Sen. Kohl holds hearing on “foreclosure rescue scams.”
This morning, Sen. Herb Kohl, (D-Wis.) the chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, will hold a hearing in Washington D.C. on the rise of financial scams across the country that have been the result of a sharp increase in foreclosures. Foreclosures have increased by 95 percent in the past year, according to Kohl who says foreclosure rescue scams target low-income and senior homeowners already facing a financial difficulty. Kohl says these financial predators will claim that they can help save the home of a senior experiencing foreclosure, when in fact they plan to walk away with both the title and equity of the home. The hearing will review how rescue scams work, who they impact, and what the government can do to eliminate the scams.
On Feb. 18, the Wisconsin Builders Foundation and the Metropolitan Builders Association will break ground on the Wisconsin Trend Home, which will be built in the Rolling Ridge South Subdivision on Rockridge Way in Waukesha. The Wisconsin Trend Home was designed as an educational and philanthropic venture. It will be a certified Green Built Home, Energy Star rated with emerging technologies such as solar power. Its "green features" will include grey water reuse, smart home features, higher indoor air quality and permeable pavement. The proceeds from the sale of the home will be used to provide a $200,000 grant to La Casa De Esperenza, which will help to train low-income workers in the construction industry, and the remainder will go to the WBA Foundation, which will be utilized in a scholarship fund to attract high quality students to a career in the building trades.
The City of Racine and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are finalizing plans for the reconstruction of Sixth Street between Main Street and Grand Avenue. Utility work is scheduled to begin on March 3 with the roadway construction starting in the spring of 2009. The reconstruction of Sixth Street will include new brick sidewalks. Within the sidewalks, large granite tiles will be inserted to reinforce the unique identity of downtown and the historic district. The Downtown Racine Corporation is seeking creative designs from the community for the granite inserts. The selected images will be engraved on the 2-foot by 2-foot gray granite tiles. Design packets may be picked up at the DRC office located at 425 Main St., Racine. All designs must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18. A committee, assembled by the Downtown Racine Corporation, will select and recommend images to the City of Racine for inclusion in the project. The selected designs will be finalized, sandblasted, stained and installed as a part of the road reconstruction project in 2009.
