Sep 21, 2009

Moving Backward

The Associated Press is running an article on the surge in new Social Security disability claims. Social Security Commissioner Mitchael Astrue is quoted as saying "We're going to be moving backwards this year, the question is how much ... The trend line isn't good." Astrue is also quoted as complaining that "some judges are not holding their weight."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"some judges are not holding their weight."

If astrue meant,in terms of,full and fair hearings. I certainly would agree. In my opinion,it's more like,the judge tried to give an appearance of a full hearing.

Anonymous said...

It is true that there are those within SSA who are not holding their weight (to use Astrue's term). But, most often those are the management folks who simply cannot implement any program or effectively direct their staff to follow their own policy and the law.

The bottom line is that the buck stops at Astrue's desk. HE is not getting the job done and HE ALONE is responsible. He has the power to get rid of at least one non-producer. All he has to do is submit HIS resignation. What he should stop doing is blaming the relatively few low producing judges for HIS inability to lead.

Anonymous said...

I can't stand any more from Astrue. He should be demanding billions more from Congress to add staffing, but then again he won't use the billions he has already been given to add significant staffing. I mean, he thought it was great when he projected reducing the backlog in 2013, for chrissake.