Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach
California Pension
The Truthiness of Pension Plans in the State of California | Desert Star Weekly A sad truth about government..
And you thought the fed is bad..
$52 Million Golf Cart Path | Desert Star Weekly
Whenis enough? We continue to close our eye to government, and they continue to do things like this..
Monday, January 16, 2012
What is said by a conservative
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation “Martin Luther King, Jr., showed us how much good a single life, well led, can accomplish. His death proved how much harm a single hand, intent on evil, can inflict. Let each of us honor his memory by pledging in our own lives to do everything we can to make America a place where his dream of freedom and brotherhood will grow and flourish from sea to shining sea.” – Ronald Reagan
Friday, January 13, 2012
Social Security
Ponzi Scheme or Not, Social Security Can't Keep Up the PaceChuck Saletta, The Motley FoolFri, 13 Jan 2012 07:00:00 ESTDailyFinance NewsSocial Security's trust fund is in the process of collapsing because it will have insufficient funds available to pay promised benefits. Sound like a Ponzi scheme? That's what many prominent political and investing figures have called it. Whether the system meets a broad definition of Ponzi scheme, at least this "scheme" is one in which you can come out ahead.You've got a few things going for you:Charles Ponzi's original setup had a frightfully speedy collapse that occurred after around 200 days. Social Security currently estimates its trust fund won't run dry until around 2036.When Social Security's trust fund does empty, recipients will still get about three-quarters of their expected benefits. For contrast, just ask the victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme how tough it is to get money out of a real Ponzi scheme after it collapses.The Good News? You've Been WarnedYou have time until Social Security's trust fund vanishes -- meaning you can still prepare for that event. Even better, the best way to prepare is to essentially do what you should have been doing anyway: Invest for your retirement.Even if Social Security's trust fund weren't in trouble, the program generally replaces only about 40% of a person's average lifetime income, indexed for inflation. When Social Security's trust fund is gone and the program pays out reduced benefits, the typical recipient will get closer to 30% of average earnings.Unless you're preparing to live on what amounts to a minimum-wage salary, you should already be investing heavily for your retirement. Retire Comfortably AnywayTo prepare for Social Security's diminished capacity, you must ask yourself how much of your average earnings you'll need to support your lifestyle in retirement. The general rule of thumb is somewhere in the 70% to 80% range, but circumstances vary from person to person. If you're figuring on 75% -- the midpoint of that range -- then what Social Security's troubles really mean is that you'll need to replace 45% of your salary from other sources. That's up from the 35% you'd have to cover with a healthy Social Security. Viewed in that light, planning for the collapse of Social Security's trust fund becomes a fairly straightforward numbers game. How to Make Up for Social Security's Coming ShortfallIncreasing the amount of income that needs to be replaced by your portfolio from 35% of salary to 45% requires just under 30% more money, all else being equal. That's not an insurmountable hurdle to clear, and it helps clarify the four levers you'll be working with to cover that gap. Those levers are:1. Save more: If you can come up with a little bit more every paycheck to put toward your retirement, you can cover that gap. If money's a bit tight right now, you can choose to save part of your raises as soon as you get them. That way, you'll never miss the money you had never seen, while boosting your nest egg to cover your golden years.2. Work longer: At around 8% returns, it'd take around three extra years of working to cover that gap, perhaps a bit less if you continue to sock away new contributions during that time. Of course, it could take you a bit longer or shorter, depending on both your investment choices and the market's mood. But if you have the option of staying on the job, it's a good way to make up for Social Security's shortfall.3. Seek higher returns: If you invest a bit more aggressively, your portfolio may be able to grow a few percentage points faster. Those few points, compounded over several years, can add up to some serious coin -- and enough to cover the gap. There are no guarantees in investing, however, and more aggressive investing does bring with it the potential for loss, as well as gain.4. Live with less: Of course, if you do nothing differently in your retirement planning, you're currently scheduled to wind up with around a quarter less Social Security money once the trust fund is gone. If your general costs of living are low enough that you won't be materially affected by missing that money, then you can simply do without it. Because there are still a couple of decades until the trust fund is gone, all four of those levers are at your disposal, as is the ability to use a combination of those levers to your advantage. The longer you wait to get started, though, the less valuable the investing-related levers will be. Wait long enough, and your choices will be limited to living with less or working longer before retiring.Whether Social Security meets the technical definition of a Ponzi scheme, the net effect to you is the same. The trust fund is running out of money, and you need to plan for a retirement with a smaller Social Security check headed your way. Otherwise, 2036 will be here sooner than you think, and the decision will be made for you, instead of by you.For more on dealing with today's retirement realities, see:The More You Save, the Less You Need... Forever3 Keys to Boosting Your Social Security IncomeYou Don't Have to Be One of Those "Never-Retirees"
Thursday, January 12, 2012
9 to 5 Police
Detroit imposes business hours at police precincts AP Jan 12, 2012 DETROIT (AP) — Fighting crime is a 24-hour job, but Detroit police stations will be sticking to business hours. The department is rolling out a plan to close precincts and district headquarters to the public after 4 p.m. It's an effort to put more officers on patrol, especially in the most besieged neighborhoods, without adding to the city's $200 million budget deficit. The policy took effect this week in an especially tough area on the city's east side. Over the next month, the practice will spread to the six other stations. At the first precinct to adopt the new system, Michael Morris stopped by to make an accident report. He said he would reserve judgment. "Let's see the response time on the street," Morris said. Then he'll be able to say if it's working. Officers are still inside the building around the clock, but at night public access is limited to a phone in the foyer linked to a 24-hour crime-reporting unit. Smaller communities have adopted the same approach, but Detroit will be the largest American city to try it. Police Chief Ralph Godbee said the idea would "re-engineer" how the department operates. Closing precincts to the public by late afternoon is not expected to save money. It just reassigns officers and their duties. Two clerks have typically staffed the midnight shift at each precinct, and a recent survey by the chief's office showed they take an average of only two reports each night, Godbee said. Like many police departments, Detroit's force is under severe financial constraints. The city has about 2,700 officers, down from 4,000 a decade ago. Another 100 officers could be laid off by next month without federal grant money. There are few areas to make cuts other than jobs, something the police chief and Mayor Dave Bing are loath to do, particularly in light of the city's violent crime rate, one of the highest in the country, and a spike in murders. Compounding matters is Detroit's size: 139 square miles. Although the population has fallen from 1.8 million in 1950 to 700,000 today, officers must still patrol a large area. "We have done a disservice to our community by spreading ourselves thin, giving citizens the belief that we will respond to things that are not an emergency," Godbee said. The changes are mainly "for those brave men and women that are overtaxed out there" answering calls for service. Godbee expects to put 100 to 150 officers more officers on patrol. Restricted and light-duty officers are being moved to the 24-hour unit that will handle non-emergency calls that might normally have gone to the front desk at neighborhood precincts. That part of Detroit's policy was gleaned from Milwaukee, which began a similar program in 2008. Milwaukee officers who in the past would have handled complaints in person can now be sent to areas with rising crime. "If we don't stay in public spaces, crime goes up and citizens lose heart," Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said. But his department has not reduced the hours its seven precincts are open to the public. Some smaller police departments, including in Detroit's better-off suburbs, already close their front desks during slower evening hours. But Nancy Kolb, a senior program manager with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, has not heard of any city the size of Detroit adopting a similar policy. A lot of agencies are turning to volunteers to work the front desks and using more social media. "It's not always possible for an officer to go to neighborhood watch meetings, but residents can use social media to engage with that officer," Kolb said. Bing, who is trying to keep Detroit from being taken over by an emergency financial manager, is cutting 1,000 city jobs in the next few weeks. Services like fixing lights and sidewalks and cutting grass are being reduced. The mayor is also seeking medical and pension concessions from city unions. Other cities are reluctant to tinker with their police forces, even if doing so might save money. Officials in Baltimore, which has a deficit of more than $50 million, have not considered cutting hours at their nine police precincts and headquarters, largely because such a step would close doors on community outreach. "We have a lot of situations where people come into the districts to report crime," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. "It's a big part of our community policing." In New Orleans, eight district offices are open around the clock. Most are staffed overnight by a desk sergeant and two officers. "You have citizens who will still feel more comfortable reporting crime by coming into the districts," New Orleans police spokesman Frank Robertson said. In Detroit, the precincts have often been seen as islands of safety. "I really don't know how it's going to work," said Ardella Jackson, who also filed an accident report Tuesday at the precinct with shorter hours. "We don't really like changes." Godbee has stressed that the precincts won't be abandoned at night. And though there will be no access to front desk areas, a limited number of officers will be inside performing other duties. But he prefers people become familiar with the telephone reporting system for non-emergencies such as neighbor complaints, property damage reports and fender benders. "If the situation calls for me to have an officer come to the station to deal with them," he said, "I would rather do that than have that officer sitting there like the Maytag repair person." Email this article Top News
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Your Fired!
Watching the news today and listening to others who are supposed to be on the right complain about Romney stating that he would “fire” his health care.
I don’t understand the right, don’t we believe that some people need to be fired anymore? The EPA needs to be fired. Obama needs to be fired. All Czars appointed need to be fired those on the far left in congress and senate need to be fired.
We are not guaranteed a job, if we fail to do our job, we get fired. If a company fails people get fired.
listening to the News no one should not be fired.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Home Sweet, Home
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What happened to the one penguin thats laying down... Drunk?
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Imperial God Father
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