I had posted earlier about a Pew Research Center survey on the American people's trust in their federal government. I should have looked at the report more closely. They surveyed on individual agencies as well. Social Security's favorable rating went down from 62% to 49% between 1997/1998 and 2010, a decline of 13%, one of the largest declines of any federal agency. Only two agencies, the Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service, were rated lower than Social Security.
Poor service at Social Security has something to do with this. The relentless drumbeat of attacks on Social Security from the right also has a lot to do with this. Many, many Americans have been frightened into believing that it is inevitable that Social Security will fail. This has become an article of faith in many right wing circles even though it is nonsense. Social Security's funding problem can be easily solved with even the slightest bit of bipartisanship at any time in the next thirty years or so.
Poor service at Social Security has something to do with this. The relentless drumbeat of attacks on Social Security from the right also has a lot to do with this. Many, many Americans have been frightened into believing that it is inevitable that Social Security will fail. This has become an article of faith in many right wing circles even though it is nonsense. Social Security's funding problem can be easily solved with even the slightest bit of bipartisanship at any time in the next thirty years or so.
Tax money is taken from a worker. And when a worker believes he/she is unabled to work,in most cases,some over-paid alj or ogc attorney either deny or defend a denial of benefits.
ReplyDeleteIf government truly desire to save money,cut these people salary.
A1, what is the basis of your opinion that federal workers are overpaid??? What objective facts can you point to that supports your opinion. Or is it just that, an unfounded, unsupported opinion based on nothing remotely attached to reality?
ReplyDeleteWell,although i'm a democrat. If not mistaken,sen chuck grassly has made a similar comment. And when a
ReplyDeletegovernment employee is being paid from tax money,the public should voice an opinion. Lastly,Do it really take $7,000-$12,000 or more a month of tax payer money to feed,cloth and house a person?
Can't an alj,and ogc attorneys eat a cheesburger,wear same clothes longer or buy used clothes,rent or buy housing for under $4000 a month?
I'm sure they could. But what they spend their money on has now bearing on what they are worth (compensation) as an employee.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if you're unhappy with the service you're getting now, cut pay and see if you get better service. What could possibly be the consequenses of that? Let's see:
ReplyDelete1) Employees with better options leave; and these are usually the better ones!
2) Employees without better options stay; and these are usually the poorer ones (customer service-wise).
3) Any new employees are those with poorer options (similar to those in point 2).
4) Said remaining employees (point 2) are now paid less but required to do either the same amount of work or more (since the new employees won't know anything for a while, if ever, since you now have the worst potential employees).
Does that sound like a recipe for improved service? Not to me. That may save money, but quality service comes at a price. Apparently Anon1 would rather get poor service.
Or maybe, just maybe, the gov't doesn't "truly desire to save money", but rather wants to help people--and doing so costs money.
So go ahead and voice your opinions, Anon3; but at least make some effort to think through the consequences of what is propsed.
Mr Hall, you seem much more optimistic that there will be "bipartisanship at any time in the next thirty years" than I.
ReplyDeleteThis is my last comment under this post. I view a highly paid ssa employee ($80,000 or more)the same way an alj or disability examiner may see some claimants. "They don't deserve it"
ReplyDeleteI make over & 80,000.00/year and I am keenly aware of what that means and how that is viewed by the public. I bust my butt every day to make sure I earn it. There is no one to say whether I "deserve" it. When I retire, the tasks I do will go largely undone, they will hire someone at less than half that salary who will never learn as much as I know and never be able to do the job I did. Then you will have your wish.
ReplyDeleteI retired last year as a district manager at 109K. I would have liked to have stayed a bit longer (I'm 53) but it got too much. Politics, stress from above and below forced me out before I got too sick to work.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the front line employees are worth every cent they're paid. If a veteran CR is making 80K, and is doing a great job, that's worth a hell of a lot more than that. I fired a few who couldn't make it. This bitching about Federal salaries, which are lower than private sector jobs (at least those who are employed these days--sorry) is inane. Get off it.
cutting pay for alj's and ogc attorneys will result in even worse decisions and worse service. how exactly does that save money in the end?
ReplyDeleteBack in the day of CompuServe GEnie and similar pre-historic precursors to forums such as this, we had the problem of "trolls", people who were johnny one note posters who posted to elict a response or annoy and we had a saying of "do not feed the energy creature". Meaning, ignore such posts, don't give them any energy by engaging them in conversation and pretend they aren't there. I miss "twit" filters, where you could tag a poster or their posts and make then disappear and thereby eliminate the annoyance but when that isn't possible, just "don't feed the energy creature". Starve him by ignoring him.
ReplyDeleteNot saying such folks cannot or should not be allowed to post, but just that if no one ever responds to them, they get the attention that the crowd thinks they should have.
"Poor service at Social Security has something to do with this" -- this is a big leap. Baloney! Most of the people surveyed probably have not received any survice from SSA other than being taxed. This was a nationwide survey that is near meaningless because the majority of people surveyed were most likely NOT receiving any benefit from Social Security and only PAYING SS taxes. Satisfaction survey results are largely influenced by whether money is coming in or out of one's pockets. This is seen time and time again in SSA's own surveys. People who are approved for benefits are happy, those who are not are not happy. People are happy when they get what they want.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't complain about the attorney salaries at ODAR; they have student loans to pay off. Rather, you should look at the salaries of the high school graduates who supervise the attorneys.
ReplyDeleteHateODAR, the underlying arrogance of that statement is frightening. I'm not even sure where to begin so I'll just say this: you are wrong to believe that attorneys can't be properly supervised by people who are non-attorneys.
ReplyDeleteThe only way for attorneys at ODAR to be supervised is to have the supervisors to be paid more than they are. I interviewed at ODAR for a HOM job many years ago...after talking with the HOCALJ, I knew that this wasn't a guy I could work with or for. I've always felt that administrative judges should never have lifetime appointments at $100K+ salaries, and still do.
ReplyDeleteI'm an ODAR Sr. Atty. and I will agree that you can have a non-attorney supervise an attorney. But they cannot "supervise" legal work product. Further, the best non-attorney supervisors are those that have both DO and ODAR experience. However, now they are importing DO managers whom have never done the paralegal job and they have no idea what they are doing at ODAR. If you have never written decisions or worked with ALJs as a line employee, they you will most likely be a disaster as an ODAR manager. Further, you should be prepared to get as good as you give. When you supervise lawyers and you don't know what you are doing, watch out. Or you will be tied up ten ways to Sunday in LMR if you try that nast DO stuff at ODAR.
ReplyDelete