【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 6, 2022】Per County of San Diego Communications Office, the County of San Diego joined CAL FIRE and partner agencies at the Ramona CAL FIRE Air Attack Base today to explain what you can do to prepare for wildfires. Almost half of the state’s largest and most damaging wildfires occurred in 2020 and 2021, burning almost 7 million acres. But there are proactive steps you can take to prepare your home and communities to be more resilient to the impacts of wildfire. (Image from County of San Diego Communications Office)

• Create defensible space around your property by maintaining your lawn and removing combustible debris from around your home. 
• Harden your home by using fire resistant materials for construction, renovation and landscaping to help protect your property. 
• Make and share a family wildfire emergency plan. Talk to your neighbors about wildfire safety and plan how the neighborhood can work together before and after a wildfire. 

“San Diego County is prepared, and we are ready to respond to wildfires,” stated Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher. “Since the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire, your County has invested more than $600 million. Those investments have improved fire protection and EMS, added staffing, fire stations, made communication enhancements, increased training and brush management. We’ve also added more ground and air equipment.” 

Supervisor Joel Anderson said, “Some of the things we can do is really focus on the grants to help people harden their homes which we’ve done. We’ve all voted to spend $1 million towards that goal. We also worked so that when you need to evacuate a place like Ramona, Alpine or Fallbrook the roads aren’t restricted. We’ve cut back all the trees along the evacuation routes, so people have a chance to get out.” 

The event was the first of a statewide campaign to help Californians prepare for wildfires. The CAL FIRE Director was there to speak and show off some of the agency’s newest equipment. He was joined by representatives from the California Natural Resources Agency, United States Forest Service, California Office of Emergency Services, the California Military Department, the Highway Patrol and the CAL FIRE San Diego Fire Chief, Tony Mecham. 

Chief Mecham praised all local fire crews, “San Diego County is unique, and I believe we are one of the most prepared regions in the United States. And the reason that we are so prepared is we have a mindset of collaboration and cooperation.” 

To learn more about wildfire safety and preparedness, visit readysandiego.org.

(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)

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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 5, 2022. 】In the United States, many people are eagerly looking forward to the day when they can stop working, officially become a "retiree", and no longer need to work in order to enjoy life with retirement savings and benefits. ( Retirement financing must be deployed ahead of time in order to accumulate wealth. Credit : iStock)

However, at what age do you plan to retire? Everyone has their own calculations.

Surveys show that the average age people want to retire is 62, which is exactly the age at which they can legally start applying for Social Security retirement benefits.

However, it should be noted that 62 is the legal starting age for "starting receiving" Social Security benefits, but not the "full retirement age". The period from "starting receiving" to "full retirement age" is considered If you receive social security in advance, the benefits you receive will be discounted. If you wait until the full retirement age to apply, it is usually estimated to be 66 or 67 years old according to the date of birth, and then you will receive all benefits. Benefits increase by 8% each year after full retirement age.

There seems to be a trend to encourage delayed retirement.

The House of Representatives recently approved a retirement bill that would raise the minimum withdrawal age for certain savings accounts to 75 from the current 72, and once passed by the Senate, would be phased in by 2032.

The Congressional proposal reflects the fact that many people today are healthier, less Longevity and longer working hours.

Warsowski believes that trends in work and longevity should be further applied to the entire tax code and government programs to raise the official age of the welfare system, including Social Security.

There are currently no changes to the Social Security program.

Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the issue is so sensitive that it has been and will continue to be a political red line that no one dares to touch lightly.

But refraining from talking about it doesn't mean there's no urgency to the issue.

The Social Security Administration's trust fund to pay Social Security benefits is expected to run out by 2034, when the agency said last year it would only be able to pay 78% of its original commitment.

To enforce Social Security, lawmakers have responded by increasing the tax on benefits, raising the payroll tax or extending the retirement age, and any changes could include a combination of these three options.

Social Security advocates are staunchly opposed to extending the retirement age for the Social Security program.

Joe Elsasser, founder and president of Covisum, which provides Social Security claims software, believes raising the full retirement age is simply a benefit cut.

In fact, the Social Security retirement age was adjusted before. The most recent, when President Ronald Reagan took office in 1983, raised the full retirement age from 65 to 67, which is still being phased in.

Elsather noted that raising the full retirement age from 65 to 66 would reduce benefits by 5 percent.

Many experts predict that any future policy changes could push up the Social Security retirement age. Rarely, the Social Security 2100 Act: A Sacred Trust, introduced last year by Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat, maintains the existing age threshold, and some benefits even increase. Generous, but the legislation has a five-year deadline.

The Social Security Administration is evaluating the possible financial impact of other proposals to change the retirement age threshold.

Acabbas predicts that, soon, Congress will reach a consensus on the social security package plan, which includes adjusting the retirement age, maybe two or ten years, it is difficult to predict.

Experts estimate that the full retirement age will be raised by 1 or 2 years, which may be implemented in stages.

Legislators may also raise the starting age for claiming retirement benefits and the age at which they begin to claim retirement benefits on an annual basis from 62 and 70, respectively.

How to plan social security benefits?

In 2000, the average retirement age was about 61 or 62, and the government estimates that 20 years later, the average retirement age will be extended to about 66; people are really working longer, Warsowski said.

Another peculiar phenomenon, Elsather said, is that as the job outlook changes, more and more people are retiring early.

As the statutory retirement age for social welfare is delayed and people tend to retire early, planning in advance is even more important. Only by making arrangements in advance can we predict what will happen after retirement. But then again, the social security system can change at any time and it is difficult to plan ahead.

Elsather said people who have reached the age of 60 basically don't have to worry about unexpected changes affecting benefits, and people between the ages of 45 and 60 can reasonably expect retirement benefits to be reduced by about 5%. Estimated reduction of 10% to 15%.

Regardless of age, a 24% reduction in retirement benefits is unlikely, assuming that paid-in benefits are only a fraction of what they would have been.

According to Elsather, the point of planning ahead is to make sure there is enough money to cover basic expenses in retirement.

(Source: Information Compiled from the Web)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Padres Pitcher Joe Musgrove Signs Endorsement Deal with Sycuan Casino Resort

(San Diego, Calif.) – May 5, 2022 – Sycuan Casino Resort announced today that the organization has signed a one-year endorsement deal with San Diego Padres Pitcher Joe Musgrove. As a part of this new agreement, Musgrove will be featured in upcoming marketing campaigns, promotions, social media content and make exclusive casino appearances. (San Diego Padres Pitcher Joe Musgrove Photo from Sycuan Casino Resort)

“We are thrilled to have the support of starting pitcher Joe Musgrove as our first MLB ambassador,” said Rob Cinelli, general manager at Sycuan Casino Resort. “We knew he was the perfect fit for our brand because much like Sycuan, Joe has very strong ties to the local San Diego community. Joe grew up playing baseball not too far from the Sycuan Reservation and is now back in his hometown making Padres history. We are honored to have Joe as part of the Sycuan family and look forward to being able to offer our guests exclusive experiences through this new partnership.”

In his first year with the Padres, Musgrove set career highs in a variety of categories including 181.1 innings pitched, 203 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA. He also threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, the first no-hitter in Padres history. Musgrove, a San Diego native, was a class of 2011 graduate from Grossmont High School in El Cajon.

“I am very excited for my new partnership with Sycuan Casino Resort,” said Musgrove. “Not only has Sycuan been a longtime supporter of the San Diego Padres, but they truly embody Padres baseball at their resort with their exclusive Padres Club Sycuan Card and an official Padres Hotel Suite not offered anywhere else. Being from San Diego myself, it’s really cool to be able to represent such a well-known local brand that is all about entertainment, fun and giving back to our community.”

For more information about Sycuan Casino Resort, please visit sycuan.com or call 619-445-6002.

###

About Sycuan Casino Resort

Sycuan Casino Resort began as a humble Bingo Palace in 1983. Now more than 38 years later, it has become a community landmark and one of San Diego’s premier casino and resort destinations. Sycuan’s newly expanded AAA Four Diamond-rated property includes a 12-story hotel tower with over 300 guest rooms and 57 luxury suites. Guests can enjoy a wide range of onsite amenities including a variety of restaurants and bars from fast-casual to fine dining, meeting and event space, a full-service spa, fitness center and a state-of-the-art outdoor pool deck with two pools, a lazy river and swim-up bar. Sycuan also boasts an expansive casino floor with more than 2,300 slot machines and 54 table games in a variety of gaming options. Sycuan is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, please visit www.sycuan.com, Facebook: @sycuancasinoresort, Instagram: @sycuan_casinoresort, Twitter: @sycuancasino and LinkedIn: company/sycuancasinoresort or call 619-445-6002.

(Source: Sycuan Casino Resort)

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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 4, 2022】As population growth drives demand, Florida real estate prices have skyrocketed, making it the most unaffordable place in the nation to live. (Florida Image from US News)

Population growth drives housing demand. According to CBS News, the most unaffordable place in the United States to live is Florida.

Sally Starkey, a 33-year-old publicist, thought it would be easier to move from Chicago to Naples, Florida; her husband found work near Naples, where they learned about the place from the relatives and friends who were on vacation frequently in Naples and became familiar with this place, and looked forward to starting a new life before leaving for Naples.

"We thought finding a place to live would be no problem," Starkey said.

But she was wrong. After looking at more than a dozen apartments, they decided to rent a townhouse with no views north of Naples but did not find it until two weeks before their scheduled move out of Chicago.

Their new residence, a two-bedroom suite, is renting for $3,500, more than 20 percent more expensive than Chicago's rent.

The experience of the Starkey’s reflects the current situation in the United States. With the expansion of the homebuying group, the prices of renting and buying houses have soared in recent years, which has put a heavy burden on millions of workers and the middle class; the inflation growth after the COVID epidemic has also been mixed into the equation making the housing burden even more stressful.

Rent in various places has recently increased by double digits, and Florida's growth rate has been expanded due to the impact of population movement after the epidemic; Florida's population growth ranks second in the United States, second only to Texas, with 300,000 people moving into Florida from 2020 to 2021.

Realtor.com, a real estate information website, pointed out in February this year that Miami is the most affordable place to live in the United States. The average monthly rent in the local metropolitan area is $2,930, which is equivalent to double the median salary of locals; in the past year, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa is home to the fastest rental growth in the nation.

"The Sun Belt housing market, especially Florida, has been at the top of the list for the past few months," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.

The website points out that most of Florida's housing market demand is driven by out-of-state demand, with 20% of Miami's housing demand coming from New York City, 8% from Washington, and 15% of Tampa's housing demand from renters in Washington and New York.

While rental prices in Florida are at record highs, they are still cheaper than other places like New York and the Bay Area, said John Boyd, owner of Boca Raton, Fla., a business location firm.

Although Florida's housing market is booming, long-term residents, especially low-income industrial workers, and the elderly, are gradually overwhelmed.

"The first 15 years were great, it felt like a vacation, but the second 15 It's been a miserable year."

The 70-year-old recently moved to a cheaper apartment after her landlord raised her rent, and she plans to soon move to Washington or Pennsylvania, which is closer to her children.

(Source: Information Compiled from the Web)

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