WASHINGTON IN BRIEF
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; Page A05
Postal Service Spokesman Resigns
Azeezaly S. Jaffer, the U.S. Postal Service's top spokesman, has left the agency under a cloud.
Jaffer left his post unexpectedly June 30. He has declined to discuss his reasons for leaving or accusations against him.
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A longtime head of the Postal Service's stamp section, Jaffer was in charge of public affairs when he left.
A Postal Inspection Service report dated June 19 includes accusations of Jaffer running up an excessive $8,252 hotel bill at a three-day event in Washington, bypassing the Postal Service travel agency to obtain travel promotional benefits, and spending extravagantly on meals and drinks.
The report also included allegations of excessive drinking, using crass language in mixed company and commenting on the appearance of female co-workers.
Legislators Support Medicare Change
It will cost billions of dollars to forestall congressionally mandated cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, but the perennial override is necessary to ensure that patients receive the health care they need, lawmakers said yesterday at a hearing.
A program created in 1997 to put the brakes on federal Medicare spending sets annual and cumulative spending targets for physician reimbursements. When spending increases exceed economic growth, payments to doctors are supposed to be cut.
Under the system, payments to doctors would have to be cut by 5 percent a year through 2016 to meet program spending targets, according to federal estimates.
Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) said that the mandated cuts system is "fatally flawed" and that "it's time we start writing its obituary today."
Even though the law requires reductions in doctor payments when the target is missed, Congress has been reluctant to allow those cuts to go through. The last cut in doctors' fees -- 4.8 percent -- was in 2002.
Since then, Congress has rejected the mandated reductions and allowed small increases in payments. The same is likely to happen this year.
Warming Is Said To Threaten 12 Parks
Global warming puts 12 of the most famous U.S. national parks in the West at risk, environmentalists said yesterday, conjuring up visions of Glacier National Park without glaciers and Yellowstone Park without grizzly bears.