The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 176 - 188 of 188
Reducing the number of elder abuse cases in the River Region area, and declaring war on abusers will be a major focus on May 9, of the yet-to-be-named Montgomery area elder abuse prevention council when it meets at Cara Vita Independent Living Community. At this time Daryl Bailey, Montgomery County's new District Attorney, will talk to the group and discuss his plans to create a local elder justice task force. So, look out wrongdoers, the old folks are on the war path; sentiments that should...
Americans are fortunate to have perhaps the richest language in existence. In many languages there's one way to articulate something, and that's it. The number of pseudonyms, homonyms, figures of speech, or whatever, are limited. There's one way to describe something, and that's it. In English, especially American English, there are a host of ways to say or describe something, which gives us the luxury of being extremely specific in our word usage. Yet we frequently assume that a word has only...
If you’ve recently begun receiving Social Security benefits or plan to apply in the near future, you may be wondering this tax season: are Social Security benefits taxable? The short answer is: sometimes. Some people have to pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income (such as wages, self-employment, interest, dividends and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return) in addition to your Social S...
About forty years ago the Alabama Legislature passed an ethics reform act, established an Ethics Commission, and hired Prattville's Melvin Cooper as the State's first Ethics Commissioner. Over the years Mr. Cooper did a masterful job of infusing the ethics concept into State government, but politics, government service, and ethics don't always mix well. Fast forward to the present day, and we find Mr. Cooper, as a member of the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature, writing a resolution for that...
“Beware the Ides of March,” said the soothsayer to Caesar in William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. We at Social Security recommend you beware not only the Ides of March, but every day—and every time—you go on the Internet. Identity theft and cyber-crimes are among the fastest-growing crimes in America. Today’s savvy thieves have added identity to the list of things they can rob. Their targets are people who use the Internet, and by the time you realize you’ve been robbed, Brutus may already...
As we enter into the 2014th year on the Christian calendar, we might want to give some thought to the Ten Commandments that emerged in that faith; and especially to the fifth one, the one that relates to honoring one's elders, more specifically “thy father and mother;” the reward for which tended to be a long life. But with the advent of Obamacare, long life is beginning to look more like a curse than a blessing. All of which is a roundabout way of broaching the subject of elder abuse, and the...
A tragic tale is unfolding in the U.S. that is painfully similar to Meredith Wilson's award winning stage musical and film adaptation: The Music Man. The fictional plot involves a con-man, Harold Hill, who presents himself to the citizens of an early-American Midwestern town as a band organizer. His intent is to sell musical instruments and uniforms to the local yokels with the promise that he will train their youngsters to become members of a high school marching band. As is always the case of...
When the Lord selected Moses to lead his people He set down some rules. The first four dealt with ecclesiastical matters about who was the leader of the team, and the rules related thereto. He then got down to laying down temporal rules, and the first of which concerned honoring fathers and mothers. In Exodus 20:12, He told Moses that he and his followers should honor their fathers and their mothers; respect one’s elders. In short: When you’re young do what they say; when you’re older, take...
Question: How can I get proof of my benefits to apply for a loan? Answer: If you need proof you get Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Medicare, you can request a benefit verification letter online through your my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. This letter is sometimes called a “budget letter,” a “benefits letter,” a “proof of income letter,” or a “proof of award letter.” You even can select the information you want included in you...
The dust has settled on another session of the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature, and a good bit was accomplished during its three-day session in Montgomery that ended Oct. 23. In the absence of House Speaker Melvin Cooper of Prattville, who is convalescing, Speaker Pro-tem Winston Griggs of Headland, presided over a vigorous three-day session. Ten of the 60 resolutions submitted for consideration by the legislators were selected for submission to the governor for his action; five of direct...
November 11 is more than just a national holiday; Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedom. We at Social Security ask you to join us in saluting the men and women of the armed forces. Be sure to say "thank you" to a veteran on this important day. For those who return home with injuries, it will be our turn to help them. If you know any wounded veterans, please let them know about Social Security's Wounded Warriors website. You can find it at:...
It's October once again, and time for the annual migration of old timers to Montgomery for the annual session of the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature. On October 21, representatives of Alabama's 67 counties will converge on the Capitol City to study, comment on, and eventually approve resolutions, which will be passed along to the Governor for his study, and possibly on to the Legislature for consideration and, perhaps, enactment into law. Some of the more recent of which have been resolutions...
“Open season” is right around the corner for the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Hunting down the best plan for you is no game. Newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, and current beneficiaries who are considering changes to their Medicare Part D plan, should mark their calendars for October 15. The “open season” will run from October 15 to December 7. The Medicare Part D prescription drug program is available to all Medicare beneficiaries to help with the costs of medications. Joining...
