My brother-in-law John is 57. His mental age is around 5 or 6.
By being, John produces a number of jobs and tens of thousands of dollars in state and federal expenditures. Because John’s metal development was impeded by injuries during birth, he causes employment for a number of people who otherwise would have lower-paying jobs.
John lives at a home with three other men of similar impeded mental development. My mother-in-law pays an amount of money for rent, utilities, general upkeep and lawn care. Medicaid picks up the cost of care, the salaries of five house/care keepers and an on-call nurse – the things necessary for 24-hour care. Rent, food, utilities and salaries amount to several tens of thousands of dollars, probably more than $200,000.
Additionally, each resident at the home has a case worker, someone who monitors health and activities.
Then there is supervision of the group home, done by a state agency. The home has an assigned supervisor/inspector. She and the case workers have a supervisor, and the supervisor has a supervisor. And, there are federal agencies that check on state agencies.
John also has a job at a non-profit company. He does simple assembly of a specific part, on piece-work payment. The place where John works employs several people who oversee the mentally impeded workers. According to the a Form 990, as of June 30, 2012, the non-profit company reported revenue of around $770,000, with total assets of $1.2 million. The executive director received $64,927 in salary and $12,000 in other compensation. From 2007 through 2011, the company received $2.9 million in grants.
Of course, “non-profit” does not mean absence of profit or carry-over, but that the company was not established to make money, nor does it.
Much of John’s care is paid for through tax money. When news stories mention proposals to cut federal expenditures, I ask whether I would be willing to take John into my and my wife’s care. Would we be willing to pay someone to help him bathe, to help with after-bathroom visits? Willing, yes. Could we afford to? Maybe. But it is less expensive, and certainly less intrusive, to let the government pay, using your money and mine.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Thieving bastard group uses senator’s name without permission
By Sgt. Bob
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) did not give approval for a fear-mongering organization to use his name in soliciting money, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Ron Chastain, with the senator’s Little Rock office, said the senator was not a participant in fund-raising activities by Emergency Committee to Save Medicare. Boozman is among two senators and 13 House members listed in an “emergency alert from medical panel” sent out this week.
Douglas Ramsey, director of ECSM, claims in the letter: “I have been authorized, as Director of the Emergency Committee to Save Medicare, to provide you with this warning issued by” the listed senators and representatives.
“All of the above are both medical professionals as well as members of the United States Congress,” Ramsey said in the bulk-mail letter.
“And because of their grave concern about the future of your Medicare, these Representatives (sic) have come together to issue an Emergency Alert,” Ramsey said.
At the end of the four-page letter, Ramsey included a form with the notation for the recipient, “To help the Emergency Committee to Save Medicare in the fight for real reform, I am enclosing my contribution of ( ) $600 ( ) Other $__________.
ECSM is part of Policy Issues Institute, a 501c4 organization, according to the Washington Secretary of State. The letter from Ramsey notes, “Contributions and gifts to Policy Issues Institute are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes. PII bills itself as “a nonprofit advocacy organization that is recognized and exempt from tax by the Internal Revenue Service.”
Boozman’s office will look into ECSM claims, Chastain said.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) did not give approval for a fear-mongering organization to use his name in soliciting money, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Ron Chastain, with the senator’s Little Rock office, said the senator was not a participant in fund-raising activities by Emergency Committee to Save Medicare. Boozman is among two senators and 13 House members listed in an “emergency alert from medical panel” sent out this week.
Douglas Ramsey, director of ECSM, claims in the letter: “I have been authorized, as Director of the Emergency Committee to Save Medicare, to provide you with this warning issued by” the listed senators and representatives.
“All of the above are both medical professionals as well as members of the United States Congress,” Ramsey said in the bulk-mail letter.
“And because of their grave concern about the future of your Medicare, these Representatives (sic) have come together to issue an Emergency Alert,” Ramsey said.
At the end of the four-page letter, Ramsey included a form with the notation for the recipient, “To help the Emergency Committee to Save Medicare in the fight for real reform, I am enclosing my contribution of ( ) $600 ( ) Other $__________.
ECSM is part of Policy Issues Institute, a 501c4 organization, according to the Washington Secretary of State. The letter from Ramsey notes, “Contributions and gifts to Policy Issues Institute are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes. PII bills itself as “a nonprofit advocacy organization that is recognized and exempt from tax by the Internal Revenue Service.”
Boozman’s office will look into ECSM claims, Chastain said.
Monday, May 6, 2013
If it flies, there will be adventure
Four crashes in a few days can make a pilot think about his chosen profession, a retired Air Force officer said recently.
The former officer, who will not be identified except as “FO,” said a pilot friend was in Afghanistan when the latest accidents happened, involving an F16, a KC135, an MC12 and a civilian 747.
“He said he spent three days thinking about the profession he chose,” FO said Monday night. “He did not witness any of the accidents, but he was there.”
She and I talked about flying and aircraft and the things that happen in the air. Her most tense flight occurred several years ago when her aircraft lost hydraulics and co-pilot brakes while returning from a mission over Afghanistan. The pilot of the big airplane put the aircraft on the runway as soon as could.
“We started drifting to the left, and I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll cartwheel.’”
In that jet, any kind of contact that did not involve landing gear would have meant a fireball and probable death of everybody on board.
As FO told a medical person who said she shouldn’t be on flight status because previous knee and leg injuries prevented her from running from the aircraft if it crashed: “If my airplane crashes, no one is running away. We will all be dead.”
The day of no hydraulics and only partial brakes, the pilot got the airplane recentered for a few seconds.
“It started drifting right, and I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll cartwheel on that side.”
Again the pilot centered the aircraft, but by now the airplane was using up runway. A lot of runway.
From her position behind the pilots, FO could see through the windscreen.
“I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll run into those trees.’”
The pilot was good and gifted, and the crew graced with pleasant fate. The airplane stopped with a little runway left. The pilot then managed to drive the airplane from the runway to a position for towing, thereby keeping the main runway clear and open for other flights.
I mentioned a day flying door gunner in a Huey gunship 12 years before she was born. The gunship was a Frog, with big rocket pods and a 40-millimeter grenade launcher in the nose. We had shot up some jungle and then flown to base camp to refuel and rearm. When those were done, the pilot hovered to the oil-covered dirt strip, picked up a bit and dropped the nose. The ship started forward. It picked up speed. It did not pick up altitude.
On intercom the pilot said, “Come on, Baby. Come on, Baby.”
I watched red dirt blur by as the ship continued to speed forward.
“Come on, Baby. You can do it, Baby.”
Get this thing off the ground!
“You can do it. Come on, Baby. You can do it.”
Lift! Pick it up! Get this &%$(&$$#$ off the ground!
“Come on, Baby. You can do it, you can do it”
Sometimes a Huey’s main rotor beats the air into submission, hammers the ground effect, beats the Earth into letting go. When that happens, the ship shudders into the air before shaking off restraints and taking up normal flight characteristics.
That is what that did that day. It shuddered free from the ground and lifted over the perimeter concertina, suddenly like a butterfly.
I said to myself, “I will never fly in this ship again.”
I would have, though. Had I the opportunity. It was flying, and flying is the second-best thing in the world.
The former officer, who will not be identified except as “FO,” said a pilot friend was in Afghanistan when the latest accidents happened, involving an F16, a KC135, an MC12 and a civilian 747.
“He said he spent three days thinking about the profession he chose,” FO said Monday night. “He did not witness any of the accidents, but he was there.”
She and I talked about flying and aircraft and the things that happen in the air. Her most tense flight occurred several years ago when her aircraft lost hydraulics and co-pilot brakes while returning from a mission over Afghanistan. The pilot of the big airplane put the aircraft on the runway as soon as could.
“We started drifting to the left, and I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll cartwheel.’”
In that jet, any kind of contact that did not involve landing gear would have meant a fireball and probable death of everybody on board.
As FO told a medical person who said she shouldn’t be on flight status because previous knee and leg injuries prevented her from running from the aircraft if it crashed: “If my airplane crashes, no one is running away. We will all be dead.”
The day of no hydraulics and only partial brakes, the pilot got the airplane recentered for a few seconds.
“It started drifting right, and I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll cartwheel on that side.”
Again the pilot centered the aircraft, but by now the airplane was using up runway. A lot of runway.
From her position behind the pilots, FO could see through the windscreen.
“I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll run into those trees.’”
The pilot was good and gifted, and the crew graced with pleasant fate. The airplane stopped with a little runway left. The pilot then managed to drive the airplane from the runway to a position for towing, thereby keeping the main runway clear and open for other flights.
I mentioned a day flying door gunner in a Huey gunship 12 years before she was born. The gunship was a Frog, with big rocket pods and a 40-millimeter grenade launcher in the nose. We had shot up some jungle and then flown to base camp to refuel and rearm. When those were done, the pilot hovered to the oil-covered dirt strip, picked up a bit and dropped the nose. The ship started forward. It picked up speed. It did not pick up altitude.
On intercom the pilot said, “Come on, Baby. Come on, Baby.”
I watched red dirt blur by as the ship continued to speed forward.
“Come on, Baby. You can do it, Baby.”
Get this thing off the ground!
“You can do it. Come on, Baby. You can do it.”
Lift! Pick it up! Get this &%$(&$$#$ off the ground!
“Come on, Baby. You can do it, you can do it”
Sometimes a Huey’s main rotor beats the air into submission, hammers the ground effect, beats the Earth into letting go. When that happens, the ship shudders into the air before shaking off restraints and taking up normal flight characteristics.
That is what that did that day. It shuddered free from the ground and lifted over the perimeter concertina, suddenly like a butterfly.
I said to myself, “I will never fly in this ship again.”
I would have, though. Had I the opportunity. It was flying, and flying is the second-best thing in the world.
Thieving bastards finally got address change
In today’s mail, addressed to my mother-in-law, each one demanding money and using fear tactics:
• Health Care Reform Task Force, a project of The National Center for Public Policy Reserch
• Task Force to Impeach Obama, a project of FRC
• John Linder, Southeastern Legal Foundation, “Our historic lawsuit against Barrack Obama …”
• No return address – “Extremely Time Sensitive Information” “Kill The Death Tax Now!” “reply form already registered in your name” “ Deadline: 72 hours!”
• Another no return address
• National Campaign to Guarantee Social Security, a project of FRC. “WARNING: BENEFITS FOR YOUR ZIP CODE ARE NOT PROTECTED”
• “SEALED PRELIMINARY BALLOT FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BALLOT VALID IF RETURNED WITHIN 5 BUSINESS DAYS”
• United States Health Congress, a project of Policy Issues Initiative
• United States Health Congress, YOUR OFFICIAL HEALTH CARE REGISTRATION IS ENCLOSED. TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY
• American Federation of Senior Citizens, a project of FRC
• Impeach Obama Campaign, a project of Policy Issues Initiative
• “THIS LETTER IS DOUBLE-SEALED FOR SECURITY”
• From the Desk of Amy M. Ridenour, Director National Retirement Security Task Force, A project of The National Center for Public Policy Research “URGENT CORRESPONDENCE”
• White House Watch, a project of Policy Issues Institute “ANNUAL COMMITMENT DUE NOW”
• Weekly Standard “Get Your 6 Free Issues”
• No return address – “Registered Correspondence”
• No return address – “At last, what Barrack Obama is really up to …”
• Emergency Committee to Save Medicare, a project of the Policy Issues Initiative
• Health Care Policy Notice
• National Senior Action Council, a project of Federation of Responsible Citizens
• Political Headquarters 2013, a project of Federation of Responsible Citizens
• Another from National Campaign to Guarantee Social Security, “Retirement Guarantee Notification for: (name/address”
• Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D., “Today I am writing to tell you about an especially aggressive endeavor I am about to undertake on behalf of our conservative movement. We have reached the breaking point, and it’s time for very bold action. Please open this envelope immediately …
• Rand Paul, United States Senator, National Right to Work Committee **
• American Criminal Justice Center, a project of the National Center for Public Policy Research ‘EMERGENCY COMMUNICATON”
• Herobox.org **
• LtCol Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.) Freedom Alliance “2013 NATIONAL SURVEY ON MILITARY READINESS AND THE DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES” “IMMEDIATE RESPONISE REQUESTED” **
Items marked ** are on the thieving bastard list because they bought the address list.
• Health Care Reform Task Force, a project of The National Center for Public Policy Reserch
• Task Force to Impeach Obama, a project of FRC
• John Linder, Southeastern Legal Foundation, “Our historic lawsuit against Barrack Obama …”
• No return address – “Extremely Time Sensitive Information” “Kill The Death Tax Now!” “reply form already registered in your name” “ Deadline: 72 hours!”
• Another no return address
• National Campaign to Guarantee Social Security, a project of FRC. “WARNING: BENEFITS FOR YOUR ZIP CODE ARE NOT PROTECTED”
• “SEALED PRELIMINARY BALLOT FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BALLOT VALID IF RETURNED WITHIN 5 BUSINESS DAYS”
• United States Health Congress, a project of Policy Issues Initiative
• United States Health Congress, YOUR OFFICIAL HEALTH CARE REGISTRATION IS ENCLOSED. TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY
• American Federation of Senior Citizens, a project of FRC
• Impeach Obama Campaign, a project of Policy Issues Initiative
• “THIS LETTER IS DOUBLE-SEALED FOR SECURITY”
• From the Desk of Amy M. Ridenour, Director National Retirement Security Task Force, A project of The National Center for Public Policy Research “URGENT CORRESPONDENCE”
• White House Watch, a project of Policy Issues Institute “ANNUAL COMMITMENT DUE NOW”
• Weekly Standard “Get Your 6 Free Issues”
• No return address – “Registered Correspondence”
• No return address – “At last, what Barrack Obama is really up to …”
• Emergency Committee to Save Medicare, a project of the Policy Issues Initiative
• Health Care Policy Notice
• National Senior Action Council, a project of Federation of Responsible Citizens
• Political Headquarters 2013, a project of Federation of Responsible Citizens
• Another from National Campaign to Guarantee Social Security, “Retirement Guarantee Notification for: (name/address”
• Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D., “Today I am writing to tell you about an especially aggressive endeavor I am about to undertake on behalf of our conservative movement. We have reached the breaking point, and it’s time for very bold action. Please open this envelope immediately …
• Rand Paul, United States Senator, National Right to Work Committee **
• American Criminal Justice Center, a project of the National Center for Public Policy Research ‘EMERGENCY COMMUNICATON”
• Herobox.org **
• LtCol Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.) Freedom Alliance “2013 NATIONAL SURVEY ON MILITARY READINESS AND THE DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES” “IMMEDIATE RESPONISE REQUESTED” **
Items marked ** are on the thieving bastard list because they bought the address list.
Who has our IOUs?
U.S. debt
http://www.davemanuel.com/biggest-foreign-us-debt-holders.php
Ireland at No. 11 of countries? $109 billion? How many shamrocks is that? Can’t we find a leprechaun and just follow a rainbow?
http://www.davemanuel.com/biggest-foreign-us-debt-holders.php
Ireland at No. 11 of countries? $109 billion? How many shamrocks is that? Can’t we find a leprechaun and just follow a rainbow?
The End of Syria?
“… the inability to achieve Arabic unity and the fall of the Soviet Union have led to Eastern youth putting ‘all questions on a religious level.’”
http://gatesofvienna.net/
(What is/are “Eastern youth”? Many jihadists and rioters seem a few years removed from youth. Use of the word seems more attuned to grabbing support from Western leftists. If something is youthful, it must be correct.)
http://gatesofvienna.net/
(What is/are “Eastern youth”? Many jihadists and rioters seem a few years removed from youth. Use of the word seems more attuned to grabbing support from Western leftists. If something is youthful, it must be correct.)
Letter to a thieving bastard
(My name and address, centered)
Ms. Amy Ridenour
National Retirement Security Task Force
P.O. Box 96465
Washington, D.C. 20077-7396
Ms. Ridenour:
I am not the person you are trying to frighten into giving her money to you, but I can tell you about her.
She is in her late 80s. She is a widow. Her husband was a World War II veteran who landed at Normandy the day after D-Day. She has a mentally challenged son who is in his late 50s and whose intellectual age is 5 or 6. She gets less than $1,500 a month from Social Security.
A nice target, isn’t she?
One of her problems is, she believes people are intrinsically kind and honest. Unless in dire need, a person would not ask her for money. She never had much to spare, nor did the people she grew up with, people who became her adult neighbors. What they had to spare, they shared with those in need.
That is what she said when asked why she sent money to charlatans such as you. “They asked for help. They wouldn’t have asked unless they needed it.”
From your picture at Wikipedia I would say you were a nice person at one time. What changed you? Or was your background always focused on frightening old people to send part of their Social Security? Perhaps your parents raised you to lie, cheat and steal. Or maybe in college you attended classes in fraud and fear-mongering.
It is apparent you believe older Americans stupid. “I am rushing this letter and Emergency 2013 Registered Retirement Survey to you in an expensive, protective shipping box out of pure desperation …” begins your letter meant to scare older people into sending money to you.
I could go on, but my comments would be in the same vein, wondering how you became a charlatan and what in your background sent you along the road of outright thievery.
I included my name and address so you can reply it you want.
(Signature)
Robert Merriman
P.S. You can find this letter at my blog, www.sgtbobittai.blogspot.com
Ms. Amy Ridenour
National Retirement Security Task Force
P.O. Box 96465
Washington, D.C. 20077-7396
Ms. Ridenour:
I am not the person you are trying to frighten into giving her money to you, but I can tell you about her.
She is in her late 80s. She is a widow. Her husband was a World War II veteran who landed at Normandy the day after D-Day. She has a mentally challenged son who is in his late 50s and whose intellectual age is 5 or 6. She gets less than $1,500 a month from Social Security.
A nice target, isn’t she?
One of her problems is, she believes people are intrinsically kind and honest. Unless in dire need, a person would not ask her for money. She never had much to spare, nor did the people she grew up with, people who became her adult neighbors. What they had to spare, they shared with those in need.
That is what she said when asked why she sent money to charlatans such as you. “They asked for help. They wouldn’t have asked unless they needed it.”
From your picture at Wikipedia I would say you were a nice person at one time. What changed you? Or was your background always focused on frightening old people to send part of their Social Security? Perhaps your parents raised you to lie, cheat and steal. Or maybe in college you attended classes in fraud and fear-mongering.
It is apparent you believe older Americans stupid. “I am rushing this letter and Emergency 2013 Registered Retirement Survey to you in an expensive, protective shipping box out of pure desperation …” begins your letter meant to scare older people into sending money to you.
I could go on, but my comments would be in the same vein, wondering how you became a charlatan and what in your background sent you along the road of outright thievery.
I included my name and address so you can reply it you want.
(Signature)
Robert Merriman
P.S. You can find this letter at my blog, www.sgtbobittai.blogspot.com
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