Free Republic

Shortly after New Year’s Day, Man Hyung Lee, 77, was nursing a coffee in his usual seat in a narrow booth at a McDonald’s in Flushing, Queens, when two police officers stepped into the fluorescent light of the restaurant. Mr. Lee said the officers had been called because he and his friends — a revolving group who shuffle into the McDonald’s on the corner of Parsons and Northern Boulevards on walkers, or with canes, in wheelchairs or with infirm steps, as early as 5 a.m. and often linger until well after dark — had, as they seem to do every...

This is a story that has caught very little attention, but needs to be circulated as wide as possible. The world of government-managed health care is about to get very ugly for millions of senior citizens who rely on Medicare for their coverage. Quietly announced on the day after Thanksgiving, the Obama administration has decided to cut Medicare home health benefits to the tune of 14% between 2014 and 2017. Some of America's most vulnerable citizens are under attack from a liberal administration who is determined to have its way with our health care system. What does this mean for...

Come on, Oprah. You're way too smart to be this stupid. When are you going to get off this kick about Barack Obama being disrespected more than previous presidents just because he is a black man? It's getting embarrassing, Oprah. You're one of America's great talents and greatest success stories. You're a self-made billionaire, an astute multimedia mogul, a beloved cultural icon. You're admired around the world for your generosity and good works. Your opinions and endorsements influence what millions of people read, how they think and who they vote for. But after five years of President Obama's reign, you...

Barack Obama’s namesake healthcare scheme will cut $716 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years. Add to this a dramatic reduction in Medicare related reimbursement for doctors and hospitals and countless seniors may find it difficult to obtain necessary medical treatment. Following are Medicare facts which most baby boomers may know little or nothing about. But those who must depend upon Medicare over the next decade are going to get a real education; an education in the true nature of death panels and socialized medicine. 1) “Medicare is essentially compulsory. People who refuse to join Medicare Part A are...

During a forum on gun control in Colorado hosted by The Denver Post, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) mocked the concerns of a senior citizen who said that his impairments would put him at a significant disadvantage in a firefight under the state’s new gun laws. She drew laughs from the crowd when she reminded the questioner that he can take advantage of the Denver Police Department’s services. She added that, in the hypothetical situation the questioner described, “you’d probably be dead anyway.” At the Tuesday night forum, the elderly questioner described his unique circumstances and asked DeGette about how he...

On Tuesday night The Denver Post editorial board hosts a public forum on gun legislation at the national level. U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter, State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, and Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith are among the scheduled panelists. During the question and answer period a concerned Denver citizen asked Democratic Representative DeGette how he was supposed to defend himself under the new Colorado gun laws. DeGette smirked and mocked the senior citizen saying, “The good news for you, you live in Denver. The Denver PD would be there within minutes. (laughing) You’d probably be dead anyway.” Really?...

Disgusting debasement of America’s moral and Christian standards is reaching an all-time high as reports surface that senior citizens are increasingly falling victim to various sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially Herpes, sex warts virus, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. The idiot left wingers of the 60′s Baby Boomer generation, now reaching what once was called the Golden Years, are making America and themselves laughing stocks with foolish, unseemly conduct bordering on sexual perversion. By signing onto online, seniors “meet and greet sites,” our drugged, defiled, and debased seniors find themselves dealing with personal medical crises unheard of before the left foisted...

THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG THE BLOG TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2009 AT 6:55 AM Facts Are Stubborn Things Posted by Macon Phillips Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things." Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions. In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, addresses one example that makes it look like the President intends to...

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) grilled Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis today about why a proposed rule to effectively eliminate current regulations that exempt “companionship services” and “live-in domestic services” from overtime requirements was created without even consulting “a single state’s Medicare director.”

Sometimes the sweetest blessings in life can be the the bitterest pills to swallow. That's how it is with an aging dog. If both the dog and owner are aged, it becomes a concern when it's time to put the dog to sleep. I thought putting my own dog down was hard. I found out that putting my Mom's beloved Molly to sleep was a hundred times worse.

With increased awareness of the deterioration of the Social Security system, no one is sure how much longer the program can remain solvent, or at least appear to be solvent. After President Obama enjoyed his $4.1 million worth of taxpayer funded vacations to Hawaii and teed off on the golf course for the 90th time of his three year presidency, he finds himself back in the humble abode that is the White House. With both chambers of Congress recently agreeing to a payroll tax cut extension, theyÂ’ve decided that they will continue their fervent efforts to bankrupt the Social Security...

Grandma and grandpa are not happy! They are sick of the mess the Occupy Wall Street type brats have made of our country. This is the conclusion to be drawn from a new Pew Research poll of Americans 66 to 83 years of age on our current political situation. Referring to this group as the “Silent Generation”, Pew reports that they came of age in time to vote for Truman Eisenhower and Kennedy, so they did not necessarily fall into the habit of reflexively voting for Roosevelt and the whole Democrat ticket. They had their flirtation with supporting Democrats such...

Los Angeles, CA --- May 13, 2011 ... The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation has announced that they will be providing free financial aid to over 60-year-olds who are unemployed, US citizens, veterans, have no source of income and are seeking to start a new business. The financial aid will cover part of the legal and Internet marketing costs. "One of the hardest hit groups of people with the least potential of securing work even if and when the US economy improves are the 60 year-old plus citizens," said Richard Maize. "As such, I have decided to provide free financial...

“In one of the bills before us, 6 million seniors are deprived of meals — homebound seniors are deprived of meals. People ask us to find our common ground, the middle ground. Is middle ground 3 million seniors not receiving meals? I don't think so. We've got to take this conversation from debate about numbers and dollar figures and finding middle ground there to the higher ground of national values. I don't think the American people want any one of those 6 million people to lose their meals or the children who are being thrown off of Head Start and...

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo's state budget proposal includes a $25 million cut in funding for New York City's senior centers. If passed, 105 centers will be closed across the five boroughs. The centers provide the elderly with free meals, social services, and companionship. The closures would have an enormous impact on the lives of older New Yorkers, many of whom live in poverty. Cuomo has flatly rejected calls to extend the "millionaire tax" in order to save the centers. On March 11, hundreds of elderly workers and retirees from across the city gathered at City Hall to protest against Cuomo's...

The average Social Security check is about $1,200. You can receive that payment while living anywhere in the world. In some countries, you can even have your Social Security check direct-deposited into your local bank account. Here are five places where you could retire on your Social Security income alone. Boquete, Panama. Panama offers super user-friendly options for foreign residency. Resident retirees receive a long list of benefits including discounts on everything from prescription medicines and in-country air travel to closing costs on the purchase of real estate. Granada, Nicaragua. Granada is ... home to a welcoming community of expat...

Sometime next year, Senior citizens will again receive another 'Economic Stimulus' payment. This is indeed a very exciting program, and I'll explain it by using a Q & A format: Q. What is an 'Economic Stimulus' payment ? A. It is money that the federal government will send to seniors. Q.. Where will the government get this money ? A. From senior taxpayers. Q. So the government is giving me back my own money ? A. Only a smidgen of it. Q. What is the purpose of this payment ? A. The plan is for you to use the money...

President Obama last week urged Congress -- likely in a post-election lame-duck session -- to send senior citizens a payment of $250 to offset stagnant Social Security benefits. Total cost of this plan: $15 billion. Social Security's built-in cost-of-living adjustments are meant to protect seniors. But inflation has been flat, so the Social Security Administration hasn't raised benefit levels for two years. But that won't buy many votes, so the administration wants to borrow and spend another $15 billion to purchase as many as possible. At least, that's the only explanation that makes sense. Seniors, after all, as a group...

Quality measurements raise concerns about conflict between best care, cost controls The new federal health care law is bringing additional demands by insurance companies that doctors and hospitals be held to higher quality standards. While insurance companies say quality is what gets the name of a doctor or hospital on its preferred choices list, cost is also a major factor. A doctor who manages his patient's medical care better and keeps costs low, for example, would be more apt to make the list. The American Medical Association is worried doctors could be penalized if they tend to provide services for...

Rapidly Expanding Technology and Internet Making Seniors More Vulnerable To Scam Artists: Media Needs To Do More To Provide Information On Subject Today we seem to be hearing about more cases involving fraudulent behavior than at any time in the nation's past, though the FBI does not have accurate statistics that reflect this reality. This is due to the fact many victims of fraud do not report what has happened to them because of numerous reasons. Some are simply embarrassed to admit they fell prey to scam artists and grifters. But these types of crime are taking place at a...