Protecting Vulnerable Seniors From Fraud

I-1501     Protecting vulnerable seniors from fraud        
Ballot language: Initiative Measure No. 1501 concerns seniors and vulnerable individuals. This measure would increase the penalties for criminal identity theft and civil consumer fraud targeted at seniors or vulnerable individuals; and exempt certain information of vulnerable individuals and in-home caregivers from public disclosure. Should this measure be enacted into law?

endorsed by FUSE Washington http://fusewashington.org/fuse_2016_washington_ballot_initiative_guide/

Seniors are one of the most common targets for unscrupulous telemarketers and financial scams. Initiative 1501 will discourage identity theft and consumer fraud against seniors and other vulnerable residents by increasing penalties and preventing the state from releasing personal private information about vulnerable people and their in-home caregivers.

Opposed by Freedom Foundation https://www.freedomfoundation.com/blogs/liberty-live/i-1501-isn%E2%80%99t-about-privacy-it%E2%80%99s-about-protecting-the-unions%E2%80%99-monopoly-over-public   which asserts that this is really about “protecting the unions’ monopoly over public information.” Huh? Ok, now I get it. The claim is that protecting seniors is really all about forcing people to join the AFL-CIO or SEIU.  “I-1501 is a thinly veiled attempt to deny everyone else access to the same names, addresses and phone numbers SEIU was given when it filed its own Public Information Request back in 2002 pursuant to forming a new union.”

I have worked with seniors. Some are sharp. Others are gullible. I have had to write those nasty letters to book clubs and magazine subscription desks, and even to the Seattle Opera to cancel inappropriate and expensive subscriptions and purchases. The more we can prevent seniors from becoming prey, the better in my book. The Freedom Foundation’s diatribe against unions is not very persuasive.

I will be voting YES on I-1501