Grumpy Editor

One-time Social Security payment idea just a memory

News that indications point to 45 million Social Security recipients will get a small cost of living adjustment, or COLA, for 2012 (see Grumpy Editor, March 28) but that sum will be erased for most by a hike in monthly Medicare Part B premiums, has brought this question:

Whatever became of the much-trumpeted, one-time $250 payment suggested just before last November’s elections?

The measure, designed to ease a financial squeeze affecting many Social Security recipients, was to make up for another year without a COLA.

Last COLA was in 2009.

Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and then-Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin (D., Mich.)  both pushed the Seniors Protection Act of 2010 (H.R. 5987) during pre-election days last fall, recounts Grumpy Editor.

But just before Christmas --- on Dec. 8 --- the bill failed by a 254 to 153 vote in the House.

Because of the looming holidays and the increasing focus on seasonal news, the House action was squeezed out of heavy print and broadcast coverage.

Lawmakers’ nixing of the $250 economic stimulus payments was justified on the basis of “low inflation.”

Then, and now, that’s something questioned by many struggling seniors dependent on monthly Social Security funds to pay for steadily higher price tags on food, shelter, medical and other necessary items.

 

AMC’s ‘Mad Men’ series skips 2011, returns next year

Among ways to agitate viewers of Mad Men, a successful TV series on the AMC channel, is to tamper with it by tossing in more commercials to bring in more money and eliminating two cast members to save money, then skipping a year, observes Grumpy Editor.

That's the rough road ahead as the three-time Emmy Award-winning Mad Men gets the green light from AMC for its fifth season.

Rather than the expected airing as summer fare this year, the series depicting lives of the “ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Ave. advertising” in the 1960s isn't returning until early next year.

Mad Men has been a bright summer TV attraction for the past four seasons.

AMC points to a contract dispute with series creator/executive producer Matthew Weiner, the Emmy award-winning executive producer and writer of  another successful series, The Sopranos.

Weiner has been offered a three-season deal worth about $30 million but no agreement has been reached so far.

AMC would like Weiner to return to the show, reports Broadcasting & Cable writer Andrea Morabito.

But at this stage in the negotiations, a source tells Morabito, the channel is ready to move forward on production with or without him.

Weiner is objecting to cutting several minutes from each episode to allow additional commercials and the trimming of cast members.

Earlier, it was expected that Mad Men would return next month. 

 

Nearly 6,000 journalists cover Washington lawmakers

The reason why there are so many stories with a Washington, D.C. dateline --- even when Congress is on a break --- is because the number of print, broadcast and digital journalists credentialed to cover the Senate and House is nearing 6,000, notes Grumpy Editor.

That number is almost equal to the population of cities such as Wickenburg, Ariz. or Essex, Conn.

Even during the past week (when both the Senate and House were on a nine-day break, returning yesterday) Washington pieces pepper print pages and broadcast news.

While major newspapers and broadcast networks maintain sizable bureaus in the nation’s capital, some of the heavier coverage now is linked to Web news sites that have been beefing up staffs.

Among print and Web outfits expanding writing staffs:  National Journal, Bloomberg Government, Huffington Post, The Hill and CQ Roll Call.

While most of the talent grabs news releases to rewrite, few amplify the handouts or ask tough questions (starting with “why”) and only a handful put on investigative reporter hats.

One area to start is why are there so many Senate and House days off as the nation faces mounting significant and unexpected developments at home and abroad.

Lawmakers, while back on the scene this week from a March break, are gearing up for a “spring break” less than three weeks away, April 16 to May. 1. 

 

Higher Social Security COLA seen for 2012, but…

While Social Security recipients won’t be learning officially about a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2012 until mid-October, early indications point to a slight increase with a BIG BUT --- that should spur comments via letters to the editor sections of newspapers and complaints to members of Congress and the White House, learns Grumpy Editor.

In short, it’s like a magic trick.  Now you see it, now you don’t.

That should provide material for alert editorial page writers, especially those who have been focusing on inflation in recent weeks.

Social Security trustees (see box) project a 1.2  percent COLA.  But the trustees also project the Medicare Part  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nearly all trustees linked to President Obama

The Social Security board of trustees is comprised of six members, four of them in high-ranking federal government positions: Timothy F. Geithner, Treasury secretary and managing trustee; Michael J. Astrue, Social Security commissioner; Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services secretary, Hilda L. Solis, Labor secretary, and two public trustees nominated by President Barack Obama.

Astrue was appointed by former President George W. Bush.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B premium for most will jump to $113.80 a month next year from $96.40 a month this year, on par with 2010.

Unless further inflation (which most media and government officials continue to label “tame”) registers on government computers between now and September when the 2012 Social Security COLA is calculated, it will mean less in-pocket monthly Social Security payments for most of the 45 million recipients next year than in 2011.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For an update, see the Oct. 19, 2011 GrumpyEditor.com: Higher Medicare cost cuts into 2012 Social Security COLA.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Last COLA was in 2009.

As an example, a monthly Social Security payment this year of $1,000, less $96.40 for Medicare Part B premium, nets a recipient $903.60.

For 2012, figuring current projections, a $12 increase to $1,012 monthly payment, less Medicare Part B premium of $113.80, will give that person $898.20 --- or $5.40  less per month in pocket.  

That’s how an increase (certainly to be emphasized) actually winds up as a decrease.

But wait.  Monthly benefits could be even less.

President Barack Obama projects an under one percent COLA (0.9 percent, to be exact) in his spending proposal for the budget year starting Oct. 1.

 

View how spam pages are overwhelming the Internet

Imagine, every hour one million spam pages are created.

That’s the finding on the Security Alert page in this month’s PCWorld magazine, notes Grumpy Editor.

Writer John P. Mello Jr. says analysts estimate 90 percent of email traffic is spam.

A clock at www.spamclock.com counts the number of spam pages created on the Internet every second.

Since Jan. I this year, the figure this morning passed the 2 billion mark.

Behind that site is search engine newcomer Blekko, points out Mello.

Based in Redwood City, Calif., Rich Skrenta, its founder, tells Mello that, “As the online economy continues to grow at double digits compared to stalled growth for the offline economy, the incentives for spammers get even more lucrative.”

 

13 illegals wearing Marine uniforms captured, then...

The arrest of 13 illegal aliens wearing U.S. Marine uniforms, being transported in a “hot” van with a phony U.S. government license plate, took eight days to surface --- and even then, major newspapers ignored the story, notes Grumpy Editor.

Fox News on its Web site and London’s Daily Mail were leaders in revealing the apprehensions by Border Patrol agents on March 14 at a checkpoint near Pine Valley, an unincorporated community in southeastern San Diego County.

Two U.S. citizens, one the driver, also were arrested.  They, too, wore U.S. Marine uniforms.

Some editors apparently weren’t too concerned about bringing to attention of readers that the illegals were clad in camouflaged Marine uniforms, complete with caps, and all 13 carried the same name --- Perez --- emblazoned on the backsides.

Also, the involved “U.S. government” vehicle turned out to be a privately-owned white van registered in Yucca Valley, Calif.  It bore a stolen government plate (one with the line, “For Official Use Only”) that was altered, including changing the center digit --- 0 --- to read as an 8.

It was determined that the license plate belonged to a one-ton cargo van, registered to the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Wearing U.S. military uniforms illegally --- especially by foreigners --- is enough to put those involved in the slammer for a long time.  And a private van impersonating a U.S. government vehicle usually gets those in such a caper a long term behind bars.

It wasn’t known if Homeland Security was concerned about the incident.

So what happened to the illegals garbed as Marines?

Not much.

A Border Patrol spokesman said they were returned to Mexico, their country of origin.

Maybe they will give a push into the U.S. another try --- perhaps wearing U.S. Navy uniforms.

Hyphen in e-mail disappears in latest AP Stylebook

The latest AP Stylebook shows more hyphens are disappearing but others are not, bringing confusion to news writers and editors, observes Grumpy Editor.

Going the contraction route is e-mail.

It now shrinks to email, joining cellphone and smartphone in becoming one word.

The vanishing hyphen is contrary to what most dictionaries show.

However, retaining the hyphen are e-book and e-commerce.

On the geography side, tinkering is going on with a key city in India.

Calcutta, the commercial capital of eastern India, becomes Kolkata, following local style.

That name-change for journalists follows Bombay renamed Mumbai a few years ago.

Meanwhile, the AP editors are sticking to last year’s change of Web site to website, despite cries that other sites, such as home site and battle site continue as two words.

The updated AP Stylebook will be available in May.

 

Editor: Changes in Chrysler review ‘humbling mistake’

In the aftermath of Detroit News auto reviewer Scott Burgess resigning last week after editors followed a request by an advertiser to water down his critique of the Chrysler 200, the newspaper’s publisher and editor on Saturday wrote in a memo to readers that he owes them “an explanation and an apology for the lapse that raised questions about our credibility,” notes Grumpy Editor.

“While our intent was to improve the piece by making these passages less grating, our decision to make these changes after fielding an advertiser's complaint was a humbling mistake,” says Jonathan Wolman.

“As publisher and editor, I want to apologize to our readers and of course to Scott. Once the review was published we should have maintained the wording in all our formats and avoided any sense that we were acting at the influence of any interest aside from our readers' interest.

“Why is that so important? The credibility of our journalism is our calling card to your doorstep and your digital screen. We simply cannot act at any behest but yours and we must avoid any appearance to the contrary.”

What triggered a vigorous discussion in the Detroit News newsroom where writers also review films, cultural performances, restaurants and computer gear?

Wolman points out, “Whether we are reviewing a movie or a new Thai restaurant or a $90,000 sportster, our readers must be certain they have the author's unvarnished opinion, free of any commercial or outside consideration. That's our ongoing commitment.”

And what are some of the sentences dropped in Burgess’s Chrysler 200 review?

Regrettably, the 200 is still a dog.

It’s vastly improved, but that’s only because it was so horrendous before.  Hopefully, this car is a placeholder until the real redesigned 200 arrives --- eventually.

The only thing this 200 proves is that good enough is never going to be good enough.

If this is the best vehicle Detroit exports, then Glenn Beck is right.

 

Associated Press writers again omit bylines from stories

Most newspaper readers probably didn’t notice it, but bylines were omitted --- again --- from Associated Press stories for a few days through the weekend, noted Grumpy Editor.

Stateside AP writers withheld their names over their creations, as they did three months ago.  They did the same thing two years earlier.

The News Media Guild, which represents about 1,250 AP workers, claimed, “AP is demanding huge increases in health care premiums, a pension freeze and a minuscule raise that won’t keep pace with inflation. The combined effect of management’s demands would immediately cut income for most of the staff and eliminate retirement security.”

It’s interesting to note the union mentioned “a minuscule raise that won’t keep pace with inflation,” this after AP’s Washington and business writers have continuously labeled inflation “tame” for many months.

Withholding bylines (or photo credits) isn’t new.  Writers at other news outlets --- including The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal --- have employed the tactic over recent years.

What participants fail to realize:  most readers --- other than family members, close friends and fellow staffers --- aren’t aware of dropped bylines.

Expressing unhappiness with the byline strike, Mitch Pugh, editor of Iowa’s The Sioux City Journal, on Saturday wrote, “the news agency recognizes that any story that is analytical in nature, a review or any story based on anonymous sources must have a byline. Therefore, during such strikes, the AP provides fewer stories of this nature.”

Pugh pointed out, “Guild members believe by withholding bylines they are drawing attention and sympathy to their plight. I’m not sure that’s accurate. They are certainly drawing attention, but I’m not feeling much sympathy. I doubt many of you will either.”

The editor added, “I hope Associated Press journalists will come to see the folly in this strategy, and I hope the AP works to remove the right to stage byline boycotts from the new contract. In my view, those moves will serve all of our readers and customers better.”

 

Chrysler doesn’t like 'Imported From Detroit’ on T-shirts

There’s a lot of sensitivity these days at Chrysler Group LLC regarding its Chrysler 200, one of its new vehicles being pitched heavily in television commercials, observes Grumpy Editor.

Chrysler thinks “Imported From Detroit” is a clever tag line in the commercial spotlighting the midsize sedan that first aired during last month’s Super Bowl.

But the auto maker is up in arms because a small Detroit retailer is selling clothing with the same slogan.

At the same time, a negative review of the Chrysler 200 by Scott Burgess, Detroit News auto writer and journalist for 12 years, resulted in him quitting the newspaper on Wednesday after editors followed a request by an advertiser to water down his piece.

Chrysler this week filed suit against Moda Group LLC, which operates retailer Pure Detroit.  The retailer’s three stores in the Motor City are selling T-shirts and other garb featuring the “Imported from Detroit” slogan.

Chrysler wants a federal judge to halt the “Imported From Detroit” clothing sales.

A Pure Detroit attorney tells Crain’s Detroit Business that he believes Chrysler’s tag line is unenforceable.  He adds he researched the matter and finds the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has rejected trademark applications using geographic references and the “imported from” phrase.

Nevertheless, Chrysler attorneys claim the defendants, in continuing to sell the clothing, “have left Chrysler no choice but to bring this lawsuit to prevent (the retailer) from deceiving and confusing the public and harming Chrysler’s good will.”

Of course, there’s quite a difference in looks and price of the “Imported From Detroit” products.

A Pure Detroit T-shirt carries a $24 price tag.  The MSRP of the Chrysler 200 --- which weighs 3,742 pounds --- starts at $19,245.