Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program

Between 2006 and 2010, the demand for food from food banks grew by 23 percent in Massachusetts.

Federal aid that propped up food bank resources during the height of the recession has receded, but the demand has not, according to officials from the Greater Boston Food Bank, which feeds 545,000 people a year. Places like the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, Rosie’s Place, the Pine Street Inn, and local food pantries in dozens of communities rely on the Greater Boston Food Bank for a bulk of their supplies.

Money from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program helps buy locally-grown produce - eggs, milk and other fresh staples. But with food prices on the rise – dairy is up 8 percent, and the average price of peanut butter has skyrocketed 30 percent, D’Amato said, “that $11.5 million doesn’t get you $11.5 million anymore.”

The Greater Boston Food Bank serves approximately 550 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in eastern Massachusetts.

Pedestrian Safety

•
Although adults age 65 and older comprised less than 13 percent of the population in 2008, they were involved in 15 percent of vehicle fatalities and 19 percent of pedestrian fatalities. An older vehicle occupant is 18 percent more likely to die in a crash than someone under age 65. A more staggering statistic reveals that an older pedestrian is 61 percent more likely to die when hit by a motor vehicle than a younger one. The unique vulnerability of pedestrians and bicyclists on the road has inspired some state legislatures to pass laws designating pedestrians and bicyclists as “vulnerable users.” In the past five years, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont have considered “vulnerable users” laws

Access to health care “a basic human right

Signs everywhere that hospital systems, specialty medical societies, patient safety programs, health insurers, employers, labor unions and various states are already taking steps to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care. There is still plenty of room for savings in a complex system where 20 percent to 30 percent of all health spending — or more than $1 trillion a year — may be “waste” that does nothing to help patients.

cola 2012

3.6% cola Effective 1 DEC, starts being paid on your next check due 1 Jan 2012, probably paid on 30Dec due to holidays

Take 3.6% times the check you just got 1 Dec..

That will be the amount your next check increases..

Example 100% VA comp is $2673 times 3.6% = $96 2673 + 96 = 2769
Or $2769 next check
$2769..This the amount you will receive monthly for 2012, until next COLA is announced

1 Dec 2012 for 2013. If no COLA will be the same as 2012
They always are a month behind..earn it this month, they pay you 1st of next month
This applies to Soc sec, Mil Retiree, and VA comp

More than 49 million Americans, or 16% of the population, were living in poverty in 2010

Rising poverty is a national tragedy and a brewing humanitarian crisis in America...

Which brings us to another edition of Taken to Task.
11/15/2011
The poverty figures released this week came after the U.S. Census Bureau adjusted the way in which it calculates poverty using the new Supplemental Poverty Measure. Instead of just tripling a family's minimum annual food budget, as previously, this new measure looks at how much families spend on food, shelter, clothing and utilities. You know, life's basic necessities.

Most groups saw their poverty rates increase using the new calculations, including married couples, whites, Asians, immigrants, homeowners with mortgages, those with private health insurance and the elderly. Poverty rates among those over 65 rose to 15.9% from the previously reported 9%. Poverty rates did, however, drop for Americans under the age of 18, African Americans, renters and people living in rural areas.

stronger-than-anticipated revenue from capital gains taxes to build a surplus

Massachusetts has benefited from stronger-than-anticipated revenue from capital gains taxes to build a surplus of just more than 1 percent of its general fund budget. It used nearly three-quarters of the $460 million surplus to replenish the state's reserve fund, while directing other surplus money to cities and towns recovering from deadly tornadoes in June, state courts and to provide modest raises to social service workers.

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/

Every Veteran should apply for VA health care..if you are eligible VA will get you an ID card
Which will get your discounts at many businesses including Home Depot, Lowes, and many
Other places especially around memorial Day and/or Veteran’s day

A 10 % discount on a new Fridge, lawn mower, BBQ grill etc can be worth it
If not near a VA Med Cen, Clinic, office etc, a local county vet service officer can help you fill out form or do it on-line

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/eligibility/DetermineEligibility.asp

People are totally ready to get behind (Obama

After Obama's election, many Democrats said they falsely assumed that winning the White House would help them pass an agenda that would assist middle-class families. Instead, they were dismayed when Obama ditched a proposed "public option" for a government insurance plan from the health care overhaul and cringed when he cut a deal with Republicans to extend Bush-era tax cuts.

During the summer, the left argued that Obama gave up too much in spending cuts during the debt-ceiling fight and couldn't force Republicans to accept higher taxes on the wealthy in return.

"People are totally ready to get behind (Obama), but I think what they're not ready to give anybody is the benefit of the doubt that if we win an election and we all go home, things are going to change," said Andy Stern, the former president of the Service Employees International Union. "That was probably the theory of the Obama election and taking over the House by the Democrats and the Senate as well. I think it was a failed strategy."

So liberal organizations have tried to build a movement, holding hundreds of house meetings across the country and staging protests at town hall meetings held by Republican lawmakers — a tactic that tea party activists used to build opposition to Obama's health care plan.

Conference speakers said Obama's jobs bill could act as a turning point, a sign that the president is taking a more aggressive push to revive the economy and standing firm against deep cuts to Medicare and Social Security. The president has barnstormed the country, rallying support for the $447 billion plan for tax cuts and public works spending to stimulate the economy.

While the plan is unlikely to pass Congress in its entirety, the White House believes Obama's populist approach will build support among the public. And liberals think they've already moved the president.

"Why is the White House talking different? The White House is talking different because we are walking different," said Van Jones, a former Obama policy adviser who helped organize the conference.

Liberals took close note of Obama's discussion of deficit reduction measures and were pleased that he did not seek a gradual increase in the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. Last summer, Obama had agreed to the age increase in negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner before the talks fell apart. Many Democrats objected to the age increases, arguing it would undercut their criticisms of a Republican plan that would overhaul Medicare.

On Social Security, Democrats have railed against plans by Republican presidential hopefuls to partially privatize the retirement system, letting younger workers divert part of their payroll taxes into a personal account to be invested outside of Social Security.

Obama does not face a primary challenge, and Republicans have little chance of picking up support from hard-core Democrats next year. But Obama needs liberals to knock on doors, staff phone banks and register voters — must-do jobs for any candidate's base. Dissatisfied liberals could also stay home on Election Day or refuse to donate money to Obama's campaign.

There are signs of an enthusiasm gap. A recent survey by Gallup found that 45 percent of Democrats said they were more enthusiastic about the 2012 presidential election than they had been in past elections, while 44 percent said they were less enthusiastic. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans, meanwhile, said they were more enthusiastic about 2012 than in past elections, and 30 percent were less enthusiastic.

Gallup said the enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans was the largest it has measured since 2000.

Many hope the American Dream movement can generate enthusiasm for Obama next year.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., told attendees at one session that many of her supporters appeared "beaten down" by the status of the economy and Obama's standing among voters but said liberals needed to bring energy to next year's election.

"We have to set people's hair on fire about what America would look like if Republicans get their way," she said.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Additional Links:

Markey, Delegation: Massachusetts Earns $56 Million to Aid Homeless

Jan 19, 2011:



BOSTON – Representative Edward J. Markey (d-Malden), along with Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown, and Representatives John Olver, Jim McGovern, Niki Tsongas, and Richard Neal, today announced that Massachusetts will receive $56,550,634 to provide housing and services to the homeless throughout the state.

The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program, will provide transitional, rental, and permanent housing as well as a host of services to help homeless individuals and families move towards self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid cuts on the table

Obama offered to put Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid cuts on the table in exchange for a tax hike of roughly $100 billion per year over 10 years. Meanwhile, government spending would be cut by roughly three times that amount. It's no small irony that the party's dogmatic opposition to tax increases is costing the GOP its best opportunity to roll back social programs it has long targeted.

Visit to the Malden Senior Commuity Center

U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey, Malden Mayor Richard C. Howard, and Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard t. Leone Jr. addressed the crowd at the Malden Senior Center, according to a statement by Leone's office.

"Our seniors are the most deserving population and we have an obligation to help combat those crimes that specifically target them," said Leone in a statement. According to his office, instances of elder abuse has risen 15 percent in the last two years.

Markey committed his support to programs that members of the "greatest generation" now depend on, he said.

"After working to build this nation, we owe it to them to fight for the programs on which they rely -- Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security," the Malden Democrat said in a statement.

Bank Branch closing in Massachusetts

Advocates for the poor also worry that lower-income neighborhoods will feel the brunt of branch closings, forc ing more residents to turn to payday lenders, check cashing services, and other institutions that typically charge higher fees.


“Residents of those neighborhoods will be paying much more to cash their checks, to get loans, and to do their business,’’ said Jesse Van Tol, a spokesman for the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a Washington advocacy group. “It’s a trend that threatens to create a dual banking system in America: one for the wealthy and one for everybody else.’’

Bell Rock Memorial Park

Bell Rock Memorial Park
Park since 1905, this site commemorates Malden's veterans atop Bell Rock upon which Malden's first settlers erected a church bell hung in a frame for 30 years to call colonial worshippers. First Meeting House stood on west side of rock 1649-1658 and Second Meeting House stood here 1660-1730. Park includes "The Flag Defenders" monument by Bela Pratt in tribute to soldiers and sailors of the Civil War. Also found are tablets memorializing Malden veterans of Revolutionary, Spanish American and First World Wars. An arch dedicated to Veterans of World War II has been restored and additional panels are being added to memorialize some 8,100 residents from across the City who served their country during this War.. The new World War II memorial will be unveiled and dedicated on June 26, 2010. Site laid out by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace chain of parks. Bell Rock Memorial Park was named to the National Register of Historic Places in February, 2001.

the gradual decline of the country's middle class.

, the size of the U.S. economy has doubled since 1980, yet average wages have remained stagnant. During that time, however, the wealthiest Americans - the top 1% -- have seen their share of the pie skyrocket. They now earn 20% of the nation's overall income, compared with 10% three decades ago.

Medicare and Social Security benefits

American seniors have earned their Medicare and Social Security benefits by working hard for decades. But those benefits are at risk: Congress is considering harmful cuts to both Medicare and Social Security. Instead of cutting the benefits seniors have earned, Congress should cut wasteful spending, close tax loopholes and hold down health care costs.

contoling Health Costs

, “if controlling the cost of health care fails, what is Plan B?”

I would suggest that Plan B should be to examine how other advanced democracies have managed to provide health care coverage to all, while spending less of their gross domestic product on health care than we do in the United States.

No one should say that controlling health costs may be futile when so many countries have already done so through various combinations of competitive forces and government regulatory action. And while the United States leaves millions of people uninsured, these countries provide coverage for all.

Craig Ramsay

Columbus, Ohio, June 19

The writer is a professor of politics and government at Ohio Wesleyan University.

SINCE COMING UP SHORTLY MANDATORY FOR SENIORS

How to Get a Social Security Debit Card
Print this article

In the past, the Federal government mailed checks to recipients of
Social Security benefits, Social Security Supplemental income and
other types of Federal checks to the home address of the recipient.
Advances in the banking industry recently allowed those who received
checks to have the funds directly deposited in their accounts. The
Social Security has now introduced a debit card available to those
that don't have a bank account.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
1

Decide if you are eligible. The program is for those individuals who
receive government benefit checks from the Social Security
Administration but who don't have a bank account. Those that have bank
accounts have the option to elect direct deposit of their monthly
check into their bank accounts.

2


Determine if you are willing to accept the limitations of the program.
The debit card program is a special account set up for you to hold
your Social Security benefits. This account has a debit card issued to
the owner of the account that allows the owner to make withdrawals at
ATM machines and use the card at point of sale locations to purchase
all kinds of items. There are fees associated with the use of the
card. The owner can withdraw funds free once per month. Any further
withdrawals will be billed per transaction. The card may give you
quicker access to your money but will also cost you to use it more
than once a month.

3


Call the local Social Security office to request your card if you can
live with the limitations. Ask to sign up for the Benefit Security
Card program. They can process the request to have a card issued in
your name and sent to you. After the issuance of the card, direct
deposit will transfer your funds to the card's account at the bank
overseeing this program.


.

Read more: How to Get a Social Security Debit Card | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_2273568_get-social-security-debit-card.html#ixzz1QJzLRXi9--
Howard McGowan
MaldenSenior

DEDUCTION FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

WHERE DOES THE SAVINGS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After you have discovered what each of the deductions stands for you can start to understand how they were deducted and why.FICA is one possible code for Social Security. It is really meant to encompass Social Security and Medicare, but most payrolls put it as the abbreviation for just the Social Security part.Both Medicare and Social Security together make up a 7.65 percent deduction in Gross pay. S.S. is 6.2 percent and Medicare is 1.45 percent.

Read more: How to Understand Payroll Deductions | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4558005_understand-payroll-deductions.html#ixzz1QJxcOsqM

COLA TREND UPWARD MAY 2011

older adults have suffered financially by the lack of a COLA for the last two years. Prices for goods and services may not have gone up during that time, but out-of-pocket health care costs on which older adults spend much of their income continue to soar.

COLA TREND UPWARD MAY 2011

Accord­ing to the Mil­i­tary Offi­cers Asso­ci­a­tion of Amer­ica, the national infla­tion rate con­tin­ued trend­ing upward in May. This makes it nine straight months that the Con­sumer Price Index has ticked upward. This is impor­tant for mil­i­tary retirees, and those draw­ing VA ben­e­fits and Social Secu­rity, because the CPI is the indi­ca­tor used to deter­mine the annual cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) and adjust­ments to VA Dis­abil­ity and Com­pen­sa­tion,Vets Pen­sion, and other VA rates for the fol­low­ing year.

Read more: http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/06/retiree-cola-watch-june-update/#ixzz1QDmUEm8V
MilitaryAdvantage.Military.com

National Grid Site

Urban renewal plans are a tool afforded to municipalities by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. The plan, if approved by the state, would give the city (through the Malden Redevelopment Authority) greater control over the site and future development there. The plans require the property involved be blighted, substandard or otherwise underutilized

socia lsecurity

If people would go back to the progressive income-taxation that made this country great--i.e., your tax rate rises with your wealth rate--instead of the REGRESSIVE taxation we have now--i.e, the richer you are, the less you pay in income taxes. And since the poor, rightly, pay NO income taxes--guess who foots the bill for America? Right--the Middle Class.

I'm tired of paying rich people's way. Can we PLEASE go back to the way that it used to be, before Ronnie Dearest took over in 1980 and started slashing tax rates on the rich? And Ronnie Reagan was a MISER with the rich, compared to what George W. Bush did. He gave it ALL AWAY. But then he wasn't really a President. He did nothing for this country, nothing at all. Except kill a lot of our young people, and a lot of innocent Iraqis.

Medicare Cost Control

And here’s what you need to know: Medicare actually saves money — a lot of money — compared with relying on private insurance companies. And this in turn means that pushing people out of Medicare, in addition to depriving many Americans of needed care, would almost surely end up increasing total health care costs.

Computer access @ Malden Community Senior Center

By Guest Blogger Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President, The White House

At the start of his Administration, President Obama identified transparency, participation and collaboration as the principles of an open government, requiring that government information and data be accessible to all citizens. To ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access, government agencies must buy and use accessible technology.

MASS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE RECEIPTS

So far this fiscal year, which ends June 30, Massachusetts has collected $676 million more than predicted.

MASS HEALTH CARE LAW

The poll results show that residents with incomes below $30,000 — the bracket that would probably make them eligible for state-subsidized care — were the most likely to say the law is helping to control the cost of their care.


The law expanded eligibility for subsidized coverage to thousands more residents, and state figures a year after the law went into effect showed that more than 200,000 residents were added to state-run coverage.


The poll results also showed that the highest income group, those whose income exceeds $75,000, were more likely than the lowest income group to say the law is hurting their health costs.


Kay Lazar can be reached at klazar@globe.com.

Medicaid

Medicaid is financed jointly by the federal government and the states. When a state wants to modify its Medicaid program, it must amend its state Medicaid plan. The changes are subject to federal review and approval.

We Have Moved:MSAC

Carolyn Villers
Executive Director

We Have Moved:

Massssachusetts Senior Action Council

150 Mt. Vernon Street - 2nd Fl
Dorchester, MA 02125
Main No. 617-284-1234

Direct No. 617-284-1250
www.masssenioraction.org

Older Americans Month 2011

Older Americans Month is an occasion to show appreciation and support for our seniors as they continue to enrich and strengthen our communities.

This year's theme—Older Americans: Connecting the Community—pays homage to the many ways in which older adults bring inspiration and continuity to the fabric of our communities, and highlights how technology is helping older Americans live longer, healthier, and more engaged lives.

The U.S. Administration on Aging is sponsoring two exciting activities in observance of Older Americans Month 2011, a video challenge and a video game tournament. We welcome and encourage the participation of seniors and community members across the country.

For more information about Older Americans Month, visit the U.S. Administration on Aging.

Delegation: Don't cut community services

Building a Better State


Local and Statewide Leaders and Advocates Look at How We're Investing in Our Budget Priorities







May 4, 2011.

Nine House members from Massachusetts are among 84 Democrats who sent a letter to the top members of the House Appropriations Committee saying that cuts to Community Service Block Grants would harm vulnerable citizens when the services are most needed. Edward J. Markey, a Malden Democrat, provided the letter's first signature...."Severe cuts to CSBGs - the source of funding for community action programs - would hinder, rather than help, our nation's economic recovery while devastating critical support services for the poor, disabled, children and the elderly," the letter read. [Full Article: Boston Globe]

states survey Medicaid recipients

States must consult Medicaid recipients because, the rule says, their experience is “the most important indicator of whether access is sufficient.” Federal officials suggested that to see how much difficulty they had in scheduling doctor’s appointments.states survey Medicaid recipients

In addition, the rule says, states should compare Medicaid payment rates with the amounts paid by Medicare or commercial insurers, with providers’ costs or with their customary charges. Another important factor, it said, is the number and percentage of doctors who accept new Medicaid patients.
Posted by Malden Senior at 4:39 AM

Rep. Steven Kulik, as quoted in the State House News Service

, said his constituents are not calling for tax cuts:


"I think it's a little unusual that in the two weeks since the House Ways and Means Committee released the budget, the taxpayers I've been hearing from have not been calling or emailing me to say lower our income tax rate. They haven't been calling to say cut revenue. They've been calling to say please increase spending on services that matter to me. Whether that's on clothing allowance to poor children, local aid."

Senator Clark Malden Office Hours

Posted by Katherine Clark |
Where: 6 Pleasant St Ste 210, Malden, MA 02148
Date: Weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 9:00am–1:00pm
Next on: Thursday, April 28, 2011


State Senator Katherine Clark's Malden district office is staffed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-1:00. Please feel free to drop by or call 617-722-2016 for an appointment.

Features: Families, Open to All, Seniors, Volunteer
Website: http://www.katherineclark.org

State Budget Cuts

State budget-watchers say this year’s cuts will be painful. They expect the House to cut local aid and other vital programs even more deeply than Governor Patrick proposed. Children’s programs, mental health, libraries, city budgets, and a long list of human services will take hard hits on top of the hits they have taken over the last few years.

Why is this happening? After all, state tax revenues are gradually recovering from the worst of Wall Street’s crash. The state balance sheet should be looking better. But as we start to climb out of our state budget hole, Washington is pushing us back down. Federal stimulus funds, which saved vital services and jobs last year, have dried up. And now, Congress and the White House are slashing more of the programs that most of us use and which are absolutely critical for some of our citizens


Read more: Newton Dialogues: Fund our communities, cut military spending - Newton, Massachusetts - Newton TAB http://www.wickedlocal.com/newton/archive/x528722978/Newton-Dialogues-Fund-our-communities-cut-military-spending#ixzz1KXu8TzOT

Medicaid

In recent years Washington has taken an obsolete program, which covers health care for low-income Americans, and made it worse through restrictive rule-making that defies common sense. It is biased toward caring for people in nursing homes rather than in their own homes and neighborhoods. It lacks the flexibility to help patients who require some nursing services, but not round-the-clock care.

What Is a Veteran?

A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or
reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check
made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and
including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in
this country today, who no longer understand that fact.

Ten Top Taxpayer Tyrants

— Citizens for Limited Taxation — have released a list of the Ten Top Taxpayer Tyrants. These are the elected officials who inspired our state’s nickname Taxachusetts and why Beacon Hill has been renamed Bacon Hill.

Who are these legislators that habitually reach for your wallet? Reps. Ellen Story, Angelo Scaccia, Byron Rushing, Gloria Fox, Frank Smizik, Elizabeth Malia, KathiAnne Reinstein and Benjamin Swan, and Sens. Steven Tolman and Patricia Jehlen are the top 10 offenders. Runners-up include Reps. Lou Kafka, Theodore Speliotis, Jay Kaufman, Cory Atkins, and John Keenan and Sen. Fred Berry.

aPPEALING TICKET VIOLATIONS

Also, our recently-enacted Municipal Relief Act is now in full-effect. Residents who were issued ticket violations were able to appeal to our Municipal Hearing Officer thus avoiding both parties being tied up in court...

Cuts to Budget

here's one thing we can be pretty sure of: the pain will fall mainly on poor and middle-class Americans, whilebillions in tax breaks, loopholes, and handouts for corporations will remain untouched.

Those same billions could keep food in the mouths of hungry women and children, fund critical medical research, and do theactual work of reducing our deficit.

But nothing will change until we tell that story. Congressional Republicans won't listen to the man and woman in thestreet until we take to the streets—thousands of taxpayers and voters in their states and home districts calling outthe billion-dollar corporations that pay little or nothing in taxes.

The GOP blueprint shift to medicaire

The GOP blueprint, unveiled last week by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would slash federal spending by $5 trillion or more over the coming decade and repeal Obama's signature health care law. It would leave Social Security untouched but shift more of the risk from rising medical costs from the government to Medicare beneficiaries. It also calls for sharp cuts to Medicaid health care for the poor and disabled and to food aid for the poor.

Borrowed Social Security

Of the nearly $14.2 trillion in debt, roughly $5 trillion is money the government has borrowed from other accounts, mostly from Social Security revenues, according to federal figures. Several major policies from the past decade when Republicans controlled the White House and Congress — tax cuts, a Medicare prescription-drug benefit and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — account for more than $3.2 trillion.

The 2010 US Census counted 40 million seniors in the US,

comprising 13% of the total population. Traditional media continues to dominate seniors’ media habits, but the internet is quickly increasing reach, expected to hit 56.0% penetration by 2015.

The 2010 US Census counted 40 million seniors in the US, comprising 13% of the total population. According to the data, baby boomers—the largest single generation in the US—will enter the senior set at a rate of one every 8 seconds for the next 18 years.

SENIORS OPINION HEALTH CARE LAW

Organizing Seniors: Moving the Dial


Reaching seniors with the truth about the health care law can be a challenge, but recent polls are showing a shift in opinion. Go to them and be prepared to answer specific questions.

Seeing benefits in the Affordable Care Act has been a challenge for seniors across the country. During the debate to pass the health care law, seniors heard a lot of misinformation from opponents of the law. Although combating these messages is challenging, public opinion among seniors is beginning to change. Last week, Kaiser Family Foundation released their latest tracking poll, which revealed increased support among seniors for the health law. This past month, unfavorable views of the law decreased by 7 percentage points and favorable views increased 8 percentage points. See the full report here: http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8166.cfm.

This change is only the beginning. With an array of different policies in the law, it can become difficult to generalize about Medicare as a whole when speaking the people over 65. However, there have been real tangible benefits already in effect for seniors, such as Medicare doughnut hole rebate checks and free preventive services in Medicare. Advocates have found that stopping by local senior centers, senior living communities, and social clubs is the best way to reach seniors and spread the message about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Circuit Breaker Credit Department of Revenue

The state Department of Revenue is warning about unscrupulous tax preparers that officials say have been promising poor Boston seniors a piece of a tax rebate program that has brought $60 million to the Bay State — even if they aren’t eligible.

Last week, the state launched an aggressive review of its so-called “Circuit Breaker” tax credit program that is aimed at homeowners. About 78,000 seniors have received the benefit. But dozens and possibly hundreds of elderly taxpayers who are not eligible for the program have paid $50 application fees, only to find out later they have to return the payments and might even face penalties, according to state officials and social service workers.

“Obviously, somebody here is bamboozling seniors,” DOR spokesman Robert Bliss told the Herald. “They are hearing about something that is too good to be true, but believe it to be true nonetheless.



“We want to make sure it hasn’t spread to other places,” Bliss said. “It might seem like an overabundance of caution, but we are dealing with taxpayer money here, so we think it’s warranted.”

This year, the program has sparked huge interest in Boston’s poorest neighborhoods, but some applicants have been public housing residents, who as non-homeowners are not eligible for the credit.

The tax credit — called the “Circuit Breaker” because it is triggered by an overload of property taxes relative to income — is aimed at elderly Bay State homeowners with limited incomes whose tax bills keep climbing. Low-income homeowners 65 and older, who can prove real estate taxes eat up at least 10 percent of their annual income, can receive as much as $970 a year from the state.

Mary Murray, 69, a renter in the South End, said that she paid a tax preparer $50 to receive a credit of $378, but later got a demand notice from the state tax collection agency.

“I’m paying the money back, because I don’t want any part of this,” Murray said.

“It’s a wonderful tax credit,” said John Drew, chief executive of Action for Boston Community Development — the Boston nonprofit that blew the whistle on the exploitation scheme. He said his agency fills out the applications for free.

“We’ve been told that tax preparers are going to Boston Housing Authority properties, where no one is eligible for the tax credit, and telling them that President Obama has stimulus checks for them,” Drew said.

For people who actually qualify, he said, “We want more people to apply for it, because we want to get more income into households that really need it.”

176 Massachusetts state retirees collect $100K pensions

The number of state retirees collecting pensions of at least $100,000 has climbed more than 20 percent in the past year, jumping from 145 to 176, with the top pensioner receiving more than $240,000.

State Police retirees represent the largest group of six-figure earners, with 50, followed by faculty and administrators from the University of Massachusetts Amherst at 42, and employees of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, at 19.

Eight years ago, only 33 state employees made more than $100,000, but as state salaries have increased through the decades, so have pensions, which are calculated in part based on employees’ income in their three highest-paid years of work.

“There is an urgent need for comprehensive pension reform,’’ said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “Soaring pension and health care benefits are cannibalizing municipal services.’’




T.











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Malden Census Figures

< Back to front page Text size – + Malden
Malden population grows 5.5 percent
E-mail | Print Posted by Matt Byrne March 24, 2011 10:04 AM
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Sending your articleYour article has been sent. By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Nearly 7,000 fewer white people live in Malden than a decade ago, while the number of minorities in the city has increased, new census data shows.

According to the data, released Tuesday by the US Census Bureau, there are 6,927 fewer white people in the city than10 years ago. In the same period, 10,589 additional people who identify as minorities are now residents.

Overall population grew 5.52 percent, to 59,450 total residents, the data shows, about 3,100 more than in 2000.

People who identified themselves as white dominated in 2000, at 40,618, but 2010 figures show a decline to 33,691.

Blacks in Malden went from 4,592 in 2000 to 8,796; Asians from 7,882 to 11,971; and Hispanics grew from 2,696 to 4,992, the data shows.

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HOMELESS VETERANS MASSACHUSETTS

New VA and HUD report finds 136,000 veterans spent a night in a homeless shelter during 2009.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA have published the most authoritative analysis on the extent and nature of homelessness among our country’s veterans. “Veteran Homeless: A Supplemental Report to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment to Congress” details the study’s findings, released in February, in a first-ever collaborative report of its kind between two government agencies. The most noteworthy finding: nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009, and around 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year.

The report also notes that veterans are 50 percent more likely to fall into homelessness, compared to the rest of the population. This ratio is even greater among impoverished and minority veterans.

Additionally, veterans contrast the overall homeless population in the demographics that comprise it. About 96 percent of homeless veterans are single adults and about 4 percent are veterans with families; the general homeless population claims 66 percent of its members as single, non-attached persons. The study also found that 10 percent of veterans in poverty became homeless at some point during the year, compared to just over 5 percent of adults living in poverty.

Outside of conducting studies, the two agencies provide direct support to homeless veterans. Through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, HUD provides rental assistance for homeless veterans, while VA offers case management and clinical services. Since 2008, a total investment of $225 million has gone toward providing housing and supportive service for approximately 30,000 veterans who would otherwise be homeless.

HOMELESS VETERANS MASSACHUSETTS

According to HUD and the VA, nearly 76,000 veterans nationwide lacked shelter on a given night in 2009 with about 136,000 spending at least one night in a shelter during the year. Of those veterans without a home, 57 percent lived in a shelter or a transitional housing program, while 43 percent lived on the street.

Nationally, 12 percent of all people experiencing homelessness were identified as a veteran. In Massachusetts, veterans account for 6.8 percent of the population.

MUNICIPAL HEALTH COSTS

jayboat wrote:
How about having Municipal employees pay more than five dollars as their co-pay? Who else get health insurance with no deductibles? Make municipal employees join the GIC and pay the same co-pays and deductible as state employees. That will save the taxpayer millions of dollars.

New VA Caregiver Support Line

Week of February 14, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has opened a new, toll-free telephone line for the caregivers of veterans of all eras. The National Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 will assist caregivers, Veterans and others seeking caregiver information. The telephone line will be available Monday through Friday. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., eastern time; and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., eastern time. Licensed VA social workers and health technicians will staff the support line. For more information on caring for veterans, visit the VA's Caregiver webpage.

Veteran's Benefits Directory - To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the Military.com State Veteran's Benefits Directory

South Boston Patriot Homes

Last year, there were 356 veterans waiting for Boston Housing Authority units and 256 on the Section 8 voucher list, according to BHA, which gives preference to homeless veterans, then homeless people, then veterans.

Construction could start as early as next spring. A handful of the 24 units will be set aside for homeless vets who have behavioral health issues. But Brown deflected neighborhood fears that she wants to build a homeless shelter.

“It is all permanent apartments for veterans,” she said. “It’s not a homeless shelter.”
Is MSAC interested in supporting programs for Housing affordable low income Veterans? This is a controversial one at the old Police Station Site in So Boston
REFER TO HOUSING COMMITTEE !!!!

SOCIALL SECURITY CHECKS

Paper checks retired. Retirees who apply for Social Security benefits on or after May 1, 2011, will no longer have the option of receiving a paper check in the mail. Seniors can have their entitlement payments directly deposited into a bank or credit union account or loaded onto a prepaid Direct Express Debit MasterCard. "This important change will provide significant savings to American taxpayers who will no longer incur the annual $120 million price tag associated with paper checks and will save Social Security $1 billion over the next 10 years," says Richard Gregg, Treasury Fiscal Assistant Secretary. Retirees already receiving paper checks will need to switch to direct deposit or the prepaid debit card by March 1, 2013.

MUNICIPAL HEALTH COSTS

A group of Massachusetts mayors, fed up with what they say is legislative inaction on skyrocketing municipal health care costs, has launched a ballot initiative for 2012 aimed at giving cities and towns more flexibility in reducing expensive benefits for employees, retirees and elected officials. Health costs in Massachusetts have added more than $1 billion to municipal budgets from 2001 to 2008, and some cities now devote close to 20 percent of their budgets to health care.

REAL ESTATE TAXES

6 Discounts You Can Get For Paying Cash
by Bobbi Dempsey
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
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With retailers feeling the effects of customers who can't get credit, shoppers with cash in their wallets have the ultimate bargaining chip when it comes to getting good deals. Cash discounts may not be as plentiful as in the past, but there are still some places where cash is king. Here are some things you can often get cheaper with cash.


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1. Gas
While many gas stations -- especially those in the large national chains -- offer one price no matter how you pay, some stations are still offering a deal for cash customers. Gate Petroleum, based in Florida, unveiled a program earlier this year that offers a discount of three cents per gallon to customers who pay with cash purchased fuel discount cards. In a recent survey by gas comparison site GasBuddy.com, 3% of the more than 15,000 respondents said more than half the stations in their area charged a lower price for cash, and the same percentage said nearly all of their local stations offered cash discounts.

[Click here to check savings products and rates in your area.]

2. Property Taxes
Many municipalities offer a discount (sometimes called a rebate price) to homeowners who pay their taxes by a certain date. In Florida's Miami-Dade County, for example, paying your taxes in November (within a few weeks after receiving the bill) will get you a discount of 4%. The discount decreased by 1% each month until March.

Need for part time legislature in Massachusetts?

Some critics argue that now is the time to move toward a part-time Legislature to save money. The state spent $51 million on the Legislature last year. Massachusetts legislators are the sixth-highest paid in the country, with starting salaries at $61,439, according to the Pew Center on the States

Foreion aid.in the Budget

Americans were asked what spending they’d cut. Hands down, they answered foreign aid.

We spend about $25 billion on foreign aid out of a $3.7 trillion budget. Defense accounts for 19 percent of the budget, but most Republicans do not want major cuts in defense spending. Nor do Americans want cuts in costly entitlement programs