This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Hondo

  • Déjà Screwed

    I swear, sometimes I think every freakin’ day is Groundhog Day when it comes to our Federal government.  They simply don’t seem to learn a damn thing from past fiascos.

    Well, at least the current Administration doesn’t.

    Remember the Lifeline fiasco I wrote about the other day – that “free phone” program where the Federal government depended for years on unchecked self-certification to determine eligibility?  Remember how well that worked out?

    Wanna guess how the Federal government is going to determine whether people qualify for tax credits under the new Patently Phoney Patient Privacy and Absurd  ‘Affordable’ Care Abomination Act next year?  C’mon – take a guess.

    But hey, I’m gonna be a hardass here.  You only get one guess.

    If you guessed “self-certification with no requirement for backup documentation or cross-checking” – AKA the “honor system” – give yourself a freaking gold star.  ‘Cause that’s exactly how the Federal government plans to hand out PPACA-related tax credits next year.

    Until last year, that’s the same method the Federal government used to determine eligibility for Lifeline phones.  Based on early indications from imposing cross-checking and requiring annual re-certification, looks like that program had about a 41% fraud rate.

    It’s also how the Federal government determines eligibility today for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  That program is estimated to lose 20-25% of its total annual outlays to fraud.

    Ya know, I kinda think I’m seeing a pattern here.  But maybe it’s just me.

    Predictably, the FBI expects to see fraud related to this new tax credit – a LOT of fraud.  They’re currently estimating we’ll see on the order of $20 billion in healthcare tax credit fraud next year.  I think that might be in the ballpark – for the first year.  Then it will skyrocket.  And it’s possible that estimate could be way low for the first year, too.

    Looks like it really is “Here we go again.”  And remember:  that’s yet another “bennie” to the US taxpayer, courtesy of the PPACA.  So just grit your teeth and bend over.

    Yeah, that’s courtesy of the PPACA, too.

  • A Hero Recognized

    In September 2012, over the Labor Day Weekend, a family went to the beach at Panama City Beach, Florida.

    The husband and his daughter decided to go swimming.  That turned out to be a bad move.

    Beaches in that part of Florida are beautiful, and are world-renowned.  And September is usually a very nice month.  The Gulf of Mexico is still warm, and is usually reasonably placid.

    But at times, those beaches are prone to riptides and undertows.  Those can often be strong – and sometimes are deadly.

    The man and his daughter were caught in a riptide.  They were in serious trouble.

    Fortunately, a man named Thomas Oroho was also at the beach that day, along with some professional colleagues.  He heard the distressed man’s wife call for help. He went into the potentially deadly riptide.  He swam to the two distressed swimmers and, with the assistance of two of his colleagues who also entered the ocean that day, brought them to safety.

    The name may be familiar to some of our readers who are active-duty Army Aviators.  That’s CW4 Thomas C. Oroho, US Army.  The two others who assisted him were soldiers from his unit.  Regrettably, their names are not readily available.

    CW4 Oroho was presented the Soldier’s Medal at Davidson Army Airfield on 1 November 2013 for his heroism last September.  His comments in the Army’s press release for the ceremony speak for themselves:

    “I’m overwhelmed,” Oroho said after the medal presentation. “I don’t think I did anything that any other Soldier wouldn’t have done.”

    No information is available as to what awards, if any, were granted to recognize the assistance of the two other soldiers.  Hopefully their contributions to the rescue were appropriately recognized by their chain-of-command.

    I don’t use the term “hero” lightly, especially in a nonmilitary context.  But IMO, here it’s apropos.

    Kudos to a true hero:  CW4 Thomas O. Oroho, D Company, 12th Aviation, US Army.

    Well done, Chief.  Damn well done.

     

    Note to our non-Army readers:  the term “Chief” is used in the Army as an acceptable, informal, short form of address for a Chief Warrant Officer.

  • And In the “More ‘Affordable’ Care Act ‘Good News’ ” Department . . .

    Anyone with three or more working brain cells can see that there are serious problems with the Pathetically Puerile Patient Protection and Asinine “Affordable” Care Abomination Act (PPACA), often referred to as “Obamacare”.  Yet it seems that each day reveals yet another little hidden “gem” – now that the law’s been passed and we’ve actually been allowed to read it.

    The latest little “gem” coming to light is a real pearl.  In effect, on 1 January 2014 the law changes who can determine whether an individual qualifies for Medicaid.

    No, I’m not talking about the new income limits for Medicaid imposed by the PPACA Medicaid Expansion.  I’m literally talking about the law changing who can determine if an individual qualifies for treatment under a state’s Medicaid program at state expense.

    Medicaid is a state program – or, more precisely, a collection of individual state programs – to which the Federal government kicks in a large part of the funding.  The fraction of the funding provided by Uncle Sam depends primarily on a state’s per capita income.  Wealthier states get less; poorer states get more.  (Hmm, that sounds familiar – something about “. . . to each according to his need” keeps coming to mind.)

    Previously, Medicaid eligibility and rules were determined by state legislatures when they passed enabling state legislation and established regulations for the operation of Medicaid within that state.  That’s by design; these are state, not Federal, programs.

    The PPACA changes who can make Medicate eligibility decisions.

    (more…)

  • About That “Wonderful” Federal Lifeline Phone Program . . .

    Many of you doubtless have doubts and misgivings about the “Lifeline” program – the Federally subsidized program to provide basic phone service to the “poor”.  I for one certainly do.

    The program is sometimes derisively referred to as the “Obama phone” program.  That’s a misnomer.  The program dates to 1985, during the Reagan administration.  It was begun as a way to subsidize emergency phone service for the poorest of the poor.

    It’s funded from the “universal service fee” – one of those incomprehensible mandatory fees tacked onto the phone bills of paying customers.  (IMO those fees are intentionally incomprehensible to hide what they’re being used to fund, but that’s another story . . . . )

    Originally the Lifeline program was landline-only.  But in 2005, the Bush administration opened the program to cell phones.

    “Really bad idea, sir.”

    From there, soon things began to go off the rails – badly.  During the last few years, program costs have skyrocketed.  Costs went from around $800 million in 2008 to roughly $2.2 billion in 2012.

    (more…)

  • Karma, Perhaps?

    This is rich (emphasis added).

    Democratic officials said top administration aides got a close-up view of the cancellation controversy last week, when Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said at a closed-door meeting of the party’s rank and file that his son had received notice his coverage was being terminated.

    Senator Donnelly’s office reportedly has declined several requests for comment on the matter.

  • T-Shirt of the Month

    We’re all familiar with the recent brouhaha about NSA telephone/internet monitoring.  We also all know about any number of instances where our “illustrious” Federal government seems to ignore the public and do what it pleases, consequences be damned.  (No, I didn’t say a damn thing about the AHCA.  But if the shoe fits . . . . )

    Well, it seems like one enterprising artist in Minnesota decided to use those things to his advantage commercially – and IMO, hilariously.  Here’s the design on one of his t-shirts.  The image is rather smallish, but expands nicely.

    Predictably, some of our American Royalty apparently “were not amused”. NSA reportedly sent the guy a “cease and desist” letter claiming “violation of intellectual property” in parodying the NSA seal.

    Sheesh.  It’s called parody, guys.  Seems to me what little I remember of the law says that parody generally is considered “fair use” of intellectual property.  And that’s clearly a parody of the actual NSA seal – check out the text used in lieu of the original text along the bottom border of the joke seal. (smile)

    Besides – last time I checked, documents/images/photographs produced by the Federal government cannot be copyrighted.  They can be protected against illicit use by Federal law, but this doesn’t seem to be such a case.  This is an altered version that is obviously a parody of the original vice deceptive use.

    To his credit, the guy didn’t back down. He’s partnered with Public Citizen and plans on taking NSA to court for violating his First Amendment right to free speech.

    I’m guessing this one ends up settled out-of-court pretty soon.

    Given how well the rest of our “esteemed” Federal government listens these days, I’m seriously considering ordering one of those shirts.  If you’re interested in doing so, a link where you can do that is is in the linked article (2nd link).

  • About That Proposed National Cemetery Law . . . .

    Burial in a National Cemetery is a benefit accorded to most veterans.  However, as is the case with most government benefits, it’s not a right guaranteed by the Constitution.  Congress created the benefit, and Congress can set the rules as it sees fit.

    Congress occasionally does change the rules about burial in National Cemeteries, or allow the VA to do so.*  Today, those rules are considerably more lenient than I’d personally prefer.  A veteran with a Dishonorable Discharge is banned by law from burial in a National Cemetery; all others who qualify legally as veterans – including those who accepted discharge in lieu of court-martial or received a Bad Conduct Discharge – can be.  (Those with less than an honorable discharge are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and can be buried in National Cemeteries if the VA approves.)

    Congress has placed a number of legal restrictions on burial in National Cemeteries.  The aforementioned ban on those with a DD being buried therein is one such legal restriction.  Another is the fact that even an honorably discharged veteran loses the benefit if he or she (1) is convicted of a capital crime, (2) dies before they can be tried for a capital crime, or (3) if clear and convincing evidence exists that the individual committed a capital crime.

    However, there is presently no legal authority for the VA to order the removal remains once interred.  And that apparent omission in the law has led to the following conundrum.

    (more…)

  • YGBSM!!

    Obama right now, where Obama is is right around where Reagan was, right around where Nixon was. There, he’s no more left than those, those, those Republicans.

    . . . Obama’s right around where Bob Dole is. They’re very similar, you know? There’s not much of a difference there.

    So sayeth that great “sage for the ages”, Rob Reiner.  You probably remember him best as “Mike Stivic” from the 1970s TV show All In the Family.

    So, you say Obama’s politically right around where Nixon and Reagan were?  And about the same politically as Dole?

    Yeah, right (pun noted and intended).  Uh-huh.  Riiiiiiiight.  Sure, fella.

    Hell, even Edith ain’t buying that one.  (smile)

    Apparently Archie Bunker was dead-on-target when he chose the nickname for Reiner’s character on the show – but was talking about Reiner himself, not the character.  Think much, Rob?

    GMAFB.  And quit p!ssing on my leg and claiming it’s rain, too.