"Health insurance woes hit workers; Premiums rising 6 to 8 times faster than wages have" by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press | March 24, 2009
WASHINGTON - American workers - whose taxes pay for massive government health programs - are getting squeezed like no other group by private health insurance premiums that are rising much faster than their wages.
And to add insult to injury: Obama Will Tax Your Health
While just about all retirees are covered, and nearly 90 percent of children have health insurance, workers now are at significantly higher risk of being uninsured than in the 1990s, the last time lawmakers attempted a healthcare overhaul, according to a study to be released today.... The problem is cost.
Not in my world: watch Sicko
This is how boitechs and vencaps are funded, isn't it?
Yet workers continue to pay the bill for covering others. Their payroll taxes help support Medicare, which covers the elderly.
So not only are your premiums up, but so are your taxes, worker. How do you have any money left?
Income taxes and other federal and state levies pay for covering the poor and the children of low-income working parents. But government provides little direct assistance to help cover workers themselves....
And I need some because my asshole is sore from all the fucking we are getting.
Yet the US healthcare system, already the world's costliest, is also considered one of the most wasteful....
Not telling me something I didn't know. All that "waste' is called CORPORATE PROFITS!!!!
If anything, the situation for workers appears to be worse than is reflected in the report. It analyzed census data through 2007, the latest year available. But that was before the economy tumbled into recession. --more--"
Great, the problem is MUCH WORSE -- just when Americans are COUNTING on them!!!!!
"More US workers count on benefits; Focus on retiring grows, study finds" by Associated Press | March 24, 2009
DES MOINES - In this environment, benefits are taking on a heightened importance for most workers. They are more actively involved in managing the benefits provided by their employers, says a study conducted by MetLife Inc.
The annual employee benefits trends study released yesterday shows workers are relying more than ever on workplace benefits to be their financial safety net.
Oh, Americans. What idiots you are.
MetLife's 7th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study said 46 percent of workers surveyed say they are taking a greater interest in understanding the benefits they get through their employer.
More than half say they appreciate the benefits more than ever before, and 41 percent said their workplace benefits are the foundation of their financial security.
Translation: when the boss asks for a blow job, give it to him.
"Employees are looking more and more to the workplace for advice, education, and guidance so they can make better decisions about their benefit programs . . . to help them craft a financial safety net for themselves," said Bill Mullaney, president of MetLife's institutional business.
And when the JOB is GONE?
But of course there are some concerns.
(Blog author tired of the BUT, STILL, IF, MAY BE, COULD BE, style of AmeriKa's agenda-pushing"newspapers")
One-third of workers are worried that their company will cut benefits in the next 12 months although the study shows only 15 percent of employers said they planned to make such cuts. This also indicates that company officials recognize the importance of benefits to worker morale - 39 percent of employers believe that workplace morale is strongly linked to the quality of employee benefits....
Of course, if they come in conflict with the BOTTOM LINE ($$$$), guess who wins?
***************
The results reveal that worries about the economy have prompted workers to make changes in their personal finances. Focusing on retirement has taken on a bigger role for many individuals. Six of 10 employees say they have been motivated to look at the level of income they'll need in retirement. That figure rises to 73 percent for baby boomers, participants born between 1946 and 1964.
You guys actually think there will be one, huh?
Many workers worry about having enough money to retire, and more than half say they are planning to retire later than they were expecting just 12 months earlier. The biggest concern, cited by 65 percent of workers, is affording healthcare in retirement.
Need I even type it?
The second-biggest worry was a tie between outliving retirement money and having the money to care for a spouse's long-term needs, both issues cited by six in 10 participants. Rounding out a benefits package, many are also scrutinizing their insurance coverage. More than 40 percent say they've checked into life insurance, and more than a third also have looked into disability and long-term care insurance. Nearly half of workers with children under 18 are checking into those benefits.
Still times are tough. More workers are living paycheck to paycheck - 45 percent said that's their financial situation now, which is up from 37 percent in 2006.
Need I STILL type it? Have YOU had enough agenda-pushing, readers?
More than 40 percent of workers believe their own economic situation will get better in the next six months while 20 percent think it will get worse. One of the significant results of the study is that it shows company executives realize the importance of benefits to workers, Mullaney said.
"For the second year in a row, the number one objective employers have with benefit programs is to attract and retain top talent," he said. "It's a real recognition that employers understand the role that benefits play in attracting talent. They're thinking beyond the current economic situation to making their business successful in the future."
Yeah, right; that's the same bullshit reason given for all the looting bonuses!!!!
Pffft!
--more--"
And yet WHO are the workers the Globe cares about?
Once again:
"Blacks, Latinos hit by layoffs; Jobless rate rises fast for minorities" by Associated Press | March 24, 2009
Please see: An Immigration Insult
If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Zionist paper hates white goyim, wouldn't you?
.... Last hired, first fired: This generations-old cliche rings bitterly true for millions of Latinos and blacks who are losing jobs at a faster rate than the general population during this recession.
Yeah, EXCEPT for WHITE MEN!!!
Much of the disparity is due to a concentration of Latinos and blacks in construction, blue-collar, or service-industry jobs that have been decimated by the economic meltdown. And black unemployment has been about double the rate for whites since the government began tracking those categories in the 1970s. But this recession is cutting a swath through the professional classes as well, which can be devastating to people who recently arrived there....
Honestly, I AM TIRED of the Globe DIVIDING US by RACE, GENDER, or WHATEVER when they IGNORE CLASS!!
That's why this got printed in their paper -- the "professionals."
There are no recent statistics that measure jobs lost by race and income. But Darity and others believe that professional Latinos and blacks are more likely to lose their jobs in the recession....
Translation: the "newspaper" has NO EVIDENCE, NONE whatsoever, that this NEWS ITEM is TRUE!!!!!! Oh my God!!! Talk about BALD-FACED LYING and AGENDA-PUSHING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup, "BELIEFS" are now "NEWS!!!!!!!!" That just about says it all. I should shut down the blog right now.
How can you BELIEVE ANYTHING that comes from the PAPER anymore?
--more--"
Let's keep pushing that agenda, too, 'eh, government?
"US wants census to reach displaced homeowners" by Associated Press | March 24, 2009
WASHINGTON - .... To ensure an accurate count, census officials said they were devoting $250 million from $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach that will include increased canvassing of addresses to identify residences with multiple dwellers and homes now abandoned due to mortgage foreclosures.
The money will also be used to boost the bureau's advertising budget by $80 million, of which $26 million would target the fast-growing Asian and Hispanic populations in television, radio and online spots.
It WAS and IS a PORK-BARREL WASTE BILL!!!!
Oh, man!!!! Census got $80 MILLION for ADVERTISING?!!!!!
Another $10 million would be spent on the undercounted black community. The money will flow mostly toward dense coastal cities that traditionally have been more racially diverse.
So REVERSE DISCRIMINATION is OKAY under the GREAT LEADER who is going to bring us together, huh?
But places such as Iowa, with its rapid growth of Hispanics, or Maine, with its sizable Somali population, will also see additional outreach, the bureau said.
--more--"
As for you, average American, I guess all you are good for is cannon fodder and bank bailouts, huh?
While we are on the topic:
Massachusetts will receive more than $300 million from the federal stimulus package for food and nutrition services that help low-income and elderly residents. Governor Deval Patrick and Senator John F. Kerry announced the funding yesterday in Worcester. More than $300 million in federal money will be used to increase benefits for participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly know as Food Stamps. On average, households will receive about an 18 percent increase. Nearly 600,000 people in the state use the program. About $2 million will go to the Elderly Nutrition Program, which serves more than 8.5 million meals to seniors each year (AP)."
Yeah, this government is just so great with their chump change, aren't they?
"Budget plan includes higher athletic fees
The School Committee is expected to vote on a $31.3 million budget that would eliminate some teaching positions and increase athletic user fees. The committee will decide tomorrow whether to cut 8.5 teaching positions and raise athletic fees from $25 to $50. The budget contains $316,000 in staff cuts and seeks to combine certain positions while committee members contend with other increased costs. Athletic Director John Sullivan said athletic fee hikes were needed to preserve sports programs at the current level. Officials believe the increase could generate $50,000 for the Athletic Department (AP)."
Yup, TRILLIONS upon TRILLIONS for WARS and BANK BAILOUTS, and yet America's citizens and schools are starving!!!
Remember these?
The State Budget Swindle
Governor Guts State Services
Pigs at the State Trough
A Slow Saturday Special: Statehouse Slush Fund
Hollywood S***s on Massachusetts
Btw, WHAT ABOUT YOUR PENSIONS and BENEFITS you were COUNTING ON....
Turns out YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM (if there is anything left)!
I NEVER BELIEVED in their FALSE PROMISES anyway!!!
The stock market's decline has already ravaged your 401(k) plan. Now it could hurt your pension, too.
Under a law that took effect last year, underfunded pension plans may be forced to limit lump-sum payments and suspend cost-of-living increases for retirees. In addition, some plans could be frozen, preventing current employees from earning credit for additional years on the job.
But our LYING, LOOTING LEGISLATORS can take credit for a DAY and the RICH CEO ABOVE HERE can get GUARANTEED BENEFITS while YOUS IS TAPPED OUT!!!!!!!
Holy shit, AmeriKa!!!!!!!
HOW MANY FARTS can you SUCK ON without LOPPING OFF SOME HEADS, huh?
"Companies are going to have to make drastic decisions about their pension plans," said Peter Austin, executive director of BNY Mellon Pension Services, which advises businesses on retirement plans. Pension funds are typically invested in a mix of stocks, bonds, and other securities, most of which have fallen sharply. By some estimates, thousands of pension plans could be affected by the law because their funds have become so depleted....
What, NO BAILOUT?? ALL THAT $$$$ GONE to WAR LOOTERS and BANKS while YOUR PENSIONS were UNDERFUNDED and LOOTED by FINANCIERS???!!!!
Are YOU FEELING a MIGHT INSULTED, Amurka?!!!!!
The law has already started affecting some local employers. For instance, Boston book publisher Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co., notified its 5,000 employees last week that effective April 1 they no longer have the option of receiving a lump-sum payout at retirement. Now, they can only receive half the money, with the rest paid in traditional monthly payments.
How many shits in the face can you take, America? You gobbling it up?
Also see: The Textbook Industry
"We had no choice," said Houghton-Mifflin spokesman Josef Blumenfeld. "The law doesn't leave us with any latitude."
We had no choice, we had to retain talent, blah, blah, blah, blah!!! Pfffffttt!!!
Nortel Networks Corp., a telecommunications equipment maker that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said it was also required to stop making lump-sum payouts because its pension was underfunded. Nortel, based in Canada, has 30,000 employees, including about 680 in Massachusetts.
So WHERE does all this MONEY GO, anyway? Where the f*** does it go?
While the way retirees receive their pensions may be affected by funding problems, the plans themselves are not at risk. Even if a company files for bankruptcy, most traditional pensions are guaranteed by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. - up to $54,000 annually for someone who retires at 65. The agency said it guarantees more than 29,000 private pension plans.
Yeah, YOU GOT IT, taxpayers!!! YOU ALREADY WAITING with a BAILOUT for these guys!!! Heck, you will be PICKING THEM UP from EVERYONE!!!!!
See: Corporate Pension Funds Next in Line for Bailout Loot
But the law does require companies to cut back on some benefits that employees may have counted on, said Robert D. Webb, a partner at the Boston law firm of Nutter McClennen & Fish. Webb said the restrictions are intended to act as a "safety valve" to ease pressure on underfunded plans.
Do you FEEL LIKE a DUPE YET, worker?
Specifically, when pensions are less than 80 percent funded, the law bars companies from disbursing more than 50 percent of a benefit in a single payment.
While retirees traditionally receive a pension as a lifetime monthly payment, roughly half of companies offer lump-sum payments, said Carrie Duarte, a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers' human resources practice in Boston. Most workers who have the option take it, she said, so they can have more control over their money by investing in a tax-deferred retirement account.
You are REALLY GETTING the SHAFT in EVERY ORAFICE, aren't you, Amurkan worker? Where are you? Why are you not revolting?
The law also makes it more difficult for companies to sweeten pensions, such as by adding early-retirement benefits, cost of living increases, or faster vesting. The restrictions don't apply to public pension plans covering government workers.
Yeah, UNLESS you are a CEO of SOME FINANCIAL FIRM!!!!
And those government pukes? They cut themselves a good enough deal as is!!!!!
The law becomes even tougher when plans fall below 60 percent funding levels. Companies are then barred from making any lump-sum payments or providing "shutdown benefits" - accelerated pension payments - that some employees are promised if their offices close.
Is it OKAY that THEIR PROMISES are SHIT, readers? You went and worked hard every day (unless you are in government, save cops, firefighters and teachers) on a CONTRACTUAL PROMISE, and yet HERE the CONTRACT has CHANGED (but not for AIG guys, no, gotta adhere to those or the whole system will collapse, oh)!
WTF has HAPPENED to America?
That is why I SAY it is AmeriKa now, because THIS is OUTRAGEOUS!!!! This NATION has been LOOTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For pensions that cover union workers at more than one firm, the law requires restrictions on lump-sum benefits when they fall below the 65 percent funding threshold or suffer other liquidity problems. More than 100 such plans nationwide were critically underfunded last year, according to the US Department of Labor. That included the New Bedford Fish Lumpers Pension Plan, which notified the Labor Department in April 2008 that it faced a deficit and was considering trimming benefits, including early-retirement and disability payments....
Yeah, fuck the fishermen and their hardships, huh? I'm so god-damned disgusted by this, that is why you are getting the spew!!!!
Jerry Mingione, a principal at Towers Perrin, a Connecticut company that advises businesses on retirement benefits, estimated that nearly half of pension plans may have to limit disbursements unless they step up contributions or find other ways to avoid the restrictions....
Yeah, right; bankrupt businesses are going to plow money into pensions when they can fob it off on the government. Quit lying to us, will you, Globe?
Duarte of PricewaterhouseCoopers said she has spoken to executives at Massachusetts companies who are scrambling to ease the impact on workers. For example, she said, some are contributing more money to pension plans, while others are looking to trim benefits.
I'd like to see these "some" they keep talking about, as opposed to "others." Damn, that's a common theme that runs through the propaganda we call "newspapers" here in AmeriKa!!!!
"We are having many more discussions," Duarte said. "Companies are trying to do the right thing."
--more--"
How much more shit we gotta eat, huh?
