Sept. 28, 2006 
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that PayPal, Inc. has agreed to a settlement that resolves concerns regarding some of the company’s business practices.

PayPal is an Internet business which allows the transfer of money between email users, avoiding traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders. PayPal also performs payment processing for e-commerce vendors, auction sites and other corporate users, for which they charge a fee. The company also agreed to pay $1.7 million as part of the settlement.

“This settlement should sharply reduce the number of complaints filed by consumers,” Goddard said. “It requires PayPal to give people more information about how its payment system works before they become PayPal members.”

Goddard joined Attorneys General from 27 other states in this settlement. The settlement is a result of a multi-state investigation prompted by consumer complaints alleging, among other things, that:

􀂃 PayPal froze some customers’ accounts without notice if the customer disputed a payment to or from a third party using PayPal’s services. 
􀂃 PayPal misled some of its customers by charging their bank accounts to fund their PayPal accounts when the customers expected to be able to fund their accounts with their credit card.

􀂃 PayPal failed to inform some of its customers who had disputes regarding credit card payments to third parties that they might have greater protection from their credit card companies than through their agreements with PayPal. 

The settlement requires PayPal to: 
􀂃 Make information more accessible to users by changing the way the company uses hyperlinks and multi-page documents.

􀂃 Present the member who is prepared to make a purchase with a clear choice regarding what form of payment to use. The usual methods consumers use to fund their payments through the system are credit card, debit card or electronic funds transfer from a bank account. 
􀂃 Provide clear access to Web pages that contain important information about the differences between PayPal’s internal dispute resolution programs and chargeback rights granted by federal law to consumers who use electronic banking, debit cards and credit cards.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office by visiting the Web site at www.azag.gov and filing an online complaint or calling the Office at 602.542.5763 in Phoenix; 520.628.6504 in Tucson; or 1.800.352.8431 outside the metro areas.

Microsurfacing Utility Adjustments

On Wednesday, September 27, 2006, crews from K & B Asphalt, under contract with the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), will begin adjusting manhole covers and water valve covers on several recently microsurfaced City streets. Lane restrictions will be in place during these adjustments. Work hours for the utility adjustments will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This work involves constructing new concrete collars around the manhole covers and water valve covers. As a result, lane restrictions may be in place with no visible activity occurring since concrete requires several hours to cure.

Work will take place on the following streets through October 31, 2006.

Wilmot Road – Speedway Boulevard to Pima Street
Tanque Verde Road – Pantano Parkway to Camino Seco
22nd Street – Kolb Road to Camino Seco
Speedway Boulevard – Interstate 10 to Silverbell

Motorists driving in these work areas can expect delays during this project. Business access will be maintained to the extent possible with only short, infrequent closures when heavy equipment is directly in front of the business driveway. The traveling public should use caution when driving, bicycling or walking in these areas and to obey all traffic control signs and watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone.

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. National Preparedness Month 2006 is sponsored by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. It is an opportunity for citizens to learn more about ways to prepare for an emergency, including getting an emergency supply kit, establishing a family communications plan, and becoming aware of threats that may impact our community.

To that end, the Tucson Police Department and the Tucson Fire Department have joined hands to encourage the community to prepare for natural disasters, terrorist attacks or other large-scale emergencies. We encourage you to make time to learn more about ways to prepare for an emergency, including getting an emergency supply kit, establishing a family communications plan, and becoming better aware of threats that may impact our community.

Simple steps for preparing for emergency and additional information can be found at www.fema.gov, and there is a wealth of information at www.ready.gov. There is also a calendar of National Preparedness Month events on the Citizen Corps site, at www.citizencorps.gov.”

Lieutenant Sanford Levy from the Tucson Police Department and Deputy Chief Brad Olson from the Tucson Fire Department are available for interviews which can be arranged through the Public Information Section of the Tucson Police Department.

From the National Center for Infectious Diseases

The following is advice for consumers about this outbreak:

Currently, we are advising consumers to not eat any fresh spinach or salad blends containing spinach grown in the three counties in California implicated in the current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak — Monterey County, San Benito County, and Santa Clara County (see map of affected counties). Fresh spinach grown outside these counties can be safely eaten. Spinach grown in these counties is often packaged in other areas of the country. If consumers cannot tell where fresh spinach was grown, they are advised not to purchase or consume the fresh spinach. Frozen and canned spinach can be safely eaten.

E. coli O157:H7 in spinach can be killed by cooking at 160° Fahrenheit for 15 seconds. (Water boils at 212° Fahrenheit.) If spinach is cooked in a frying pan, and all parts do not reach 160° Fahrenheit, all bacteria may not be killed. If consumers choose to cook the spinach, they should not allow the raw spinach to contaminate other foods and food contact surfaces, and they should wash hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling the spinach.

Persons who develop diarrhea after consuming fresh spinach or salad blends containing fresh spinach are urged to contact their health care provider and ask that their stool specimen be tested for E. coli O157.

Persons who ate fresh spinach or salad blends and feel well do not need to see a health-care provider.

Bicycle Inner-Community Action & Salvage is gearing up for its 11th annual BICAS Art Auction on Nov. 19. BICAS is asking artists to donate any bicycle theme art or to come by and create new ones. Open art workshops are held from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays. All proceeds from the auction benefit BICAS.
Location Bicas 44 W. Sixth St. Tucson
Contact Info 628-7950
Bicas bicasunderground@yahoo.com www.bicas.org

Arizona Department of Public Safety – DNA Press Briefing

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has received numerous calls from the news media requesting information on DNA testing and the process of analyzing DNA. A press briefing will be conducted Friday, September 22, 2006 at 10:00 A. M. at the DPS Crime Lab, 2102 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix to explain the DNA process.

Crime Lab Superintendent Todd Griffith will be conducting the briefing and Phoenix Police Sergeant Andy Hill will be present at the briefing should any questions arise regarding the serial rapist investigation.

Please check in at security on the north side of the DPS Headquarters.

Presented by:
The Arizona Department of Public Safety
POST OFFICE BOX 6638 * PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85005-6638

If you were incensed by the speech made at the UN by Venezuelan leader Chavez, there is a way that you can make your feelings known. CITGO is owned by Venezuela, and if you don’t buy anything from CITGO, it will definitely hurt that country’s income, and thereby pull Chavez’s teeth. That country’s pockets are shallow, and lined with oil money from the 14,000 CITGO stations in the US, and the 1.5 million barrels of oil the US buys daily from Venezuela. So don’t buy CITGO products, and make sure your friends don’t either. When you talk to your buddy in North Carolina, tell him not to buy CITGO. When you go to San Diego to visit your sister, tell her not to buy CITGO. Call; the radio station and tell them to announce it. Write your representatives, write a blog, post a message on a bulletin board – make a fuss!

Venezuela started a PR campaign in 2005 stating that Americans should buy oil from Venezuela because it is not one of the Middle Eastern, terrorist-supporting countries. However, note that Chavez is now hurriedly making deals with those countries that the Venezuela national oil company was casting aspersions on just last year – when they want YOU to buy more of their oil. Arguably, Chavez’s new best friend is the president of Iran – the guy who wants a “world without America.”

There are numerous CITGO stations in and around Tucson – but there are lots of other stations, too. If just the cities that are the size of Tucson and smaller would boycott CITGO, they would quickly go broke, and no longer be any sort of a threat at all. You can REALLY make a difference!

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard Will Join Council Member Greg Stanton
At Parent Forum to Discuss Internet Safety

(Phoenix, Ariz. – Sept. 19, 2006) Attorney General Terry Goddard will join Phoenix Council member Greg Stanton at a parent forum Wednesday evening to discuss the importance of Internet Safety. The forum will be held at Ingleside Middle School, 5402 E. Osborn in Phoenix, beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

The presentation will emphasize things parents should know about how teens navigate the Internet and cautions families should take when using social network Web sites such as myspace.com and facebook.com. The presentation will include experiences of teens who have been victims of Internet exploitation. The Internet safety program was developed by NetSmartz and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Internet safety is a topic of growing importance because young people are spending more time online, and many are unaware of the dangers they can encounter. A recent survey conducted by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited children found that 30 percent of kids between 13 and 17 considered having a face-to-face meeting with someone they met online. The survey also revealed that 14 percent actually had the meeting.

The presentation is open to the media. Goddard and Stanton will be available for interviews following the event.

From the Arizona Department of Public Safety
New Legislation Regarding Sex Offender Compliance

The Department of Public Safety wants to promote awareness to the public, and the registered sex offender population, on recent changes to the laws of sex offender registration in the State of Arizona. These changes are listed below and will become effective on September 21, 2006.

SENATE BILL 1229 – Amending Sections 13-3821 and 13-3822 relating to the registration of transient sex offenders.

The modification reads:
“If the person does not have an address or a permanent place of residence, the person shall provide a description and physical location of any temporary residence AND SHALL REGISTER AS A TRANSIENT NOT LESS THAN EVERY NINETY DAYS WITH THE SHERIFF IN WHOSE JURISDICTION THE TRANSIENT IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT.”

Failure to comply is a Class 4 Felony.
Under the old law, an offender was only required to update his registration upon moving from the registered address (within 72 hrs in the same county and within 10 days to register in another county).

SENATE BILL 1230 – Amending Sections 13-3821, 13-3822 and 13-3824 relating to sex offender registration.

The modification reads:
“At the time of registering, the person shall sign OR AFFIX AN ELECTRONIC FINGERPRINT TO a statement giving such information as required by the Director of the Department of Public Safety.” This is referring to the sex offender registration form completed at the sheriff’s office by the offender.

The next modification reads:
“THE MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE DAILY ADDRESS UPDATES FOR PERSONS REQUIRED TO REGISTER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY”.

This means that on a daily basis, the Motor Vehicle Division will report to the DPS Sex Offender Compliance Unit any registered offenders that obtain, renew or update an address on their one year credential (driver’s license or identification card).

Also included in this amendment, a violation of section 13-3821.I (obtaining a one-year driver’s license or identification card) is now a Class 6 Felony. Previously it was a Class 1 Misdemeanor.

The next modification reads:
AT THE TIME OF REGISTERING, THE SHERIFF SHALL SECURE A SUFFICIENT SAMPLE OF BLOOD OR OTHER BODILY SUBSTANCES FOR DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID TESTING AND EXTRACTION FROM A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF AN OFFENSE COMMITTED IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION THAT IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE WOULD BE A VIOLATION OR ATTEMPTED VIOLATION OF ANY OF THE OFFENSES LISTED IN SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION OR AN OFFENSE THAT WAS IN EFFECT BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 1978, AND THAT, IF COMMITTED ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 1978, HAS THE SAME ELEMENTS OF AN OFFENSE LISTED IN SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION OR WHO IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER BY THE CONVICTING JURISDICTION. THE SHERIFF SHALL TRANSMIT THE SAMPLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

This pertains to offenders that have been convicted in another jurisdiction (i.e. out of state, military, tribal convictions, etc.). These offenders would need to have a DNA sample taken by the sheriff’s office at the time of registration.

SENATE BILL 1372 – Amending Section 13-902 relating to electronic monitoring.

The modification reads:
“BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1, 2006, AFTER CONVICTION OF A DANGEROUS CRIME AGAINST CHILDREN AS DEFINED IN SECTION 13-604.01, IF A TERM OF PROBATION IS IMPOSED, THE COURT SHALL REQUIRE GLOBAL POSITION SYSTEM MONITORING FOR THE DURATION OF THE TERM OF PROBATION.”

A person who commits interference, or assists any person in interference with the monitoring devices, is in violation of a Class 4 Felony.

As indicated above, this is effective on November 1, 2006.

The argument about the power assisted bicycles is starting to heat up, with a determination about their classification and rules forthcoming from the City of Tucson. These bicycles, which have small motors or engines attached, are rapidly growing in popularity. Some of these conveyances get well over 125 miles per gallon!

The argument is about whether they are actually bicycles, or vehicles – and what laws should govern them. Do they have rights to the bicycle lanes, for example. Basically, if it can go over 20-mph, then it is a vehicle, but the issue is clearly not that simple.

When these power assisted bicycles ride the roads, the riders have learned one thing for certain: they can sit in a left turn lane for a month waiting for the light to turn green. Unless another larger vehicle comes along, they simply can’t change the light with their bike – despite the presence of an engine. Try visiting this website for the solution to that very annoying problem: http://signalsorcerer.com/.

There is a Public hearing on Tuesday September 19, 2006, after which the final classification of these power assisted bicycles will be dictated.