Search

Results

Gimme shelter

21 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's reading from Second Samuel, King David expresses dismay at the humble accommodations that shelter the ark of God. Budget officials in many states are expressing dismay because of dwindling resources to cover unemployment benefits to the rising tide of unemployment workers. Many states are running out of money to accommodate those in need. The funds in 30 states are at risk of becoming insolvent over the next few months, according to the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Funds in two states, Indiana and Michigan, have already dried up, and both states are borrowing from the federal government to make payments to the unemployed. Unemployment taxes are collected by states from employers, but the rate varies from state to state per employee. In good times states presumably build up trust funds so that when unemployment is high there is enough money to cover the requests for benefits. The Labor Department said last week that initial applications for jobless benefits rose to 573,000, the highest reading since November 1982. It is recommended that states keep at least one year of peak-level benefits in their trusts, but many have not. The situation puts states, many of them facing huge deficits, in a tight financial bind. As more people lose their jobs, the revenue base the benefits are drawn from shrinks, making it harder to pay claims. Adding to that burden is that states will eventually have to pay back what they borrow, often at high interest rates. Source: An article by Jennifer Steinhauer for the New York Times

unemployment benefits states

Restricted
Some reassurance at least

08 Feb 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus is kept busy in this Sunday's gospel healing the many sick people who were brought to him. In one bright spot on a dark economic horizon, it will become vastly cheaper for most people to keep their health insurance after losing a job if a provision in the current stimulus proposal makes it into law. The billions to be poured into health care from the economic stimulus package will do little if anything about the chronic conditions behind the nation's stubbornly large ranks of uninsured, advocates for reform point out. Instead, the plan is a temporary lifeline for nearly desperate times. For those who qualify, relief would be substantial. Under a dramatic, temporary expansion of COBRA, the law that lets the unemployed keep health insurance from their old job for up to 18 months if they pay for it in full, costs would drop by about two-thirds for a year. Moreover, people who lose a job they've had for 10 years could stay on COBRA at their expense all the way to age 65, when Medicare takes over, if they don't get another job with insurance first. People 55 and over could do the same without meeting the 10-year requirement. It's so expensive for people to extend that insurance now that many don't do it. It can quickly eat up a majority of unemployment benefits. People who lose jobs at businesses that employ fewer than 20 people don't qualify for COBRA. For them, the government plan would bring many more jobless people under Medicaid's wing. The federal government would pay for that and give states much more money to run the cost-shared part of the program. In return, states taking the extra money would have to back down on some of the cuts they've made to the program recently. Altogether it's a pricey lifeline: $40 billion to subsidize health insurance for the unemployed and more than twice that to support Medicaid. Source: An article by Calvin Woodward for the Associated Press

unemployment benefits states health insurance health care uninsured cobra unemployed medicaid medicare

Restricted
Health benefits in critical condition

22 Feb 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's readings Jesus cures a paralytic and the psalmist promises that the Lord will help those on a sickbed, but in many areas of the country retiring state or local government employees may be in for a shock when it comes to medical benefits. State and local governments have set aside virtually no money to pay the $1 trillion or more in medical benefits promised to retiring and already retired civil servants, a USA TODAY survey found. With bills coming due as Baby Boomers retire in greater numbers, states, cities, school districts, and other government entities may be forced to raise taxes, cut benefits, or both-a task made especially difficult in an economic downturn. State governments have unfunded obligations worth $445 billion to subsidize health insurance for teachers, judges, and other civil servants after they retire, according to the survey of state financial reports. Cities, school systems, park districts, water authorities, and other local governments have even bigger obligations, in excess of $500 billion, although the exact number isn't known. States will receive a large chunk of the $787 billion stimulus bill Congress approved last week, but that money is aimed at immediate spending, not long-term costs. Medical benefits for retirees became common in the 1980s, sometimes in exchange for reduced pay raises. "What seemed inexpensive will become a crippling cost for some governments in the future," said Kenneth Rust, finance chief for the city of Portland, Oregon. These unfunded obligations are part of a larger burden taxpayers face in providing health care for an aging population. The federal government has $1.2 trillion in unfunded obligations to pay medical costs for retired federal workers and military personnel. Medicare and Social Security push the nation's unfunded promises above $50 trillion. Source: An article by Dennis Cauchon for USA TODAY

benefits kenneth rust unfunded obligations

Restricted
The human cost of war comes home

19 Jul 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Even walking in a dark valley, the psalmist fears no evil with the Lord at his side. Growing numbers of U.S. military veterans, however, report being plagued by fears, nightmares, angry outbursts, and other psychological problems. Their disability claims have created a huge backlog of cases for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The number of unprocessed claims for those disabilities is now more than 400,000, up from 253,000 six years ago. The department said its average time for processing those claims, 162 days, is better than it has been in at least eight years. But it did not deny that it has a major problem, with some claims languishing for many months in the department's overtaxed bureaucracy. "There are some positive signs in terms of what we're doing," said Michael Walcoff, deputy undersecretary for benefits in the Veterans Benefits Administration. "But we know that veterans deserve better." Walcoff said the vast majority of the 82,000 claims the department received each month were not from veterans returning from the current wars. "We're still getting a lot of Vietnam vets," he said. Post-traumatic stress disorder has emerged as one of the most prevalent disability claims, after ailments like back pain and knee injuries. Not only are many new veterans receiving a diagnosis of the disorder, but an increasing number of Vietnam veterans are also reporting symptoms for the first time, officials and advocates said. One group, Veterans for Common Sense, has obtained records showing that some veterans are calling suicide hotlines to talk about their delayed disability claims. The group has called on the department to replace processors who take exceedingly long to handle claims. "We're not saying vets are threatening to commit suicide over the claims issues," said Paul Sullivan, executive director of the group. "We're saying V.A.'s claim situation is so bad that it is exacerbating veterans' already difficult situations." Source: An article by James Dao for the New York Times

suicide veterans for common sense vietnam war veterans benefits administration michael walcoff claims disabilities department of veterans affairs veterans post-traumatic stress disorder paul sullivan

Restricted
Democrats find Obama’s agreement with Republicans disagreeable

12 Dec 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Lord sustains the fatherless and the widow and gives food to the hungry, the psalmist informs us Sunday. Unemployment benefits serve a similar purpose for many of the long-term unemployed. An extension of expiring benefits is part of a compromise deal between President Obama and Republican leaders that would also extend Bush-era tax cuts. The deal has some Democrats crying foul. “It’s not perfect, but this compromise is an essential step on the road to recovery,” Obama said on Monday in announcing the deal. “It will stop middle-class taxes from going up. It will spur our private sector to create millions of new jobs and add momentum that our economy badly needs.” The president touted a temporary break on payroll taxes, saying it will give a lift to the economy and put more money back in the pockets of workers than the main tax break included in last year’s economic stimulus it is meant to replace. A family making $50,000 would save $1,000 with the payroll tax cut next year. At the same time, Obama made substantial concessions to Republicans. In addition to dropping his opposition to an extension of the current income tax rates on upper-income Americans, he agreed to a deal on the federal estate tax that angered many Democrats. The package would cost about $900 billion over the next two years, to be financed entirely by adding to the national debt, at a time when both parties are professing a desire to begin addressing long-term fiscal imbalances. Defending the deal during a press conference Tuesday, Obama said: “This isn’t an abstract debate. This is real money for real people and it will make a real difference in the lives of the folks who sent us here.” Adding to the urgency for a deal to extend unemployment benefits was news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that the unemployment rate jumped to 9.8 percent in November as hiring slowed, indicating that the economic recovery is wobbly. More than 15 million people looking for work are unemployed. On a more positive note, however, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday morning that the number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits fell slightly last week. Source: Articles by Richard Cowens for Reuters, Jared A. Favole for the Wall Street Journal, Susan Page for USA TODAY, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and David M. Herzenhorn for the New York Times, Scott Wilson, Felicia Sonmez, David A. Fahrenthold, Peter Whoriskey, and Nathan Rott for the Washington Post, and Annalyn Censky for CNNMoney.com

barack obama income tax payroll tax tax cuts national debt republicans democrats unemployment unemployment benefits estate tax

Restricted
Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriages

30 Jun 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters,” says the reading from the Letter to the Galatians this Sunday. Proponents of same-sex marriage Wednesday hailed two U.S. Supreme Court decisions as landmarks in their struggle for the freedom to marry in California and have their marriages recognized nationwide at the federal level. At the same time the U.S. bishops released a statement saying the decisions mark “a tragic day for marriage and our nation.”One thing is certain: The debate is not over yet. As expected the court fell short of a broader ruling endorsing a fundamental right for gay people to marry, meaning that there will be no impact in the more than 30 states that do not recognize gay marriage. The two cases, both decided on 5-4 votes, concerned the constitutionality of a key part of a federal law, the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), that denied benefits to same-sex married couples, and a voter-approved California state law enacted in 2008, called Proposition 8, that banned gay marriage.The court struck down Section 3 of DOMA, which limited the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman for the purposes of federal benefits, as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.Justice Anthony Kennedy, 76, appointed to the court by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1988, was the key vote and wrote the DOMA opinion, the third major gay rights ruling he has authored since 1996. In a separate opinion the court ducked a decision on Proposition 8 by finding that supporters of the California law did not have standing to appeal a federal district court ruling that struck it down. By doing so the justices let stand the lower-court decision that had found the ban unconstitutional.By ruling this way on Proposition 8 the court effectively let states set their own policy on gay marriage. That means a debate is set to continue in various states via ballot initiatives, legislative action, and litigation potentially costing millions of dollars on both sides of an issue that continues to stir cultural, religious, and political passions in the United States as elsewhere.Homily help: The question of same-sex marriage, as well as related issues, have embroiled church and state for the better part of a generation. As opinions have evolved toward a more accepting stance, among Catholics as well as the general population, pastoral leaders must work especially hard to make sure that any debate on this subject is infused with a spirit of mutual respect and attentive listening. Sources: Articles by Lawrence Hurley for Reuters, Patricia Zaporfor Catholic News Service, and a news release from USCCB.org

same-sex marriage proposition 8 defense of marriage act anthony kennedy doma united states conference of catholic bishops us supreme court benefits california equal protection under the law

Restricted
Congress bears down on budget deal

15 Dec 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“Make your hearts firm,” counsels the author of the second reading this Sunday; “do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another.” Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are encouraging dissenters in their ranks to stop complaining and fall in line behind a two-year budget deal negotiated with Democrats behind closed doors, indicating that the normally rambunctious group of lawmakers is not spoiling for a year-end fiscal fight.Despite conservative groups and some Republicans in the Senate denouncing the $85 billion plan, the Republican-controlled House could vote as early as Thursday to lock into place a measure that would minimize chances of any further government shutdowns at least until October of 2015. Passage in the House, just before the chamber recesses for the year on Friday, would all but guarantee the same in the Senate, probably next week.The sea-change in a Congress which opinion polls show is scorned by the public also came as Republicans are investing nearly all of their energy in showcasing problems with President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law. Another messy fight over the budget could have taken attention away from the program known as Obamacare after Republicans have scored public relations gains from its flawed rollout in October.Republicans have openly acknowledged they also did not want a budget fight to tamp down consumer confidence during the Christmas buying season which is so crucial to retailers. At the same time they have resisted Democratic efforts during budget negotiations to extend federal benefits for the long-term unemployed, which are set to expire later this month.With 1.3 million people set to lose those benefits amid a 7 percent national jobless rate, the Obama administration said the economy could take a hit as long-term unemployed people have less money to spend.Homily hint: Budgets express priorities and values. What does your personal budget reveal? You might be surprised to compare how much goes to personal entertainment and how much of it goes to helping others. The holiday season is a good time to reflect on your spending priorities. Sources: Articles by David Lawder and Thomas Ferraro for Reuters and Mark Trumbull for the Christian Science Monitor

unemployment benefits congress house of representatives republicans budget obamacare

Restricted
Subscribe or Renew my subscription

World-class preaching resources. Prepare to be heard! - Subscribe or Renew my subscription

Relax—we've got you covered! For just $99 annually ($8.99 a month) you will receive a steady stream of inspiration, insight, and instruction on how to prepare memorable, moving, and theologically solid sermons.. Subscribe Now! (or click to renew) PREPARE THE WORD puts a robust library of resources at your fingertips featuring award-winning insights from Alice Camille, Fr. Dom Grassi, Fr. Larry Janowski, Dan Grippo, Patrice Tuohy, and other respected Catholic authors. You will find superb scripture reflections and stories for weekday and Sunday liturgies; sample homilies for funerals, holy days, feasts, and special occasions; tips for better preaching; and homily hints that link your message to current events in the world of your parishioners. And the benefits don't stop there. You also have access to Take Five for Faith daily reflections, that are linked to the traditions and saints featured in the liturgical calendar and also laid out for easy bulletin insertion that parish staff find particularly invaluable. And there's the Questions Catholics Ask column by Alice Camille, offering church history and perspective on the concerns, questions, and faith-formation needs of your parish community. Plus parish ministers and bulletin editors can mine the riches of PREPARE THE WORD for bulletin content, web posts, discussion starters, and lesson plans. YOUR SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. Although we are confident that you will find Prepare the Word essential in your parish ministry, you may cancel your subscription at any time and receive a refund on your remaining subscription. If you cancel in the first month you receive a full refund. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE and gain instant online access!

Subscribe subscription information award-winning library benefits renew