New PA Judicial Center Open for Occupancy

The newly-constructed Pennsylvania Judicial Center, located in the Capitol complex in Harrisburg, finally is receiving its new occupants.

According to a news report entitled "Judicial Center in Harrisburg built to last a lifetime" by Jan Murphy, published in The Patriot-News on December 27, 2008, the PJC was expected to be completed by April, 2009, after nearly three years in construction.

Construction began in 2006 on the 425,000-square-foot complex. It connects a five-story building at the west end that houses courtrooms and judges' chambers, with a nine-story office structure on the east.

The 15 employees who work for the judicial conduct board are expected to be the first to move into the building in June. Others will take up occupancy over the subsequent three months, he said. The Commonwealth Court will hold its first sessions there in September.

The center is built to accommodate more than 500 employees. It will bring together staff that are spread over a dozen locations in and outside the Capitol complex.

I watched weekly over the past few years as the PJC grew from skeleton to shell to shelter to shrine. I noted its construction progress twice in prior blog postings. See: PA EE&F Law Blog postings "PA Judicial Center Under Construction" (10/31/08) and "New PA Judicial Center Under Construction" (05/09/07).

A month ago, I saw its interior lights lit during business hours, and, while walking by, I peeked inside. For two views of its interior, see pictures of its lobby and courtroom posted by a contractor, McClure Company. For views of its exterior, see the PJC web page of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services.

Since mid-June, the PJC has been receiving occupants in staged moves. Today, I received notice that "the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania will move to the Pennsylvania Judicial Center" effective August 3, 2009. "Filings should be directed to the Court's new address" after that date, at its new address, 601 Commonwealth Avenue.

The moving schedule for court offices, boards, and agencies was posted on the web in a list of Pennsylvania Judicial Center Occupants (PDF, 2 pages), which listed the occupant, main office telephone, relocation date/timeframe, and new mailing address:

Continuing Legal Education Board
717-231-3250
Thursday, June 11 - Friday, June 12
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 3400
PO Box 62495
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2495

Court of Judicial Discipline
717-772-3771
Tuesday, June 16
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 5500
PO Box 62595
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2595

Client Security
717-231-9510
Thursday, July 9
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 5400
PO Box 62585
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2585

Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
717-231-3300
Thursday, July 9 - Friday, July 10
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 1500
PO Box 61260
Harrisburg, PA 17106-1260

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
717-255-1600
Monday, July 20 - Friday, August 14
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0901

Board of Law Examiners
717-231-3350
Tuesday, September 15 - Wednesday, September 16
Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 3600
PO Box 62535
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2535

Thrilled as I am, as a lawyer and local resident, about such a consolidation of court functions in a new, state-of-the-art building in the Capitol City, there is one aspect of sadness regarding the center's opening.

In October, 2003, when Governor Edward Rendell considered releasing funds for construction of the PJC, his action was urged by the vision of the new Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ralph J. Cappy, who had advocated, among others, for such a center. See: "Pennsylvania's newest Chief Justice to take on modernization of state courts" by Marylynne Pitz, published October 05, 2003, by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Consolidating the state courts' functions could happen if Gov. Ed Rendell releases the funds that would pay for the design and construction of a $123 million judicial center in Harrisburg. The money was set aside in the 2001-2002 budget. The state judicial center would have about 400,000 square feet and house about 400 employees. Vitteta, a Philadelphia-based architectural firm, was chosen for the project in January by the state Department of General Services.

The state judicial center would consolidate numerous court offices spread out over the state, allowing for the termination of office leases. * * *

Sadly, after retiring from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in January, 2008, Ralph J. Cappy died unexpectedly at his Green Tree home on May 1, 2009 at age 65. See: "Ralph J. Cappy, Former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice, dies at 65" (05/09), posted by Tributes.com; "Retired Supreme Court Justice Cappy dead at 65" (05/02/09) published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; and "Obituary: Ralph J. Cappy / Retired Pennsylvania chief justice" (05/03/09) published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

He died one month before the new state occupants began arriving in the PJC.

When I enter that building sometime in the future, I will look for his name to be listed, among others, on a plaque prominently displayed in its foyer, as a testament to their vision.

"Creativity" in Elder Law Promoted

The Elder Law & Consumer Protection Clinic at Penn State/Dickinson Law School issued the Summer, 2009 issue of its newsletter, Adventures in Law and Aging (PDF, 4 pages), with the theme of "creativity" in addressing elder law issues in Pennsylvania.

This is the Table of Contents of the Summer 2009 Newsletter:

• GUARDIANSHIP REFORM: The Need for Creative Approaches to Fiduciary Support, by Professor Katherine C. Pearson, Director, Elder Law & Consumer Protection Clinic (p. 1)

• ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CREATIVITY IN PRACTICE: The Blogging Attorney, by Brian W. Mains, Certified Legal Intern (p. 1)

• CREATIVE SOLUTIONS: Designing a Progressive and Innovative Older Adult Transportation Alternative, by Tatyana Chigirinsky, Certified Legal Intern (p. 2)

• A NEW CLINICAL EXPERIENCE: AARP’S Legal Services, by Abby Warren & Christina Bonne-Anne, Certified Legal Interns (p. 3)

• Hot Summer Events in Law & Aging (p. 4)

The second article is about blogging by a lawyer -- specifically about this PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog and its Dickinson School of Law (Class of 1976!) alumni blog author (me).

I had talked on the telephone for over an hour with third-year law student Brian Mains, in March, 2009, but heard little until Katherine Pearson sent an email with a PDF of the newsletter containing his published article.

Brian translated and organized my comments well. He captured the spirit of what I tried to convey to him, just as I try to convey it to students in my elder law classes: The practice of elder law requires passion and compassion, as well as solid legal skills, advocacy, and creativity.

But the article, which focused on this Blog, also jolted me. Lately I have not written postings as I should, despite so many developments affecting the senior population.

So, I'll stoke up my passion again, and post more. 'Nuff said.

Proposed DPW Lien Expansion Opposed

Since April, 2009, Pennsylvania lawyers carefully followed proposed state legislation (House Bill 1351) that would significantly expand Medicaid recovery beyond the current target -- a recipient's estate after death -- to more targets in which a recipient has a limited or partial lifetime interest. The effects on such other, remote interests in property would be far reaching.

Recently, Jeffrey A. Marshall, Esq. (a practicing member of Marshall, Parker & Associates, LLC), as a member of the Council of the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, circulated an email message on the Elder Law Listserv that updated fellow members about the status of bar association efforts in opposition to the proposed legislation.

Opposition, spearheaded by the Elder Law Section, was joined by the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, the Family Law Section, and the Solo & Small Firm Practice Section of the PBA.

With his consent, I repost his report (with slight editing and links added), with thanks.

Section Chair, Katherine Pearson, has asked me to update members on the Elder Law Section efforts in regard to the proposed expansion of estate recovery.

In April, HB 1351 was introduced as part of the Governor’s Budget proposal. The bill contains a rewrite of Section 1412 of the Welfare Code that will expand Medicaid estate recovery in Pennsylvania to include interests held in joint tenancy, tenancy by the entireties, survivorship, life estate, living trust or other arrangements.

The bill also gives the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) unprecedented collection authority and the power to resolve claims in an autocratic manner which is inconsistent with probate, trust and estate law.

The Elder Law Section moved immediately and forcefully to oppose the expansion of estate recovery. Our actions included:

1. Submission of a resolution to the PBA Board of Governors and House of Delegates opposing the expansion of estate recovery. Section leaders coordinated this opposition with other PBA groups including the Solo & Small Firm Practice, Family Law, and Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Sections. The resolution was approved by the House of Delegates on June 4th and is now PBA policy.
2. Section leadership has been working with the PBA Legislative Department to advocate in the state legislature. Letters have been sent by PBA to legislators and the Governor. A PBA Legislative Alert will be coming out soon that will provide the Association’s members with an easy way to contact their legislators to express their concerns. It is vital that legislators hear from their local constituents, especially from the lawyers in their districts who understand the negative impacts of the recovery expansion.
3. The Section has coordinated our efforts with other non-PBA lawyer groups including the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA) and the Section has coordinated our efforts with other non-PBA lawyer groups including the Philadelphia Bar Association.
4. The Section, in coordination with PAELA, developed materials to inform and advise other affected groups about the proposed expansion. Members then contacted those groups to seek support and build an effective coalition of opponents of the proposal. Section members spent countless hours alerting these other organizations to the effects of the proposal. Our efforts have been remarkably successful and our coalition now includes the following diverse group of organizations: AARP Pennsylvania Chapter; Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Bankers Association; Pennsylvania Land Title Association; Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Public Policy Coalition; Pennsylvania Home Care Association; Philadelphia Bar Association; PAELA; and many others.
5. PAELA has developed talking points, a position statement, and sample templates for lawyers to use for letters to be mailed to their legislators.
6. Many individual members of the Section have already contacted their legislators to alert them to the dangers of expansion of recovery. They have received many positive responses from the legislators.
   

We have learned that Section 1412 is not the only legislative proposal to expand estate recovery. House Bill 68, while less extreme, also seeks to expand recovery collections by means that will create problems for our clients, as well as for banks and funeral directors.

In a frightening example of how things can slip through unless our section is constantly on alert, HB 68 has already passed the House by unanimous vote. It is now under consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Much has been accomplished by your Section to defeat the expansion of estate recovery, but much more needs to be done. Please contact your state legislators, in person, by mail, and/or by e-mail. Your support and assistance is greatly appreciated.

The PAELA "talking points" are posted online here (PDF, 2 pages).

This is the position of the PBA in its Legislative Alert, sent June 22, 2009:

The Pennsylvania Bar Association adamantly opposes this section of HB 1351 and any similar legislation being negotiated as part of the 2009-10 state budget as bad public policy and harmful to the Commonwealth’s already vulnerable senior citizen population.

The issues contained in HB 1351 will undoubtedly play a role in the 2009-10 state budget negotiations in the legislature. Any attempt to expand MAER will:

· Create significant complications for estate administration and cause major title and conveyancing problems.
· Deter individuals from serving as executors and trustees and lawyers from representing these fiduciaries.
· Discourage older Pennsylvanians from seeking needed long-term care support services out of fear of new liens asserted by the Commonwealth. * * *

The PBA urges its members to contact legislators: "A]sk them to oppose section 1412 of HB 1351 and any similar attempts to expand estate recovery."

PBA Elder Law Newsletter (Spring, 2009) Available

In May, 2009, the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association issued its semi-annual Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 1 (PDF, 31 pages), containing fifteen articles or notices, to its members.

For a limited time, that issue is available publicly on the PBA's website here, in PDF format for viewing or download.

The contents of the Spring, 2009 PBA Elder Law Section Newsletter are set forth on its first page:

• Pennsylvania Proposes Expansion of Medical Assistance Estate Recovery (p. 1) by Katherine C. Pearson, Section Chair

• Section Leadership List (p. 2)

• 12th Annual Elder Law Institute Takes Place in Hbg. in July (p. 2), by Sally Schoffstall
  

• Pa. Legislature May Adopt “Suitability Standard for Sale of Annuities” (p. 3), by Dana M. Breslin
  

• PBA Recommendation and Report: Proposed Expansion of Medical Assistance Estate Recovery Program (p. 4), submitted by Katherine C. Pearson as Chair, Elder Law Section
  

• Elder Law Numbers Quick Reference (p. 6), by Robert C. Gerhard, III
  

• Medicare 101 for Attorneys (p. 7), by Kathleen M. Martin
  

• Binding Arbitration Agreements: A Hidden Minefield in Powers of Attorney (p. 9), by Martin S. Kardon
  

• Elder Law Section Web Site is New and Improved (p. 10), by Robert DeLong, Jr.
  

• Help with Your PBA Elder Law Section Listserv (p. 12), by Traci Raho
  

• The Curious Case of the Persistent Step-Up (p. 13), by John Payne
  

• Advance Care Planning After Act 169 (p. 18), by Jeffrey A. Marshall
  

• Elder Law Case Updates (p. 21), by Robert C. Gerhard, III

• Legislative Report (p. 24), by Steven Loux
  

• Contact the Editors (p. 31), by Robert C. Gerhard, III (Editor), and Ellen Wase & Julian Gray (Co-Editors)

This issue of the Section's Newsletter will be available only for a limited time.

Get it now. It is a blockbuster issue.

More "Truth About Probate and Living Trusts"

The Allegheny County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office will conduct a second, free “Truth About Probate and Living Trusts” Clinic for the public, this time in the North Hills area of Allegheny County, PA (not the North Hills in Montgomery County, PA) on Monday, June 29, 2009.

I received word about the scheduled repeat of the public presentation in an email message from Scott P. Magnuson, Esq. (who is a contact person for the event, along with Christine Kornosky, Esq., Chair of the sponsoring ACBA Probate & Trust Section), as follows:

I understand that you were aware of our last clinic for the general public of Allegheny County regarding probate and living trusts.

The response to the clinic was so overwhelming that we are having our second clinic on the 29th in a different part of Allegheny County.

I thought I would pass this press release on to you in case you had any interest in seeing it.

Thank you for you efforts in your blog. I'm sure it is appreciated by many.

Indeed, I had noticed and promoted the first run of the ACBA's Clinic on this topic held March 31, 2009. See: PA EE&F Law Blog, Lawyers & a Judge Educate about Living Trust Scams (03/23/09).

Western Pennsylvania publications reported about that Clinic too. See: "Protect yourself from dubious wills, living trust schemes" (03/19/09) by Larry Walsh, posted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and "Free clinic to focus on living trusts, probate" (03/25/09) posted by The Almanac.

Years ago, the ACBA published an informative booklet on the same topic as the Clinic, entitled "The Truth About Probate & Living Trusts in Pennsylvania," which is still available for download in electronic form (2002, PDF, 4 pages) or for order in paper form.

We have produced this booklet to alleviate the confusion about living trusts and probate, and to protect consumers from purchasing a product that might not be right for them.

The booklet answers questions about probate, such as: What is probate? What are the costs of probate? Does probate take a long time? The booklet also answers questions about a living trust, such as: Why am I now hearing so much about living trusts? Do I need a living trust?

If a consumer or organization would like to obtain multiple copies of the booklet, the first copy is free and the additional booklets are $1 each to cover copying expenses.

Recently, the focus has shifted from calm education on such topics into sterner warnings. Due to growing financial elder abuse, consumers must be trained to spot and avoid unprofessional and unqualified peddlers who frighten with tales of probate woes or tax tragedies, and then pitch unnecessary, ineffective, and often expensive "living trusts" as a panacea.

This Clinic's panel will speak the truth about these matters.

Here's the ACBA's recent Press Release about the next presentation offering the “Truth About Probate and Living Trusts”:

Due to the overwhelming response to their free Truth About Probate and Living Trusts clinic held in March [2009] in the South Hills section of Pittsburgh, The Probate and Trust Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association along with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office today announced that another free clinic will be held June 29 in the North Hills section of the city.

The clinic, which will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, located at 910 Sheraton Drive, Mars, PA 16046. The clinic will again be limited to 250 people, so reservations are required. Call 412-402-6651 to make a reservation.

The clinic will feature a panel discussion of members of the bar association’s probate and trust law section in addition to the Honorable Frank J. Lucchino, administrative judge in the Orphans’ Court Division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, and John Abel, Senior Deputy Attorney General in the Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The clinic will address issues and questions about revocable living trusts and probate and will help to address misinformation that is being distributed about these subjects. The clinic will also advise attendees on how to guard against living trust scams targeting senior citizens.

According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, “It is important for consumers to understand that planning an estate and choosing investments involves many different legal, financial and personal decisions. Consumers need to gather as much information as possible about these offers and look beyond fancy credentials or high-pressure sales pitches, understanding that some of these ‘consultants’ are nothing more than sales agents looking to earn a commission on living trusts or investments that may be of questionable value,” said Corbett.

“While we all understand the importance of getting this critical information out to the general public, we were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the reservations came in for our first clinic in the South Hills,” said Christine Kornosky, chairperson of the Probate and Trust Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

“Many callers asked for a similar clinic to be held in the North Hills and other parts of the city. We are pleased to again offer this important clinic in association with the Attorney General’s office. Our attorneys see firsthand every day how important it is to get the correct information about probate and living trusts into the hands of our county residents before they make misguided decisions that could negatively affect themselves and their families.”

This clinic is sponsored by: the Allegheny County Bar Association; Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC; and PNC Bank.

Additional probate clinics are being considered for other locations in Allegheny County. If you cannot attend the clinic, important information on probate and living trusts can be found on the Allegheny County’s Bar Association For the Public website at www.acba.org.

Additional Contacts who will be part of the panel discussion:

• Raymond Vogliano, Esquire, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
• Thomas Crowley, Esquire, PNC Wealth Management
• Tom Loftus, Director of Marketing and Media Relations, Allegheny County Bar Association
  

* * *

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.
I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.
I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right,
and part with him when he goes wrong.
-- Abraham Lincoln

Update: 06/17/09:

In response to this posting, I received an email message from Christine Kornosky, Esq., Chair of the sponsoring ACBA Probate & Trust Section. She reminded me about our prior discussion when we visualized just such an educational effort as now offered successfully by the ACBA:

Neil:

Thank you for your kind publicity of our events.

You may remember our discussion (about a year ago) about how to deal with the living trust peddlers who may also be attorneys and how to address truth in advertising issues without being negative.

As you can see, we took your advice to heart when we were deciding how to handle these issues. I just hope it does some good.

Best regards,
Chris Kornosky

Social Security & Medicare Slipping into the Future

CNN posted an interview headlined "Medicare is the real danger, not social security" on May 13, 2009, that highlighted the significant slippage in sustainability of the present Medicare and Social Security benefit systems.

Unfunded obligations of both Social Security and Medicare are "slipping into the future" faster than previously expected, which demand remedial action now, not later.

Bob Weiner says we should worry about Medicare before we worry about Social Security. The front page of the New York Times [on May 13, 2009] reads: Recession Drains Social Security and Medicare

The latest report card on the social safety net is not encouraging. The officials who oversee the program forecast Tuesday that the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2037 — four years earlier than estimated last year. * * *

The New York Times article, reposted by Ocala.com, identified the problem created by the recession:

The labor secretary, Hilda L. Solis, noted that 5.7 million jobs had been lost since the recession began in December 2007. With fewer people working, the government collects less in payroll taxes, a major source of financing for Medicare and Social Security.

A resumption of economic growth is not expected to close the financing gap. The trustees’ bleak projections already assume that the economy will begin to recover late this year.

The Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, said the only way to keep Medicare solvent was to “control runaway growth in both public and private health care expenditures.” And he said Mr. Obama intended to do that as part of his plan to guarantee access to health insurance for all Americans.

But if cost controls do not produce the expected savings, Congress is likely to find it so difficult to preserve benefits without increasing taxes. * * *

The Social Security Administration has made periodic Long-Range Solvency Proposals that would address the solvency of the "trust fund."

Trustees Reports issued over the last several years have indicated that Social Security's Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds would become insolvent sometime in the next 30 to 40 years under the intermediate set of economic and demographic assumptions provided in each report.

Various proposals have addressed this long-range solvency problem. These proposals are generally intended to restore, or largely restore, solvency for the long-range period (the next 75 years).* * *

U.S. News & World Report considered the long-range effects of the Social Security system's underfunding in its consumer-oriented article, "What Social Security's Underfunding Means for Your Retirement" (05/13/09) by Emily Brandon.

After considering the Social Security system's shortfalls, the article addressed Medicare's more pressing situation:

Medicare's funding ailments are expected to occur even sooner than Social Security's.

Projected annual assets for the hospital insurance portion of Medicare are expected to exceed expenditures by 2012. The hospital insurance trust fund is expected to be exhausted by 2017, two years earlier than projected in last year's report.

Medicare Part B, which covers doctors' bills and other outpatient expenses, and Part D prescription drug coverage are more adequately financed in the short term, but increases in healthcare costs over the long term will average 6.4 percent annually and require increases in enrollee premiums and general revenue funding. * * *

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzed the 2009 annual reports issued regarding both the Social Security system and the Medicare program:

• Trustees’ Report Finds Social Security Is Not in Crisis, But Action Is Needed
  , by Kathy Ruffing and Paul N. Van de Water -- "The trustees’ report shows some deterioration in the program’s long-run outlook, a finding that was widely expected. Nevertheless, the report does not depict a program in crisis. Policymakers should act sooner rather than later to put the program on a sound long-run footing, but today’s beneficiaries and workers approaching retirement need not fear that their Social Security benefits are at risk...."

• 2009 Trustees' Report Underscores Urgency of Health Reform, Medicare Changes, by Paul N. Van de Water -- "The 2009 annual report of Medicare’s trustees underscores the need for system-wide reform of health care financing that will slow the growth of health care costs in both Medicare and the private sector and extend health coverage to the uninsured."

A commentary published in Forbes, entitled "A Medicare Explosion -- How to diffuse a ticking time bomb" (05/19/09), by John C. Goodman, reacted to the projections contained in the Medicare report with some revolutionary proposals:

For some time, Social Security and Medicare combined have been paying out more than they are receiving in dedicated taxes and premiums. To cover that deficit, we have been drawing on the general revenues (mainly income taxes) of the federal government. Currently, we are taking more than 1-in-7 income tax dollars for this purpose. By 2020, it will be 1-in-4, and by 2030, 1-in-2.

Basically, elderly entitlements are on a path that will crowd out spending on every other federal program. Throw in Medicaid, and health care spending alone will crowd out every other thing the federal government is doing by mid-century!

Clearly we are on a path that is unsustainable. How can we get off of it?

First and foremost, we must move from a pay-as-you-go system to a funded system.

Instead of having each generation of retirees look to the next generation of workers to pay for its benefits, each generation must pay its own way. * * *

Mr. Goodman offers three fundamental reforms that could restructure Medicare into a workable system.

• On the funding side: "Suppose we ask workers and their employers to put aside 4% of their wages in savings accounts for post-retirement health care. These balances would grow tax free and would replace taxpayer obligations under traditional Medicare. The result: Instead of growing through time, the taxpayer burden for Medicare would eventually shrink to current levels."

• On the demand side: "[A]ll new Medicare beneficiaries should be able to manage up to one-third of their health care dollars, using a special type of Health Savings Account (HSA). With these accounts they would be able to keep each dollar of wasteful spending they avoid and bear the full cost of each dollar they waste."

• On the supply side: "[P]hysicians should be free to repackage and reprice their services, thus profiting from innovations that lower costs and raise the quality of care. Any health care provider should be able to propose and obtain a different reimbursement arrangement, provided that (1) the total cost to government does not increase, (2) patient quality of care does not decrease and (3) the provider proposes a method of measuring and assuring that (1) and (2) have been satisfied."

He concludes, however, with a warning: "The longer we wait, the more costly and painful reform will be."

Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin
Into the future

I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Oh, lord, through the revolution

Feed the babies
Who don't have enough to eat
Shoe the children
With no shoes on their feet
House the people
Livin' in the street
Oh, oh, there's a solution
* * *
--"Fly Like an Eagle" (1977 Version)
by The Steve Miller Band