New Hearing Office In Georgia

     I asked recently when the next Social Security hearing office would open. It's about to happen in Augusta, GA. That new office is to have 10 Administrative Law Judges and 50 other employees. 

     I should have asked when the next one will open after the end of this fiscal year. The increased appropriations that have allowed new offices to open over the last couple of years have dried up. Instead of trying to improve service, Social Security is now trying to avoid furloughing employees. While service may improve in a few spots, service will unquestionably deteriorate across the country -- and I'm not just talking about the wait time to get a hearing.