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Implications
of the Bush Budget for People Over Age 55
An analysis from
the Economic Policy Institute finds that the Administration's
budget proposal effectively denies the government enough revenue
to continue current income support to retirees through 2030, guaranteeing
a financial loss to many people ages 55 and older.
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20050316
**Medicare Trustees
Report
Medicare Trustees
Release Annual Report
According to the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Trustees
Report shows that the financial condition of Medicare's hospital
fund has improved slightly and the report also highlights the
importance of using the new Medicare law to help reduce the spending
growth in other parts of Medicare. The HHS Secretary said the
report shows the importance of new tools added to Medicare that
strengthen and improve Medicare, and their key role in addressing
Medicare's fiscal health. The improvements include the addition
of prescription drug coverage, preventive benefits and new "pay
for performance" initiatives.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050323.html
Statement:
Recent Congressional Actions Hasten Medicare Program's Insolvency
The following
is part of the statement from the Executive Director of Families
USA, about this year's Medicare Trustees' report that found that
the Medicare Trust Fund will be insolvent in 2020: "The
Trustees' insolvency projections should serve as a wake-up call
concerning congressional leader's irresponsible handling of the
Medicare program. These projections did not, and could not, take
into account last week's Senate Budget Resolution, which would
withdraw $64 billion from the Medicare Trust Fund and make those
funds available for tax cuts for the rich - an action that could
shave four years from the life of the Trust Fund…”
http://www.familiesusa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Media_statement_Recent_CongressionalActions
Statement on
Social Security & Medicare Trustees' Report
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
issued the following statement. The new trustees' report provides
further evidence that Social Security more closely resembles a
house with a leaking roof in need of repair than a house that
is built on quicksand. Social Security will be able to pay 100
percent of promised benefits until 2041 (the year in which the
trustees predict the trust fund will be exhausted) and 74 percent
of promised benefits thereafter.
http://www.cbpp.org/3-23-05socsec-stmt.htm
Element of
Medicare Trustees' Report Could Spell Trouble For Beneficiaries
In Future Years
According to the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
the report that the Social Security and Medicare trustees issued
March 23 on the state of Medicare’s finances may contain a “finding”
that draws considerable attention. The Medicare drug law enacted
in 2003 requires the trustees to estimate in each of their annual
reports the point at which general revenues will finance at least
45 percent of Medicare costs. Once the trustees estimate in two
successive reports that this 45-percent level will be reached
within the next six years, the President is required to include
a proposal in his next budget and to submit legislation within
15 days of the budget’s release to alter Medicare so the 45-percent
threshold will not be exceeded.
http://www.cbpp.org/3-22-05health.htm
Amendment to
Senate Budget Would Move Up Medicare Insolvency By Four Years
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
explains that an amendment to the budget adopted by the Senate
would move up by four years - to 2015 - the point at which the
Medicare Hospital Insurance program becomes insolvent. In addition,
with passage of the amendment, the final budget plan the Senate
approved would increase deficits by $217 billion over five years.
http://www.cbpp.org/3-18-05bud.htm
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**Children, Youth
& Families
OJJDP Annual
Report 2003 - 2004
The annual report
describes the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's
activities and accomplishments during fiscal years (FY) 2003 and
2004. During this period, OJJDP implemented significant changes
in its programs resulting from the reauthorization of the Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The Office also completed
a reorganization that integrated research and other critical functions
with program-related activities.
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=12033
To Have and
To Hold: Congressional Vows on Marriage and Sex
A paper from Center for Law and Social Policy discusses what
the government has already done to promote abstinence-unless-married
programs and marriage, and what it proposes to do with the reauthorization
of the welfare law. The article then discusses the relationship
between marriage and pregnancy prevention, including research
findings on the influence of childbearing on marriage. It concludes
with some welfare reauthorization recommendations for Congress
on this topic.
PDF: http://www.clasp.org/publications/have_and_hold.pdf
Virginity Pledges
do not Reduce STD risk
Yale and Columbia University researchers
report that young adults who take virginity pledges as adolescents
are as likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases
as those who do not take virginity pledges. The virginity pledges
may even encourage higher risk sexual behavior among young adults.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-03/yu-vpd031705.php
**Civil Society/Civic
Engagement
Impact of Tsunami
Disaster Relief Efforts on Nonprofits
Commulinks of
Colorado conducted a nationwide survey to determine the projected
impact of tsunami disaster relief efforts on the nation's nonprofit
community. This special report summarizes survey findings, and
it includes a link directly to the survey data.
http://www.commulinks.com/newsletter/tsunamisurvey.htm
VolunteerMatch
Records 2 Millionth Volunteer Referral
Of the 2 million
volunteer referrals originating from VolunteerMatch since its
introduction in early 1998, more than 25 percent occurred in the
last 12 months. A number of important factors contributed to this
record growth, including increased awareness of the VolunteerMatch
service, and the domestic volunteer response to the tsunamis in
Southeast Asia,
which set record levels of volunteer referral activity in December
and January. Currently, VolunteerMatch generates more than 1,500
new volunteer referrals a day to nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations
throughout the United States.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20050321.154543&time=16%2000%20PST&year=2005&public=1
**Community Development
Promoting Work
in Public Housing
The final report
on MDRC’s evaluation of Jobs-Plus describes the program’s impacts,
the difference it made for residents in Jobs-Plus developments
in comparison with residents living in similar developments who
did not receive the program. The Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization
Initiative for Public Housing Families deploy a multi-component
employment initiative that is located in public housing developments
help residents work, earn more money, and improve their quality
of life in six cities.
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/405/overview.html
HUD Unveils $2.26 billion
in Available Funding for Affordable Housing, Homeless Assistance
and Community Development
The Department
of Housing and Urban Development unveiled this year's "SuperNOFA,"
a notice that makes available $2.26 billion in funding through
53 grant opportunities. HUD's Fiscal Year 2005 Notice
of Funding Availability significantly reduces the paperwork
burden on grant applicants while moving toward the Administration’s
goal of creating a more citizen-focused, user-friendly electronic
government.
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr05-033.cfm
Seamless Network
of Services Needed to Help Ex-Prisoners with Health Problems Begin
Anew
An analysis from
the Urban Institute finds that former prisoners with
serious physical or mental health problems and health care and
social service providers in the Cincinnati area agree: a seamless transition from care inside the
prison walls to care on the outside must take place if released
prisoners are to make it back in society.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9204
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**Economic Security
CLASP Testimony
on TANF Reauthorization
Testimony by the
Center for Law and Social Policy presented to
the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness of the U.S. House
of Representatives on March
15, 2005, focused reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families. This testimony discusses the work and child
care provisions of the 1996 welfare law, pending reauthorization
proposals.
PDF: http://www.clasp.org/publications/greenberg_testimony_031505.pdf
**Education
Career Academies
According to MDRC Career Academies produced substantial and
sustained improvements in earnings of young men after high school,
without limiting opportunities to attend college. Typically serving
between 150 and 200 high school students from grade 9 or 10 through
grade 12, Career Academies are organized as small learning communities,
combine academic and technical curricula around a career theme,
and establish partnerships with local employers to provide work-based
learning opportunities.
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/366/overview.html
Assessment
of the No Child Left Behind Act
The Center on
Education Policy released its third in a series of reports on
the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. From the Capital
to the Classroom, Year 3 of the No Child Left Behind Act, is a
comprehensive analysis of how the law is being implemented at
the state, district and local levels. Based on a survey of 49
states, 314 school districts and 36 case studies of school districts,
the report provides the most up-to-date information about the
law's implementation and shares the opportunities and challenges
that it has presented for states and districts.
http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs/nclby3/
States Worry
about Meeting Requirements of Education Law
An article in
the New York Times finds that states have doubts about their ability
to meet the No Child Left Behind Act, especially when it comes
to helping students in struggling schools achieve academic proficiency,
a new survey has found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/24/education/24educ.html?ex=1269320400&en=fb2a1077fe56deaf&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt
**Health
Rubella No
Longer Major Public Health Threat in the United
States
According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a major public health
milestone has been achieved in the United
States - the rubella virus, a major cause of serious birth
defects such as deafness and blindness, also known as congenital
rubella syndrome (CRS), is no longer considered to be a major
public health threat in the United
States.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050321.htm
Understanding
Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
The
Kaiser Family Foundation is participating in a national initiative
designed to raise physician awareness about racial and ethnic
disparities in medical care, beginning with cardiac care. A report
highlights the evidence on the scope and causes of disparities
in cardiac care.
http://www.kff.org/whythedifference/index.htm
HMO Backlash
Caused Few People to Bolt from Health Plans
According to a
RAND Corporation study, a backlash of public opinion against health
maintenance organizations in the late 1990s did not result in
large numbers of Americans switching to health insurance plans
that offer greater consumer choice.
http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/03.24.html
**Substance Abuse
Steroids? Alcohol
is the Real Problem
A columnist from
the San Francisco Chronicle posits that instead of devoting a
whole day to hauling in baseball stars and executives, Congress
should focus on the promotion of alcohol use by college and professional
sports.
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/features/reader/0%2C1854%2C576504%2C00.html
Strategies
in “War on Drugs” Need To Be Reassessed
A RAND Corporation
report concludes that anti-drug policies in the past two decades
have not been a principal influence on illegal drug use and need
to be more carefully tailored to address changing drug use trends.
http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/03.21.html
SAMHSA to Award
$6.3 Million for Drug Courts
The Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration invites state,
county, and other drug courts to apply for its FY 2005 treatment
drug courts grants program.
Approximately 16 grants will be made to fund eight family treatment
and eight juvenile treatment courts, and to increase access to
treatment and support services within these courts.
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/funding/reader/0%2C1854%2C576236%2C00.html
