steve2470
steve2470's JournalSenator Bill Nelson from Florida's position on SS...from an email
Thank you for contacting me regarding proposed changes to the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and state of affairs in Washington. I share your concerns and agree that seniors' benefits should keep pace with rising prices for goods like medicine and food.
Over the past few years, we have seen COLAs as high as 5.8 percent and, in some years, there has been no adjustment at all. The Social Security Administration increased the COLA by 1.7 percent for the current year and expects to announce next years COLA in the coming days.
Some have suggested replacing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) currently used to calculate the Social Security COLA with different measures of inflation. One such measure is the so-called chained CPI. Proponents of the chained CPI argue that it would be a more accurate measure of changes in the cost of living because it accounts for the substitution of less-expensive goods for goods that have increased in price. The chained CPI generally results in lower measured inflation compared to the current measure, which in turn would typically result in lower annual Social Security COLAs. The effects of these lower COLA compound over time and would result in a fairly significant benefit cut for all seniors. I am very concerned about the impact such a change could have on our seniors, especially the most vulnerable members of this population.
As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I am committed to getting Federal spending under control. I have been selected to participate in the budget negotiations between the House and Senate over the coming months to develop a long-term budget that addresses our fiscal challenges and prevents another breakdown in governance as we saw with the shutdown. I am open to a range of new ideas that will reduce the debt but am also mindful that Social Security didnt get us in the fiscal situation we are in today. Social Security does face long-term actuarial challenges, but it can be strengthened and maintained with sensible, bipartisan reforms.
I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. I will continue to work to ensure that Social Security remains a meaningful source of retirement security for our seniors. Please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Sincerely,
Bill Nelson
Ten Even Better Places to Have Off-the-Record Conversations Than New York–Bound Acela Train
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/10/acela-train-nsa-michael-haydenThe Smith & Wollensky in northwest D.C.
Michaels in New York
The Harvard Club
A Des MoinesDulles flight during the Iowa caucuses
The Dean & DeLuca underneath The New York Times offices
The Condé Nast cafeteria
Off The Record, the bar at the Hay-Adams Hotel
The Four Seasons in New York
The green room at MSNBC studios
The German chancellors office (ka-pow!)
I'm still shaking my head at the utter stupidity and hubris of Hayden. TG PBO replaced him.
Nixon: if he had stuck around, would he have been impeached and convicted ?
I think so. Even Goldwater told him to pack his bags.
Year After Hurricane Sandy, Victims Contest Christie’s Status as a Savior
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/nyregion/year-after-hurricane-sandy-angry-victims-contest-christies-standing-as-a-savior.html?google_editors_picks=true&_r=0Hurricane Sandy turned Chris Christie into something akin to Americas governor, as the nation watched him express his states pain on the devastated shoreline the morning after the storm, then triumphantly cut the ribbons on reopened boardwalks on Memorial Day. Were stronger than the storm, he proclaimed in television commercials that ran in other states all summer.
But in the affected parts of New Jersey, Governor Christies storm campaign has not sold as well. With at least 26,000 people still out of their homes a year later, he has become the focus of ire for many storm survivors who say that the recovery does not look as impressive to them as it does to the rest of the country.
Homeowners promised money from Mr. Christies rebuilding program say they have yet to see it; those who have been denied aid vent about the bureaucracy. Some criticize him for encouraging residents to build to new flood zone standards to speed recovery; homeowners now say they are being penalized, because anyone who started rebuilding is ineligible for a grant.
Storm victims argue that the governor, who pushed fellow Republicans in Congress to pass a federal aid package, should be exerting similar pressure on insurers and banks to settle claims and prevent harm to the credit ratings of victims. And they accuse him of using the storm for his own aggrandizement, particularly after he spent $4.7 million in federal money to hire a politically connected firm to produce the television ads, choosing it over an agency that bid less but did not plan to show the governor in its commercials.
Heated Start in the Trial on Detroit’s Fiscal Future
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/us/heated-start-in-the-trial-on-detroits-fiscal-future.html?_r=0DETROIT The trial over Detroits eligibility for bankruptcy started Wednesday with starkly different interpretations of the events leading up to the citys historic Chapter 9 filing in July.
On one side were lawyers for the debt-ridden city, who argued that unions and retirees stonewalled out-of-court negotiations that might have saved Detroit from going bankrupt.
But according to the unions and retirees, the bankruptcy filing was nothing more than the final step in a concerted effort by Michigans governor to take control of the states largest city.
The court session on Wednesday initiated a legal battle that will determine whether Detroit becomes the nations largest city to reorganize its debts in United States Bankruptcy Court.
Court to decide if Detroit really is broke
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/23/us-usa-detroit-bankruptcy-idUSBRE99M03K20131023(Reuters) - In a federal court building in downtown Detroit, beginning on Wednesday morning, the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history comes down to a single question: Is Detroit bankrupt?
Federal bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes will begin hearing arguments on the crucial issue of whether Detroit is eligible to restructure its debts and liabilities under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that applies to municipalities.
The hearings will pit retirees, pension funds and unions trying to preserve retirement payments to city workers against Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager, charged with righting the city's finances.
Detroit clearly is struggling. More than one-third of its residents live below the government poverty line. There are some 78,000 abandoned structures and just 40 percent of the street lights work. Detroit's population has shrunk to less than 700,000, from a peak of 1.8 million in 1950, and only 53 percent of property owners paid their 2011 property taxes.
Anthony Bourdain shot Detroit-focused 'Parts Unknown' he claims will 'shock and enrage' people
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2013/10/anthony_bourdain_shot_detroit-.htmlDETROIT, MI - First it was CBS' "60 Minutes," and now CNN will reportedly air a program shot in Detroit that should get plenty of people talking.
Forbes Magazine's website reported this month that Anthony Bourdain, host of "Parts Unknown," will soon air a Motor City-focused program that he claims will "shock and enrage people."
A look at what Bourdain told Forbes about the show:
"I dont think people have ever seen Detroit the way were going to show it to them, and I think that were going to blow a lot of minds."
*the end*
CBS 60 Minutes video is further down the page.
Bill Russell Arrested for Carrying Gun at Airport
http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2013/10/19/bill-russell-arrested-for-carrying-gun-at-airport/(SEATAC, Wash.) Hall of Fame center Bill Russell was arrested this week at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after Transportation Security Administration officials found a loaded gun in his luggage.
Russell was arrested Wednesday night as he attempted to go through security. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper confirmed Friday night that Russell was cited for having a weapon in a prohibited area. Russells gun was confiscated and he was released.
Russells gun was a .38-caliber pistol and was loaded with six rounds, according to a TSA spokesman. He was turned over to Port of Seattle police and there were no disruptions at the airport.
The 79-year-old Russell has lived in the Seattle area for decades. He was an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973-77.
Read more: http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2013/10/19/bill-russell-arrested-for-carrying-gun-at-airport/#ixzz2iARo209v
BIOS bootup screen looks weird, help please
I'm using a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 motherboard. Recently I could not access the BIOS, so I reflashed the BIOS. I can get into the BIOS now fine. However, the original problem has not gone away.
On my 24" Samsung monitor, the BIOS screen displays perfectly. I can read all the text with no problems. When I hook up my box to my Samsung TV (37" , then the BIOS screen is cut off on the left and right. When I first installed the motherboard I had no BIOS screen problems. I'm using the same video card (Nvidia GTX 560) that I was using originally. When I use the computer fully booted up, I have no video problems at all, which is why I'm so puzzled. I've gone into the BIOS and tweaked everything that makes sense. I'm not even going to try to do any overclocking lol
If it matters, I'm using a DVI to HDMI cable (DVI at video output on computer, HDMI input for the TV). I've never had this problem before about 2 weeks ago. I finally got annoyed enough that now I'm trying to fix it. Normally the BIOS screen displays perfectly on my TV, and I've been doing this for years.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
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Gender: Do not displayMember since: Sat Oct 16, 2004, 01:04 PM
Number of posts: 37,457