Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
Ferida's Wolff's Backyard: Yellow Bird and New Growth
Ferida Wolff writes: I wondered where it came from. Did it escape from a cage in someone’s house? Was it a wild variation that flew in from somewhere else? I thought that I might offer it some food and shelter in case it was a loose house bird and unused to being outside but as soon as I took a tiny step forward, it yelled at me in bird talk and flew off. I watched for it later that afternoon and the next day, hoping that if it had been a needy house bird it would find its way back for shelter. But I didn’t see it again. I kept seeing what I thought was a dead tree on my walks through my community. The trunk and upper branches were severely cut and mostly bare. I wondered how long it would be before it would have to come done. I hope that it continues to flourish and show the world its power and beauty. And I wish the same for the rest of us, too. more »
Jo Freeman Writes: Sex and the Democratic Party – In Brooklyn
Jo Freeman Writes: Fifty years ago, when I first began looking for information on women in politics, the world was a different place. The only History of Democratic Women I could find was a 40-page pamphlet published by the Democratic Congressional Wives Forum in 1960. There were no updates. That year there were only eight women in Congress; a Democratic Women’s Caucus was inconceivable. Politics was a male domain. By the time I moved to Brooklyn in 1979, women were breaking barriers, but politics was still a male world. Shirley Chisholm had been joined in the House by Elizabeth Holtzman from Brooklyn (who would run for Senate and lose in 1980) and Geraldine Ferraro from Queens (who would run for Vice President in 1984 and lose). Jump ahead to 2021. There are 123 women in the House (9 from NY) and 24 in the Senate (1 from NY). more »
GAO Health Care, Private Health Coverage: Results of Covert Testing for Selected Sales Representatives Listed on Healthcare.gov GAO-21-568R, August 10
PPACA-exempt health coverage arrangements may be attractive to consumers, particularly those who find it difficult to afford PPACA-compliant plans. However, such arrangements generally do not need to follow PPACA's requirement that plans in the individual market be presented to consumers in defined categories outlining the extent to which they are expected to cover medical care. As a result, depending on how they are marketed and sold, PPACA-exempt arrangements could present risks for consumers, if, for example, they buy these plans mistakenly believing that coverage is as comprehensive as for PPACA-compliant plans. more »
CFPB Report: Mortgage Servicers’ Pandemic Response Varies Significantly: Supervisory Data Show Some Servicers Struggled to Assist Borrowers
The report’s data metrics include call handling and loan delinquency rates, and they highlight the industry’s widely varied response to the pandemic. “Many emergency mortgage protections are winding down, and servicers have had ample time to prepare for the millions of distressed homeowners who need their assistance,” said CFPB Acting Director Dave Uejio. “Today’s report should inform servicers’ own data reviews as they determine whether they are doing enough for borrowers. Servicers who find themselves at the bottom of the pack should immediately take corrective steps. The CFPB will hold accountable those servicers who cause harm to homeowners and families.” more »
