged international call rates. Unfortunately, consumers don't find out that they have been charged higher international call rates until they receive their bill.

AT&T offers the following information and tips:

• Return calls to familiar numbers only. As a general rule, return calls from numbers that contain familiar or recognizable area codes. You may call your directory assistance or long distance operator to check the area code location.
• Carefully read your telephone bill. Make sure that you only receive charges from your provider of choice. Ensure you thoroughly understand charges listed on your phone bill, have chosen to do business with all of the listed providers billing for those charges and have authorized additional fees invoiced. If your local service provider has changed, you will receive a final bill from the former provider and a notice of service disconnection.

If you believe that you have been scammed:

• Contact the carrier with whom the charge originated, whose name and toll-free telephone number should be printed on the same bill page as the charge in question. Often, the problem can be resolved with a single phone call.
• If the carrier with whom the charge originated does not agree to resolve the problem, contact AT&T. AT&T will work with you and the carrier to help remove fraudulent charges from the phone bill.

You may file a complaint online with the Federal Communications Commission about this and/or related phone scams.

Woo-hoo! It's almost December and I'm just a few followers away from my goal of 2,000 by the end of the year. Thank you to everyone who has made this accomplishment possible. I've still set my sight on Top Twitterer Ashton Kutcher who's now at 4,028,795! Aarrgh!

I'm projected to be act over 2,100 but I'm fine with my own projection. I'd really appreciate your helping me increase my Twitter followers and make Mr. Kutcher nervous, okay?

The review of the Miami-Dade County charter should be a top priority item for Blacks in Miami and surrounding municipalities. As Blacks have moved north to Broward County and out of state, the power of the Black vote has diminished significantly. The further division of Blacks into sub-groups ---Haitian, Jamaican, etc.-- weakens the Black vote even more. Let's not even get into Black Hispanics that are not fairly represented politcally and economically in Miami-Dade County. Well, let's not get into it now.

This is not a whine and cheese session; it's about being proactive. Another unfortunate reality is that too often, by the time issues such as these are made public, strategy sessions have alreay occurred and decisions made. Does that mean we just sit back and take it, I don't think so.

As citizens, we seem to have forgotten that it's "government of the people, by the people and for the people." We allow the powers that be to divide us into various ethnic and religious groups when the reality is that our challenges, as citizens, are largely based on economics more than anything else --- don't be fooled.

Anyhoo, check this space for updates on the charter review process. A very important hearing is scheduled for 6 PM, Tuesday, August 28th with the Joseph Caleb Center as one of the sites. Commendably, technology is being utilized to connect citizens via e-mail, webcast, etc. However, Blacks should attend the regional meeting at the Caleb Center to address this issue. There is nothing like people getting together and feeding off the positive energy of camaraderie. Let's not allow the sterility of the internet to keep us disconnected.

Spread the word about these meetings. Check this space later for more info on the charter review process and the folks charged with this awesome task.

From Miami Today:

Charter panel to suggest raises, term limits for commissioners

By Wayne Tompkins
   The Miami-Dade County Charter Review Task Force has drafted a preliminary recommendation that commissioners be paid a full-time salary and limited to serving two four-year terms.
   In addition, commissioners would be barred from outside employment while in office and would forfeit all pensions and salary if found guilty of "violating the public trust."
   Task force chairman Victor Diaz Jr., a Miami Beach attorney, said the recommendation is not final but designed to solicit public comment at a series of workshops.
   "We want to know if the public thinks, for example, that the term limits are too high or too low," Mr. Diaz said.
   Commissioners currently are paid $6,000 a year and are not term-limited.
   The 21-member board has been charged with reviewing the county's 50-year-old charter, the equivalent of a constitution. The body will make recommendations that ultimately will go before voters. The task force has until Oct. 31 to complete its work but has asked commissioners for a 90-day extension. [Continue reading...]

Press Release on revised public hearing process: