Retired ALJ Borowiec Writes Book

Retired Social Security Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Frank Borowiec of Chamblee, Georgia, has written a book with the title Upholding the Rule of Law in the Social Security Administration, An Agency At War With Itself, about the efforts that he and others made to eliminate the disability claims backlog at Social Security. Borowiec had worked for Social Security in Atlanta. His career included two years as the Regional Chief Administrative Law Judge in Atlanta. Here is some information on the book from the Dunwoody [Georgia] Crier:

The word "frustration" crops up often when Borowiec talks about his experiences as an ALJ handling disability claims cases. "You feel as you hear each case that you can correct an injustice, but [claimants] waited so long for a decision," Borowiec said, adding that sometimes people can become impoverished during an appeal, even losing their home. "When a check comes, it doesn't make up for the loss," he said.

For most of the book, Borowiec cites legal proceedings, governmental reports and SSA regulations in making his case for the changes he believed would eliminate the disability claims backlog. The book points out bureaucratic incongruities that thwarted that effort. For example, individual states and not the SSA make initial disability determinations. State operations are funded by the SSA, but disability decisions are not based on SSA laws and regulations, rather, a "manual" that attempts to interpret them. The manual has no legal standing and ALJs and the courts cannot use or reference it in their decisions.

 The book is available for $12.71 from Amazon. It was 1,838,249 in Amazon's ranking of books when I looked at it. I have not read it yet but I am sure it deserves better than that.

Update: It's soared up to 115,196 in Amazon's rankings!