October 01, 2009

In the midst of dwindling retirement savings and soaring health care costs, older Idahoans are bracing from more bad news that could spell disaster for many - no Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2010. Today, AARP announced it will urge Congress to immediately pass legislation to provide relief to the over 50 million Social Security beneficiaries across the nation, including nearly 250,000 Idaho residents. "While prescription drug prices continue to see record increases of 8% and insurance premiums are expected to double in the next few years, the lack of a Social Security COLA will hit many older Idahoans hard," said Jim Wordelman, AARP Idaho State Director. "We urge Congress to act on this issue immediately and provide older Americans the relief they need." The relief would come in the form of a one-time $250 payment to all Social Security beneficiaries, providing many people the additional money they need to get by in the harsh economic climate. With older people spending roughly 30% of their income on health care costs which continue to skyrocket past the rate of inflation - consuming a larger share of income each year - the money couldn't come at a better time for many people. Full release.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Department of Justice today reaffirmed its commitment to ending violence against women. The month of October is observed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month around the country by advocates, victim service providers, law enforcement, the judiciary, prosecutors and survivors to raise public awareness about domestic violence. President Obama made the official announcement in a proclamation distributed today and available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Domestic-Violence-Awareness-Month/. On September 14, 2009, the Department of Justice marked the fifteenth anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the creation of its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The department has kicked-off a year-long effort to raise public awareness, build stronger coalitions among federal, state, local and tribal communities, and redouble efforts to end domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking for men, women and children across the country. Full release.

Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, has analyzed the current situation with Iran and given his comments below. Ellison is one of the top lay experts in missile defense in the world: A momentous week of unveiling Iran's second nuclear site, which confirmed their intention to disperse and protect non-civilian nuclear development, coupled with their ballistic missile launches over the weekend from 90 miles to 1,200 miles requires close examination of President Obama's new direction of our nation's missile defense. Iran has not invested nor demonstrated interest in developing or deploying large scale aircraft further exemplifying its intent to project power beyond its borders with ballistic missiles and progress down an aggressive path to become a new nuclear power that will threaten its national security interests. The overall intelligence assessment of Iran has not changed from previous National Intelligence Estimates of years past, as Iran steadily maintains its development to have ballistic capability by 2015 or earlier to strike Europe and the United States. Full release.

As part of its commitment to protecting the safety of children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Target Corp., of Minneapolis, Minn. has agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty for allegedly violating the federal lead paint ban on toys. The penalty settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that from May 2006 through August 2007, Target knowingly imported and sold various toys (Kool Toyz Products, Anima - Bamboo Collection Games, Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Sunny Patch Chairs) with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels above legal limits. The federal lead paint ban for toys has been in place since 1978. CPSC staff alleged that Target failed to take adequate action to ensure that no toys or children's products would bear lead-containing paint, thereby creating a risk of lead poisoning and adverse health effects to children. "These highly publicized toy recalls were among many that helped spur action last year to impose even stricter limits on lead paint on toys," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "This penalty should remind importers and retailers that they have always had the same obligation to meet the strict lead limits as the manufacturers." Full release.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today praised Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., for introducing climate legislation that would expand states' recycling networks. Hoffa also urged inclusion of strong provisions to prevent foreign competitors from getting an unfair advantage over U.S. manufacturers. The bill recognizes recycling as a climate strategy that uses less energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. It provides money for a "State Recycling Program" that would increase and improve states' recycling efforts. Studies show that recycling creates 10 times as many jobs per ton of waste as landfills and incinerators. "We need to get this country running on clean energy to jumpstart our economy," Hoffa said. "This bill promotes two things that will help make America a leader again: recycling and good-paying jobs." Full release.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear testimony on Thursday to support groundbreaking legislation that addresses the global crisis of violence against women and girls. Amnesty International praised Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) for their commitment to the International Violence Against Women Act and urged reintroduction of the bill, which would apply the force of U.S. diplomacy to fight violence against women in selected countries. Violence, abuse and exploitation of women has reached epidemic proportions, with the United Nations Development Fund for Women estimating that at least one of every three women globally -- nearly a billion women -- will be beaten, raped, mutilated or otherwise abused during their lifetime. Full release.

As October 1, 2009 signals the beginning of the new fiscal year 2010, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) said cuts of up to $16 billion over ten years to Medicare funded nursing home care being put into effect today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must be taken into account by U.S. Senate and House leaders as they continue to refine the financing details of their respective health care reform bills. "By any standard, the $16 billion ten-year cuts to Medicare funded nursing home care going into effect today represent an enormous blow to the stability our sector requires to ensure the ongoing provision of quality nursing home care," said Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA. "As health reform deliberations continue, we respectfully urge lawmakers to keep in mind that any additional Medicare cuts will be on top of this $16 billion ten year regulatory cut implemented today. Without a doubt, the care and well being of the nation's most vulnerable seniors will clearly be at stake if any new cuts are excessive." Full release.

AAA has always advised motorists to follow the automobile manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule to improve the reliability and longevity of their vehicles. However, owner's manuals usually contain two different maintenance schedules -- one for normal service and one for severe service, depending on how the vehicle is driven. In a recent study, AAA found more than half of all motorists follow the wrong maintenance schedule. When polled by AAA, only six percent of motorists felt they did most of their driving under severe service conditions. But when asked about the actual driving behaviors that create severe operating conditions, 62 percent of motorists admitted they drive their vehicle that way all or most of the time. Full release.

More than 300,000 women from across the U.S. have signed up for the Love/Avon Army of Women creating a nationwide movement to eradicate breast cancer. Eighty percent of the women who have joined the Army of Women have never had breast cancer, but want to play a role in ending the disease once and for all. The Army of Women is a first of its kind partnership between breast cancer researchers and women willing to participate in studies aimed at finding the cause of breast cancer and determining how to prevent it. The goal of the Army of Women is to recruit one million women of all ages and ethnicities whether they have had breast cancer or not. Over the past year, researchers have recruited more than 12,000 volunteers for a wide range of studies, including the effects of diet and exercise to looking at a possible genetic link between sisters as well as hormones and postmenopausal women. Full release.

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