Witness List For Social Security Subcommittee Hearing

      Here is the witness list for the September 14 hearing before the House Social Security Subcommittee, with a little information about each witness:

• Richard Burkhauser, Ph.D., Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, and Adjunct
  Scholar, American Enterprise Institute -- has written a book recommending raising the early retirement age 
• David C. Stapleton, Ph.D., Director, Center for Studying Disability Policy, Mathematica Policy Research -- works for a contractor which is making lots of money off the failed Ticket to Work program. 
• Marty Ford, Director of Public Policy, The Arc of the United States, on behalf of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Social Security Task Force -- an advocate for Social Security disability benefits recipients 
• Daniel Bertoni, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office -- Believes that "the criteria the agency uses to make decisions about eligibility for benefits may not sufficiently assess the work capacity of individuals in the 21st century" but cannot give a coherent explanation of what he means. Did a report showing that the Ticket to Work program is a complete failure and then recommended "more oversight" rather than killing off the program. 
• Jill Houghton, Executive Director, US Business Leadership Network -- long history of promoting Ticket to Work.
• Nadine Vogel, Founder and President, Springboard Consulting, Mendham, New Jersey, on behalf of the Society for Human Resource Management -- mother of disabled child who speaks on special needs planning for disabled children 

     I suppose we can take it that the Subcommittee will hear extensively of the wonders of Ticket to Work despite the overwhelming evidence that Ticket to Work is a waste of money. Our representatives in Congress desperately want to hear from people who tell them that large numbers of people drawing Social Security disability benefits can be rehabilitated and returned to work. They are willing to spend great gobs of money pursuing this pipe dream so, of course, people appear who are willing to tell them what they want to hear can be found.