Opuscula Bloomberg: A sensible Democrat?

PERHAPS BECAUSE MOST other Democrat contenders sound like fools, Michael Bloomberg seems a sensible person who thinks rationally.

With Trump’s Tweets in mind, I may have to rethink by 2020 decision. I like Trump, but his knee-jerk, petulant tweets are “off-putting,” especially to a voter who lacks blind party loyalty.

Contenders: Bloomberg, left; Trump,,right (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

IN HIS ADS, the former this and former that (can’t he hold a job? 😊) makes a number of claims.

Because of time constraints, he fails to elaborate on the claims.

For example, in one tv ad¹ it is claimed that Bloomberg “created” “tens of thousands” of jobs.

• Where?
• What type jobs? Government? Productive?
• When; over how many years?
• How many jobs were lost during his terms as mayor of New York City?

According to the New York Times², Bloomberg Has Added Jobs, and Lost Some, Too. In an October 2009 article, the Times claimed

During much of his tenure, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has taken credit for helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in New York City, from high-paying construction work to sales jobs at dozens of new big-box stores. Even as the city plods through the recession, the mayor has set a goal to “retain and create” an additional 400,000 jobs over the next six years.

Ergo a claim of having created 400,000 jobs — the caveat: just not yet.

The Times article noted that

“There’s been much more growth in lower-wage industries than in middle-wage industries,” said James Parrott, chief economist for the Fiscal Policy Institute, a liberal research group. “That’s a challenge for people struggling to maintain a decent livelihood in New York City, given the cost of housing and everything else.”

There is a big difference in pay between a manufacturing job and that of a hamburger flipper.

The candidate claims in the aforementioned tv ad that he has created “tens of thousands” of new housing units. (His ad men apparently like the ambiguous “tens of thousands” — gross numbers are hard to pin down. As the candidate states at the end of the message, he approved the contents of the advertisement.)

All candidates “fudge” the numbers. That’s pretty much Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Bloomberg should not be singled out.

The questions asked earlier about jobs can be asked again, this time about housing.

The tv spot brags that Bloomberg “took on” the NRA.

To what avail?

He takes credit for forming a Mayors Against Gun Violence group; what mayor in his or her right mind would claim to be for gun violence? Meanwhile, New York City with its strict gun control laws still has murders on an all too frequent basis.

The New York City police department’s statics for the last week of November 2018 and 2019³ shows:

Shooting victims: 2019=23; 2018=14 Shooting incidents: 2019=16; 2018=14 Murders: 2019=1; 2018=0

Those figures are just for ONE WEEK. So much for gun control.

To be fair, there are far worse murder counts elsewhere. Detroit is, according to the FBI, “the most violent big city.”⁴ In 2017 there were 267 murders in Detroit; in 2018, there were only 261 murders.

There are actually two (2) “bottom lines” to gun violence statistics:

1. Most guns used to murder someone are stolen; few are purchased legally.
2. NO NRA member, to the best of my knowledge, has been charged with murder with a firearm.

On a personal note, few gun owners with whom I am acquainted object to

• Background checks
• Magazine capacity limits
• Ban on automatic weapons for civilians

Some people like their “assault”-style weapons for home defense; a long-barrel hunting rifle can be a handicap in tight quarters.

Bloomberg promises to raise taxes on the rich and (presumably) lower taxes on the rest of the population.

That requires a change in the federal tax laws and while it could be popular with the voters, given the years Congress has ignored this taxing effort, it seems unlikely that a president — any president — could push it past the denizens of The Hill. Too many politicians and lobbyists would balk.

Still, it sounds good in an advertisement.

Bloomberg is not the first super-rich person to complain about the inequality of the U.S. tax code; equally wealthy Warren Buffett publicly has championed a code change.

The former mayor promises that everyone will have health care. Everyone will have insurance — those that currently have insurance can keep it; those who don’t will get it.

Shades of Obamacare, but will Bloomberg’s plan work? (One of the “kicks” against Obamacare was that while the premiums were (relatively) low, the co-pays and deductibles discouraged its use.) Having a national health plan that covers everyone could reduce healthcare costs by having people treated early for illnesses rather than wait until they need hospitalization (Medicare Advantage plans’ Big Plus). On the other hand, if the care America’s wounded veterans receive is an indication of government-run healthcare . . .

IF BLOOMBERG survives the Democrat primaries — or decides to run as an independent — I will want answers to the questions I have today and the ones I will have as time goes on.

Trump has kept his campaign promises — whenever the Democrats failed to block his effort — keeping, or at least trying to keep, campaign promises is a huge plus for the incumbent.

Both Trump and Bloomberg prove that running for president is a rich man’s game, but it is the Average Joe and Jane’s vote that will determine who lives in the White House.

Rhetorical question du jour: If BOTH the Democrats and the Republicans want to abolish the Electoral College — both having candidates who won the popular vote but lost in the “college” — WHY IS IT STILL THERE? Does ANY Congress do ANYTHING?

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Sources

1. Tv ad: https://youtu.be/j_1T_xPpAwo

2. Jobs: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/nyregion/15jobs.html

3. NYPD stats: cn-en-us-city.pdf

4. Detroit: https://tinyurl.com/s3mqvua

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Sensible Democrat?

Opuscula Someone couldn’t Shoot straight; 2 innocents dead

CAVEAT I am not a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO). Good LEOs deserve all the respect we can give them.

Two robbers got into a gun battle with LEOs from several south Florida agencies.

The robbers are dead.

Unfortunately, so are two innocent victims.

UPDATE: Late in the day, a police spokesperson said the reason the cops fired so many bullets at the UPS truck — some of which hit the truck and its occupants — was because the LEOs feared the robbers would start shooting at nearby innocent civilians. Given they already shot a store clerk, the cops may have been justified in their belief.

IT ALL STARTED when the robbers burglarized a jewelry store in Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami.

A man was shot by the robbers. He survived and is recovering (as this is keyed) in a local hospital.

The robbers escaped in a stolen vehicle that soon was wrecked.

They then high jacked a UPS truck with its driver and led LEOs on a chase that extended over two counties.

A traffic jam on a major road at rush hour brought them to a stop and the LEOs caught up with the UPS truck.

Someone opened fire.

The FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and all the departments involved in the chase are investigating.

 

In the gun fight, the UPS driver and a man in a nearby car were killed.

 

The question is: Whose bullets killed the driver and the innocent man?

The story was widely reported by local and national media, complete with videos of the shoot-out.

According to one report, “hundreds” of shots were fired.

From what I witnessed (via a local tv outlet) all the LEOs were firing semi-automatic side arms, pistols. I saw no rifles.

I know some people are very accurate with a semi-auto hand gun. My son-in-law can shred a target’s bulls eye. My first born, a LEO, always passes his marksmanship tests.

On the other hand, there are people (this scrivener included) who couldn’t hit the proverbial barn door from more than 20 yards (60 feet/18-plus meters) with my Taurus 926 revolver. The Taurus’ barrel, three inches, is as long as most LEOs handguns, and “size DOES make a difference.”

 

One of the first things a shooter learns is NEVER SHOOT INTO A CROWD.

That is not multiple choice or an admonishment that only applies “sometimes.” Never fire into a crowd.

There is ONE exception.

The exception is when a highly trained sharpshooter with a long gun — a rifle — with possibly a scope can get a clean shot; a shot that won’t go astray due to environmental conditions; one that the bullet will not go beyond the target to strike someone behind the target.

Most law enforcement departments have such people.

Since the robbers were immobilized — stuck in traffic — why couldn’t the LEOs on scene have waited for a sharpshooter?

What about a LEO with a rifle in his (or her) car? According to my son, not all cops are equipped with rifles and not all are sharpshooters.

Had they waited, instead of firing at the truck, perhaps — only perhaps — only the robbers would have died. Perhaps the robbers and the UPS driver if we can assume the robbers shot him, but not the man in the car.

 

Hind sight is a wonderful thing. We see all the things we “could’a, would’a, should’a” done. But hind sight also teaches us what to do if something similar happens again.

I have no idea if the bullet that killed the two innocent people came from a robber's gun or from a LEO’s weapon.

I have no problem with the cops “taking out” the robbers; when the robbers fired at the cops they signed their own death warrant. The could have exited the UPS vehicle with hands high and everyone might have lived.

 

What happened on a south Florida highway needs to be carefully examined and how to avoid a similar situation needs to be practiced.

No one knows how they will react in a crisis situation, but all LEOs should be aware of the options available to them.

Lesson learned, but at too high a price.

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Sources

Local 10 (ABC) news: https://tinyurl.com/r7gfxyk (video_

NBC news: https://tinyurl.com/ufkx2xj (video)

Miami Herald: https://tinyurl.com/ud3sjn2

US News: https://tinyurl.com/wxvhg3j

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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Opuscula Odds and ends From various Online sources

I GET LOTS OF EMAIL.

Some of that email links to information I find interesting or amusing.

Occasionally a tv faux pas gets my attention.

IN SOLIDLY DEMOCRATIC CHICAGO IL,¹ McDonald's workers sue fast food chain claiming they face 'daily risk of violence at work'²

Are all McDonald’s employees Democrats and all attackers Republicans? Not likely. So much for leftists’ civility.

According to the USA TODAY article,

17 Chicago-area workers are suing the fast-food giant over what they call a "citywide and nationwide pattern” of violence. 

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Illinois state court claims corporate officials have chosen profit over workers' safety, alleging that employees “face a daily risk of violence while at work” and McDonald’s has been “negligent in failing to protect workers from this risk.”

The suit points to high rates of 911 calls from Chicago McDonald’s restaurants with more than 20 calls a day.

It seems that little has changed since Eliot Ness roamed the streets.

The USA TODAY article did not break down the backgrounds of the attackers

Danny Rosenthal, the lead attorney in the lawsuit, blames the employees’ endangerment not on the criminals but claims

“The plaintiffs' experiences of violence can be traced back to decisions made at the highest levels of the corporation,'' he said, noting a split counter format dubbed “Experience of the Future” that allows customers to easily access the kitchen and work area at many locations.

Rosenthal may be correct in that (at least) some of the risks lie at the feet of McDonald’s executive management. But that still does not reduce either employee concerns or the crimes committed against the stores and employees; that’s a Chicago police and court problem.

 

Proving Chicago is not the only place making news, the East Bay Times³ headlines Chipotle settles lawsuit alleging young male San Jose manager subjected to lurid sexual harassment, violence.

According to the Vox web site⁴, Democratic leaders claim that they have turned Silicon Valley into ground zero of the #Resistance, with a San Francisco base that is energized by the first two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The East Bay Times article notes that

A young male manager at a Chipotle restaurant in San Jose suffered sexual harassment from a female supervisor who groped him, propositioned him, simulated sex acts using vegetables and hit him on the head with a pan, a just-settled lawsuit filed by the federal government alleged.

According to the suit, “The general manager slapped, groped, and grabbed Mr. Melton’s buttocks and groin area numerous times.” The supervisor allegedly also told Melton, who was 22 at the time, “I’ll pay for sex,’ and, “‘I want to watch you have sex with your girlfriend,” the suit claimed.

The Fresh News Now website⁵ reported that Chipotle did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, but agreed to pay Melton $95,000 and impose a sweeping array of changes to policies, procedures and training to prevent sexual harassment in its workplaces, according to the settlement order approved Monday in San Jose U.S. District Court. .

 

The Washington Post⁶ reports that

The Twitter account of Danielle Stella, a Republican candidate seeking to upset Rep. Ilhan Omar’s seat in Congress, was permanently suspended after she published a post suggesting the congresswoman be hanged for allegedly conspiring with Iran, reports the Washington Post.

“If it is proven @IlhanMN passed sensitive info to Iran, she should be tried for #treason and hanged,” the tweet said.

Operative words: If it is proven.

I would agree with the ban had the poster omitted “If it is proven,” but she did not.

Unfortunately, when the story hit a pro-Israel web site,⁷ the radicals came out of the woodwork, some demanding that she should be hanged. In some states, the penalty, for treason, is death” believing that Omar’s alleged treason was working with Qatar as reported by the web site:

Omar is reportedly denying that she “passed sensitive information that was relayed to Iran, and received funding by a foreign government,” as reported by Al Arabiya English, a Gulf-based news outlet, based on a sworn deposition by a Canadian businessman in a Florida court.

The commenters proved their ignorance: only the Federal government, not a state, can accuse, try, convict, and execute for the Constitutional crime of “treason.”

Article III of the Constitution identifies the third branch of our separated government, empowering the courts to decide cases and limiting them to the exercise of a certain kind of authority. It establishes the Supreme Court of the United States, and defines the crime of treason, the only crime listed in the Constitution.⁸

While Omar may — probably did — have forbidden dealings with a foreign government (Qatar), and while those dealings may be found treasonous, is getting money from a foreign government sufficiently egregious to warrant execution? Impeachment, perhaps; execution? Hardly.

What does the WashPost reporter mean when he or she writes "candidate seeking to upset Rep. Ilhan Omar’s seat in Congress"? Is the candidate planning to tip over Omar's chair? Or perhaps the writer intended to write "unseat" Omar; to replace her in the House? Either way, the writer needs a good editor (obviously lacking at the WashPost.)

 

“The first flying car” was puffed on several network tv channels, confirming what I already knew: tv talking heads and their writers are either stupid, lazy, of both.

A cursory check of the internet would have shown these faux professionals, these ersatz journalists that “flying cars” have been around since 1917 — correct: one nine one seven.⁹

It's a knock against the current crop of people who pretend to be reporters; they never have seen a flying car prior to the PR blurb from a newcomer to the arena. As a young Civil Air Patrol (CAP Composite Squadron 2 in Miami FL) I actually saw a flying car at the shuttered-since-the-1960s Tamiami Field (off US 41/Tamiami Trail). FYI, “Tamiami” is the Tampa-Miami road, a/k/a U.S. 41.

It was driven to the field, the wings and tail assembled, and the car flew away. The vehicle was about the size of a Crosley.¹⁰ Solomon was correct.

 

Thinking of reporters and editors who do not deserve the title and of Omar and treason. Since the negatives “no” and “not” often are dropped from copy or overlooked by readers, reporters and editors in my day wrote “innocent” rather than “not guilty.” We also knew what was “hung” and what was “hanged.” Bob Dylan also was correct.

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Sources

1. Democrat’s Chicago: https://tinyurl.com/sx45egj

2. Chicago McDonalds: https://tinyurl.com/urr956e

3: Chipotle: https://tinyurl.com/yx8dn36x

4. Vox: https://tinyurl.com/ufxavn9

5. Fresh News Now: https://tinyurl.com/s3omynh

6. WashPost: https://tinyurl.com/wvmecsb

7. Treason comments: https://tinyurl.com/rkxxap4

8. Treason in Constitution: https://tinyurl.com/saa8b3g

9. Flying cars: https://tinyurl.com/vjk56en

10. Crosley: https://tinyurl.com/6vcbjzl

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Odds & Ends

Opuscula Being ignored Does not win My business

IT IS THE FINAL DAYS OF THE Medicare Advantage plan sweepstakes.

I have a plan that automatically will roll over to the insurer’s 2020 plan, so I’m covered.

But there is a plan that offers more of that I want and, as a bonus, savings, too.

I have the preferred plan's Evidence of Coverage (EOC) and its Formulary (drug list) from the internet.

I lack the company’s list of providers: PCPs, specialists, hospitals, urgent care facilities, etc.

My PCP’s web site shows he accepts this company. The insurer’s site confirms it works with my PCP.

The preferred hospital likewise lists the company on its web site; however, the insurer’s site omits the hospital. Since my primary specialist is a hospital employee, if the insurer doesn’t have a contract with the hospital, then I can’t be referred to that specialist.

My PCP, who CAN refer me to the hospital and specialist under my current plan may NOT be able to refer me — assuming the hospital has a contract with the insurer — due to this company’s “capitation.”

I DID WHAT any sensible person would do: I sent an email to the insurer asking “What is the location of the Providers’ List for (plan ID)?”

I prefer email since I will have a written record of the exchange.

The email was sent on December 1.

Today is December 3.

I still am waiting for a response.

The deadline to make a decision is, for me, Friday, December 6.

Medicare Advantage selection deadline

If the insurer cannot respond to my simple query “What is the URL (web site) for the 2020 Providers’ List for (plan name)” then I have no confidence the company will respond to me if I have a concern with the plan and its benefits.

I COULD have called and talked with a sales person, but then I would lack a written record, and frankly, I have concerns about information from sales people, many of whom are engaged just for the “season.” In any event, all I want is a URL, an internet address to which I may point my browser.

Granted, provider and drug lists are “subject to change” throughout the contract (calendar) year, but its been my experience that most insurers make changes near the end of the contract period. Only the EOC is cast into concrete.

I can get EOCs, Formularies, and Providers’ Lists online for most plans. It is becoming more difficult — why this is so is beyond me — and based on a comparison spreadsheet, I make a decision that is best for me. I do this exercise every year between October 15 and November 30. (I also compare auto and home insurance when renewals come due.)

IF the insurer provided me with a URL to a PDF or other searchable file, I would check with my PCP if, under this insurer, he can refer me to my necessary specialist. “Capitation” — limiting PCPs to a sub-list of the Providers’ List — is the standard for most Advantage insurers today as a way to boost profits.

Bottom line: Ignoring potential customers is a sure-fire way to gain customers … for a competitor.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
 


Comment on Being Ignored

Opuscula Online sellers Keep products’ Origin a secret

AS “BRICK AND MORTAR” STORES disappear I find I am buying more and more products via the WWW.
Most vendors give so-so descriptions of the product, but when it comes to the product’s point of origin — where is is made — the information either is omitted completely or listed as “imported.”

A QUICK CHECK of six Walmart offerings showed zero product points of origin.

Haband simply lists everything as “imported.”

What’s my problem? China.

Never mind the politics and the fact that China “owns” the U.S. due to the notes it holds signed by presidents of both parties.

Never mind that some — many — products are made in sweatshops that would make the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (below) look good.

NYC Herald front page after Triangle Shirtwaist fire on 3/25/1911 (https://tinyurl.com/p55zqgn)

The problems are that

* China lacks Quality Control (QC)
* China has no regard for safety (feeding feces to fish for export to U.S.), using lead paint on children’s toys, not using fire retardant on clothing, and the list goes on.

Other countries make clothing. Guatemala, Honduras, India (albeit in near-China conditions), Korea, and Taiwan to name five. (Made In Korea tag on right)

I have clothes from China.

Had I known the products’ point of origin was China I would not have bought the items.

I have a cell phone made in China. Unfortunately, almost ALL cell phones are made in China. But cell phones have built-in obsolescence and anyone who thinks they will last beyond a couple of software upgrades is foolish.

I had a coffee urn, a West Bend, I bought because I knew West Bend as an American company from “back in the day.”

When it arrived I read “Made in China” on the bottom plate. Within a short period the plastic spigot broke, making the urn useless. (The vendor replaced the entire unit.)

SOME things “Made in China” are worth buying — PROVIDING the company whose name appears on the product, e.g., Apple, HP, has a reputation for quality.

In the long-ago years when Japanese products were as shoddy as Chinese products are today, some vendors did their own Quality Assurance/Quality Control when the products reached America’s shores.

Honeywell was one of these vendors.

I owned an Asahi Pentax H3v 35mm SLR camera imported by Honeywell (right).

The importer did a QA/QC check on the products. I’m not sure about the sampling rate — the number of items inspected out of a shipment — but I know that Honeywell stood behind the product.

My H3v served me well as a reporter and later served a friend and the friend’s son-in-law for many years after. (I replaced the H3v with a Canon F-1 for the F-1’s features.)

Sampling is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for products made to military specification (mil-spec). At one point I was employed by a company that made valves — 1/4-inch to 16-inch orifices — primarily for the U.S. and other navies.

The company performed sampling on all incoming components. The sampling rate was determined by the component’s criticality and the vendor’s history. Some items got 100% sampling — every item was inspected — others were sampled at 10%.

“Things” still could happen despite QA/QC, but the probability was minimized.

China has a well-deserved reputation for endangering its workforce and the people who buy its products.

The U.S. government demands that all products list their point of origin.

Why, since it won’t remain a secret, do retailers insist on hiding the products’ point of origin until the customer opens the shipping container?

If a brick and mortar store has the product, I can see the product’s point of origin. There will be a label of some sort somewhere on the product. It’s the law.

Yet the vendor — the Walmarts, Habands, and other similar online vendors — insist on hiding the point of origin in their online advertising.

Maybe President Richard Nixon’s opening China to U.S. trade was a bad deal for us after all.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

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Comment on Labels

Opuscula Careless carrier Can’t get it right

I KNOW IT’S NOT “FAIR,” BUT some letter carriers can’t even deal with numbers.

Back in the day, letter carriers rarely made a mistake in delivering the mail.

They had, or at least seemed to have, pride in what they did.

Apparently, that no longer is the case.

My house number ends in “80.”

My mail often ends up in a mailbox with the number “84” on it.

“84” is next door to “80” (this scrivener had nothing to do with the numbering scheme).

Two or three times a week — every week — my next door neighbor, like me a senior citizen, rings the bell and hands me an envelop sent to my address but that ended up at her address.

I sometimes get mail addressed to my neighbors on the north side of my house, but mostly the SNAFU — and, sadly, it IS “Situation Normal” — is mail to my neighbor to the south.

I have Informed Delivery, a USPS product that scans most standard-size mail and sends an email with scanned images so I’ll know — more or less — what should be in my street-side mail box before the carrier arrives.

Informed Delivery includes an option to notify the post office when a mail piece fails to arrive.

UNFORTUNATELY, although I all too frequently report missing mail via Informed Delivery, the misdirected mail continues as SOP: Standard Operating Procedure for the letter carrier assigned to the route,

One day out of six I can depend on getting all my mail at a reasonable hour; that day is when the regular carrier is replaced by an alternate.

A manager at the facility from which my mail is delivered promises — again and again — that she will “talk” to the carrier.

Given Civil Service, talk is about all she can do.

The careless carrier apparently has sufficient seniority to claim what must be an easy route; all deliveries are to roadside mail boxes. No walking in the warm Florida sun; no wading through puddles when it rains.

I confess I am spoiled.

I’m old enough to remember letter carriers who knew almost everyone on their route.

Even with motor routes, the carriers knew their customers.

My three kids, now adults, used to run out to greet Vic, our letter carrier in another town and, apparently, another time. ‘Course they used to wave to the trash collectors — who in turn would toot the big truck’s horn. (Something about small kids and BIG trucks.)

The regular letter carrier on my route is surly. My neighbor frequently reports on the carrier’s unkind attitude to the neighbor.

Admittedly, times have changed. Now it is not uncommon to see a package tossed over a decorative fence — no dogs anywhere — because it was too far to walk from the vehicle to the residence door; too much of a bother.

I am tempted now and again to “go electronic”; to do my banking and bill paying online. But, both my Spouse and I are reluctant to trust our payments' security on the Internet. There simply is too much ID theft and “misdirection” of funds and we are capable of either taking our outgoing mail to a letter box (which may not be safe) or directly to the merchant.

Has anyone else noticed that some banks — notably Bank of America — have discontinued drive-through service? Canceling the drive-through probably put several people out of work at each location. For a handicapped person, the loss of this service is sorely missed.

It is one thing to lose a service, e.g., the bank’s drive-through, but it is another to lose decent service for a critical product: the U.S. mail. For the former, blame “cost-cutting” and The Bottom Line; for the other, there is no excuse.

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Careless Carriers

Opuscula Pay me now * And * Pay me later

MEDICARE WAS SIGNED INTO LAW on July 30, 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson in Independence MO.¹

I HAVE BEEN WORKING AND PAYING INTO Social Security since 1957, and Medicare since its inception.

Each month, Social Security deducts an ever-increasing amount from my stipend for Medicare.

Why?

Didn’t I pay into Medicare enough from 1965 until I signed up for Medicare in 2008?

Is the government such a bad steward of my money that at almost 77 years old I STILL must pay into Medicare?

Social Security and Medicare were supposed to be inviolate; untouchable.

It is — “sort of.”

Medicare and Social Security funds were put up as collateral by U.S. governments to cover loans from China.

In other words, China owns the Social Security and Medicare I paid into for decades.

The government will tell me the funds are still here and that the money is safe.

I fear I have no faith in the government; not with Democrats in control and not with Republicans in control.

Since the politicians in the House, the Senate, and the White House have special plans for things Medicare supposedly covers and their own retirement plan separate from Social Security, why should “our” elected representatives care about these two funds.

Sometimes I feel like Diogenes of Sinope, looking for a politician who cares.

 

Diogenes looking for honest man (https://tinyurl.com/tkvlw5c)

 

I know not all politicians are self-centered, but given how hard they campaign to stay in office — and complain about the cost of living in the capital, be it D.C. or Montpelier (VT) — there must be some benefit to the job beside “prestige” and a desire to perform a public service. Color me a skeptic.

I won’t say that each year my monthly Medicare contribution has increased, but it seems to have gone up every year recently.

(I have a Medicare Advantage plan, a money-maker or the insurance companies but one that provides better benefits that “original Medicare.” I live in an area heavily populated by “geezers” and, because of competition, I get more benefits than someone who lives in the tulies or boonies — six of one, half dozen of the other. People who live one county south get more benefits; people who live one county north get less. It's all about competition for the shrinking dollar.)

I understand having to pay tax on my Social Security benefit. It was “pre-tax” income. I don’t LIKE pay tax on my Social Security stipend, but I understand why.

As I understand it, Social Security never was intended to replace retirement savings, and the Social Security number was never supposed to be a national ID to be shared with just about everyone.

When I joined the Air Force in 1960, I got a unique Air Force ID number (that I can recite to this day); sometime later, the military decided to make ever soldier, sailor, and airman’s ID the person’s Social Security number. Some states, e.g., Virginia, used a person’s Social Security number as the person’s driver’s license unless the person complained. So much for making identity theft easy.

I’m glad I HAVE Medicare, but in my heart I resent having to continue paying into a fund to which I have been contributing since its inception.

Pay me now AND pay me later.

Somehow that doesn’t seem fair.

Sources

1. Medicare law: https://tinyurl.com/y3mq74x7

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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