Current Events in June 2017

Things have been looking pretty solid in the job market recently. Job openings have been on the rise and unemployment was down to 4.3% in May, the lowest it’s been in 16 years. Some might think that these statistics would create a perfect situation for entrepreneurial teens looking to make some cash this summer, but a Bloomberg report suggests that many young people won’t be entering the workforce.

The finding isn’t exactly groundbreaking if you look at summer job trends over the last few decades. Since the late 1980s, 16-to-19-year-olds have been participating less and less in the labor force during the summer months, dropping from nearly 70% at its peak in 1988 and 1989 to 43% last year.

But what’s behind this turnaround? An analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that many teens are taking the time to further their educational goals.

“Teen labor force participation has been on a long-term downward trend, and the decline is expected to continue to 2024,” the researchers write. “A number of factors are contributing to this trend: an increased emphasis toward school and attending college among teens, reflected in higher enrollment; more summer school attendance; and more strenuous coursework.”

Increased academic focus

The researchers say that changing economic factors and an increased emphasis on schoolwork are the driving forces behind the declines in teen employment. During the school year, many young people are too overloaded with schoolwork to take up a part-time job, and students who want to take courses over the summer to get ahead, participate in extracurricular activities to improve their college resume, or must attend summer school for failing a class also don’t have much opportunity to put in work hours.

Data collected by BLS reinforces this point. The researchers say that 40% of teens aged 16-19 were enrolled in school during the summer last year, more than four times the number of teens of the same age in 1985. Part of the reason might lie in the U.S.’ increasing education standards.

In 1982, less than 10% of high school graduates had completed four years of English classes, three years of math, science, and social science classes, and two years of foreign language classes. That number jumped to 62% by 2009, the most recent year for which data was collected.

The difficulty of classes is also increasing, according to the researchers. Since the 1980s, the number of students taking Calculus classes has more than tripled, and nearly one million students graduated in 2009 after taking an advanced placement (AP) course – up 39% from just four years previous.

Building experience

While the academic benefits behind these changes are unquestioned, some may question whether abandoning employment opportunities is really a good thing for young people.

Although the money earned while working a summer job will likely fall far short of paying for increasingly expensive college tuitions, experts point out that working part-time has been shown to increase teens’ ability to manage social conflicts and helps build real-world and job experience.

Saving for retirement is tough, especially if you don't know a lot about investing. It's often hard to find a financial advisor you can trust and who won't eat up all your earnings in fees.

A new "robo-advice" entrant that claims to solve those dilemmas comes from TIAA, the 100-year-old non-profit that manages nearly $1 trillion, mostly for academics and employees of non-profit organizations.

The automated platform offers clients access to active, passive, and "socially responsible" mutual funds and exchange traded funds. Each category includes five different risk levels, ranging from conserative to aggressive. 

“At TIAA, we recognize that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to personal finances,” said Kathie Andrade, chief executive officer of TIAA’s Retail Financial Services business. “With the launch of TIAA Personal Portfolio, we are expanding the reach of our personalized financial support to more people, including younger generations, and those who value working with a mission-based organization. It is a great option for customers who would simply prefer to receive advice from us digitally.” 

Robo-clients will also be able to receive live financial advice from a call center that's manned by about 100 financial advisors, Andrade said.

While older investors often prefer having a "real" financial advisor they can visit in person, many younger people prefer digital advice that they can access anytime, according to surveys. Women investors are thought to prefer investment plans that match their environmental, social, and governance beliefs, so TIAA is trying to hit both groups with its new offering. 

Investors must have a minimum of $5,000 to open an account. Annual advisory fees are 0.3 percent.

Sleep apnea is a condition that can affect anyone and has serious medical implications, but a new study shows that it may be particularly harmful to pregnant women and their unborn children.

Researchers from Brown University have found that pregnant women who have obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to bear children who need to be admitted to an intensive care unit or special care nursery. These babies are also much more likely to require resuscitation at birth and a longer hospital stay.

"Our results have shown that babies born to mothers with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to require resuscitative efforts at birth, be born preterm, and to require a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit compared to babies who were not exposed to maternal sleep apnea," said Dr. Ghada Bourjeily, principal investigator and lead author of the study.

Higher risk factors

To reach their findings, Bourjeily and her colleagues used information collected by the National Perinatal Information Center, which analyzed over 1.4 million linked maternal and newborn records from 2010-2014.

While less than 1% of mothers in the sample had obstructive sleep apnea – a condition in which the airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep, leading to shallow breathing and breathing pauses that negatively affect sleep quality – those who did were more likely to be diagnosed with obesity, pre-gestational hypertension, and diabetes.

After analyzing the data, the researchers found that newborns of mothers with obstructive sleep apnea were over three times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit (25.3% vs. 8.1%) than babies born to mothers without the condition. They were also more than twice as likely to be admitted to a special care nursery (34.9% vs. 13.6%) and had a 26% higher risk of congenital anomalies.

"These findings add to our understanding of the extent of morbidities of maternal sleep apnea for the mother as well as the baby," said Bourjeily. "The results further highlight the importance of identifying this condition in pregnancy and testing the impact of therapy on these complications."

A research abstract of the study has been published in the journal Sleep, and the full study was presented at SLEEP 2017 in Boston on June 4. 

Summertime is lawn mowing season, and with it comes the inevitable increase in injuries to children from these machines.

Despite the number of safety features designed into modern lawnmowers over the last few decades, an estimated 13 children a day receive emergency treatment for a lawn mower-related injury.

A study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows lawnmower injuries to children have declined during this decade. That's the good news.

But the authors suggest there is still a lot of room for improvement, with nearly 5,000 injuries a year.

Most common injuries

Cuts to hands and fingers are the most common injury, followed by burns from touching the engine. Most injured children were treated and released, but more than 8% of the cases were serious enough to require hospitalization.

The study found that the safest place to be is operating the mower. Operators were four times less likely to be injured than bystanders or passengers on a riding mower. No one besides the operator should be on a riding lawnmower, by the way.

The authors suggest more safety features offer the best hope for reducing accidents further. Shields can prevent hands and feet from getting under the mower deck.

Equipping every riding lawnmower with a no-mow-in-reverse mechanism would eliminate back-over accidents, they say. Current industry voluntary standards address some but not all of these safety measures, the authors write.

Safety tips

The authors of the report also point to steps operators can take to reduce accidents through human error. They say children should be at least 12 before they are permitted to operate a push or walk-behind mower. They should be at least 16 before they operate a riding mower.

Children age six or younger need to stay indoors while the lawn is being mowed, and they should never play close to where a mower is being operated.

Inspect the lawn before you start mowing. Pick up any rocks, sticks, or other debris that might become a projectile if hit by spinning lawn mower blades.

“While we are happy to see that the number of lawn mower-related injuries has declined over the years, it is important for families to realize that these injuries still occur frequently during warm weather months,” said Dr. Gary Smith, the senior author of the study.

He praised manufacturers that have added significant safety features in recent years, but said he would like to see additional improvements on all mowers.

A federal court has ordered pay TV provider Dish Network to pay a record $280 million fine to the U.S. government and four states for illegal robocalls to consumers.

U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough's ruling came eight years after the suit was filed by the U.S. Justice Department and California, Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina. Dish Network immediately announced it would appeal, calling the judgment unfair.

The suit came after consumers complained about receiving robocalls pitching Dish Network services. An investigation determined there had been an estimated 55 million illegal calls.

Bloomberg News quotes a Justice Department spokeswoman as saying the fine, which will be split among the federal government and the four states, is the largest ever for a robocall-related violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR).

Supervision of telemarketing activities

The judge also took the additional step of imposing court-ordered supervision of Dish Network's future telemarketing activities. She stopped short of granting the plaintiffs' request that Dish be barred from any telemarketing activities in the future.

The case is similar to one Dish Network lost in state court in North Carolina earlier this year. In January, a Greensboro, N.C. jury awarded plaintiffs $20 million in a class action suit stemming from alleged violations of the Do Not Call law.

The company's defense was its claim that the 51,000 calls were placed by independent contractors outside its control. But the jury found Dish Network was responsible for the things its contractors did on its behalf. Dr. Thomas Krakauer, the class representative, said at the time that the case was always about enforcing the Do Not Call law and protecting consumers from nuisance telemarketing calls.

'Corporate shell game'

Attorney Brian Glasser, part of the team representing the plaintiffs, said the argument that contractors were responsible for the illegal calls amounted to what he called "a corporate shell game," allowing Dish to sign up new customers through illegal telemarketing practices but avoid legal responsibility.

Telemarketing is regulated at the federal level by two statutes: the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) and the TSR. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) derives its regulatory authority from TCPA, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for enforcing TSR.

The FTC reports a significant increase in the number of illegal robocalls because internet-powered phone systems have made it cheap and easy. So far, the FTC says it has filed more than a hundred lawsuits against over 600 companies and people accused of making billions of illegal robocalls and other Do Not Call violations.

The Kroger Co. is recalling its Simple Truth Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No customer illnesses have been reported to date.

The following product which comes in a 12oz., clear plastic package marked with an expiration date of May 02, 2018, stamped on the side, is being recalled:

The recalled product was sold in Kroger, Bakers, Gerbes and Dillons stores in Ohio, Southeast Indiana, Northern Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume them, but return them to a store for a full refund or replacement.

Consumers with questions may contact Kroger at 1-800-KROGERS, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (ET) and Saturday through Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Tesla owners are saving money on gas, but they may soon be spending more for insurance. Automotive News reports today that AAA Insurance is raising its rates for Tesla Models S and X, based on data showing the electric luxury cars have abnormally high claim frequencies.

AAA says that based on the number and severity of accidents, premiums on the cars should go up 30 percent. Tesla disputes that.

"This analysis is severely flawed and is not reflective of reality," said the electric-vehicle maker, according to the report. "Among other things, it compares Model S and X to cars that are not remotely peers, including even a Volvo station wagon."

An AAA official said the firm noticed the high claim rates in its own data and then investigated other sources, including the Highway Loss Data Institute. Finding a similar pattern of elevated claims there, AAA instituted the rate increase.

The institute classifies the Model S as a large luxury vehicle, in the same class as the Volvo XC70, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E class, and BMW 5 series. Comparing claims for cars in that class, it found the frequency and severity of Tesla claims to be "much higher than usual."

More claims, higher costs

In other words, there are more claims than for similar cars and the repair costs are higher than normal.

This fits with the experience of ConsumerAffairs reader Thomas of Thousand Oaks, Calif., who said in a recent review it's "worse than you can imagine." 

"I've owned a Tesla for 3 months and was hit going about 2 mph -- scratched the front bumper and wheel and tire went flat," he said. 'Tesla Centinela' connected me to DC Autocraft. I asked for an estimate. They said they couldn't, as they had tow charges (tire flat), costs of storage, and other charges. I texted them notifying them that I'd pay for tow if they provided an estimate. They agreed. It's been two weeks, I still don't have an estimate but they're indicating that it would be more than $10,000 to fix - crazy ripoff."

Thomas found that Allstate's experience with Teslas was similar to AAA's.

"I spoke to my Allstate agent and filed a claim. The Allstate adjuster said that Teslas are a big problem. The lowest estimate that he'd approved is $7,000 and it takes weeks or months more to fix a Tesla -- the 'approved' body shops are all backed up and have no parts."

Bevila of Tucson had similar issues with her Tesla.

"Our car was damaged in an accident (I fully believe it was a car malfunction versus "driver error" even though they refuse to accept responsibility) and has been in one of their approved auto body shop for over a month and a half for repairs," she said. "The auto body shop says they have received 2 parts so far and hasn't started work."

Tesla's rejoinder

Tesla said the high rate of acceleration in both the Model S and Model X make it "false and misleading" to compare against vehicles such as the XC70, adding that the Model S also holds the lowest likelihood of injury, according to an evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

That may well be, but for consumers like Thomas, who have invested a lot more in their Teslas than just the purchase price, such promises may come too late.

"To prepare for electric, I've spent $8,000 rewiring my house, putting in a Wall connector and getting ready to put in $70,000 of Tesla solar panels. After this experience, I'm selling this Tesla and getting a real car on which I can depend -- not a toy," he said.

When you make an online purchase, many retailers will give you the option of storing your credit card information in their network.

If you make frequent purchases from that particular retailer, there is no question that it's convenient not to have to re-enter those numbers every time. But how safe is your data?

"There's no denying the convenience of online shopping; you don't even have to put on pants to make a purchase," said CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz. "However, saving your payment information online not only increases the likelihood of making unnecessary impulse purchases, it can also leave your data vulnerable to hackers."

The experts at personal finance site Nerdwallet agree. They say you should assume that anything you store online could be vulnerable to a determined hacker.

"We’ve seen countless examples of data breaches. If paperwork related to national security has found its way onto the internet, your credit card information could end up there, too.," they write.

The internet is full of risks

Even if you don't store your credit card data on a retailer's website, just entering it on the internet is risky enough, experts say. For example, making a credit card purchase in an airport or coffee shop with a public Wi-Fi is much less secure than making it at home on your password-protected network.

The retailer's website also needs robust security. To make sure it does, check the URL of the page where you are instructed to enter your credit card information. The address in the browser should begin with "https" and not just "http." You should also see a padlock icon in the right corner.

A report from Creditcards.com found 94 million U.S. consumers store their credit card information online for future use. Fourteen million say they "always" save their credit card data when given the option to do so.

Older consumers, who tend to make fewer online purchases, appear to be the most inclined to save their credit card data. Gen Xers and Baby Boomers tend to be the most leery about the practice. Two out of five say they never agree to save their credit card information on a retailers website.

It doesn't seem to matter which party is in power, the U.S. Department of Education is slow to correct errors, no matter how grevious. In the most recent example, the department has failed to cancel federal student loans for thousands of students victimized by predatory for-profit colleges.

A coalition of states is pressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to take action on the 27,000 applications for loan forgiveness filed by students whose for-profit schools collapsed and left them stranded without a degree or guaranteed admission to another school.

Some students are nearing the end of 12-month forbearances on their loans, and face restarting monthly payments on debts that should be canceled.

“There is simply no reason for Secretary DeVos to delay student loan forgiveness for the thousands who were victimized by Corinthian Colleges," said New York Attorney General Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. "We should be doing all we can to allow students to pursue their educations without the burden of crushing student loan debt. I call on Secretary DeVos to stop delaying this common-sense solution for those who were duped and ripped off by Corinthian."

Schneiderman and 18 other attorneys general wrote to DeVos today, pressing her to provide information on what the department is doing to reduce the growing backlog of applications and to provide a timeframe for the discharge of student debts.

The department has similarly ignored thousands of teachers whose TEACH grants were unjustifiably converted to delinquent loans because of minor clerical errors on the teachers' annual applications. 

Discharge should be automatic

Going a bit further, the AGs note that since the Department of Education has already determined that these students are eligible for loan forgiveness, DeVos should abandon the application process and automatically discharge all eligible loans.

Students eligible for loan discharges attended Corinthian Colleges, which the Education Department has said made false claims about post-graduation employment rates for many of its programs.

More than 100,000 students who attended programs at Corinthian schools received a letter in April explaining that they are eligible for streamlined federal student loan cancellation based on the Department of Education’s findings. The students were directed to fill out a short application for the Department of Education. Students who did so are still waiting for action on their request.

“Relieving these hard-working Americans of their fraud-induced student debt will free them to participate more fully in their local economies, or even continue their educations with reputable schools,” the letter explains.

The list of states signing the letter includes Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the District of Columbia.

If your home or apartment lacks central air conditioning, you may be considering the purchase of a portable unit to keep things cool when the summer heat arrives.

Here's some advice -- don't wait too long because you don't want to do your shopping when the mercury hits 90 or above. By then, everyone will be trying to buy an air conditioner and the shelves at even the big box stores may be picked clean.

The American Home Appliance Manufacturers Association (AHAM) has some more advice for picking an air conditioner that will do the job without running up the electric bill more than necessary. For starters, measure the square footage of the area you want to cool. Air conditioners are rated, not just in terms of BYU, but also in the square footage they can optimally cool.

While you're at it, measure the windows in the room you want to cool. Both portable and room air conditioners require connection to a window. Whatever you end up buying, make sure it's going to fit. It's less of an issue with a portable unit but very important for a room air conditioner that actually sits in a window.

Consider other factors

Consider other factors influencing the area you want to cool. You may have a 600 square foot room and the air condition is rated to cool that size space. But If the room has a lot of southern glass exposure, it's going to get a lot of solar heat, making any air conditioner work harder. In that case, it might be cost effective to move up a size, choosing a model rated to cool a larger space.

Generally, however, a space 150 to 350 square feet will need a 5,000 to 8,000 BTU air conditioner. From 350 to 550 square feet, look for an 8,000 to 12,000 BTU unit. Very large spaces, from 1,050 to 1,600 square feet, will need a very large capacity unit, rated from 18,500 to 25,000 BTU.

Smart features

Even some portable and window units now offer smart technology like you find on central air units. Some have something called a "follow me" function that measures the temperature, both at the unit and at the location of the remote control. Some models may also feature programmable timers and alerts to remind you to change the filter.

Some models can operate in different modes. For example, the cooling mode takes in room air, cools it and directs it back into the room. Some models also let you select from several preset cooling levels. Some let you pick a temperature and the unit keeps it there.

A fan-only mode uses less energy because the condenser stays off, meaning it doesn't draw nearly as much electricity.

Learn more in the ConsumerAffairs Air Conditioning Buyers Guide.

A previously dismissed class action suit against Whole Foods may once again see life after a three-judge panel determined that the first ruling was unwarranted.

Lead plaintiff Sean John had initially filed the suit on behalf of consumers who were overcharged for pre-packaged products by the retailer, but he was rebuffed on the grounds that he did not have sufficient evidence that he was overcharged on a specific purchase. However, the newest ruling says that this was too tough a standard to impose in the early stages of the case.

“At the pleading stage, John need not prove the accuracy of the DCA’s findings or the rigor of its methodology; he need only generally allege facts that, accepted as true, make his alleged injury plausible,” said U.S. Circuit Judge Raymond Lohier, according to Courthouse News.

Tough road ahead

Problems began for Whole Foods back in 2015 when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) found that it routinely overcharged customers by exaggerating the weight of prepackaged foods during checkout. The department said that overcharges “ranged from $0.80 for a package of pecan panko to $14.84 for a package of coconut shrimp,” in a press release at the time.

Though Whole Foods initially denied the allegations, co-CEOs Walter Robb and John Mackey later admitted that some company employees were in the wrong and pledged to improve training to address the problem. However, class actions from consumers like John sought reimbursement and compensation for the wrongful practices.

With the reviving of the suit, Lohier says that John will still face a tough road because of his lack of evidence, but that he does meet the “‘low threshold’ required to plead injury in fact.”

In a statement, a Whole Foods spokesperson said that the company was “disappointed in the court’s decision, which procedurally allows the case to move forward,” but that it would “continue to vigorously defend against the plaintiff’s meritless claims.”

Of course, this isn’t the only legal trouble that Whole Foods needs to worry about in relation to the DCA’s findings. Shareholders have also brought a class action suit against the company, noting that the common stock dropped 11.61% after the agency's announcement on July 30,2015. 

-----

Editor's note:  This story is about a class-action lawsuit. If you are among the class of consumers described in the suit, you may eventually be eligible to participate in whatever compensation the court awards, if any. Unlike what many people think, you do not "join" a class action -- you are either in the class covered by the action or you are not. 

Often, consumers included in an award do not need to take any action, as the defendant is required to contact them directly. In other cases, the court and the attorneys who brought the case will issue instructions when the case is settled.

Please note that under our Privacy Policy, we cannot provide you with the names of other consumers who may be similarly affected. 

Please see our Class Action Guide for more information.

Readfield Meats, doing business as Ruffino Meats & Food Service, of Bryan, Texas, is recalling approximately 45,985 pounds of beef trimmings due to possible adulteration.

Because they were distributed to non-federally inspected establishments, it cannot be verified that sufficient further processing occurred to remove foodborne pathogens that could have been present.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following items, produced from May 26, 2015, through May 26, 2017, are being recalled:

• 50-lb. boxes containing “BEEF TRIMMINGS FOR COOKING ONLY.”

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 13126” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped to retail markets, state inspected plants, and individuals in Texas.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled should not consume them, but throw them away or returned them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Terry Wiese, plant manager, at (979) 776-5685.

BMW North America is recalling 24 model year 2017 X5 M and X6 M vehicles.

Although the vehicles are equipped with 21-inch tires, the tire information label states they are equipped with 20-inch tires.

As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

What to do

BMW has notified the affected owners and is providing them with a corrected tire information placard, free of charge.

The recall began June 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

A very contagious strain of dog flu is spreading in Florida, and experts are urging owners to get their pets vaccinated to contain the outbreak, according to a Miami Herald report.

There have been over a dozen confirmed cases thus far, and although the virus isn’t usually fatal, untreated dogs can go on to develop more serious symptoms and a potentially fatal pneumonia.

“There is an imminent threat for dogs to be exposed to this virus in this state. Now is the time for vets and dog owners to consider getting their dogs vaccinated as soon as possible,” said professor Cynda Crawford of the University of Florida. “I think at the university of Florida we’re probably just seeing the tip of the iceberg.”

Extremely contagious

Previously, cases of H3N2 dog flu had been limited to countries like Korea, Thailand, and China, but in 2015 they started popping up in Chicago and have spread to several different areas across the U.S. since then. Symptoms of the virus include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, fever, and lethargy, which can last for approximately four weeks.

This strain is particularly dangerous because of how contagious it is. Experts say that most dogs do not have an immunity and have not been vaccinated against it, so the chances of it spreading are high. Crawford suggests that owners be extremely cautious about bringing their pets out of the house, especially to parks where they may interact with other infected dogs or be exposed to contaminants that are left behind.

“I would encourage owners to refrain from having their dogs being around dogs that are coughing or have other signs of a potential respiratory infection. Please don’t allow your dog to socialize,” she said.

Importance of vaccination

Although some pet owners may think that their dog is safe if they’re kept at home, Crawford says that it’s extremely important to go get them vaccinated anyway. “The price is far less than hospital care for a dog that gets a serious illness,” she points out.

Although the vaccination is not a guarantee that your dog will not become infected, experts say that doing so will make your dog less susceptible to contagions and more likely to get over an infection quickly. More serious symptoms are also far less likely to happen in dogs that have been vaccinated.

Getting your dog vaccinated is also important from a community standpoint, since the virus will have a tougher time proliferating if more dogs are immunized against it.

To learn more about dog flu, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website here.

California is the nation's biggest and wealthiest state by just about any measure. But is it big enough and wealthy enough to launch its own Medicare-for-all type of single-payer health care? We may soon find out.

The California Senate has passed a bill backed by the California Nurses Association that would provide health insurance to every man, woman, and child in the Golden State, although it does not include a means of paying the projected $400 billion cost of the plan.

The measure now goes to the General Assembly, where its fate is uncertain. The California deliberations will be going on while, in Washington, Congress continues to look for a way to replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. 

In California, Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), the leading supporter of the bill, said it is needed to provide care for those who fall through the cracks of the existing safety net programs.

“Despite the incredible progress California has made, millions still do not have access to health insurance and millions more cannot afford the high deductibles and co-pays, and they often forgo care,” Lara said during a floor debate on the bill, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Republicans say the bill would bankrupt the state.

“We don’t have the money to pay for it,” Sen. Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) said. “If we cut every single program and expense from the state budget and redirected that money to this bill, SB 562, we wouldn’t even cover half of the $400-billion price tag.”

Nurses for, doctors not

The California Nurses Association has proposed raising the state sales and business receipts taxes by 2.3% to raise $106 billion of the annual cost. The rest would supposedly come from state and federal funds that now support Medicare and Medicaid in the state.

The nurses have been the most fervent backers of the plan. Doctors have been relatively cool to the proposal and insurance companies have been the most highly critical.

The California Medical Association, the state group representing 43,000 doctors from various specialties, has declined to endorse the bill. In a statement, CMA spokesman Joanne Adams suggests that her association would support a single-payer health care plan at some point, but not in the bill's current form.

“CMA has policy supporting a single payer system provided it meets certain benchmarks -- the most important of which is demonstrating that the legislation would make appropriate investments in health care infrastructure including providers for Medi-Cal and private insurance holders,” Adams wrote to ConsumerAffairs. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, insurers have been the most outspoken in their opposition.

“California should not abandon all the progress we have made in health care by blowing up our current system and creating single-payer,” said Charles Bacchi, President and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, in a statement to ConsumerAffairs. “SB 562 would cause dangerous disruptions in health care coverage and quality of care for the millions of Californians who already have health coverage.

“Every analysis, even by the proponents, has shown that a government-run single payer system is too costly to implement," Bacchi said. "The tax increases required to fund this program are massive and there is no assurance the federal government would approve the waivers necessary to enact this bill.”

Other states, including Vermont and Colorado, have tried to implement single-payer plans in recent years but have failed because of the cost and the disruption to existing health care systems.

Charleston, S.C., is a small city that has taken a big share of travel dollars in recent years -- a destination prized for its ability to please just about everyone in the family.

But don't let the locals hear you calling their city "small." It was recently declared the state's largest city, edging the capital of Columbia by a handful of people.

Charleston has become a favorite destination because it has rich history, interesting architecture, great food, and magnificent plantations.

But perhaps overlooked by many who value these attributes is the fact that Charleston is also a fun beach town, with five Atlantic Ocean beaches spread across the metro area. And with summer close at hand, that's definitely worth exploring.

The beaches

Kiawah Island is just 21 miles from downtown Charleston, but offer visitors 10 miles of pristine beach. Besides relaxing on the sand, golfers can play on the island's five championship golf courses.

Folly Beach is located between the ocean and the Folly River and has a very laid-back vibe. You can try your hand at surfing or enjoy the natural surroundings, inhabited by loggerhead turtles, dolphins, bald eagles, sea birds, several endangered species.

Isle of Palms presents itself as a beach that is family-couple-single-senior friendly. In other words, there's something here for everyone. It's a sprawling beach community covering 2,880 acres, just 12 miles from downtown Charleston.

A bit further out is Seabrook Island, which offers an eclectic assortment of activities, including horseback riding on the beach. Besides the beach, visitors are also drawn by the island's maritime forests and marshes.

Sullivan's Island offers wide beaches and watersports, with a little history thrown in, since it's the site of a Revolutionary War fort that protected the city from the British. At the end of June Sullivan Island joins the rest of the state in celebrating Carolina Day, marking the successful defeat of British land and naval forces by the colonists on June 28, 1776.

Start of the Civil War

Of course, Charleston has another place in American history. It's where the Civil War began in April 1861. When South Carolina seceded from the Union, it demanded that the U.S. Army give up Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor. When the fort's commander refused, Confederate batteries in Charleston began bombarding the fort.

Today, Fort Sumter is open for tours that are guided by park rangers. The cruise out to the fort also provides nice views of Charleston’s stately Rainbow Row and historic, stately homes in the Battery. The official Charleston tourism site has plenty of other things to do.

African American culture

African American cultural sites have also become a more important tourist draw throughout the South, and the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission has just launched a mobile app to help visitors find and connect with more than 300 cultural sites in and around Charleston, and throughout the state.

"This is one of the first statewide mobile travel guides to African American cultural destinations to be produced by a state anywhere in the U.S.," said South Carolina Senator Vincent Sheheen. "It is positioned to increase even further the $2.4 billion annual economic impact of African American tourism in our state."

Called The Green Book of South Carolina, the free app is a travel planning tool for a large number of tourist destinations around the state. It features maps, available tours, and news about special events.

Getting there

Charleston International Airport is served by major airlines, including Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and American. It has regular flights to and from New York, Houston, and Chicago, and other major cities.

Visitors can also arrive by train, with a North Charleston Amtrak station serving the Silver Service/Palmetto route.