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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Thursday, July 29, 2004
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Nixon Puts Brakes on Illegal Lottery Web Site
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) July 25, 2004 - Attorney General Jay Nixon has stopped an illegal Internet lottery seeking to capitalize on the popular MTV program, "Pimp My Ride."
According to a release, on Tuesday (July 27), Nixon obtained a preliminary injunction against Nathan Leiweke, of Festus, to stop him from accepting paid entries for a lottery through his Web site, www.pimpmyride.com. Neither Leiweke nor the Web site are affiliated with the television program.
"You can't just start selling chances for a lottery for your own personal gain," Nixon stated, pointing out that Missouri law restricts games of chance to those allowed by the state constitution or statutes. "Unfortunately, the reach of the Internet enables such illegal schemes to proliferate across the country. But through this lawsuit, we're going to put a stop to these tricks."
Leiweke's Web site solicited consumers from across the United States to pay $2 per entry for a random drawing to customize, or "pimp out," their vehicles through a $20,000 renovation. There is no limit on the number of chances a person can buy, and some contestants allegedly have purchased as many as 100 entries. Only half the entry fees go to the prize money; Leiweke stated on the Web site that the other half would be used for "fees associated with maintenance and up keep of the website and contest."
Nixon says information obtained by his office leads him to believe approximately 4,400 consumers had purchased more than 12,000 chances total so far, and that more than $27,000 had been deposited in the PayPal account set up by Leiweke for pimpmyride.com.
The Web site also states that if a minimum of 20,000 entries were not sold for the contest, "the money collected for the contest money will be donated to charity!" There is no mention of what would happen in that event to the money retained for "fees."
The preliminary injunction signed by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Dennis J. Kehm prohibits Leiweke from advertising the raffle or selling any more entries, and also freezes the money he's taken in on the scheme. Nixon is asking the court to order Leiweke to pay appropriate restitution to consumers and penalties to the state.
Missouri Second in Nation in Job Growth
in First Half of 2004
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) July 25, 2004 - Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Kelvin L. Simmons announced last Wednesday that the state has added 59,600 jobs during the first six months of 2004, ranking it second in the nation behind Oregon. Missouri's job growth rate is more than twice the national average.
Simmons also reported that Missouri's job growth was the highest in the nation between May and June with 27,600 new jobs being created during that time.
Simmons released another in a series of economic conditions reports from the Department of Economic Development, compiled by the department's research center, which are provided periodically to assess the overall progress of the state's economy. Wednesday's report offered a mid-year look at how Missouri's economy has fared over the past six months.
"None of the eight states that border Missouri have net job growth since January of 2001," Simmons said in a statement at a press conference. "This shows that Missouri is not only coming out of the national recession at a faster rate than most states, but at a faster rate than all other states in the Midwest. We find that news quite exciting because it shows we are bucking the national trend and adding, not losing jobs. This is a strong trend that we expect to continue."
Missouri's unemployment rate has generally been below the U.S. rate, usually by a half point or more. Missouri's June rate is 5.2 percent, seasonally adjusted, which remains below the nation's rate of 5.6 percent. The state's June unemployment rate is six-tenths of a point lower than it was in June 2003.
Another important economic indicator is taxable sales. Carol Fischer, director of the Department of Revenue, reported positive trends in this category as well.
"Preliminary taxable sales estimates for the first quarter 2004 were $15.8 billion in Missouri, an increase of 5.5 percent in actual dollars from the same quarter of 2003," Fischer said. "The increase in jobs has led to an increase in disposable income and consumer confidence and is bolstering taxable sales."
Other factors cited by the DED director include a stabilized manufacturing sector and a record number of businesses, which is setting a foundation for future job growth. Missouri's manufacturing sector, which makes up nearly 12 percent of the state's employment, has shown stability for more than a year, Simmons said. Between June of 2003 and June of 2004 the state ranked fourth in the nation in overall manufacturing job growth and its percentage growth is more than twice the national rate.
Visitors to St. Louis can tour downtown and Forest Park from the comfort of original English Double-decker buses through October.
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Double-Decker Buses Roll Into St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) July 23, 2004 - City Sightseeing, a tourist service operating in 60 cities around the world, including Stockholm, Sweden, Oslo, Norway and others, has brought original English Double-decker buses to St. Louis.
The company chose St. Louis as their first American city to roll out brightly painted red buses that are a familiar element of most European cities. The panoramic tours will provide live guides or recorded information for riders about the sights throughout downtown St. Louis and Forest Park.
Passengers can hop on and off buses at all stops including the Gateway Arch, Old Courthouse, Laclede's Landing, Kiener Plaza, Westin Hotel, City Hall/Savvis Center, St. Louis Union Station, City Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, Renaissance Grand Hotel, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Missouri Botanical Garden and in Forest Park at the St. Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum and St. Louis Science Center.
Tickets are $25 for adults; children, 4 - 16 years are $12.50. The fares are valid for two days from time of boarding the bus.
Telemarketing Scam Uses Government-Grant Offers
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com) July 23, 2004 - Attorney General Jay Nixon has issued a warning to Missourians to beware of a new telemarketing scam designed to steal a person's financial information.
Several consumers from around the state have contacted his office about calls telling them they have received or are eligible to receive a government grant. The caller asks consumers to give their bank account information to secure the grant.
"Consumer should never reveal their bank account number or other personal information over the phone," Nixon said. "If you get a call asking for this type of information, hang up."
Consumers who have reported this scam to the Attorney General say the telemarketers have used several business names, including Free U.S. Government Grants, Federal Government Grant Information Center, New Federal Government Grant Information, or another similar name. The telemarketer tells consumers the business is located in Florida.
"There is no legitimate government program that employs people to call consumers to offer grants. Government grants, including student financial aid, are available through an application process, not through telemarketers," Nixon stated.
Consumers who receive suspicious calls are encouraged to call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222.
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