Feds blow $100 billion a year on incorrect payments

Between 2002 and 2012, federal agencies spent more than half a trillion dollars ($688 billion) on payments that should never have been made. 

Every year, according to their own record-keeping, the agencies that administer major federal programs are now paying out more than $100 billion improperly, and even though they're aware of the problem, they recover only a tiny fraction for taxpayers. This adds up to huge losses for the U.S. Treasury.

In 2012 alone, the Office of Management and Budget gathered data on just 13 high-error programs in the federal government, and determined that they made a combined $101.3 billion in improper payments. To put that in perspective, that's almost $16 billion more than the highly controversial budget sequester wound up cutting from government spending in 2013.

The government doesn't get a whole lot of that money back. In July, then-Controller of the Office of Management and Budget Daniel Werfel testified in a Senate hearing that over the preceding two years, the government had recaptured only $2 billion in improper payments.

• Your taxes wasted on a $120 million parking center

To be clear, the term "improper payment" covers many problems and is not limited to out-and-out fraud. It can include payments made in error, either through the fault of the agency itself or the person claiming the payment. But what the vast majority of the instances of improper payment have in common is that they represent money that shouldn't be paid out at all leaving the Federal Treasury and not coming back.

As part of their annual financial reports, federal agencies are required to estimate the payment error rate of the programs they administer, and for some of the biggest benefits programs, the percentage of payments deemed improper reaches double digits, and tens of billions of dollars.

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In-flight Act of Kindness To An Autistic Child

I love sharing stories where people are kind to one another.  

Please share this with all your networks!  

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When Shanell Mouland boarded a Philadelphia-bound plane out of Orlando early this month with her family, she was bracing for the worst.

Mouland was headed home to New Brunswick, Canada, Jan. 5 with her husband and daughters Grace, 5, and Kate, 3, who has autism and doesn’t like to sit for long. They were returning from a week spent at Walt Disney World.

“We knew that flights were difficult for her,” Mouland said. “And we knew this was going to be a tough one.”

To Read the Entire Story and Watch the Video, Please Click HERE

SIMPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS MEAN THE MOST

This is a wonderful story that should be passed around as much as possible.  SheKnows Home & Living Editor Kelli Uhrich shares her moving experience with a stranger who offered her kindness.

Please share and cross post on all your Social Networks!  

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Dear Stranger,

Today we stood next to one another in line at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, waiting to move through the security checkpoint. You probably don't remember me, but I will never forget you. I was the woman with the frazzled hair, the sweat-dripping brow and the large plastic bag — the latter of which was clearly unplanned. I was the woman in the back of the line who thought she had adequately prepared for her business trip but quickly discovered she hadn't. You, on the other hand, were composed, collected andearly for your flight. You owed me nothing. You didn't have to help me, but you did — and I don't know how else to say thank-you.

You see, this all began last night as I was packing for my trip. I wanted everything to be in order and nothing to be overlooked. I wanted to wake up this morning, throw my hair into some elegant curls and put my best self out into the world — but when I discovered my single oversight, all of my planning was for naught.

Business cards. An entire box full of them sits in the upper right-hand drawer of my desk at work, yet somehow, only three of them made it into my wallet. Three business cards for a business convention. Three opportunities to spread the word about SheKnows and network with other media outlets. Three. Only three.

That's where everything went wrong. Instead of heading straight to the airport, I was left with no choice but to drop by the office to pick up more cards. I left my home at 8 a.m., arrived at my office by 9 and then was off to the airport, arriving at Sky Harbor at 9:45.

The ticket in my hand explained that my flight departed at 11:05, but what I hadn't noticed was the boarding information: 10:25 a.m. That was the time I should have referenced in all of my planning, but I didn't.

But it didn't stop there. While checking my bag, I was informed that my items were too heavy. Fifty-seven pounds was seven pounds too much, which is why when you met me, I was carrying seven pounds worth of my luggage in a plastic trash bag. It's also the reason I was twitching anxiously as we wound in and out, moving like snails through the security checkpoint line. Perhaps I looked desperate enough that you took notice of me, standing amid hundreds of other travelers. Maybe you caught how frazzled I appeared and wondered if something were wrong.

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Please Sign the Petition! Drop charges against transgender teen defending herself!

My sister, Jewlyes Gutierrez, is a 16 year old teenager, who identifies as a transgender female. Her gender identity has caused her to be a victim of taunting, harassment, and bullying by her peers.  On November 13, 2013, Jewlyes defended herself against three girls who were tormenting and then physically attacked her. This was captured on video and you can see Jewlyes trying to run away. The students involved were suspended but to our disbelief, District Attorney Daniel Cabral then filed charges against Jewlyes for battery - she's the only one charged.

Jewlyes should not be charged criminally. Rather, this altercation should be the responsibility of the school district, who should take proper action and implement the necessary resources to prevent incidents like these from happening again.  

One of the girls who attacked Jewlyes had repeated bullied her - even spitting gum in her face. Jewlyes sought help from the assistant principal in fear of her physical safety but the issue was not properly addressed, no necessary action was taken by the administration. The bullying continued.

Read More and Sign Petition

Texting Leads To Deadly Shooting

A little over 10 years ago, before all this texting nonsense began, just before having a cell phone became the "in thing," I made a prediction.  I predicted that before 2020, cell phones would be the cause of more deaths than alcohol and drugs!

Sadly, it looks as if my prediction a decade ago is slowly but surely coming true.

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It started with a father sending text messages to his daughter during the previews of a movie.

It ended with the 43-year-old man shot dead amid the theater seats, and a 71-year-old retired police officer in custody.

The shooting Monday during a 1:20 p.m. showing of "Lone Survivor" at a Wesley Chapel, Florida, movie theater escalated from an objection to cell phone use, to a series of arguments, to the sudden and deadly shooting, according to police and witnesses.

As a male moviegoer texted, the man seated behind him objected, and asked the texter to put his phone away.

Read Entire Story HERE

9 Qualities Of Truly Confident People

Here is a list of qualities of Truly confident people-- the qualities they all have in common. 

This is a great read as it makes you think about the people in your life (confident vs potentially cocky) and how you can grow as a person and leader. I encourage you to check out the 9 qualities below (some aren't as obvious as others) and be sure to check out the full post here. 

1. They take a stand not because they think they are always right… but because they are not afraid to be wrong.

Cocky and conceited people tend to take a position and then proclaim, bluster, and totally disregard differing opinions or points of view. Their behavior isn’t a sign of confidence, though; it’s the hallmark of an intellectual bully. 

Truly confident people don’t mind being proven wrong. They feel finding out what is right is a lot more important than being right. 

2. They listen ten times more than they speak.

Bragging is a mask for insecurity. 

Truly confident people are quiet and unassuming. They already know what they think; they want to know what you think. So they ask open-ended questions that give other people the freedom to be thoughtful and introspective: 

3. They duck the spotlight so it shines on others.

Truly confident people don’t care – at least they don’t show it. (Inside they’re proud, as well they should be.) Truly confident people don’t need the glory; they know what they’ve achieved. They don’t need the validation of others, because true validation comes from within. So they stand back and celebrate their accomplishments through others.

4. They freely ask for help.

Confident people are secure enough to admit a weakness. So they often ask others for help, not only because they are secure enough to admit they need help but also because they know that when they seek help they pay the person they ask a huge compliment. 

5. They think, “Why not me?”

Many people feel they have to wait: To be promoted, to be hired, to be selected, to be chosen... like the old Hollywood cliché, to somehow be discovered. Truly confident people know that access is almost universal. They can connect with almost anyone through social media. They know they can attract their own funding, create their own products, build their own relationships and networks, choose their own path – they can choose to follow whatever course they wish.

6. They don't put down other people.

The only comparison a truly confident person makes is to the person she was yesterday – and to the person she hopes to someday become.

7. They aren’t afraid to look silly…

When you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally being in a situation where you aren't at your best. And oddly enough, people tend to respect you more when you do – not less.)

8. … And they own their mistakes.

Insecurity tends to breed artificiality; confidence breeds sincerity and honesty. That’s why truly confident people admit their mistakes. When you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally “looking bad.” You realize that that when you’re genuine and unpretentious, people don’t laugh at you. They laugh with you.

9. They only seek approval from the people who really matter.

You say you have 10k Twitter followers? Swell. 20k Facebook friends? Cool. But that also pales in comparison to earning the trust and respect of the few people in your life that truly matter. When we earn their trust and respect, no matter where we go or what we try, we do it with true confidence.

What do you think? What would you add to the list? 

Source:  Post entitled 9 Qualities of Truly Confident People by Amy DeWolf 

Are You Guilty of These 7 Deadly "Thinking" Sins?

Chances are, what you've been THINKING over the past two weeks is a likely indicator of how the coming year will shape up for you.

So before you get too far into this amazing year ahead, I've come up with the "7 Deadly THINKING Sins" for you today and wanted to explore them with you.

Here they are and the perspective you need to take steps to eliminate them:

1. "I'll do it tomorrow." The truth is you're never going to feel like doing what needs to be done. We all fool ourselves into thinking there will be a better time in the near future.

* Anything you're putting off isn't going to get any easier.

* The most successful people are very good at taking care of the most important tasks at hand. Some things are uncomfortable, and it's necessary to push through that discomfort. Start with baby steps and build up your tolerance for addressing what challenges you most!

2. "I can't do this. I can't stick with anything." If you don't think you can do something, you'll probably prove yourself right. This is especially true with the big stuff.

* Remember that it's not about discipline. It's really about focus, motivation and mindset.

* Tell yourself that you can do it. Remind yourself that it's more about getting motivated and applying yourself consistently. Discipline is only a good tool in the short-term. Limit yourself to one big goal and get excited about it.

3. Thinking that someone else's success impacts you negatively. It's erroneous to believe that only a limited number of people can be successful. There's room for everyone.

* It might be lonelier at the top, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for you. You can be successful too.

* When others do well, you're actually better off being happy for them. You can examine their success and learn from it. You'll also come to realize that other truly successful people will be happy when you succeed as well.

4. "It's too late for me." We all have missed opportunities from our past, but that doesn't mean it's too late. People in their 60's have attended medical school and law school. Others don't get married or have children until later in life.

* Some things do take a significant amount of time to achieve, but that doesn't mean you can't get started today.

5. "I'll never be successful." Everyone fails at something along the way to success. The good news is that failure can be the best way to learn. But focusing on your failures just causes you to feel bad all the time.

* Focus your attention on your successes. Look back over your past and remember all the times you were successful. Make a list of your past successes and add your new successes to the list as they happen.

6. "Why is this happening again?" Unpleasant things just happen. It's a normal part of life. However, just like our failures, if we spend our time dwelling on them, we make ourselves miserable and attract more of that misery.

* We all suffer at times, but that suffering passes and makes room for positive things. Avoid dwelling on the negative and look forward to better times.

7. "I can be happy once I have (accomplished or earned) ______." It's unreasonable to hold yourself back from happiness until you've achieved some milestone. Unfortunately, once that goal is reached, there are more goals that follow. Putting off your happiness can become a harmful
habit.

* It's important to learn to be happy with where you are and what you have. That doesn't mean you have to be completely satisfied or become complacent, but you might as well be happy in the meantime.  Negative thoughts have a tremendous impact on your happiness and success.

Article by Intuitive Life Coach, Speaker Author Stephanie Mulac

Stephanie Mulac Email: mulacsites@gmail.com