VA claims backlog

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News/Politics 7-7-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. Did ObamaCare make matters worse at the VA and contribute to the backlog in processing VA claims? Sure sounds like it.

From TruthRevolt   “A Veterans Affairs whistleblower from Atlanta will testify before Congress next Tuesday about widespread destruction of applications, retaliation against whistleblowers, and people being shifted from processing VA applications last summer to working on Obamacare enrollment.

Scott Davis is a program specialist at the VA’s national Health Eligibility Center in DeKalb County, Georgia. His story was published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this past Sunday and appeared on the Neil Cavuto program on Fox News Wednesday.  As opposed to previous whistleblower reports, which focus VA hospitals and getting to see doctors, Davis’ revelations are about the processing of applications by VA offices.  

Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that health benefit applications for more than 10,000 veterans may have been improperly purged from the Health Eligibility Center’s national data system. He began filing complaints in January 2014, revealing that managers were focused more on meeting goals linked to the Affordable Care Act to meet their bonus targets than processing VA applications.

We don’t discuss veterans. We do not work for veterans. That is something that I learned after working there. Our customer is the VA central office, the White House and the Congress. The veterans are not our priority. So whatever the initiatives are or the big ticket items, that is what we focus on.”

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2. And as always, the Obama admin has retaliated against the whistleblower. That’s easier than fixing the problems they’re pointing out.

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3. Don’t you just love bi-partisan acts by Congress? It’s so nice when the parties both agree……

to quietly change the rules for reporting freebies they receive from lobbyists. 🙄

From IJReview  “A member of Congress used to have to specifically report the details if they traveled on someone else’s dime. As of last week, that rule was lifted with no public announcement. National Journal reports:

The move, made behind closed doors and without a public announcement by the House Ethics Committee, reverses more than three decades of precedent. Gifts of free travel to lawmakers have appeared on the yearly financial form dating back its creation in the late 1970s, after the Watergate scandal. National Journal uncovered the deleted disclosure requirement when analyzing the most recent batch of yearly filings.

For a group of officials that considers an adjustment to their burrito order worthy of a press release and a television appearance, that this change was made literally behind closed doors tells us everything we need to know about it. Members of both parties reached across the aisle and kept their mouths shut about it.

These trips still must be reported to the Office of the Clerk and disclosed there, but the decades-old requirement for individual members to also disclose their particular activities on their annual financial forms is now gone.”

They still report it, but now it’s in an area where no one would look. Now that’s transparency.

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4. The Obama EPA continues to expand it’s illegal power grabs. Control the water, you control the people. Just ask California.

Also From TheIJReview  “The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to expand its jurisdiction over the nation’s waterways under the Clean Water Act to include ditches, small streams, ponds, and other purely local waterways.

Nearly 204,000 comments have been received since the rule was proposed on April 21, 2014, mostly from Americans opposed to it. Ten U.S. senators also sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy expressing their concerns about the proposed rule changes.

Among the examples of potential overreach the senators cite are attempts by environmentalists to ban fireworks at Lake Tahoe along the border of California and Nevada. The senators fear the expanded EPA jurisdiction could led to similar lawsuits in other places.”

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5. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before….

Less people working, plus a lowering unemployment number, equals fuzzy math. Again.

From CNSNews  “The number of Americans 16 and older who did not participate in the labor force climbed to a record high of 92,120,000 in June, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

This means that there were 92,120,000 Americans 16 and older who not only did not have a job, but did not actively seek one in the last four weeks.

That is up 111,000 from the 92,009,000 Americans who were not participating in the labor force in April.”

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by

News/Politics 8-27-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the fuzzy math continues.

From CNSNews  “The Treasury Department’s latest official daily accounting of the  U.S. government’s receipts, expenditures and borrowings–released this  afternoon at 4:00 p.m.–indicates that the legally limited debt of the  federal government has now been exactly $16,699,396,000,000 for 100  straight days.

The Daily Treasury Statement released today showed the status of the  government’s accounts as of the close of business on Friday, Aug. 23.  Because the Treasury does no business over the weekend, the federal  government’s debt did not change on Saturday or Sunday.

The statement for Aug. 23 said the federal debt subject to the legal  limit set by Congress was $16,699,396,000,000—or $25 million below the  current limit of $16,699,421,000,000. Every Daily Treasury Statement  since May 17 has also shown the legally limited debt at  $16,699,396,000,000, or $25 million below the limit.”

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I’m sure all the young folks who voted for the president will be happy to hear this.

From Forbes  “No, Obamacare Is Not A Good Deal For Young People In The Long Run, Not Even Close”

“Progressives are becoming increasingly concerned at the prospect of millions of uninsured young people deciding to push the easy button next year by simply paying a very small finerather than obtain health coverage. Consequently, they have turned to a new argument to get those under 30 to act against their self interest by signing up for the Exchanges. Now we are being told that Obamacare will be a good deal for young people in the long run since whatever short-term losses they incur in the form of higher premiums will be more than made up later when they are older and get to pay lower premiums than they would in today’s market.

But those making these arguments haven’t offered any analysis to back up their claims. The conceptual point evidently is supposed to be intuitively obvious. As Ezra Klein puts it:

Young people grow old. Healthy people get sick. Rich people become poor. The people overpaying to keep costs low today are the people underpaying 10 or 20 years from now.”

Pay more now, less later. Got it.

That’s good, because they’ll still be paying their student loans back 20 years from now too, so they’ll need the extra cash. 🙄

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Isn’t it nice when govt rewards it’s own incompetence?

From TheWaPo  “While veterans waited longer than ever in recent years for their wartime disability compensation, the Department of Veterans Affairs gave its workers millions of dollars in bonuses for “excellent” performances that effectively encouraged them to avoid claims that needed extra work to document veterans’ injuries, a News21 investigation has found.

In 2011, a year in which the claims backlog ballooned by 155 percent, more than two-thirds of claims processors shared $5.5 million in bonuses, according to salary data from the Office of Personnel Management.”

“Beth McCoy, the assistant deputy undersecretary for field operations for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), said bonuses for claims processors were justified because, even though the number of backlogged claims was rising, workers were processing more claims than ever.”

“But News21 found that regional office management gave bonuses to some employees even as their claims backlogs grew. During 2012, Office of Personnel Management records show some of the most troubled offices gave their employees the most extra pay.”

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This one? Yes please. 🙂

From TheNYTimes  ” Some of the early shots in the Republican primary battle against Senator Lindsey Graham have been fired from this tiny community on the northern border of the state where the Civil War began.

A small group called Carolina Conservatives United, one of dozens organized loosely under the flag of limited government, low taxes and strict adherence to the Constitution, sent out images last week of a milk carton bearing Mr. Graham’s face and asked Gov. Nikki R. Haley to issue the state’s version of an Amber Alert to find its missing senator.       

“Lindsey Graham has not been seen in the state of South Carolina for most of the last two years,” said Bruce Carroll, the chairman of the group.       

Conservatives in South Carolina are eager to oust Mr. Graham, who has enraged the far right for, among other things, reaching across the aisle on immigration and supporting President Obama’s nominations for the Supreme Court. Tea Party supporters called him a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood when, instead of heading home for the Congressional break this month, he went to Egypt at the request of the president.”

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And this last one I’m unsure on. I can see their point, but at the same time they shouldn’t be allowed to simply get out of it completely either. They have a certain obligation and responsibility here that cannot be denied or shirked. But one thing I am sure of is that they need to reform the way they currently do things. This works for no one.

From Bloomberg  “Ari Schochet has grown so accustomed to being sent to jail for missing alimony payments that he goes into a routine.”

“Schochet, who said he worked as a portfolio manager at Citadel Investment Group Inc. and Fortress Investment Group LLC (FIG) and once earned $1 million a year, has been jailed for missing court-ordered payments at least eight times in the past two years as he coped with the end of his 17-year marriage.

The reason he ran afoul of the law was simple. He was out of work for most of that time, a victim of a weak economy, and he ran through his savings trying to pay his wife alimony and child support that totaled almost $100,000 a year.”

“Schochet and ex-spouses in similar changed circumstances say New Jersey’s law unfairly imposes lifetime alimony on them. If they fail to make payments, like the $78,000 a year Schochet owes his ex-wife in alimony, they can be jailed for contempt of court regardless of whether they have a job or resources.”

Thoughts?

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by

News/Politics 7-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE

BREAKING: Egyptian TV Says Morsi Under House Arrest – Update: Travel Ban Placed On Muslim Brotherhood Leaders – Update: Top Morsi Aide: “Call This By Its Real Name – A Military Coup”…

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First, an update on the continuing backlog of veterans claims. I would say this is ridiculous, but of course it is, this is our govt at work.

From FoxNews

“A new study released ahead of the Fourth of July holiday sheds more light on  the tangle of paperwork facing America’s veterans — showing they’re up against  as many as 613 forms across 18 agencies as they seek services.

The study by the American Action Forum also found the paperwork — in part the result of  roughly 31 million Veterans Affairs claims alone each year — takes federal  employees roughly 43.3 million hours to process.

“Navigating 18 agencies and more than 600 forms has produced absurd results  and unnecessary delays,” the self-described “center-right” leaning nonprofit  said.”

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And don’t think for a minute that ObamaCare will be any more efficient. The problems are already beginning in fact. So of course Democrats are trying to hide it, because they own it.

From WaPo

“I don’t know if Members of Congress will be hearing about it in town hall gatherings and other meetings back home over the Fourth of July recess, but the rolling thunder of the approaching ObamaCare train can be heard in the distance.  Smart Democrats are beginning to get frantic about the need to suppress the confusion and hide the cost of ObamaCare between now and the 2014 midterm elections.  We are just three months away from the October 1st enrollment start date and so far, nothing about the ObamaCare implementation process should be politically encouraging for Democrats.  In fact, the more people learn about ObamaCare, the more frightened they become.

Right now, small businesses across America are making the final determinations on how to reduce the working hours of their employees so fewer employees qualify for the mandated, employer-provided health insurance.  Employers are also deciding whether it makes more economic sense to pay a fine to the government or pay for healthcare benefits for their employees.  What this means is that hundreds of thousands – and perhaps even millions – of Americans will learn that they are being dismissed from their employer’s healthcare coverage.

The healthcare pink slips will start raining down in late summer and early fall.  This will push people into the healthcare exchanges, where, in some cases, people will be writing health insurance checks for the first time.  And in many cases, people will be facing increased health insurance costs, particularly if they are young and healthy.  The negative effects on personal income and the overall economy will be undeniable.  Sometime next year, before the elections, the penalties associated with not having or providing health insurance will begin to pour in.  Will the fines come in the mail?  Will you be able to appeal?  What happens if someone doesn’t pay?  No one knows.  Or, no one who knows is talking.  The consequences of ObamaCare are being hidden.”

They’re so frightened by it that they’ll now delay the employers mandate until after the 2014 mid-terms. Can’t have people finding out how bad it will be before the elections. Cowards.

From Bloomberg

“Businesses won’t be penalized next year if they fail to provide workers health insurance after the Obama administration decided to delay a key requirement under its signature 2010 health-care law.

The government will postpone enforcement of the so-called employer mandate until 2015, the administration said today. Under the provision, companies with 50 or more workers face a fine of as much as $3,000 per employee if they don’t offer affordable insurance.

The move addresses complaints from employer groups to President Barack Obama’s administration about the burden of the law’s reporting requirements. The decision pushes the issue past the 2014 midterm congressional elections, as Republicans have sought to make the health law a symbol of government overreach.”

More here from TheDailyMail

“But the Treasury source said the extra year  will give the White House an extra year to persuade health insurers to  participate in the exchanges that make up the backbone of the Affordable Care  Act.

The revised timetable, the source added, will  also push back the final implementation of Obamacare’s penalties past the 2014  midterm elections, providing Republicans fewer chances to highlight the law’s  potentially harmful effects on businesses’ bottom lines.”

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Next up, another “Green Scam” is exposed.

From UPI.com

“Electric cars, despite their supposed green credentials, are among the  environmentally dirtiest transportation options, a U.S. researcher suggests.

Writing in the journal IEEE Spectrum, researcher Ozzie Zehner says electric cars lead to hidden environmental and health damages and are likely more harmful than  gasoline cars and other transportation options.”

Shocked? 😯

No. 🙄

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Things are escalating in Egypt.

From Reuters

“Egypt’s high command said on Wednesday the army was ready to die to defend Egypt’s people against terrorists and fools, in a response to Islamist President Mohamed Mursi that was headlined “The Final Hours”.”

This piece is more specific on what the military leaders have in mind.

Also from Reuters/EI

“Egypt’s armed forces would suspend the constitution and dissolve an Islamist-dominated parliament under a draft political roadmap to be pursued if Islamist President Mohamed Morsy and the liberal opposition fail to agree by Wednesday, military sources said.

The sources told Reuters the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was still discussing details and the plan, intended to resolve a political crisis that has brought millions of protesters into the streets, could be changed based on political developments and consultations.”

Islamists are rallying to Morsi.

From Reuters/EI

“Islamist demonstrators in Rabea al-Adaweya Square have increased on Tuesday in support of the legitimacy of President Mohamed Morsy, as several marches arrived to the square from various parts of Cairo and other governorates.”

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamists are warning the Christian population to stay out of it or face the consequences for joining in the demonstrations.

From RaymondIbrahim

“Hours before the June 30 protests against Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, began, the nation’s Christians were, once again, singled out for behaving like citizens who have the right to participate in the protests.

In Minya, Upper Egypt, where millions of Christians live, letters addressed to the Copts threatened them not to join the protests, otherwise their “businesses, cars, homes, schools, and churches” might “catch fire.” The message concluded by saying “If you are not worried about any of these, then worry about your children and your homes.  This message is being delivered with tact.  But when the moment of truth comes, there will be no tact.”  It’s signed by “People zealous for the nation.”

Such threats are hardly limited to anonymous letters.  During a recent TV interview, Sheikh Essam Abdulamek, a member of parliament’s Shura Council, warned Egypt’s Christians against participating in the June 30 protests, threatening them by saying “Do not sacrifice your children” since “general Muslim opinion will not be silent about the ousting of the president [Morsi].”

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In other news, the FBI has yet to contact the victims of the IRS scandal, despite claims that they are “investigating” it.

From CNSNews

“More than a month and a half after it was announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would launch an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) targeting of conservative groups, the groups and their legal representatives are still waiting to hear from the FBI.

Cleta Mitchell, an attorney representing nine tea party groups who were targeted by the IRS, told CNSNews.com that she has not heard from the FBI regarding the case and questions whether an investigation is actually underway.”

And in other Obama admin scandal news, the National Intelligence Director would like you to know he’s sorry for lying to Congress.

From USNews

“The director of National Intelligence apologized in June to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee for lying during a hearing, according to a letter published on the DNI website on Tuesday.

Director James Clapper appeared before the committee in March, where Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked him specifically if NSA spies on millions of Americans. Clapper answered, “No.”

Since then, Edward Snowden reportedly leaked government documents that unveiled a secretive government program that did precisely what Wyden suggested in collecting meta data for cell phone and internet records of hundreds of millions of Americans.”

But Roger Clemens was tried for a far less important instance of lying. Why does this guy get a pass?

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This last one is encouraging. The more people know, and technology advances, the more who join the pro-life side. 20 years, and a 20 point swing in America’s opinion.

From TheWeeklyStandard

“Gallup’s most recent polling on the issue, taken this spring, indicates that more Americans actually regard themselves as “pro-life” than “pro-choice.”  According to the poll, 48 percent of Americans say they are “pro-life,” while 45 percent say they are “pro-choice.”  What’s more, opposition to abortion is rather plainly on the rise, as those numbers were effectively flipped ten years ago — and as, in the mid-1990s, the number of people who considered themselves “pro-choice” outpaced the number who considered themselves “pro-life” by about 20 percentage points.

Another finding from Gallup’s polling, however, is perhaps even more illuminating.  Those who work in America’s newsrooms are overwhelmingly in favor of abortion’s legality, and they tend to report the issue as if anyone who opposes abortion is a fringe religious fanatic.  (Moreover, they rarely miss an opportunity to subtly editorialize by describing opponents of abortion as being against “abortion rights.”)  It’s telling, therefore, that while Gallup’s polling indicates that a plurality of Americans are pro-life, Gallup’s respondents guessed that only about a third of their fellow Americans share those pro-life sentiments.”

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by

News/Politics 7-2-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, so feel free to contribute. I’ve had a rough go of it the last day and a half, so I’m a little behind. I’ve been unable to sit for long so it’s been a bit hard to keep up, but I do have a few that caught my eye…..

First up, the propaganda machine kicks into high gear.

From NationalReview

“The American Library Association announced on Sunday that public libraries across the country will be partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services to help millions of uninsured Americans sign up for Obamacare.

With the emphasis on web-based enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, Americans without computers are at a disadvantage to register for the “reasonable health insurance” that will soon be available to them. And “that is where public libraries come in,” explained American Libraries magazine. In addition to providing computer and Internet access to patrons, librarians will receive training to help people navigate through the various healthcare plans and choose the plan that suits their needs. It has also been suggested that libraries host healthcare-awareness events and hand out information to foster “health care literacy” in the coming months.

The Washington Times reports that up to 17,000 U.S. libraries will be a part of the effort, and that “libraries will be particularly important in conservative states that are not making much effort to promote the health law’s opportunities.” (That’s quite an understatement.)”

Gee, maybe when they’re done with this job, they can help with this one, since the Obama admin also seems incapable of handling this on their own too.

Also from NationalReview

“The backlog of disability claims at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has catapulted the agency into an unwanted spotlight. Unlike other scandals besetting the Obama administration, there is nothing to indicate that the VA is targeting conservative vets with systematic delays or passing their telephone records along to the Justice Department. Simply put, the VA backlog has grown because of the technical burdens veterans face in navigating a complex process in a vast bureaucracy.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki promises to do his best to reduce the backlog. So far, his most visible step is a dictate that VA employees who review claims work mandatory overtime to tackle the problem, which is staggering. As of June 22, VA reported that 833,130 vets had pending compensation and pension (C&P) claims. That’s more people than reside in San Francisco. If these claimants represented a single city, it would be the 14th largest in America. Backlogged claims, defined as those pending more than 125 days, represent nearly two-thirds of that total.”

Most of the discussion of the claims backlog misses the mark. Secretary Shinseki and others at VA repeatedly tell us that the key to reducing the backlog is computerization. VA’s goal is to move from paper records to digital ones. It’s a good talking point, but it won’t get the job done any time soon.”

“navigating a complex process in a vast bureaucracy” Just like ObamaCare will be. That’s guaranteed, since the govt does nothing well, except grow ever larger and more controlling.

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Ruh-roh…..  Quick, somebody get John “Did you know he was in Vietnam?” Kerry on the phone. It’s time for some of that Obama/leftist “smart diplomacy”.

From WeaselZippers

“Breaking: Military In Egypt Announces Will Stage Coup D’Etat In 48 Hours If People’s Demands Not Met…

Update: Statement From Military”

““The Armed Forces repeat its call for the people’s demands to be met and give everyone 48 hours as a last chance to shoulder the burden of a historic moment for a nation that will not forgive or tolerate any party that is lax in shouldering its responsibility,” it said.”

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This next one demonstrates nicely what happens when affirmative action is carried to it’s logical conclusion in a college environment. Is this the exception, or the rule? I fear it’s the latter.

From CampusReform

“School administrators at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) are systematically raising the final grades of African-American students, three ex-faculty members told Campus Reform last month.

Former Director of Academic Technology Shira Hedgepeth, along with two former professors who spoke to Campus Reform on the condition of anonymity, alleged administrators at the historically black college routinely increase the final grades of African-American students in order to raise the school’s standing.

“Some students had their final grades changed based on their race,” Hedgepeth told Campus Reform on June 6. “That was a common complaint of many of the faculty that I worked with.””

“According to Hedgepeth, and the two former professors who were granted anonymity because they feared speaking out may jeopardize their retirement, instructors would submit final grades to the school only to have them later revised upwards by administrators as a way to “take care of their African American students.””

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Next up, a not surprising, but still pathetic, new tactic for women to get men to support abortion. Sexual blackmail. With a CONTENT WARNING!!! for adult subject matter.

From HuffPo

“We’ve all been there, attracted to that man who does not mean well for us.  We sure would not want our daughters dating or married to these kinds of guys who think they should decide what is best for women.  How perfectly patriarchal, these Texas men trying to not hear what women want have shown themselves to be, but how incredibly out of touch with today’s reality.  Women of Texas, it’s going to be a long hot summer — make sure the men who do not deeply respect and support women feel it.

As a native Texan, and someone who has survived 100-plus-degree temperatures for many summers, I can tell you, this summer in Texas is surely going to be hotter than usual.  Sultry, sweaty summers can be made much nicer when good old-fashioned sex is part of the picture.  But women, take heed: Don’t give in if your man, boyfriend, husband, toyboy is not voting for your best interests, your reproductive health — do not sleep with that man!  I don’t care how cute or charming he is!  I don’t care if he is your husband of many years.  Resist! Go swimming!  Meditate!

Do not make him dinner, do not go fetch him a cold beer from the fridge, do not iron that shirt, hell, do not change that diaper… do not make his life a little nicer this summer if he does not “get it” and learn to respect women!  Instead, volunteer some time for senators like Wendy Davis, go with a group of women to Austin and make your voices heard.  Get on the computer and the social networks and organize.”

Sad.

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And so is this one. I know they think this is a great new ad campaign to push their product, but is ticking off half of your potential customers the way to increase sales? I’d think not. But I do know one thing, this pandering has cost them at least one customer already….. Me.

Also from HuffPo

“From all of the marriage equality celebrations to Facebook’s new Pride emoticon, everyone’s seeing the colors of the rainbow these past few days and now, to continue celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride, you don’t have to look any further than your cereal bowl.

General Mills has come out in support of the gay community for Pride, and what better way to show their love than with the Lucky Charms marshmallow rainbow?

The “magically delicious” cereal is serving as the face of the new #LuckyToBe campaign which encourages people with Pride to tweet and post online their reasons for why they’re prideful using the hashtag #LuckyToBe.

“We’re celebrating Pride month with whimsical delight, magical charms, and two new rainbow marshmallows… If you’re lucky enough to be different, we’re celebrating you,” the #LuckyToBe campaign stated in a press release sent to GLAAD.

🙄 And someone remind me again, what comes before a fall?

Yeah, exactly.

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