Jan 18, 2008

Economic Stimulus Package

I do not want to belabor the point, but last month an extra $200 million to help Social Security work off its hearing backlog was out of the question for President Bush. Today, President Bush is calling for a $140 billion economic stimulus package.

I think it is fair to be skeptical of any statement by any member of the Bush Administration, including Michael Astrue, the Commissioner of Social Security, professing concern about Social Security's backlogs. I would not go so far as to say that the Bush Administration desires that there be large backlogs at Social Security, but, at best, this Administration is indifferent to those backlogs.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but that was flushing more money down the drain, my $800 tax rebate will be put to good use.

Anonymous said...

The average monthly Social Security Disability check in 2007 was $ 981.00. The waiting time in most hearing offices is 18-24 months. Figure how much that would cost to pay them what is due now and into the future. So, here's $800.00 and maybe you'll die before you ever get a hearing. Just saved the government a bundle.

Anonymous said...

A lot of people think that President Bush and a lot of other right wing Republicans want SSA to "crash and burn" so that they can privatize the program so that some rich cronies of there's can make a profit from it!