BeckyOliver's Blog

It is incredibly frustrating when we cannot help someone who desperately needs it. I think most people who contact FOX4 think we can solve just about any problem. Most of the time we can do something to help and viewers are always so grateful when we do. This situation with the VA has me stumped.  We talked to the VA secretary and he promised to look into it. Then he resigned. Our Congresswoman is frustrated.  What does it take? We will continue to do stories as long as there are people out there who need help. Anyone with a fiduciary at the VA needs to contact us. Anyone who has a problem with the level of care they are getting at the VA needs to contact us. I will continue to listen and try to help.

On another note, we are getting calls and emails about problems with the 9-1-1 service. I am curious if anyone has had any troubles getting calls answered promptly or had trouble getting ambulence service. Let me know.

I just got back from a brief vacation to Los Angeles and a few things really struck me. I grew up in LA so it is going back home for me. The congestion and housing prices just blew me away. My nephew just purchased an $800,000 fixer upper. It is a one story home built in the 60's that needs a lot of work. Whew! It is his first home. He just recently got married. Imagine that mortgage payment. Also, the traffic is just out of control. I spent time in Santa Monica, Huntinton Beach, Laguna and Crestline. I put about 350 miles on my rental car and spent no less than 10 hours sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. It didn't matter if I was traveling at noon or 10 o clock at night. The freeways are always packed. Thank goodness I was traveling with others and could use the diamond lane...but then it too was always backed up. It all made me feel very fortunate to be living in Dallas.

One of the most common complaints I get is about used cars. Every day I hear from people who buy vehicles "as is" and then complain the car broke down right after they drove off the lot. I tell people "as is" means just that. The best advice I can give is to get a second opinion before you ever buy a used car. Find a reliable mechanic who can check out the car from bumper to bumper. You need to know if it has been in a wreck, you want to check the odometer for a possible roll back and you need to see what kind of shape the engine is in. If you don't know a mechanic there are mobile units that will drive to the location and check out the car. If a dealership or private owner does not want you to check out the car, that would be a red flag for me and I would start looking for another car. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a new car. Don't let your excitement get in the way of making a good business decision. You need to do your homework. It will save you a major headache down the road. Good Luck.