[Velvet]

Lower the retirement age. Studies so far indicate that the immunity system of younger people reacts to protect them more strongly than older people after the virus is caught and they survive. Time for Boomers to let the young ones work.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Kahuna32162

Just an update, as of today, April 16th, the US death toll has topped 30,000. Worried yet?

Yes, and I’d like to know why? Only 3 countries with much larger populations have deaths higher than NY state.

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Yes, and I’d like to know why? Only 3 countries with much larger populations have deaths higher than NY state.

Why is simple. Have you looked at mere size of the United States. You could fit Italy, Spain and France within our border. Combine their losses against ours. The media is comparing apples and bananas.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by DianeM

Why is simple. Have you looked at mere size of the United States. You could fit Italy, Spain and France within our border. Combine their losses against ours. The media is comparing apples and bananas.

But I sense our per capita case rate is strangely high. I could be wrong. Haven’t had a chance to do an analysis. But even if it is, I’d attribute it to our propensity for international travel, scarcity of testing and locking down late.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by DianeM

Why is simple. Have you looked at mere size of the United States. You could fit Italy, Spain and France within our border. Combine their losses against ours. The media is comparing apples and bananas.

Let me try to compare apples to apples.
What I was trying to say NY state has 828 deaths per million of its population from Worldometers.

The other top countries in the world for death rate are:

Spain 409 deaths per million of its population
Italy 367 deaths per million of its population
France 275 deaths per million of its population

So NYState has 2 times as many people dying as anywhere in the world at this time and I said, yes, I am worried about it.

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Let me try to compare apples to apples.
What I was trying to say NY state has 828 deaths per million of its population from Worldometers.

The other top countries in the world for death rate are:

Spain 409 deaths per million of its population
Italy 367 deaths per million of its population
France 275 deaths per million of its population

So NYState has 2 times as many people dying as anywhere in the world at this time and I said, yes, I am worried about it.

Did you worry when 60,000 died of H1N1? I’m not worried in the least.

I can answer that as a native. New York City is densely populated. Apartment buildings can have many many floors, 30 to 50 floors or more, of multiple apts on each floor. It would be impossible not to run into neighbors. There is also an element that does not follow rules and you can be sure that’s who’s filling the emergency rooms. The numbers are no longer scary once you know that when you get out of the city and go more upstate, it’s pastoral with very few, if any, cases.

[Velvet]

You are right... but I have friends in NYC too.

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by LiverpoolWalrus

But I sense our per capita case rate is strangely high. I could be wrong. Haven’t had a chance to do an analysis. But even if it is, I’d attribute it to our propensity for international travel, scarcity of testing and locking down late.

Really only high in New York because of population density.

There are sufficient tests for sick people and that’s who should get them not every one who needs to assuage their fear. You cannot test 330 million, nor should you.
Besides, you could be negative on Tuesday and positive on Thursday.

DeSantis was wrong to let the partying go on at the beaches as long as he did.

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by Velvet

You are right... but I have friends in NYC too.

Same here. I never lived in the city but always the burbs but the crowding there was high.

[geofitz13]

Originally Posted by Rebel Pirate

I adopt a slightly different turn of phrase regarding social security and medicare. By government definition, they are entitlements. I think you are arguing they are earned entitlements because you have already paid for them.

But, it's important for the federal budget to distinguish between entitlements (mandatory spending) and non-entitlements, which is discretionary spending in the budget.

Personally, I find this offensive. The government should use the proper terminology. Mandatory or Discretionary would be fine. To label something we paid into (while the congress exempts itself and its' friends) as "Entitlements" is misleading and offensive. The next step is to define SS as "Government Benefits" which will make it very easy to cut or eliminate.
How about making all federal employees, including all three branches of government, subject to Social Security. Scrap their overly generous retirement programs, and live like the rest of us. Then see what they call it.

[Paper1]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Here's 3 ideas. Raise the retirement age, eliminate the spouse benefit, and crack down on bogus disability claims.

We should have a serious dialog about all three of those you mention and others but honesty and desire to be re-elected are powerful deterrents.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by geofitz13

How about making all federal employees, including all three branches of government, subject to Social Security. Scrap their overly generous retirement programs, and live like the rest of us. Then see what they call it.

As a retired federal employee, I'd like to point out that we were required to contribute a significant portion of our salary each and every payday to the federal retirement plan. It's an annuity. Anyone who socks away money throughout their entire career of multiple decades has the same expectation for a potentially "generous" outcome. We do not have access to Social Security benefits. And whether the program is "generous" is a matter of opinion.

Federal retiree benefits vary greatly depending on occupation, geographic location, educational level, length of tenure and other factors. Many federal retirees could not live comfortably in the Villages on their federal annuity alone.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

So NYState has 2 times as many people dying as anywhere in the world at this time and I said, yes, I am worried about it.

Try adjusting the data for population density, people per square mile. Then adjust the population for working versus home base. Then adjust the data for public versus private commute, ie bus, subway versus tax and personal vehicle. ie, Then you will have your answer.

Good data analysis requires lots of relevant variables, but the more relevant the variables, the harder the variables are to get quality relevant data. . . .

sportsguy

[Doro22]

Originally Posted by MACH7SS

Other than a few minor things like shaking hands and hugging at group gatherings, I sincerely doubt anything will change permanently. At first people will be cautious but complacency will eventually dull their concerns. After six months to a year, the Corona Virus will be history. And if they test and approve a vaccine before then, the whole time frame will shorten dramatically. I just checked the US death toll today and it shows a total of 9171 fatalities. The US death toll of the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 was over 12,000 in an equally short time. Do you see any huge changes in the US after the H1N1?

I surely agree about handshaking. And all that hugging I have seen in groups here is so annoying. Why oh why were these silly ladies practically racing across a Rec Center room to hug someone they see 2x a week. Then stand there holding & rocking back & forth to show everyone else that they have a friend. They were doing this as recently as early March at exercise session. I never did get it.
Oh...and cruise ships: a virtual germ/virus factory. After a 10 day cruise about four years ago neither my husband nor I ever wanted to do another cruise. Glad we agreed on that. I would rather fly or drive to a lovely destination & stay there to enjoy the ambiance.

[geofitz13]

[QUOTE= Many federal retirees could not live comfortably in the Villages on their federal annuity alone.[/QUOTE]


I'm sure you are correct. I don't know of ANY ss recipients who could live in the Villages on ss alone. I stand on my statement.