Folks probably know this already, but most government agencies, EPA included, give large grants to AARP to hire their retirees to perform government "administrivia." It's basically a way for government agencies to have more "staff" than their personnel ceilings allow, and to give retirees first shot at some pretty unglamorous positions.
<<The family has Champus(?)>> CHAMPUS = Civilian Health and Medical Program for the Uniformed Services. CHAMPUS gives a cost-sharing arrangement for in-patient and out-patient medical care from civilian hospitals and doctors when care is not available through a military hospital or clinic.
In a message dated Tue, 12 Mar 2002 12:00:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, "pms" <laflame at aaahawk.com> writes:
> What do you suppose that $99mil to AARP was all about? Maybe that's just
> how they pay off the AARP's Big Cigars for towing the line somewhere else,
> like healthcare. (Speaking of healthcare, I was doing just that last night
> when I stopped at Publix after work. My favorite cashier, who has a full
> time day job, was telling my how they are paying a fortune for health
> insurance for his dad, who is a 23 yr veteran of the Navy. He has cancer and
> doesn't want to go to Veteran's hospitals. Apparently got the insurance
> when he could no longer go to Navy hospital's. Not sure when US changed that
> deal. The family has Champus(?) which he said pays about 25% of costs.
> Man, the pols must be hiding the tons of mail they must get on this issue in
> caves in Afganistan. The healthcare financing system is crumbling for many
> more kinds of people than back in '92.)
>
> Also, what do you New Yorkers think of the Hudson river thingy. They seem
> to have a point about the legality but I haven't read any background. Could
> they muck up the river trying to clean it up?