Social Security To Spend Money On "Disability Mentoring Day"

A contracting notice published by the Social Security Administration:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) intends to award a sole source purchase order to the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), located at 1629 K Street NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20006-1634 to provide consultative services that will assist SSA in its outreach efforts during the 2007 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). The DMD is commemorated on the third Wednesday of every October. DMD is a large-scale effort designed to promote career development for students and other job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing, internship or employment opportunities, and matching of mentee/mentor relationships. AAPD is a nonprofit organization that is familiar with SSA's target population and can provide the personnel, materials, services, and equipment necessary to assure the success of SSA's outreach efforts during DMD. SSA believes that AAPD is the only source qualified to meet our needs. This notice is for informational purposes only and is neither a request for quotation nor an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation. Interested parties that believe they are capable of providing these services can submit a capability statement to Tonya Saunders via e-mail at tonya.saunders@ssa.gov no later than 2:00 p.m. EST, July 12, 2007. The Government will consider all information from responsible sources, but a determination by the Government not to compete this action is solely at the discretion of the Government.

Let me guess that the American Association of People with Disabilities has some friends in high places. Otherwise, I cannot explain why an agency strapped for funds would spend good money on such frippery. This has nothing to do with Social Security's mission, which is to pay cash benefits to certain people. Social Security is not in the disability mentoring business.