The Real Costs of Obamacare More than Double Benefits

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The Real Costs of Obamacare More than Double Benefits

The world at war: The mind, journalism, freedoms... The Unsustainable Fiscal ‘Crisis’ of the Military’s Bloated Benefits

The Pentagon is planning cuts to the defense budget that are causing controversy on Capitol Hill, the New York Times reports.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plans to shrink the United States Army to its smallest force since before the World War II buildup and eliminate an entire class of Air Force attack jets in a new spending proposal that officials describe as the first Pentagon budget to aggressively push the military off the war footing adopted after the terror attacks of 2001.

…The proposals are certain to face resistance from interest groups like veterans’ organizations, which oppose efforts to rein in personnel costs; arms manufacturers that want to reverse weapons cuts; and some members of Congress who will seek to block base closings in their districts.

Such proposals always get the defense industry lobbyists on Capitol Hill reeling. The notion that big corporations manufacturing death machines will stop getting paid exorbitant amounts of taxpayer cash for weapons systems that military officials say they don’t even want or need is appalling to them, parasites that they are.

But, according to an NPR report this morning, “the part of the Pentagon’s plan that might get the sharpest reaction is the military’s suggestions for ways to reduce the growth in spending on pay and benefits.”

…Pentagon officials warn that those costs “are eating us alive.” The average annual cost of pay and benefits for each active duty member of the military, for instance, has risen from about $ 54,000 a decade ago to $ 110,000 now, he said. The costs of health insurance and other benefits for retirees are also soaring.

The bloated salaries and benefits for the military, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey, “will become a crisis.” One official told NPR that the Pentagon is essentially becoming “a benefits organization that occasionally kills a terrorist.”

In a 2012 piece for Foreign Policy, Rosa Brooks – whose husband is a career Army officer - lamented America’s ”socialist military” and criticized the fact that “the average member of the military is paid better than 75 percent of civilian federal workers with comparable experience.” Members of the military and their families, she wrote, get “America’s most generous” and “arguably unsustainable” benefits programs.

As the spouse of a career Army officer, I’m stunned by the range of available benefits. Health care? Free! Groceries? Military commissaries save military families roughly 30 percent over shopping in civilian stores. Education benefits? Career personnel can expect the military to finance additional higher education, and the post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of benefits to veterans, amounting, in effect, to full tuition and fees for four academic years. (The education benefit is also transferable to dependents.)

Housing? Free on base and subsidized off-base (the housing allowance goes up with family size: from each according to his ability, to each according to his need). Pensions? After 20 years of service, military personnel can retire and immediately begin to receive, at the ripe old age of 40 or so, an annual pension equal to half their salary — for the rest of their lives. Anyone who thinks socialism failed in America has never spent time on a military base.

Cutting expensive and unnecessary weapons systems cuts to the heart of the nuts and bolts of rent-seeking politics in Washington. But cutting veterans benefits becomes an emotional issue for people, and thus may be very difficult to get past Congress.

These benefits are inordinate, unfair, and unsustainable. Military service is endlessly praised as the ultimate sacrifice for the country. But when you strip away the propagandistic state doctrine, military service is simply a commitment to kill strangers on the orders of politicians in Washington. I can’t for the life of me figure out why that deserves such disproportionate financial benefits.

Antiwar.com Blog

The world at war: The mind, journalism, freedoms...

The Unsustainable Fiscal ‘Crisis’ of the Military’s Bloated Benefits

The Amazing Benefits of Himalayan Pink Salt

Have you heard about the amazing Himalayan crystal salt that comes directly from the Himalayan Mountains? It is packed with some pretty amazing benefits and is an amazing new staple to add to your pantry. It is an absolutely wonderful alternative to table salt, and soon I’ll explain why.

The History

First of all, what makes Himalayan crystal salt so amazing? About 200 million years ago, there were crystallized sea salt beds that were covered with lava. Being kept in this untouched, pristine environment that has been surrounded with snow and ice for so many years means that the salt has been protected from modern day pollution. Many people believe that this pink salt from the Himalayas is the purest salt that can be found on the planet.

Minerals & Energy

First of all, Himalayan Salt contains the same 84 trace minerals and elements that are found in the human body, that alone is quite impressive! A few of these minerals include: sodium chloride, sulphate, calcium, potassium and magnesium. When using this salt, you are actually getting less sodium intake per serving than regular table salt because it is less refined and the pieces are larger. Therefore Himalayan salt has less sodium per serving because the crystals or flakes take up less room than the highly processed table salt variety. Another cool thing about this salt is that because of its cellular structure it stores vibrational energy. The minerals in this salt exist in colloidal form, which means that they are small enough for our cells to easily absorb.

What Exactly Are The Benefits?

Some of the benefits that you can expect by consuming this salt in place of regular table salt include:

• Aiding in vascular health


• Supporting healthy lungs and respiratory function


• Promoting a stable pH balance within the cells


• Reducing the signs of aging


• Promoting healthy sleep patterns


• Increasing libido


• Prevents muscle cramps


• Increases hydration


• Strengthen bones


• Lowers blood pressure


• Improves circulation


• Detoxifying the body of heavy metals

Comparing Himalayan Salt To Other Salts

Sea Salt

While still a better choice than table salt, sea salt is becoming increasingly over processed and let’s face it, our oceans are becoming more and more polluted each year, just think about the massive oils spills that have occurred. Because of the pristine conditions that the pink salt is kept in, it is said to be the purest salt available today.

Table Salt

Regular, commercial table salt is completely stripped of the majority of its minerals with the exception of sodium and chloride. It is then bleached, cleaned with chemicals and then heated at extremely high temperatures. The iodine that is added to table salt is almost always synthetic which is difficult for our bodies to properly take in. It is treated with anti-caking agents, which prevents the salt from dissolving in water and in the salt container. These agents then prevent the salt from absorbing in our own bodies, which leads to a build up and deposit within the organs. This can cause severe health problems. Studies have shown that for each gram of table salt that is consumed that the body cannot process, your body will use 20 TIMES the amount of cellular water to neutralize the amount of sodium chloride that is present in this chemically treated salt.

This is large in part of how salt has gotten such a bad name. It is not necessarily salt that is unhealthy for us, it is refined table salt that our bodies cannot absorb that is inferior for our health. Aside from that, many of us are consuming way too much processed food. These foods contain astronomical amounts of salt, and it isn’t the good kind. It’s not about limiting our amount of salt; it’s about consuming more natural, homemade whole foods. This way we can add salt while cooking or sprinkle some on our meals without having to worry about high blood pressure and so on.

You should be able to find this amazing Himalayan Crystal Salt at your local health food store, or easily online!

Much Love

Sources:

http://fitlife.tv/10-amazing-benefits-of-pink-himalayan-salt/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/himalayan-crystal-salt-benefits/

http://www.himalayanlivingsalt.com/salt_facts.htm

http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sodium-per-day/

Collective-Evolution

The Amazing Benefits of Himalayan Pink Salt

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ONGOING SAGA, More House Dems retire, CBO: MINIMUM WAGE HIKE WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF JOBS

By Ginger Gibson (ggibson@politico.com or @GingerGibson)

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ONGOING SAGA – A group of Senate Republicans are trying to get the politically dangerous issue of unemployment benefits off the congressional agenda before the fall election. POLITICO’s Burgess Everett has the story: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has vowed to press the GOP on unemployment benefits — forcing them to keep taking votes on a bill to extend aid to the long-term unemployed. But Republicans have rejected it twice since the program expired on Dec. 28.

“Sens. Dan Coats of Indiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Dean Heller of Nevada and Susan Collins of Maine want a deal that could bring the Democratic drumbeat to an end. They gathered last week to plan how to revisit the cause when the Senate returns next week, hoping they can get Democrats to agree to their policy changes and finally move the red-hot issue off the Senate’s plate. “We’re still working on the same thing, which is solving the problem,” Portman said in an interview Tuesday. “I continue to believe that we can solve this if Democrats want to.”

“The political maneuvering is a reminder that voting down money for a government program might be good politics for hard-liners running on slashing deficits and spending, but for centrists, especially those from states where jobless rates remain high, looking unsympathetic to the long-term unemployed is a big risk. That explains the nuanced positions of senators like Coats, who has surprised Democrats by engaging in the unemployment debate last week.” http://politi.co/1bL5b02

CBO: MINIMUM WAGE HIKE WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF JOBS – POLITICO’s Brian Faler has the newest bombshell from the CBO: “Raising the minimum wage would cost thousands of jobs while simultaneously lifting wages for millions more, according to a new report sure to inflame an election-year battle over income inequality.

“In an analysis providing fodder to both Democrats and Republicans, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that a proposal similar to one offered by President Barack Obama would reduce total employment by 500,000 workers or about .3 percent by 2016. At the same time, it would boost earnings for some 16.5 million people, lifting 900,000 above the poverty line, the report said.” http://politi.co/1jDiK0U

– House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Workforce Committee Chairman George Miller both released statements after the report saying they will continue to press for a hike in the wage.

EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY— President Obama announced a renewed effort to reduce emissions from large trucks and is acting with his executive authority. The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin reports: “President Obama announced Tuesday that the federal government will further tighten fuel efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, part of his ongoing effort to use executive authority to address climate change and spur domestic manufacturing.

“Speaking at the Safeway distribution center in Upper Marlboro, Md., Obama did not specify what new standard the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation should set for these larger trucks, which weigh more than 8,500 pounds, but he said he was confident manufacturers could meet this “ambitious” goal.” http://wapo.st/1fghuAx

NUMBERS: DSCC raised $ 6.5 million in January, topped NRSC by $ 2 million – http://politi.co/N9oQLy

HOUSE DEM RETIREMENTS CONTINUE – Two more House Democrats announced they are not seeking reelection.

– Rocket scientist New Jersey Democrat Rep. Rush Holt will not run for reelection. Holt becomes the third member of the New Jersey delegation to skip out on Congress this year. POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt reports: ““There is no hidden motive for my decision,” Holt, 65, said in a statement Tuesday. “As friends who have worked with me know, I have never thought that the primary purpose of my work was re-election and I have never intended to make service in the House my entire career. For a variety of reasons, personal and professional, all of them positive and optimistic, the end of this year seems to me to be the right time to step aside and ask the voters to select the next representative.”

“Holt, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, is a former Swarthmore College professor. He’s also a five-time Jeopardy! champion.” http://politi.co/1kSNIW1

– Freshman California Democrat Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod announced she will instead seek a seat as a San Bernardino County supervisor. The LA Times Richard Simon reports: “”My heart is here in the district,” she said in a written statement. After agonizing over whether to run for reelection to Congress or a seat on the Board of Supervisors, “my desire to represent this community locally, where I have lived for more than 40 years, and where I have long served as an elected official, won out,” she said.

“Negrete McLeod, 72, a former state lawmaker, defeated a fellow Democrat, then-Rep. Joe Baca of Rialto, to win election to the House in 2012. Baca said by telephone Tuesday that he was still planning to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Gary Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga) but added that he was keeping his options open.” http://lat.ms/1dIIqbK

– And then Baca – who is running for George Miller’s seat — called McLeod a bimbo: And then he apologized. The Hill’s Cameron Joseph has the story, asking Baca about party leaders trying to tip the scales against him: “Look at what we wound up with: Some bimbo who decided not to run again. … Here we go again now with another New Yorker trying to tell us who’s going to be the representative of the 31st. It’s up to the people to decide.”

“Baca called back Tuesday evening to apologize for his “poor choice of words.” “I was just upset the district lost a representative in a short period of time. To me, that’s a disservice to the area. I do apologize for my poor choice of words,” Baca told The Hill.” http://bit.ly/1bkZ3ez

MISSISSIPPI SENATE – POLITICO’s Alex Burns looks at the Mississippi Senate race: “As Sen. Thad Cochran faces a potentially career-ending primary challenge, his strategy for victory is straightforward: Stress his decades of bringing home federal largesse and his long relationships with home-state Republicans; tap Washington rainmakers to fill his campaign account; and bring in Mississippi political legends like Haley Barbour and Trent Lott to help seal the deal.

“Cochran’s opponent in the June 3 showdown, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, is practically salivating over the contrast that it represents. As the 2014 election cycle begins to accelerate, perhaps no race presents a sharper difference of views on what it means to be a Republican or offer a sharper microcosm of the ongoing GOP civil war than the race in Mississippi.” http://politi.co/1kWjCRH

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GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEB. 19, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your-play-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Scott is out for the week, so send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to ggibson@politico.com. You can also heckle me on Twitter @GingerGibson. Seung Min Kim will be taking over tomorrow. Email her skim@politico.com.

TODAY IN CONGRESS –. The House and Senate have both recessed for the week.

AROUND THE HILL – All is quiet on Capitol Hill. But far from the hill members are holding press conferences in their districts. Sen. Ted Cruz will hold a press conference to discuss his energy plan at 2 p.m. CT at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas. No livesteam is available. 

MUST-WATCH: DRIVING THE DAY – POLITICO insiders Alex Burns, Anna Palmer, Manu Raju and Jake Sherman relaunch this classic POLITICO video series, taking you behind-the-scenes of what’s driving the day’s headlines every Tuesday – Thursday morning. Today’s video looks at the future of the Senate control and who has the upper hand, Republicans or Democrats: www.politico.com/drivingtheday .

DISCHARGE PETITIONS – Roll Call’s David Hawkings argues the unlikely success of two discharge petitions Democrats are pushing in the House: “the one they’ve been talking about most enthusiastically in recent days — the discharge petition — has a high probability of failure.

“It’s almost certainly not going to realize the stated legislative objective, which is to break the deadlock created by conservatives on both immigration and increasing the minimum wage. But neither is it likely to produce the unstated political objective, which is to push the GOP into looking like the sort of discordant and mean-spirited mess that’s undeserving of running the House for another two years.

“The reason for those predictions is the same on both counts. There just aren’t enough genuine moderates in the Republican conference, nor a sufficient number of endangered GOP incumbents, to give either discharge petition a chance for success.” http://bit.ly/1eQJXrV

Former Rep. Mel Reynolds arrested in Zimbabwe – No stranger to the legal troubles, former Rep. Mel Reynolds was arrested in Zimbabwe on Monday after authorities found him in possession of pornography, a crime in the African nation. Reuters has the story: “Former congressman Mel Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, an immigration official said on Tuesday, after state media reported the convicted sex offender had been found with pornography at a local hotel.

“Police and immigration officials were investigating Reynolds for living in the southern African country without a valid visa, Francis Mabika, an assistant regional immigration officer, told Reuters.” http://yhoo.it/1falXpS

HILL ALUMNI FILES: Former Carper aide running for Delaware treasurer – Sean Barney will primary embattled Democratic Treasurer Chip Flowers. The News Journal’s Jonathan Starkey has the story: “He has now launched a campaign website, where he takes only veiled shots at Flowers, who has come under fire in recent months for his troubled relationship with the board that manages a $ 2 billion taxpayer portfolio and questionable credit card spending out of his office. “I will restore the focus of the Treasurer’s office on its core responsibility of protecting the integrity of payments made with taxpayer resources,” Barney said on his website. He added that, “As policy director to the governor, I worked with 16 cabinet secretaries and cabinet agencies of state government to help develop consensus…. I understand that the role of the State Treasurer on the State’s Cash Management Policy Board operates in a similar vein– not to make policy unilaterally, but to work effectively with others to do right by the people of Delaware.”” http://delonline.us/1mrEJNr

Outside spending in Florida 13 –The Washington Post’s Sean Sullivan takes a look at the numbers: “There’s no doubt that Republicans and Democrats see the outcome of Florida’s 13th district special election as a crucial marker ahead of the midterm elections this fall. For proof, look at how much money organizations on both sides have been pouring in.

“The biggest spenders thus far have been Republican-aligned groups, according to a tally from the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign spending. GOP groups have spent more than $ 2.8 million to boost Republican nominee David Jolly or attack Democratic nominee Alex Sink, CRP’s most up-to-date numbers show. Democratic groups have spent nearly $ 1.5 million doing the opposite.” http://wapo.st/1jQq9gr

Happening in Ukraine – As violent clashes between protesters and riot police continue, government officials are beginning to take more public note of the conflict. From The Hill’s Justin Sink: “Vice President Biden on Tuesday called Ukranian leader Viktor Yanukovych to express “grave concern” about a brutal police crackdown in Kiev.

“According to the White House, Biden urged Yanukovych to “pull back government forces and to exercise maximum restraint.”” http://bit.ly/1oRjvY0

– From the NY Times: “Secretary of State John Kerry urged Mr. Yanukovych to stop the bloodshed. “We call on President Yanukovych and the Ukrainian government to de-escalate the situation immediately, and resume dialogue with the opposition on a peaceful path forward. Ukraine’s deep divisions will not be healed by spilling more innocent blood,” he said in a statement.” http://nyti.ms/1fdcy0B

TUESDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Something interesting happened with yesterday’s trivia that will result in two winners. When Mark Twain wrote “Congress doesn’t know anything about religion… You religious people there are too feeble, in intellect, in morality, in piety—in everything pretty much.” he was writing for Sen. Nye of Nevada in response to a constituent seeking help to incorporate the Episcopal Church in Nevada. Jim Sims of Molycorp chimed in with that answer, pointing to the recently published book by John Mueller “Mark Twain in Washington.” (See excerpt here: http://bit.ly/1bIqG1s)

But the Senate historian had a different answer on their website. In an article on their website (http://1.usa.gov/1bhYNNg), they stated that Twain was working for Sen. William Stewart, also of Nevada. Michael Brumas, in Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office, was the first one to respond with that answer.

Since there were conflicting responses, I went to the Senate Historian to try to get to the bottom of this piece of Twain trivia. Turns out, Mueller was correct and Nye was Twain’s employer when he penned those words. Twain blew through several jobs during his brief stint in Washington. They are changing their website. And now we can say Huddle changed history.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Michael Brumas has today’s trivia question. On at least two occasions, what former member of the Senate Judiciary Committee prefaced his opposition to Supreme Court nominees with the adage, ‘When in doubt, don’t.’ The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at ggibson@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/

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POLITICO – Top 10 – Huddle

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ONGOING SAGA, More House Dems retire, CBO: MINIMUM WAGE HIKE WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF JOBS

REFILE-Charter touts benefits of Time Warner Cable deal

REFILE-Charter touts benefits of Time Warner Cable deal
http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:57pm EST

By Liana B. Baker

Jan 14 (Reuters) – Charter Communications sees annual synergies of $ 500 million and other benefits such as tax savings from its proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable , the company said in an investor presentation posted on its website Tuesday.

The company said annual synergies would grow to $ 750 million over time. Charter said the combined company would have to take on $ 20.5 billion in new debt, or $ 72.16 per share, which would bring it to a leverage ratio of 4.8 times to five times.

Charter also said in its 30-page presentation that Charter would be able to accelerate Time Warner Cable’s customer and cash-flow growth, increase its margins and roll out higher Internet speeds.

On Monday, Charter, the No. 4 cable operator, proposed paying $ 132.50 per share, consisting of around $ 83 per share in cash and its own stock, in a deal valued at $ 37.3 billion.

Time Warner Cable shares on Tuesday rose 3.1 percent to $ 136.48.

Reuters: Bonds News

Read more about REFILE-Charter touts benefits of Time Warner Cable deal and other interesting subjects concerning Bonds at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Unemployment Benefits Are Ending for 1.3 Million Americans. What"s That All About?

On December 28, 1.3 million people will lose their unemployment insurance. That’s because Congress failed to add an extension of those benefits into the budget deal that will likely pass the Senate this week. Here is some background:

Who is losing unemployment benefits? The long-term unemployed. After state unemployment benefits run out—usually after 26 weeks—federal emergency unemployment benefits kick in for up to another 47 weeks. Since Congress didn’t renew the program, 1.3 million Americans will be kicked off benefits, which average $ 1,166 per month. By the end of 2014, another 3.6 million will lose their benefits.

Why are they called emergency benefits? In 2008, under President George W. Bush, Congress authorized emergency unemployment compensation to help the jobless cope with the recession, giving workers a total of 59 weeks of unemployment compensation. A year later, President Barack Obama signed a law giving the unemployed 14 more weeks of jobless benefits. At the height of the recession, Americans could get up to 99 weeks of unemployment pay. That number has since dipped to a maximum of 73 weeks. This is the first time since 2008 that Congress hasn’t extended the program.

Under another federal program initiated by President Richard Nixon, Americans can still get an extra 13 weeks of benefits if the unemployment rate in their state is high enough. (This threshold varies by state).

The recovery is picking up pace. Is it time to end the program? Many Republicans think so. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said last week that he thinks extending the benefits fosters unemployment. “I do support unemployment benefits for the 26 weeks that they’re paid for. If you extend it beyond that, you do a disservice to these workers,” Paul told Fox News. “When you allow people to be on unemployment insurance for 99 weeks [sic], you’re causing them to become part of this perpetual unemployed group in our economy.”

The long-term unemployment rate—the percentage of those without a job for 27 weeks or longer—remains at record levels, though, in an economy with three job applicants for every job opening. The overall jobless rate has dropped to its lowest in five years, but the long-term unemployment rate is at 37 percent of the total unemployed.

In past recessions, extended unemployment benefits ended when the long-term unemployed represented about 1.3 percent of the workforce. Today, the long-term jobless represent more than 2 percent of the labor force.

What will happen to Americans who lose their benefits? Even though the average monthly unemployment payment isn’t nearly enough to support a family of four, the benefits do help people scrape by. When extended unemployment insurance expires, many Americans will fall deeper into poverty. In 2012, jobless benefits helped keep 1.7 million people—including 446,000 children—out of poverty, according to the National Employment Law Project.

Expiring benefits may also result in fewer Americans looking for jobs. Jobless insurance allows people to continue an active job search because it helps them afford presentable clothing and transportation to interviews. And Americans may be less motivated to look for work if they lose their benefits. Matt Yglesias at Slate explains:

[S]ome fairly substantial fraction of the long-term unemployed will just stop looking for a job and drop out of the labor force. If you’re long-term unemployed, then almost by definition looking for work has not been very successful at getting you work. What it has gotten you is a UI [unemployment insurance] check. Take away the check, there’s no point in bothering.

So why wasn’t unemployment insurance included in the budget deal? Republicans say there’s no urgent need to extend the $ 26 billion federal emergency unemployment insurance program because the economy is getting healthier. Democrats, who counter that the long-term unemployed are still struggling, wanted a budget deal more than they wanted the benefits extension.

Could the expiring benefits stall the recovery? Unemployment benefits act as a short-term economic stimulus, because unemployed people spend their benefits checks immediately. If the benefits were to continue, the economy would gain 200,000 jobs, and the GDP would grow by 0.2 percent in 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Is there any way out of this mess? When Congress reconvenes in early January, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will push a retroactive extension of the benefits. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is urging Democrats to withhold support for the farm bill unless it addresses unemployment insurance.

“The people that are unemployed for a long period of time are Democrats and they are Republicans,” Reid said last week. “This is an issue that Republicans, I think, need more than we need it. This is something I think will be extremely difficult for them to turn away from.”

But because the spending on unemployment benefits will not be accompanied by a spending reduction, many Republicans are likely to vote against it.

Politics | Mother Jones

Unemployment Benefits Are Ending for 1.3 Million Americans. What"s That All About?

Rand Paul: Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Be A "Disservice"

WALLACE: Senator, let me ask you a direct question. Do you personally, do you support extending unemployment benefits, or would you let 1.3 million Americans lose those benefits before the end of the year?

PAUL: I do support unemployment benefits for the 26 weeks that they’re paid for. If you extend it beyond that, you do a disservice to these workers.

There was a study that came out a few months ago, and it said, if you have a worker that’s been unemployed for four weeks and on unemployment insurance and one that’s on 99 weeks, which would you hire? Every employer, nearly 100 percent, said they will always hire the person who’s been out of work four weeks.

When you allow people to be on unemployment insurance for 99 weeks, you’re causing them to become part of this perpetual unemployed group in our economy. And it really — while it seems good, it actually does a disservice to the people you’re trying to help.

You know, I don’t doubt the president’s motives. But black unemployment in America is double white unemployment. And it hasn’t budged under this president.

WALLACE: But, Senator –

PAUL: I think a lot of African-Americans voted for him, but I don’t think it’s worked. I don’t think his policies have worked.

WALLACE: But, Senator, how do you persuade the African-American voter in the inner city, you’re not going to spend more government money, you’re going to vote to let the — the unemployment benefits lapse, how do you persuade that black voter, this is good for them? This is the right policy?

PAUL: My economic stimulus plan for Detroit would leave over a billion dollars in Detroit’s economy and would stimulate Detroit. There is no other plan on the table. And there’s not going to be some grand bail out that’s going to go through Congress. Other than my plan, if my plan would pass, I think it’s the only one that politically could pass.

Over a billion dollars would be left in Detroit. I’m also talking about restoring voting rights. I’m talking about school choice. I think there’s a lot to offer in the Republican message that hasn’t been offered in the past. And I think there’s only upside potential for voters in Detroit or all the big cities for Republicans.

RealClearPolitics Video Log

Rand Paul: Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Be A "Disservice"

Do The Right Thing: Expand Social Security Benefits

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Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

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These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

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Do The Right Thing: Expand Social Security Benefits

Do The Right Thing: Expand Social Security Benefits

At Alternate Viewpoint, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Alternate Viewpoint and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Alternate Viewpoint makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.


• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.


• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Alternate Viewpoint"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

Do The Right Thing: Expand Social Security Benefits

O"Reilly: Denying Military Families Death Benefits Was Outrageous

O’REILLY: The military benefits chaos shows just how poor our leadership is in Washington. And the folks know it.

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O"Reilly: Denying Military Families Death Benefits Was Outrageous

Disability program paid out $1.3 billion in improper benefits

OOPS: The feds misspent nearly $ 1.3 billion in disability funds between December 2010 and January 2013.

By Dustin Hurst | Watchdog.org

When oversized federal programs commit even the tiniest of errors, taxpayers lose — big time.

Such is the case with the Social Security Disability Insurance program, a government handout originally intended to aid workers with physical or mental impairments that prevented them from punching the clock for extended periods.

It’s a multi-billion operation that has ballooned in recent years. So, when this program flubs payments, huge sums of cash end up in the wrong hands.

Nearly $ 1.3 billion from December 2010 to January 2013, to be exact.

A Government Accountability Office report released this week found the SSDI doled out improper benefits to at least 36,000 recipients. The reason? Those receiving the improper cash were able to work during a five-month waiting period, earning more than $ 1,000 per month. That amount should have disqualified them from the program.

At least GAO auditors think only 36,000 people received improper payments. They just can’t be sure.

“The exact number of individuals who received improper disability payments and the exact amount of improper payments made to those individuals cannot be determined without detailed case investigations by SSA,” the government auditors reported.

The Social Security Administration, which administers the SSDI benefits, noted that while the raw cash number seemed large, the situation isn’t out of control. In fact, the agency noted, SSDI payments are more than 99 percent accurate.

SSDI program participation has exploded through the past decade, jumping about 50 percent. The feds logged more than 5.8 million SSDI recipients in December 2003. Nearly a decade later, more than 10.7 million Americans receive disability payments.

Spending, too, has increased drastically. According to projections from the Cato Institute, a free-market think tank based in Washington, D.C., the SSA will dole out more than $ 144 billion this year, up from $ 72 billion in 2003.

Little mistakes, big-time money.

The GAO report likely comes as little surprise to good government advocates, who say the feds should pare down the program or return it to the private sector.

CUT IT: DeHaven says the feds should find ways to cut the SSDI program or return it to the private sector.

Tad DeHaven, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, stands as one of the program’s more vocal critics. He authored a report earlier this year outlining SSDI’s myriad problems, including huge spending increases while the programs barrels toward insolvency.

“The Social Security Disability Insurance program’s soaring expenditures desperately need to be tackled,” he wrote. “SSDI’s trust fund is expected to be exhausted in just a few years.”

For precision, officials expect the trust fund to run dry some time in 2016. At that point Congress – famous for its bipartisan agreement and ability to function properly – will have to examine some sort of reform.

DeHaven told New Mexico Watchdog earlier this year that instead of addressing the program’s structural issues, he expect lawmakers will sweep the problem under the rug by transferring funds from the larger Social Security fund to cover SSDI payments.

He said he expects few lawmakers will examine the root of the problem — policies that allow more and more Americans to take part in the welfare program. Cornell professor Richard V. Burkhauser noted in testimony to Congress that a “loosening of program rules” has caused a swelling of the program ranks, which in turns decreases economic activity.

“A growing number of individuals being allowed onto the rolls could work in some capacity and would do so if they were not judged eligible for benefits,” Burkhauser testified in the September 2012 hearing.

Pretend just for a second, though, that Congress was able to take up the mantle of reform. What would that mean for the SSDI program?

DeHaven suggested dropping the average monthly payment, reducing appeal opportunities when claims are rejected and introducing continually screening to ensure program integrity.

“Federal policymakers should pursue major cost-cutting reforms to SSDI, but they should also begin considering ways of moving the provision of long-term disability coverage to the private sector,” DeHaven concluded.

Contact Dustin Hurst at Dustin@Watchdog.org

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Disability program paid out $1.3 billion in improper benefits

Social Security overpays $1.3 billion in benefits: GAO

Joel Seidman
CNBC
September 13, 2012

An upcoming GAO report obtained by NBC News says the federal government may have paid $ 1.29 billion in Social Security disability benefits to 36,000 people who had too much income from work to qualify.

At least one recipient collected a potential overpayment of $ 90,000 without being caught by the Social Security Administration, according to the report, which will be released Sunday, while others collected $ 57,000 and $ 74,000.

The GAO also said its estimate of “potentially improper” payments, which was based on comparing federal wage data to Disability Insurance rolls between 2010 and 2013, “likely understated” the scope of the problem, but that an exact number could not be determined without case by case investigations.

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This article was posted: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 10:18 am

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Social Security overpays $1.3 billion in benefits: GAO

‘Israel benefits from Lebanon bombings’

People gather at the site of a bomb blast outside a mosque in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, August 23, 2013.

The Iranian ambassador to Beirut has censured the recent wave of deadly bombings in Lebanon, saying the Israeli regime is the main beneficiary of such acts of violence.

Ghazanfar Roknabadi said on Tuesday, “The Zionist regime [of Israel] and regional and transregional agents, who are involved in committing these dangerous acts, take the most advantage [of these incidents].”

The conspirators seek to entangle the Lebanese parties with political conflicts and incite sectarian strife in the country, but they have failed to achieve their goals, the Iranian envoy stated.

Roknabadi went on to say, “In the past, we have witnessed [similar] actions perpetrated by Israel and its agents in Iraq and Syria, and today we see that they struggle to turn Lebanon’s scene into that of Iraq and Syria.”

On August 23, over 40 people were killed and over 500 others injured in explosions outside two Sunni mosques in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli. The blasts were the deadliest in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990.

Lebanese Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani slammed the bombings, describing them as a “conspiracy that is targeting all the Lebanese, and instigating Sunnis to attack Shias and Shias to attack Sunnis, and igniting the fire of strife between them.”

A week earlier, nearly 30 people were also killed and many others injured in a car bomb attack in a Shia district of the capital, Beirut.

MKA/HSN

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‘Israel benefits from Lebanon bombings’

Substitute Teachers to See Cuts in Benefits Under Obamacare

Hit by years of budget cuts, some U.S. public school boards are looking to avoid providing health benefits to substitute teachers and supporting staff under President Barack Obama’s reform law, education officials say.

According to the law, employers will have to offer health coverage to all full-time employees, defined as those who work an average of 30 or more hours per week each month, or else pay a fine starting in 2015.

School boards, already struggling to manage after years of state budget cuts, are trying to get ahead of the potential costs of Obamacare for the current academic year, education and labor officials say. The need to find creative solutions, or risk cutting back staff hours further, will increase as they finalize their budgets, they say.

In Pennsylvania’s Penn Manor School District, Superintendent Mike Leichliter said there is no room in its constrained budget to provide additional employee insurance. Instead of cutting hours, the district used a substitute-teacher contracting service to pay part of the salaries for 95 employees. Money for such a service does not count against the school’s budget.

“When we looked at our costs, (healthcare) was one area that really had the potential to skyrocket,” Leichliter said. “This is absolutely the worst time for school districts to be faced with mandated increases.”

The National School Board Association said many states and school districts have at least explored reducing hours, according to Linda Embrey, a communications officer. Several school officials contacted by Reuters said they could not find a way around cuts.

In Indiana’s Fort Wayne Community Schools district, one of the state’s largest, administrators reduced hours for 610 of its 4,050 employees, including substitute teachers and support staff, who were working 30 or more hours a week. Providing them with health insurance would have cost $ 10 million annually, said Krista Stockman, public information officer for Fort Wayne.

“You get to a point where there’s a danger that you’re cutting too much and that the quality of education you’re providing isn’t as great,” Stockman said. “We’re just going to have to do the same amount or more with less.”

Most of the employees affected are substitute teachers, classroom aides, cafeteria workers, bus drivers or similar support staff, according to school officials and labor representatives. They had not been receiving healthcare coverage from their employers in the past. Now, instead of getting such employer-sponsored benefits under the reform law, they may be eligible for government-subsidized coverage that will be offered by new state insurance exchanges starting on Oct. 1.

SEQUESTER TAKES A SECOND TOLL

During the 2012-2013 school year, 26 states provided less money to local school districts than the prior year, and 35 states provided less funding than in 2008 (a better year), according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

This year they are also grappling with across-the-board “sequester” spending cuts introduced after Congress deadlocked over how to fix the deficit. An Obama administration official said those cuts plus the states’, and not healthcare reform, are the main reasons for staff losing work-time at schools.

“We are seeing no systematic evidence that the Affordable Care Act is leading to a shift to part-time work,” the official said. “There are a variety of factors impacting schools, including sequestration, which is cutting budgets and is a completely separate issue.”

The National Education Association is working with union leaders across the country to figure out how to encourage employers to avoid cutting hours as a result of healthcare reform, said Joel Solomon, NEA senior policy analyst. The effort has included a training session for dozens of labor representatives in June, and more sessions are planned for this year.

Solomon said one popular solution offered by the NEA is to help schools get a more precise accounting of employee hours to see whether staff are truly working an average of 30 hours a week each month when holidays and other time off are included. That has helped some schools make less drastic cuts in employee hours, he said.

Many school employees are expected to qualify for Obamacare’s tax subsidies, which are available starting in January to people who make within 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($ 45,960 for an individual and $ 94,200 for a family of four in 2013).

Even if they don’t, the new plans are preferable to what they currently have to buy on the individual market because insurers cannot deny coverage based on prior illness.

In Nebraska, the Plattsmouth Community School District is limiting the hours of permanent substitute teachers, who typically work every day, said Marlene Wehrbein, a labor union official who advocates for employees in the state’s public school districts.

“It creates a lot of inconsistency in staffing, and I can’t see how that would be good for students,” Wehrbein said. “How could you have a teacher teaching English four days a week and then on the fifth day you have someone else?”

© 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

Newsmax – America

Substitute Teachers to See Cuts in Benefits Under Obamacare

Same-sex spouses may get military benefits

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Hagel warned that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order more sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress does not act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Hagel warned that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order more sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress does not act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Same-sex spouses of military members could get health care, housing and other benefits by the end of August under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon. But earlier plans to provide benefits to gay partners who are not married may be reversed.

A draft Defense Department memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press says the department instead may provide up to 10 days of leave to military personnel in same-sex relationships so they can travel to states where they can marry legally.

The memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to top defense leaders, if implemented, would reverse an earlier plan that would have allowed the same-sex partners of military members to sign a declaration form in order to receive limited benefits, such as access to military stores and some health and welfare programs.

The recent Supreme Court decision extending federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples eliminates the need for such a plan, Hagel said in the draft.

“As the Supreme Court’s ruling has made it possible for same-sex couples to marry and be afforded all benefits available to any military spouse and family, I have determined, consistent with the unanimous advice of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the spousal and family benefits far outweigh the benefits that could be extended under a declaration system,” Hagel wrote.

According to a U.S. official, the memo is under legal review by the Justice Department, and the Pentagon will not be able to take any action until that review is finished.

“Although we have bases and installations in all 50 states, not all state laws are equal when it comes to same-sex marriage,” a defense official said. “That is why we are looking at providing extra leave for same-sex couples who want to get married to travel to a state where same-sex marriages are legal.” The officials were not authorized to discuss the memo publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pentagon officials would not comment on the specifics of the memo. A Defense Department spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, said only that the Pentagon “is working alongside the Department of Justice to implement the court’s decision as quickly as possible.”

In February, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that by no later than Oct. 1 the Pentagon would extend some limited benefits to same-sex partners of service members. Housing benefits were not included, but the plans called for same-sex partners to get special identification cards granting them access to commissaries and other services.

The benefits would be contingent on the service member and his or her same-sex partner signing a declaration that they were in a committed relationship.

At the time, officials said that if the Supreme Court ruled on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the issue would be revisited. The act prohibited the federal government from recognizing any marriage other than that between a man and a woman.

In late June, the court cleared the way for legally married gay couples to be recognized under federal law and also allowed same-sex marriages in California to resume. It did not issue any sweeping declarations that would allow same-sex couples to marry anywhere in the country.

When the ruling was announced, Hagel said the Pentagon would reassess the department’s decisions on benefits for same-sex couples and also begin the process of extending benefits to same-sex spouses of military members.

In the new draft memo, Hagel says the department intends to treat all married military personnel the same and “make the same benefits available to all military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation.”

But, recognizing that same-sex couples are only allowed to marry in a limited number of states, Hagel said the provision allowing service members to travel to states where the unions are legal is a way to help overcome those challenges.

Defense officials estimate there are 18,000 same-sex couples in the active-duty military, National Guard and Reserves. It’s unclear how many of those are married.

The repeal of the ban on openly gay military service took effect in September 2011.

___

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lbaldor

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Politics Headlines

Same-sex spouses may get military benefits

Same-sex spouses may get military benefits

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Hagel warned that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order more sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress does not act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Hagel warned that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order more sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress does not act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Buy AP Photo Reprints

WASHINGTON (AP) — Same-sex spouses of military members could get health care, housing and other benefits by the end of August under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon. But earlier plans to provide benefits to gay partners who are not married may be reversed.

A draft Defense Department memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press says the department instead may provide up to 10 days of leave to military personnel in same-sex relationships so they can travel to states where they can marry legally.

The memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to top defense leaders, if implemented, would reverse an earlier plan that would have allowed the same-sex partners of military members to sign a declaration form in order to receive limited benefits, such as access to military stores and some health and welfare programs.

The recent Supreme Court decision extending federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples eliminates the need for such a plan, Hagel said in the draft.

“As the Supreme Court’s ruling has made it possible for same-sex couples to marry and be afforded all benefits available to any military spouse and family, I have determined, consistent with the unanimous advice of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the spousal and family benefits far outweigh the benefits that could be extended under a declaration system,” Hagel wrote.

According to a U.S. official, the memo is under legal review by the Justice Department, and the Pentagon will not be able to take any action until that review is finished.

“Although we have bases and installations in all 50 states, not all state laws are equal when it comes to same-sex marriage,” a defense official said. “That is why we are looking at providing extra leave for same-sex couples who want to get married to travel to a state where same-sex marriages are legal.” The officials were not authorized to discuss the memo publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pentagon officials would not comment on the specifics of the memo. A Defense Department spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, said only that the Pentagon “is working alongside the Department of Justice to implement the court’s decision as quickly as possible.”

In February, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that by no later than Oct. 1 the Pentagon would extend some limited benefits to same-sex partners of service members. Housing benefits were not included, but the plans called for same-sex partners to get special identification cards granting them access to commissaries and other services.

The benefits would be contingent on the service member and his or her same-sex partner signing a declaration that they were in a committed relationship.

At the time, officials said that if the Supreme Court ruled on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the issue would be revisited. The act prohibited the federal government from recognizing any marriage other than that between a man and a woman.

In late June, the court cleared the way for legally married gay couples to be recognized under federal law and also allowed same-sex marriages in California to resume. It did not issue any sweeping declarations that would allow same-sex couples to marry anywhere in the country.

When the ruling was announced, Hagel said the Pentagon would reassess the department’s decisions on benefits for same-sex couples and also begin the process of extending benefits to same-sex spouses of military members.

In the new draft memo, Hagel says the department intends to treat all married military personnel the same and “make the same benefits available to all military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation.”

But, recognizing that same-sex couples are only allowed to marry in a limited number of states, Hagel said the provision allowing service members to travel to states where the unions are legal is a way to help overcome those challenges.

Defense officials estimate there are 18,000 same-sex couples in the active-duty military, National Guard and Reserves. It’s unclear how many of those are married.

The repeal of the ban on openly gay military service took effect in September 2011.

___

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lbaldor

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

U.S. Headlines

Same-sex spouses may get military benefits