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Daily Archives: November 14, 2012

Long-Term Implications of the 2013 Future Years Defense Program

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Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense Budget, November 14, 2012

  • “Of DoD’s $150 billion request for compensation in 2013, more than $90 billion would go to basic pay, food and housing allowances, bonuses, and various types of special pay. Another $16 billion would go to accrual payments that account for the future pensions of current service members who will retire from the military (generally after at least 20 years of service). In 2012, DoD paid 34 cents for each dollar of basic pay for active personnel and 24 cents for each dollar of basic pay for reserve personnel. The remainder of DoD’s request for compensation in 2013—roughly $40 billion—would cover health benefits. Whereas 1.4 million military personnel serve on active duty, a total of nearly 10 million people are eligible for military health benefits. In addition to active-duty military personnel, the people who have access to health benefits include eligible family members of those personnel, retired military personnel and their eligible family members, survivors of service members who died while on active duty, and some members of the reserves and National Guard.”

    • New GAO Reports – DOD and VA Health Care, Improving Highway Pavement Performance, Public Transit, Spectrum Management Incentives, Motorcycle Safety

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    DOD and VA Health Care – Medication Needs during Transitions May Not Be Managed for All Servicemembers, GAO-13-26, Nov 2, 2012 Transportation – Information on Materials and Practices for Improving Highway Pavement Performance, GAO-13-32R, Nov 14, 2012 Public Transit – Funding for New Starts and Small Starts Projects, October 2004 through June 2012, GAO-13-40, Nov… Continue Reading

    Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011

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    “The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that in 2011, median household income declined, the poverty rate was not statistically different from the previous year and the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased. Real median household income in the United States in 2011 was $50,054, a 1.5 percent decline from the 2010 median and… Continue Reading

    EPIC – Google Transparency Report Reveals Risks of Cloud-based Computing

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    “According to a recent report from Google, the company received 20,938 requests for user data in the first half of 2012, up from 18,257 requests in the second half of 2011. The United States accounted for 7,969 requests in the 2012 report. And of these requests, Google provided user data to the US government in… Continue Reading

    Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System

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    “The electric power delivery system that carries electricity from large central generators to customers could be severely damaged by a small number of well-informed attackers. The system is inherently vulnerable because transmission lines may span hundreds of miles, and many key facilities are unguarded. This vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that the power grid,… Continue Reading

    An Analysis of Chinese Investments in the U.S. Economy

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    U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission – An Analysis of Chinese Investments in the U.S. Economy, by Andrew Szamosszegi, October 2012 “Once hardly noticeable, Chinese investments in U.S. companies are now rising sharply. Cumulative Chinese investments in U.S. companies remain modest compared to those of other major countries. However, a combination of “push and pull”… Continue Reading