Tag Archives: Social Security Administration

Oklahoma City marks 18th anniversary of bombing

April 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

It’s been 18 years since a truck bomb detonated outside Oklahoma City‘s federal building, but family members of the 168 people killed in the attack said Friday their memories of the carnage and their sense of loss are as vivid as ever following the Boston Marathon explosions.

“It opens that wound,” said Dawn DeArmon, whose mother, Federal Employees Credit Union employee Kathy Leinen, was killed in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Joyce Cleveland‘s daughter, Social Security Administration worker Pamela Cleveland Argo, also died in the bombing. She said Monday’s explosions in Boston, which killed three people and injured more than 180, stirred up past emotions and reminded her how difficult it’s been to cope with Pamela’s death.

“We just know what they’re going through and what they’ve got to go through,” Cleveland said. “They’ve got a long way to go.”

She and DeArmon were among 800 people who crowded into a church near the former site of the federal building to remember those killed, those who survived, and search and rescue workers who sifted through the rubble from the nine-story structure for weeks after the attack.

Speakers at the Oklahoma City ceremony remembered Boston even as they honored their own bombing victims.

“Our hearts break for our fellow Americans,” Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. “We grieve for those who have been killed.”

U.S. Rep. James Lankford said many bombing survivors and victims’ family members believe they have recovered from their sense of loss until tragedies like Boston occur.

“We see the coverage and the footage and all the raw emotions come back again. And we realize it’s still extremely tender to us,” Lankford said.

Boston filled people’s conversations afterward, too.

“You turn on the TV and you’re living this over and over,” said Jannie Coverdale, whose two grandsons, 5-year-old Aaron Coverdale and 2-year-old Elijah Coverdale, were among 19 children who died in the Oklahoma City bombing. “Even if we wanted to forget, we can’t forget.”

Family members placed flowers and mementos on empty chairs meant to honor each bombing victim at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum on the

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/8VzL220yahU/

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Video: Obama Disarms America

April 12, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Kris Zane

Uncle Joe Biden recently mocked Americans who were concerned that the government was trying to take away their Second Amendment rights, referring to us as the “black helicopter crowd.”

Apparently, Uncle Joe didn’t get the memo that the government is already confiscating guns.

The Veterans Administration has sent out tens of thousands of letters to so-called “incompetent” veterans, mandating them to turn in their guns and ammunition. The letter says in part:

A determination of incompetency will prohibit you from purchasing, possessing, receiving, or transporting a firearm or ammunition. If you knowingly violate any of these prohibitions, you may be fined, imprisoned, or both…

Of course, the letter doesn’t actually state what “incompetency” entails, which means a bureaucrat sitting in an office can arbitrarily determine whether to nullify the Second Amendment rights of a veteran.

It is presumed that one of the criteria for disarming a veteran is being diagnosed with PTSD—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—a mental condition in which the symptoms are so vague that virtually any veteran can be deemed to have PTSD.

One of the “benefits” of having PTSD, however, is that often the veteran is placed on psychotropic drugs (which is a plus for the drug companies) and a way to disqualify a veteran from owning a gun.

Coincidentally—or not so coincidentally—this is the same strategy being used in New York to disarm citizens.

New York police have begun confiscating guns from anyone taking anti-anxiety medication—that is, psychotropic drugs.

And we learned this week that the State of Missouri has turned over to the Social Security Administration the complete database of Missouri citizens who possess concealed carry permits. It was deemed a “mistake,” although the “mistake” apparently occurred twice. What is clear is that the Feds are trying to match up citizens with so-called “mental problems” who possess a concealed carry permit in order to duplicate what is being done in New York.

Perhaps we’re just a bunch of knuckle-dragging conspiracy theorists for thinking Barry Obama would try to nullify the Second Amendment.

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that there is currently a nationwide shortage of ammunition, which has been blamed on the Obama administration having stockpiled a staggering two billion rounds of ammunition.

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that Obama and his minions are wringing their hands decrying those evil assault weapons, while quietly ordering 7000 AR-15s for the Department of Homeland Security.

And perhaps Fast and Furious really was a mistake. Thousands of assault weapons were probably shipped to Mexican drug cartels because of a few low-level bureaucrats. Eric Holder probably knew nothing about it. Maybe it really wasn’t about blaming gun dealers for the violence in Mexico in order to clamp down on the public being able to purchase guns.

Or maybe, just maybe, Obama is doing what he said he wanted to do while a state senator: to enact a total gun ban.

Goodbye Second Amendment, hello Comrade Obama…

News, Politics, Government

Presidential Memorandum — Improving Availability of Relevant Executive Branch Records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

January 16, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The White House

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Improving Availability of Relevant Executive Branch Records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

Since it became operational in 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has been an essential tool in the effort to ensure that individuals who are prohibited under Federal or State law from possessing firearms do not acquire them from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). The ability of the NICS to determine quickly and effectively whether an individual is prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm depends on the completeness and accuracy of the information made available to it by Federal, State, and tribal authorities.

The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA) (Public Law 110-180) was a bipartisan effort to strengthen the NICS by increasing the quantity and quality of relevant records from Federal, State, and tribal authorities accessible by the system. Among its requirements, the NIAA mandated that executive departments and agencies (agencies) provide relevant information, including criminal history records, certain adjudications related to the mental health of a person, and other information, to databases accessible by the NICS. Much progress has been made to identify information generated by agencies that is relevant to determining whether a person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms, but more must be done. Greater participation by agencies in identifying records they possess that are relevant to determining whether an individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm and a regularized process for submitting those records to the NICS will strengthen the accuracy and efficiency of the NICS, increasing public safety by keeping guns out of the hands of persons who cannot lawfully possess them.

Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Improving the Availability of Records to the NICS. (a) Within 45 days of the date of this memorandum, and consistent with the process described in section 3 of this memorandum, the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall issue guidance to agencies regarding the identification and sharing of relevant Federal records and their submission to the NICS.

(b) Within 60 days of issuance of guidance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall submit a report to DOJ advising whether they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance, and setting forth an implementation plan for making information in those records available to the NICS, consistent with applicable law.

(c) In accordance with the authority and responsibility provided to the Attorney General by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Public Law 103-159), as amended, the Attorney General, consistent with the process described in section 3 of this memorandum, shall resolve any disputes concerning whether agency records are relevant and should be made available to the NICS.

(d) To the extent they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall prioritize making those records available to the NICS on a regular and ongoing basis.

Sec. 2. Measuring Progress. (a) By October 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, agencies that possess relevant records shall submit a report to the President through the Attorney General describing:

(i) the relevant records possessed by the agency that can be shared with the NICS consistent with applicable law;

(ii) the number of those records submitted to databases accessible by the NICS during each reporting period;

(iii) the efforts made to increase the percentage of relevant records possessed by the agency that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;

(iv) any obstacles to increasing the percentage of records that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;

(v) for agencies that make qualifying adjudications related to the mental health of a person, the measures put in place to provide notice and programs for relief from disabilities as required under the NIAA;

(vi) the measures put in place to correct, modify, or remove records accessible by the NICS when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies; and

(vii) additional steps that will be taken within 1 year of the report to improve the processes by which records are identified, made accessible, and corrected, modified, or removed.

(b) If an agency certifies in its annual report that it has made available to the NICS its relevant records that can be shared consistent with applicable law, and describes its plan to make new records available to the NICS and to update, modify, or remove existing records electronically no less often than quarterly as required by the NIAA, such agency will not be required to submit further annual reports. Instead, the agency will be required to submit an annual certification to DOJ, attesting that the agency continues to submit relevant records and has corrected, modified, or removed appropriate records.

Sec. 3. NICS Consultation and Coordination Working Group. To ensure adequate agency input in the guidance required by section 1(a) of this memorandum, subsequent decisions about whether an agency possesses relevant records, and determinations concerning whether relevant records should be provided to the NICS, there is established a NICS Consultation and Coordination Working Group (Working Group), to be chaired by the Attorney General or his designee.

(a) Membership. In addition to the Chair, the Working Group shall consist of representatives of the following agencies:

(i) the Department of Defense;

(ii) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(iii) the Department of Transportation;

(iv) the Department of Veterans Affairs;

(v) the Department of Homeland Security;

(vi) the Social Security Administration;

(vii) the Office of Personnel Management;

(viii) the Office of Management and Budget; and

(ix) such other agencies or offices as the Chair may designate.

(b) Functions. The Working Group shall convene regularly and as needed to allow for consultation and coordination between DOJ and agencies affected by the Attorney General's implementation of the NIAA, including with respect to the guidance required by section 1(a) of this memorandum, subsequent decisions about whether an agency possesses relevant records, and determinations concerning whether relevant records should be provided to the NICS. The Working Group may also consider, as appropriate:

(i) developing means and methods for identifying agency records deemed relevant by DOJ's guidance;

(ii) addressing obstacles faced by agencies in making their relevant records available to the NICS;

(iii) implementing notice and relief from disabilities programs; and

(iv) ensuring means to correct, modify, or remove records when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies.

(c) Reporting. The Working Group will review the annual reports required by section 2(a) of this memorandum, and member agencies may append to the reports any material they deem appropriate, including an identification of any agency best practices that may be of assistance to States in supplying records to the NICS.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with the requirements of this memorandum.

Sec. 5. Publication. The Attorney General is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

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Social Security: It’s Worse Than You Think

January 16, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Breaking News

CONGRESS and President Obama have pushed through a relatively modest stopgap measure to avoid the “fiscal cliff,” but over the coming years, the United States will confront another huge cliff: Social Security.

In the first presidential debate, Mr. Obama described Social Security as “structurally sound,” and Mitt Romney said that “neither the president nor I are proposing any changes” to the program. It was a rare issue on which both men agreed — and both were utterly wrong.

For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Social Security ran a deficit in 2010: It spent $49 billion dollars more in benefits than it received in revenues, and drew from its trust funds to cover the shortfall. Those funds — a $2.7 trillion buffer built in anticipation of retiring baby boomers — will be exhausted by 2033, the government currently projects.

Those facts are widely known. What’s not is that the Social Security Administration underestimates how long Americans will live and how much the trust funds will need to pay out — to the tune of $800 billion by 2031, more than the current annual defense budget — and that the trust funds will run out, if nothing is done, two years earlier than the government has predicted.

We reached these conclusions, and presented them in an article in the journal Demography, after finding that the government’s methods for forecasting Americans’ longevity were outdated and omitted crucial health and demographic factors. Historic declines in smoking and improvements in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease are adding years of life that the government hasn’t accounted for. (While obesity has rapidly increased, it is not likely, at this point, to offset these public health and medical successes.) More retirees will receive benefits for longer than predicted, supported by the payroll taxes of relatively fewer working adults than projected.

Read More at The New York Times . By Gary King and Samir S. Soneji.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Western Journalism

News, Politics, Government

Indiana boy abducted in '94 found in Minnesota

January 11, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

An Indiana woman whose young son was abducted 19 years ago was screaming and “jumping up and down” after learning he was living in Minnesota under a different name, her husband said Thursday shortly after police announced they had found him.

Richard Wayne Landers Jr. was just 5 years old when he and his paternal grandparents, who were upset over custody arrangements, disappeared from Wolcottville, a town about 30 miles north of Fort Wayne.

Indiana State Police said the now 24-year-old Landers was found in Long Prairie, Minn., thanks in part to his Social Security number. His grandparents were living under aliases in a nearby town and confirmed his identity, investigators said.

Police declined to say whether the grandparents would face charges, citing the ongoing investigation.

Landers’ mother, Lisa Harter, was “jumping up and down for joy” when investigators told her a few days ago that her son had been found, her husband Richard Harter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

He said his wife is “the happiest woman on earth.”

Harter said he and his wife were working with an attorney and hoped to reunite with his stepson soon. Police said Landers is married and expecting his first child.

Harter declined further comment and referred questions about the case to his attorney, who didn’t immediately return phone messages Thursday. Investigators declined to release the names under which Landers and his grandparents had been living.

Police said the boy’s paternal grandparents, Richard E. and Ruth A. Landers, abducted him in July 1994 because they were “upset over pending court proceedings” regarding his placement.

Police spokesman Sgt. Ron Galaviz said it appears the boy’s father was never in the picture. Lisa and Richard Harter had married a year earlier.

Authorities believe the grandparents took the boy from their home in Wolcottville and fled. They were charged at the time with misdemeanor interference with custody, which was bumped up to a felony in 1999. But the charge was dismissed in 2008 after the case went cold.

Investigators reopened the case in September when Richard Harter turned over the boy’s Social Security card to an Indiana State Police detective.

That turned up a man with the same Social Security number and date of birth living in Long Prairie, Minn., about 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis. A driver’s license photo for the man appeared to resemble Landers, police said.

Indiana State Police then contacted Minnesota law enforcement agencies, which began investigating along with the FBI and the Social Security Administration.

The grandparents were found living in nearby Browerville, Minn.

“By all accounts, it didn’t appear he suffered from any abuse, either physical or mental,” Galaviz said.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

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