Response from Sen. Casey #3

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts and concerns about the national debt.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I understand you are concerned about the health of the American economy and our national debt.  I share these concerns.  Despite a balanced budget as recently as 2001, the budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year was $1.1 trillion.  Two wars, unpaid-for tax cuts for the rich and other policies have put us on a path that is unsustainable.  In addition, the economic recession has triggered increased federal spending on social safety net programs such as unemployment insurance and food stamps, as well as decreased revenues as millions of Americans have been thrown out of work.

 

Economists agree the most significant factor in any Nation’s budget outlook is the strength of its economy.  Unfortunately, nearly 13.1 million people in the United States are unemployed, including 530,000  in Pennsylvania.  Therefore, we must continue efforts to boost job creation while simultaneously exercising greater fiscal responsibility.  It is critical that the 112th Congress works in a bipartisan fashion to reduce the deficit in a manner that does not hamper the economic recovery or place unfair burdens on hard-working Pennsylvania families.

 

As required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 enacted in August, leaders in both chambers appointed twelve members of Congress to the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.  This committee was responsible for identifying $1.5 trillion in spending cuts by November 23, 2011, and failed to do so.  Since they failed to reach an agreement, automatic across-the-board spending cuts of at least $1.2 trillion will go into effect beginning in January 2013.  Generally, the spending reductions will be made equally from defense spending and from all other spending.

 

Cutting spending and reducing the deficit is vital to our long-term economic security.  It is also what families across Pennsylvania and across the country are doing in these hard fiscal times: making tough choices about what is important.  I have supported a trillion dollars in spending cuts, and I am disappointed that the members of the supercommittee could not come together to reach agreement to further cut spending and reduce the deficit.  

 

We need to move forward immediately to create jobs and grow the economy.  There was a welcome example of bipartisanship when a bill that I cosponsored to provide tax incentives for companies to hire unemployed veterans was signed into law in last November. The Senate also passed another bipartisan measure which I championed, that would crack down on China’s currency manipulation.  Bills like these are the kind of commonsense measures that we need to protect Pennsylvania’s workers, create jobs and get the economy back on track.  Congress should continue pass other job creation measures, like the effort I have been leading to pass legislation to provide tax incentives to companies to hire workers.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #2

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding proposed changes to military benefits.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I have the deepest respect and gratitude for American servicemembers and their contributions to our national security.  Our brave men and women make incredible sacrifices so that we may live in peace and safety here at home, and I believe strongly that the U.S. government should support our servicemembers even in times of fiscal restraint.  As your United States Senator, I have consistently advocated for fair compensation for American military personnel.  

 

In the past year, I have introduced, cosponsored and voted for a variety of legislation in support of our active and retired servicemembers and their families.

 

Helping Veterans Transition to Civilian Life

 

· S. 1104, the Veteran Transition Assistance Program Audit Act of 2011, which would improve the effectiveness of programs that provide job training, benefits and transitional services to veterans.

· S. 951, the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which would provide the job skills training that veterans and severely injured members of the Armed Forces need when entering the workforce.

· S. 1540, the Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, which would provide a business-related tax credit for a percentage of the fees incurred by a veteran for the purchase of a franchise.

· S. 411, the Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011, which would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with state or local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to expand and improve housing services and related outreach for veterans.

· S. 745, a bill to protect certain veterans who would otherwise be subject to a reduction in educational assistance benefits.

 

Improving Mental and Physical Health Services for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S.AMDT. 1253, which would allow members of the reserve components to continue to receive pay, benefits and reintegration services such as physical and mental health evaluations following an extended deployment.

· S. Res. 202 and S. Res. 455, designating June 27, 2011, and June 27, 2012, respectively, as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.”

· S. 1018, the Defense Sexual Trauma Response Oversight and Good Governance Act, which would increase the number of full-time Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates within military units, provide for the inclusion of sexual assault prevention and response training in professional military education and first responder courses, and entitle all members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who are victims of sexual assault to legal assistance and confidentiality.

· S. 1798, the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011, which would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an open burn pit registry to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals caused by open burn pits while deployed are able to obtain information regarding this exposure.

· S. 1629, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011, which would extend presumptive coverage for herbicide-related medical conditions to certain Vietnam veterans, called blue water veterans, who served up to 12 miles off shore.

 

Ensuring Fair Compensation for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S. 855, the Pay Our Troops Act, and S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act, both of which would guarantee that service members receive their pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown.

· S. 344, the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2011, which allows service-disabled veterans to collect both military retired pay and disability compensation.

· S. 260, a bill to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation.

· S. 2112, the Space-Available Act of 2012, which authorizes transportation on military aircraft for active duty, reserve, and retired members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on a space-available basis.

 

Supporting Military Families

 

· S. 697, the Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2011, which would provide a tax credit to servicemembers’ spouses to ease the heavy burden placed on our military families when they are required to move across state lines.

· S. 842, the Military Spouse Employment Programs Evaluation Act, which would require the Department of Defense to report annually on the results of military spouse employment programs (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Supporting the National Guard and Reserve Component

 

· S. 3354, the Transition Assistance Advisor Act, which would create a Transition Assistance Advisor program to assist members of the National Guard in each state in accessing benefits and health care, discovering employment and educational opportunities, and obtaining information on other services available to members of the National Guard and their families from federal, state, and local agencies;

· S. 866, the Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act, which would allow servicemembers to collect retirement pay three months sooner than the sixty year eligibility age for each ninety days of active duty performed in two consecutive fiscal years.

· S. 1025, the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of  2011, which would promote the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, enhance the National Guard’s capacity to prepare for and respond to domestic emergencies, and authorize funding for the State Partnership Program (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Recognizing Veterans’ Service

 

· S. 1348, the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act, which would direct the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation.

 

Finally, I have consistently voted in favor of pay raises for servicemembers.  For a compilation of resources available to servicemembers and veterans, please visit my website.

 

The Department of Defense (DOD) is under intense pressure to reduce its expenditures.  In January 2012, the DOD released a proposal to reduce future spending by $487 billion over the next decade, as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.  This proposal includes general recommendations for changes to military personnel policies.  In February, the Obama Administration released its budget request for the 2013 fiscal year, which outlines specific proposals for changes to the military’s compensation, health care and retirement systems.  Although military compensation currently accounts for approximately one third of the DOD’s budget, the administration’s proposal would derive only about ten percent of the required spending cuts from  these programs.  The Administration’s budget request has not yet been debated through the appropriations process in the Senate.

 

Military Pay

 

The Department of Defense’s budget request does not propose pay cuts for military personnel.  In 2013 and 2014, the DOD proposes increases in basic pay of 1.7 percent per year, equivalent to the Employment Cost Index and similar to the expected growth of pay in the private sector.  In an effort to control costs, the rate of pay increases would decrease gradually beginning in January 2015.  The budget request also proposes that the basic allowance for housing (BAH) and the basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) be increased annually beginning in January 2013 based on a “by location” housing market analysis and a food cost index, respectively.  The average increases in 2013 are expected to be 4.2 percent for the BAH and 3.4 percent for the BAS.

 

Military Health Care

 

The military’s budget for health care for servicemembers, retirees and their dependents exceeded $50 billion in 2011, amounting to nearly ten percent of total defense spending.  This is partially attributable to the increase in eligible beneficiaries and the expansion of care over the past several years.  In addition, the amount that beneficiaries pay for Tricare has not kept pace with the costs of care, as healthcare costs in both the military and civilian sectors have increased more rapidly than overall inflation.  

 

In order to reduce the growth of military health care costs while maintaining benefits, the DOD has examined several changes to the military’s health care system.  According to the DOD, these proposed changes would not affect active-duty servicemembers or their families.  In addition, medically retired servicemembers and survivors of those who died on active duty would be exempted from all proposed changes.  

 

· Tricare: Under the proposed changes, military retirees under age 65 would pay additional enrollment fees to participate in the Tricare program.  The DOD has proposed a tiered approach to fees based on retired pay, under which senior-grade retirees would pay more than junior-grade retirees.  All retirees would continue to pay lower fees than comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare-For-Life: Military retirees ages 65 and older would pay a new enrollment fee to participate in the Tricare-for-Life program.  The same tiered approach proposed for Tricare would be used for Tricare-for-Life.  The resulting fees would be well below comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare Prescription Drug Plan: Tricare beneficiaries would be encouraged to use generic medications and mail-order prescription services through increased pharmacy co-pays.  

 

On May 24, 2012, the Senate Committee on Armed Services passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013.  This bill does not authorize the establishment of enrollment fees for Tricare Standard or Tricare-for-Life.  Please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind when the NDAA comes before the full Senate for consideration.

 

Military Retirement

 

Rather than proposing specific changes to the military retirement system in its 2013 budget request, the DOD requests that Congress create a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the military retirement system within the context of overall military compensation.  The proposed commission would determine whether there are cost-effective changes that should be made to the current military retirement system.  The DOD recommends that all current military personnel and veterans be grandfathered into the existing system — that is, any changes to retirement benefits would affect only future recruits.  

 

I am gravely concerned about any proposal that would reduce retirement compensation for our servicemembers.  Our servicemembers and their families make enormous sacrifices, and our Nation is committed to supporting them after they have completed their service.  The current military retirement system is also an important incentive for the recruitment and retention of servicemembers, and changes to this system may undermine the future of our Nation’s all-volunteer force.  For these reasons, in 2011 I sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, urging him not to undertake any detrimental changes or reductions in military retirement system.  I also wrote a Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, available here, emphasizing the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families and the importance of upholding our commitment to them.  

 

Based on the administration’s request, the current Senate version of the NDAA for FY 2013 bill would establish a Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission “to review elements of military compensation and retirement benefits to ensure the long-term viability of the All-Volunteer Force, enable a high quality of life for military families, and to modernize and achieve sustainability of the compensation and retirement systems, while grandfathering current service members and retirees.”  The bill is currently under consideration by the full Senate.

 

I understand that some of the proposed changes to military compensation, health care and retirement benefits would have a significant impact on our retired servicemembers and their families.  As your United States Senator, I believe strongly that we must not balance the budget on the backs of American servicemembers and their families.  As the Senate considers reductions in defense spending, I will work to identify areas in which spending can be reduced without compromising our national security or undermining our commitment to our servicemembers.  

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  When the NDAA or other legislation regarding changes to military benefits comes before the full Senate for consideration, please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #1

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about abortion.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

As you know, I was elected to the United States Senate as a pro-life candidate.  I believe that life begins at conception, and that the role of government is to protect, enrich and value life for everyone, at every moment, from beginning to end.  These principles guide my actions as a public official.  I will work in the Senate toward the goal of reducing the number of abortions by targeting the underlying factors that often lead women to have abortions.  I will also continue to work within my party to ensure that both political parties are welcoming and open to such initiatives.

 

We cannot say we are pro-life without providing support to women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term.  That is why I was proud to reintroduce the Pregnant Women Support Act on May 13, 2009.  Many women who face an unplanned pregnancy do so with little or no support.  Under such circumstances, the decision to continue a pregnancy can seem overwhelming.  The Pregnant Women Support Act offers common ground on how we can reduce abortions by offering pregnant women real and genuine alternatives.  More than anything, this bill is about helping women who are pregnant.  It provides pregnant women more information, better medical care and stronger support during their pregnancies.  It strengthens existing programs and adds new ones that support both mother and child after the baby is born.

 

I am pleased that all the major provisions of the Pregnant Women Support Act were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform bill that became law on March 23, 2010.  Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for resources and support for pregnant and parenting teens and young women.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania..

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Bic Flex 3

Another two months has gone by since I purchased the BIC Flex 3 razor. My expectations were pretty much the same as the Bic Flex 4 only with one blade less. I had a coupon so the cost for 6 razors was about $0.50 a piece. Not a bad deal, but how does it compare?

Like the Flex 4, the Flex 3 is an okay razor, especially for $0.50 a piece. It gave an acceptable shave for about 2 weeks, but by week 3 I could tell the blade was getting dull. I don't think it cut quite as good as the Flex 4, but very close to it.

The head is large and easy to clean out debris, but it also makes it more difficult to shave some areas.

I can say that I liked the Gillette 3 series better. They shave a little closer and are easier to maneuver in those tight areas.

However, due to the price I would rate this razor about 87%. It ranks up there with the Mach 3 Turbo (3 blade) and the Fusion Proglide (5 blade). However, with a coupon and on sale, the cost is much lower for the Bic Flex 3. I have 4 left and will be using them again in the future, however, I will probably change them out every 2 weeks.

Until the next time, the adventure continues.

Letter to Senator Casey

Dear Senator Casey:

Congratulations on your recent election victory.

Some of the pressing items we are facing today are: elevated levels of unemployment, unprecedented debt levels, the breakdown of the family structure, threats from other countries, destroying our future by aborting our children, dramatic rise in government assistance, drastic cost increases with healthcare, burdensome taxes and many more items that will eventually lead to the downfall of America as we know it if left unchecked.

Here are some ideas to help redirect the country:

1. Our family structure is dissolving. Historically, this has led to the downfall of many countries. We need to defend and support marriage between one man and one women. We need to stop destroying our future generation by using abortion as a form of birth control.

2. Our government spending is out of control. Many people, mostly from the Democratic party, do not believe we have a spending problem, rather we have a revenue problem. They believe the wealthy are not paying their fair share of taxes. One of the quickest and easiest ways to generate revenue and raise taxes on the wealthy is to remove the cap on social security wages. Why stop the social security tax at $110,100? Remove the cap and the wealthy will have higher taxes and this will also help secure social security for years to come. We don't need national health insurance, but we do need affordable health care. People need to take responsibility for their actions. People should not be given handouts, they should be given incentives to get back to work. They should be trained to do a job, rather than given money to sit at home, watch television, smoke cigarettes, and drink beer.

3. We need to protect our nation from other countries. We need to secure our borders. We need to pay attention and act upon any information about threats that we receive. We also need to continue to support our military, not just while they are deployed, but when they return as well. We need to truly be "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your recent election victory. As I am sure you are aware, even though you can't publicly admit it, the state of our union is not good.

Some of the pressing items we are facing today are: elevated levels of unemployment, unprecedented debt levels, the breakdown of the family structure, threats from other countries, destroying our future by aborting our children, dramatic rise in government assistance, drastic cost increases with healthcare, burdensome taxes and many more items that will eventually lead to the downfall of America as we know it if left unchecked.

Now is the time to make a change. Now is the time to step up and be the leader that brings America back on track to independence and prosperity. Don't push the blame onto others, you are the President, you are the leader of what I and many others believe to be the greatest nation on this planet.

Here are some ideas to help redirect the country:

1. Our family structure is dissolving. Historically, this has led to the downfall of many nations. We need to defend and support marriage between one man and one women. We need to stop destroying our future generation by using abortion as a form of birth control.

2. Our government spending is out of control. You have said that we have a revenue problem, not a spending problem. You have said you want to increase taxes on the wealthy. One of the quickest and easiest ways to do this is to remove the cap on social security wages. Why stop the social security tax at $110,100? Remove the cap and the wealthy will have higher taxes and this will also help secure social security for years to come. We don't need national health insurance, but we do need affordable health care. People need to take responsibility for their actions. People should not be given handouts, they should be given incentives to get back to work. They should be trained to do a job, rather than given money to sit at home, watch television, smoke cigarettes, and drink beer.

3. We need to protect our nation from other countries. We need to secure our borders. We need to pay attention and act upon any information about threats that we receive. We also need to continue to support our military, not just while they are deployed, but when they return as well. We need to truly be "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Book Review

Meet Those Who Met the Master by Wendell E. Mettey

This is an interesting concept for a book. A book based upon Scripture, but with some of the blanks carefully filled in to provide the reader with a more complete picture of the character. I must say, however, the book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting more of a flowing story, similar to "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Fulton Oursler. That is not what this book contains.

Instead I found a bunch of smaller, individual stories about the people who met Jesus. The author wrote the stories in a first person narrative and in my opinion did a good job filling in the blanks and creating the story for each character.

Overall, I think it is a good book to read and add to your collection. I believe it would provide an excellent bible discussion/study for children and would translate well into brief skits for children or adults. I also enjoyed the drawing of the character at the beginning of each chapter. Knowing that the drawings are based on people and not just an artist's imagination helped bring the story to life for me.

Book Review

Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown by Eric Blehm

This book is about the life of Adam Brown. The author touches each aspect of his life, from his troubled younger days to his resolve to be the best husband, father, and SEAL possible.

The author doesn't push any agenda with this book. It is simply the story of Adam Brown as told by the people who knew him best.

Anyone looking for an interesting story should consider looking at this book. From the title of the book you can probably figure out what happens to Brown, but it is the encouraging journey along the way that should be motivating to anyone reading.

Book Review

Surviving in an Angry World by Charles Stanley

The goal of this book is to help people deal with anger. This includes their own anger as well as anger from others that is directed toward them. The book goes beyond helping people merely survive in an angry world and encourages them to live as peaceably a life as possible.

The book essentially answers the question of "How should we deal with anger in ourselves and respond to it in others?"

Stanley does a good job of answering that question based upon biblical values. In my opinion, he does not use enough Scripture to support his statements, rather he relies on personal stories instead.

While I agree with most of the author's ideas and suggestions, I was hoping for more examples from Scripture and less stories from Stanley's life.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone (christian or non-christian) who is struggling with their anger or with ways of responding to others anger.

Gillette Custom Plus 3 Sensitive

Continuing my quest for the best shave, I tested out the Gillette Custom Plus 3 Sensitive disposable razor for the past two months. I really could have stopped after only one month because it is the same as the Sensor 3 disposable razor from Gillette.

I decided to contact Gillette to find out what the difference is between the Custom Plus 3 and the Sensor 3. I also asked if they would fit on the Sensor handle. Here is the response:

"Thank you for contacting Gillette.

The only difference between they are two different products and the Sensor3 Sensitive Skin disposable razor has more lubrication on the lubrastrip. These systems are disposable and they do not fit on to any of our permanent razor systems.

I hope this helps."

I think I failed to mention in my original email that the Custom Plus 3 was also the "sensitive" model. So, therefore, there is no difference between the Custom Plus 3 and the Sensor 3, except of course for the price. The Custom Plus 3 are a little cheaper than the Sensor 3, about $.05 per razor. Not a significant difference.

Also, even though the Gillette representative states the razors do not fit on to any of their permanent razor systems, she is wrong. They both fit nicely onto the Sensor handle.

I stocked up when Gillette had a few $2.00 off coupons so I will be good for a while, but up next are some BIC Flex 3 that I picked up for about $0.50 a razor. I will report back in two months after the testing is completed.