Commissioner Says Ohio Shoots Itself In Foot

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Commissioner of Social Security Michael Astrue said Ohio is losing millions of dollars and contributing to the backlog of disability cases by furloughing state workers paid with federal funds.

Astrue, who met with The Plain Dealer editorial board Thursday, also said the furlough of workers who process disability requests will delay 14,600 claims and postpone almost $3 million in federal benefits to Ohio residents.

According to Asture, Ohio will lose $6.9 million in federal money by imposing a 20-day furlough to each of the 627 employees of the Ohio Bureau of Disability Determination over two years. The furlough began last summer.