Free Republic

At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay. In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation....

In what the employment bar is calling a “bombshell decision,” the MCAD has quietly announced it will apply the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act to both women and men. The revelation came at a recent Foley Hoag client event at which the guest speaker, MCAD Commissioner Martin B. Ebel, told the crowd of about 200 surprised lawyers and corporate officials that, effective immediately, his office plans to prosecute MMLA cases in a gender-neutral fashion. In a follow-up interview with Lawyers Weekly, Ebel confirmed that he made the statements and that, for the first time in the history of the statute, the...

WHAT BABYWEARING MEANS: OUR STORY I would like to introduce you to a style of parenting which will bring out the best in your baby and yourself. During my thirty years as a pediatrician, parents in our practice would often say, "As long as I carry my baby she's content." After years of watching a whole parade of babywearers we dubbed these thriving infants "sling babies." Many kids ago we noticed that the more we carried our babies the less they cried. With each baby, we began carrying them more and more. By the time baby number six, Mathew, entered...

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2008 – The latest GI Bill considerably improves the opportunity for today’s servicemembers to obtain their education, a senior Defense Department official said. President Bush signed the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 on June 30. The new law mirrors the tenets of the original GI Bill, which gave returning World War II veterans the opportunity to go to any school they wanted while receiving a living stipend, Bob Clark, the Pentagon’s assistant director of accessions policy, said. “The original GI Bill was said to be one of the most significant social impacts of the...

With the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 signed into law June 30, military members and veterans crave information on whether, when and how they will gain access to the richer education package, known also as the Webb GI Bill or the Webb-Hagel GI Bill. Keith M. Wilson, director of education service for the Veterans Benefits Administration, gave refreshingly direct and detailed answers during a Military Update interview July 2. Wilson said the VA also has a pamphlet on the new GI Bill posted at its website, www.gibill.va.gov, and a toll free number, 1-888-GIBILL1, for follow-up questions. Here are...

I know this is off topic for me, but this seems to be a growing problem. People invest their whole lives, put their trust into a company and then when they turn around and ask for what was promised to them. They get the back of a hand. It is just not right. I am not for universal health care. For the rest..... http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2008/07/health-benefits-denied.html

With gas prices at record highs across the country, some employers are implementing measures to help their employees ease the cost of driving to work. A recent survey found that 57 percent of employers are offering some kind of help, according to employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "They can’t afford to lose employees that are stuck with the high price of commuting," says Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John Challenger. The average price of a gallon of gasoline this week reached $3.94, according to the American Automobile Association, and some energy expects are predicting a move above $4.00...

You can measure the continuing power shift in Washington by looking at the costly package of veterans’ benefits sponsored by James Webb, the Virginia senator elected on an anti-Iraq war platform in 2006. President George W. Bush has promised to veto the measure. The scene is set for a showdown and Mr Bush is set to lose it. Over Memorial day, the editorial pages of US dailies backed Mr Webb’s bill as the least the country could do for soldiers who have sacrificed so much. A majority of Republican senators joined Mr Webb’s Democrats to render the bill veto-proof. John...

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2008 – The Defense Commissary Agency is taking the commissary benefit to National Guard and reserve members and their families living in remote areas. Guard and reserve members and their families shop at the case-lot sale at the North Carolina Air National Guard base of 145th Airlift Wing, held in Charlotte, N.C., April 3-6. U.S. Army Photo by Margaret McKenzie  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The 2004 National Defense Authorization Act authorized full commissary benefits for members of the Ready Reserve," Richard Page, acting Defense Commissary Agency director, said. “Through our new ‘Bringing the Benefit...

Jess Richardson spent only one year in Vietnam but it was what he brought back with him that scarred him the most. "I went to Vietnam when I was barely 18. I have scars right now from Agent Orange, and several years ago I came down with cancer. " Because Richardson contacted Agent Orange, he received benefits from the VA. When he turned 60, he was eligible for retirement from the military. But in March, the government sent him a letter informing him that he couldn't receive both VA benefits and military retirement. To make matters worse, Richardson has to...

This is a from column called Taking Stock by Malcolm Berko where he responds to questions concerning finances: Dear Mr. Berko: I began taking Social Security at 62 and will be 70 in a few months. I wish I had waited until age 70 to collect my benefits, which would have been almost twice as much as I’m getting now. Several years ago I heard, and I can’t recall where, that I can reapply to the Social Security Administration and get higher benefits as if I had waited until I was 70. Can you verify this, and if this is...

Virginia Senator Jim Webb says there's growing support for his G.I. Bill. The bill would pay the college tuition for many military veterans who have served since the 9/11 terror attacks. The Bush administration and defense department have concerns. They say the costly bill could also cost the military when it comes to re-enlistment rates. On the grounds of the College of William & Mary, Army Veteran Corporal Harry Bethke talks about his future. "I sent out all these applications, all at once and I got approved for 7 out of 9." He says the campus is a stark contrast...

This was supposed to be the week that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. returned to the pulpit to preach for the first time since his anti-American sermons generated nationwide outrage and drew condemnation from his longtime parishioner, Barack Obama. But, citing security concerns, Wright canceled his speaking engagements in Florida and Texas. A spokeswoman at his former church in Chicago said his schedule is pending.

A radical Muslim preacher has been filmed talking about fraudulently claiming benefits and giving advice on how to cheat the Government. Self-proclaimed extremist Abu Waleed was speaking at the London School of Shariah event in preparation for Ramadan, during which he also made jokes about Muslims taking backpacks on to the Underground. The British-born radical retold fables from the koran before encouraging his audience to hoodwink the Government. After a story about a wealthy man, he said: "There was one man, he had a lot of money - just like us, we have a lot of money today from the...

Millions forced to work in benefits shake-up By Andrew Porter, Political Editor Last Updated: 2:51am GMT 27/02/2008 Millions of benefit claimants will be forced back to work in the biggest shake-up of the welfare state for 60 years, ministers will announce. Large parts of the benefits system are to be privatised, with companies hired to find jobs for the unemployed, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. The proposed reforms are based on recommendations by government adviser David Freud(Just another mean White guy) Private firms will be given incentives of up to £50,000 each to get people back to work and reduce...

When the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to file a lawsuit seeking to repeal part of their pension agreement with county sheriff's deputies, it must have sent alarm bells ringing in public employee union offices around the state. Depending on how this lawsuit plays out, it could have profound repercussions for virtually every state, county, city and special district employee in California. Here's why: Orange County supervisors are arguing that the retroactive increases in pension benefits that a previous board granted to deputies are unconstitutional. That deal changed the way the county calculated benefits. It allowed...

Nick Trikolas plans to drop health insurance for his employees and give them money to buy their own coverage. He says doing so will put him in the vanguard of a movement by employers searching for answers to rising health costs. "This may be the future of health insurance," says Trikolas, CEO of Ilios Partners in Chicago, which plans to switch its 100 employees from group to individual coverage this year. ...

British and U.S. forces' personnel discuss job training initiatives for local Baswaris at Abu Al Kaseeb Technical College. Photo by Royal Air Force Cpl. Ralph Merry. BASRA — British and U.S. troops have been visiting a college in Basra to explore the possibility of reconstructing a facility that could in time lead to the the introduction of newly funded training courses for local Baswaris. The Abu Al Kaseeb college is currently undergoing significant renovation and will have new training equipment installed to give pupils access to a wide range of key tools and machinery. The direct investment for this reconstruction...

A judge’s ruling on San Francisco’s plan to offer universal health insurance could have implications throughout California and beyond. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White last week struck down a provision in a city ordinance that would have required businesses with at least 20 employees to either offer health insurance or pay a fee to the city to subsidize insurance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. White found that the provision, which would have taken effect on Jan. 1, violated the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (aka ERISA), which says the feds — not state or local governments — hold sway...

Surprise -- Cholesterol May Actually Pose Benefits, Study Shows ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) — If you’re worried about high cholesterol levels and keeping heart-healthy as you get older, don’t push aside bacon and eggs just yet. A new study says they might actually provide a benefit. Researchers at Texas A&M University have discovered that lower cholesterol levels can actually reduce muscle gain with exercising. Lead investigator Steven Riechman, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, and Simon Sheather, head of the Department of Statistics, along with colleagues from The Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine,...

Bill would target benefits for illegal immigrants Illegal immigrants may find it more difficult to get some government benefits under a bill being developed by Gov. Dave Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning. Everyone applying for specific government benefits — from hunting licenses and teacher’s licenses to unemployment checks and food stamps — would have to prove they are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants, under the proposal. The bill also would repeal a new law that assures young adults who graduate from Nebraska high schools and who are illegal immigrants that they will get in-state tuition at state colleges and...

Moderate Exercise Yields Big Benefits ScienceDaily (Jan. 4, 2008) — What’s the key to looking and feeling better and enhancing your health? Exercise. Moderately strenuous exercise, about 30 minutes a day, can lead to enormous benefits in terms of your mood, health, weight and the ability to live an independent and fulfilling life. The exercise doesn’t need to be athletic or difficult. Studies have shown that simply walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more on most days can lead to significant health improvements. Add simple strengthening exercises two or three times a week and the benefits are...

The Census Bureau informs us that when the clock strikes midnight, the U.S. population will exceed 303.1 million. That represents a one-year increase of 0.9% and a 22% increase since 1990, when our population stood at a mere 248.7 million souls. ...Between 1994 and 2005, the illegal immigrant population in the U.S. is estimated to have doubled to around 12 million. Yet according the Department of Justice, over that same period the violent crime rate in the U.S. declined by 34.2% and the property crime rate fell by 26.4%, reaching their lowest levels since 1973. Crime has fallen in cities...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2007 – An Illinois-based group is working to honor one soldier by supporting many other servicemembers. Nearly 100 patients recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, enjoy a tailgate party before the 2006 football game pitting Army against Texas A&M at the Alamodome, in San Antonio. The Captain Scott Corwin Foundation hosted the party. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The Captain Scott Corwin Foundation is dedicated to helping our men and women in uniform, concentrating on those wounded,” said Greg Corwin, one of the foundation’s executive members, and...

WASHINGTON - The government is promising $45 trillion more than it can deliver on Social Security, Medicare and other benefit programs. That is the gap between the promises the government has made in benefits and the projected revenue stream for these programs over the next 75 years, the Bush administration estimated Monday. The $45.1 trillion shortfall has increased by nearly $1 trillion in just one year, according to the administration's "Financial Report of the United States Government" for 2006. And, it's up 67.8 percent in just the past four years. In 2003, the shortfall between promised benefits and revenue sources...

The end of employment-based health insurance isn’t in sight yet, but a study released this morning raises the possibility of a “tipping point” that will cause employers to consider alternatives. The Employee Benefit Research Institute said that “if one larger employer actually did drop its health benefits, others might follow for competitive reasons.” The report, published this morning on www.ebri.org, said work-based health insurance benefits, which are held by the majority of Americans who have health insurance, are still a competitive reason to attract employees.

The Army has resolved the eligibility of more than 600 Minnesota National Guard soldiers for full education benefits through the Army Board for Correction of Military Records. To date, 930 of the 1,162 soldiers affected have applied to have their eligibility adjusted or declined the benefits. So far, 616 have been approved, and the pending ones are expected to be as well, Capt. Allan Hetteen, education officer for the Minnesota National Guard, said in a telephone interview Friday. He added that none have been turned down to date, and that very few have declined their benefits, although he didn't have...

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson on Friday proposed reducing benefits promised to future retirees and establishing a system of voluntary personal retirement accounts under Social Security to help shore up the program's finances. "If somebody's got a better idea let them put it on the table," said the former Tennessee senator in a challenge to fellow Republicans as well as Democrats vying for the White House in 2008. President Bush proposed roughly similar changes three years ago, but they proved so controversial that they never came to a vote in either house of the Republican-controlled Congress. Thompson's proposal...

WASHINGTON - Nearly 2 million low-income Medicare participants could be switched to different insurance plans for their prescription drug coverage next year. Millions more will have to shop around if they want to avoid double-digit increases in their monthly premiums. The reassignment of the poorest beneficiaries and the higher premiums for many others are just two reasons why seniors and the disabled may want to look into other plans as the Medicare drug benefit enters its third year. The shopping season officially begins Nov. 15 — the first day of an open enrollment period that continues through Dec. 31. Advocacy...

Hey, CO2! What Have You Done for Me Lately? Volume 4, Number 28: 11 July 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From its pre-industrial level of 150 years ago (approximately 275 ppm), the air's CO2 concentration has risen to nearly 375 ppm today. What has this extra 100 ppm of CO2 done for world agriculture? Experiment Method: Mayeux et al. (1997) analyzed this question with respect to wheat, which they studied in a 38-meter-long controlled environment chamber located in a ventilated glass house. This chamber was composed of five 7.6-m lengths of a 0.76-m-deep and 0.45-m-wide soil container topped with a transparent and tunnel-shaped...

When Rudy Giuliani was mayor of Sanctuary City, coddling illegal aliens was part and parcel of his let's-clean-up-New-York campaign...Mitt Romney spoke out of both sides of his mouth when he was governor of Massachusetts, letting sanctuary cities do as they pleased while asking the feds to work with Massachusetts State Police to enforce some — repeat some — immigration laws...Unfortunately, the ink on the agreement was barely dry when his successor, Deval Patrick, a Clinton Democrat, overturned the Romney policy... Did you know that the mayor of the nation's capital has hopped into bed with them? Adrian Fenty pulled back...

In a study published in May, researchers at Harvard and McGill Universities reported that participants who slept after playing this game scored significantly higher on a retest than those who did not sleep. While asleep they apparently figured out what they didn’t while awake... “We think what’s happening during sleep is that you open the aperture of memory and are able to see this bigger picture,” said the study’s senior author, Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist who is now at the University of California, Berkeley. He added that many such insights occurred “only when you enter this wonder-world of sleep.” Scientists...

"The U.S. employer-based health-insurance system is failing," declares a new report by the Committee for Economic Development (CED). The CED is a Washington, D.C.-based policy think tank comprised of business and education leaders. And it is right: Employer-based health-insurance is indeed failing. Between 2000 and 2007, the percentage of firms offering health insurance benefits fell from 69 percent to 60 percent. The percentage of people under age 65 with employer provided insurance dropped by 68 to 63 percent. In absolute numbers, those covered by job-based insurance fell from 179.4 million to 177.2 million. Employers are jettisoning health insurance because costs...

The first comprehensive review of veterans' disability benefits in 51 years recommends that Congress and the Bush administration support an immediate increase in compensation levels , of up to 25 percent for the most severely disabled, and to recognize their reduced quality of life.

Melting Pot Blues by: Malcolm A. Kline, October 01, 2007 Looked at one way, it is somewhat surprising that academics have become advocates of open immigration. “I went to journalism school in the 1960s — specialized in environmental reporting — covered the beginning of the environmental movement,” Roy Beck of Numbers USA said at the National Press Club on August 30. “So I covered the vision for America that the environmental movement had, and that vision was that the 200 million population of America of . . . around 1970 would basically stabilize at around 250 million in the 1990s,...

Migrants 'reliant' on benefits By Duncan Gardham Last Updated: 1:56am BST 01/10/2007 The degree to which new immigrants rely on benefits and council housing has been revealed by a survey that looks at how much foreigners contribute to the economy. The league tables have been compiled by the Left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research on behalf of Dispatches, to be shown on Channel 4 tonight. The figures come from the census and the quarterly Labour Force Survey. Somalians rely heavily on benefits, according to the statistics - 80 per cent live in social housing and 39 per cent claim income...

...Only about 28 percent of jobs in this country require a four-year college degree. That percentage isn't projected to increase much in the future. Of the top 10 fastest-growing jobs over the next decade, only one requires more than a BA -- ironically, the position of college instructor. (The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an invaluable resource for this and other job information.) It's true that many of the fastest-growing jobs are low-wage and in the service industry. But the nation also needs nurses and physical therapists; network systems and database administrators; veterinary and dental technicians; carpenters and plumbers; and retail...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top executives at major businesses last year made as much money in one day of work on the job as the average worker made over the entire year, according to a report released on Wednesday. Chief executive officers from the nation's biggest businesses averaged nearly $11 million in total compensation, according to the 14th annual CEO compensation survey released jointly by the Institute for Policy Studies based in Washington and United for a Fair Economy, a national organization based in Boston. At the same time, workers at the bottom rung of the U.S. economy received the first...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 – Volunteers for "Comfort for America's Uniformed Services" hold up videos and games donated by hockey fans at a Washington Capitals game at the Verizon Center, Feb. 8, 2007. Photo by Carmen L. Gleason  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Since Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom began, patriotic Americans have stood at the ready, willing to provide servicemembers with comfort and support."The Defense Department is grateful for what people are doing across the country to support our troops and their families in a variety of ways - sending cards and letters to our deployed...

A married couple in Kinda in the south east of Sweden have lost a court bid to retain their current level of welfare payments. For almost ten years the husband and wife pair have asserted their right to opt out of the rat race and live on a combination of state support and their own crops. Östergötland county court disagreed however, ruling that there were no health issues preventing the pair from taking up employment and that their benefits should therefore be reduced, Corren.se reports. In a letter to the county court, the husband had argued for a reversal of...

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2007 – There’s no horsing around when it comes to helping servicemembers down the road to recovery, as far as one troop-support group is concerned. “‘Back in the Saddle Bit by Bit’ … helps wounded military heroes and their families regain physical and mental fitness by riding and working with horses,” Jeanie Clifford, the organization’s founder, said. “BITS is a (nonprofit) entity and operates as a clearinghouse that identifies qualified programs around the country so that these heroes can participate in these programs close to home.” Case studies have proven that equine therapy helps improve self-esteem,...

Swedish benefit cheats can no longer trust their neighbours, friends and colleagues to keep their secret from the authorities: in the first three months of 2007 the number of anonymous tip-offs to Stockholm's Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) has increased by 72 percent compared to the same period last year. Up until the end of June this year there were 881 anonymous tip-offs in the capital. That compares to 1,175 for the whole of last year. "People have always called us, but it's suddenly much more common," said Therese Karlberg, project leader in the agency's benefit fraud department. "When they see...

Texas has a proud military heritage. From the Alamo to Baghdad, Texas veterans have served our country in every major conflict, in every corner of the globe. Yet Texas heroes like William B. Travis, John Bell Hood, Earl Rudder and Audie Murphy would shudder to think Texas is denying educational benefits to its veterans. Even combat veterans in harm's way are barred from receiving certain Texas educational benefits under state law. The Hazelwood Act, which exists in Section 54.203 of the Education Code, exempts eligible military veterans from paying tuition and most fees at state colleges and universities. This educational...

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2007 – While the country is getting ready to celebrate its 231st birthday with fireworks, picnics and other summer activities, Arizonans Mike and Malinda Brown already are planning for Christmas. On July 7, the Browns will host their annual “Christmas in July” party to benefit Packages from Home and its efforts to send care packages to deployed servicemembers. “It’s one of the only things that we feel that we can do, and it’s something that’s important to us, because we are wanting them to know that they’re not forgotten,” Malinda Brown said. “These are simple things...

A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits. Roger Tullgren, 42, from Hässleholm in southern Sweden has just got part time work as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life, the Employment Service has agreed to pay part of Tullgren's salary. His new boss meanwhile has given him a special dispensation to play loud music at work. "I have been trying for ten years to get this...

Top of page PAID TIME OFF WITH 10 YEARS' TENURE Country/Region Minimum Paid Vacation Days Paid public holidays Total Australia 20 11 (avg.) 31** Austria 25 13 38 Belgium 20 10 30 Bulgaria 20 12 32 Canada 10 10 (avg.) 20 Cyprus 21 15 36 Czech Rep. 20 11 31 Denmark 25 10 35 Egypt 21 16 37 Estonia 28 10 38 Finland 30 14 44 France 30 10 40 Germany 24 10 34 Greece 25 12 37 Hong Kong 14 12 26 Hungary 23 (if over thirty-one yrs old) 10 33 India 12 19 31 Indonesia 12 13 25...

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Maine's second-largest city has earned some new bragging rights. Lewiston was one of 10 municipalities designated this year as an All-America City. The selections were made Friday night during an award ceremony in Anaheim, Calif., in the competition sponsored by the National Civic League. "My head is just spinning right now," Dottie Perham-Whittier, Lewiston's community relations coordinator, told the (Lewiston) Sun Journal. "I think we pretty much just leaped up on that stage." During its presentation the day before, the delegation from Lewiston talked about various city initiatives, including the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council, the Lots to...

Becoming Illegal (From a Maryland resident to his senator) The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes Senate Office Building 309 Hart, Washington DC, 20510 Dear Senator Sarbanes, As a native Marylander and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effor t to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you. My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for...

'Blind' motorist caught driving three times Published: 11th May 2007 12:05 CET Online: http://www.thelocal.se/7276/ A motorist in Helsingborg has been ordered to pay back over a quarter of a million kronor in disability benefits after claiming to be blind for a period of ten years. The person in question was caught driving a car on three separate occasions while at the same time receiving benefits totalling 268,000 kronor ($38,500). Related Articles Vegas run by gays and Jews, says magician 11th May 2007 Man burnt own apartment 'to smoke out neighbours' 10th May 2007 Red Cross reports ad calling Stockholmers 'queens'...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer U.S. employers are offering health benefits, mostly because many new small employers have chosen not to pay for health insurance, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported on Monday. The GAO found an 8 percentage point drop in the share of small employers offering benefits from 2001 to 2006 and said many employers that offer health benefits now make workers pay a higher share of out-of-pocket costs. Some also have begun offering consumer-directed health plans, which trade lower premiums for significantly higher deductibles, or mini-medical plans that provide more limited coverage at lower premiums, the GAO said....