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Why Meddle With the Census?
In an article that appeared in the Washington Post "Outlook" Section on June 22nd, Post journalist William Casey urges Congress and critics of the U.S. Census Bureau to "let the Census Bureau do its job." An admitted "unreconstructed fan of the Census," the author worked as an enumerator during the 1990 Decennial Census, spent hours as a reporter looking at census tract maps and population data, and weeks poring over government statistical data while a graduate student.
The author believes the Census Bureau has, historically, performed a valuable service for America, that the data collected by the Bureau is of high quality, and that atttempts to restrict the data the Bureau collects (or restrictions on the Bureau's use of sampling techniques for the 2000 Census) are unwarranted. The author also praises the widespread availibility of census data and meterials, and easy access to census public use data.
Pension Errors May Be Rising,
But Finding Them Is Up To You
According to a June 22nd article in the Washington Post Business Section, the number of incorrect pension payments may be rising. The Federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation found in a recent survey of some of the plans it operates that 13.7 percent of 2,791 participants were being underpaid, compared with 3 percent in a 1988 audit. The underpayments were generally not large, but added up to significant sums over the years.
Pensioners who are shortchanged can expect little help soon from the government. Little current legislation is aimed at correcting pension benefit calculations. But Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) says he plans to introduce legislation soon that would require employers to provide workers with statements of their pension benefits every three years. The statements would have to explain how pension benefits are calculated.
In the meantime, workers shouldn't just accept their employers figures without question. Workers should understand which kind of pension plan they are covered by. There are two types, defined benefit (annuities) and defined contributions (401 k). It is in defined benefit plans that calculation errors are most likely.
Because of the way pension formulas work, accurate data is essential to ensure accurate pension payments. Workers should ensure their employer has correct date of birth, date of hire, and other personal information. Because large companies often have multiple plans covering different sets of workers, employees should make sure they are listed in the right plan. Employees should also collect information about their pension plan, including employer documents. The article concludes by stating that employers use several strategies to reduce pension payments. Written by business reporter Arbert Crenshaw, the article begins on page H1.
Revised Guidelines Define Diabetes in Broader Terms
A front page New York Times article on June 24th reports new guidelines for testing and treating diabetes. The guidelines are the result of data from fifteen years of research that indicate levels of blood sugar long accepted as "normal" are actually too high and should be considered a sign of diabetes. The guidelines were issued by the American Diabetes Association and endorsed by Federal health authorities and several major health organizations.
The new guidelines call for redefining diabetes to include persons with a fasting plasma glucose level of 126 milligrams per decaliter. The previous cutoff was 140 or higher. The association has also established a "danger zone" of between 110 and 125 milligrams of glucose per decaliter in which the body's ability to process glucose is considered impaired. Eight million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 8 million may have the disease without knowing it. The new guidelines may shift 2 million people from the group that doesn't know to the group that does know. Nearly all the new cases will be adult-onset (type 2) diabetes.
The article's author, Denise Grady, also reports that researchers are unsure about the prognosis for many of diabetics who fall under the new guidelines, since there is now little or no data to support proposed treatment protocols involving diet, exercise, weight loss and drugs.