Senator Wants Public Notice And Comment On Office Closures
From
The Hill:
A bill awaiting Congress when it returns from its August recess would
attempt to slow field office closures at the Social Security
Administration, an agency that has shuttered more than 60 facilities in
recent years.
The 2014 Social Security Access Act, introduced by Sen. Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y., aims to bring more community input into the closure
process. The bill would require SSA to provide 180 days’ notice to “all
individuals residing in areas serviced” by any field office subject to
any “reduction in access.” ...
Schumer’s bill would create a public comment period and require SSA
to hold at least one public hearing a month after disseminating
information to constituents about an upcoming closure. The agency would
have to post online and provide in writing to local members of Congress
and other elected officials a range of information about the decision,
including the number of SSA employees affected, the number of people who
visit the office, Internet access in the region, transportation options
to the next closest facility, projected cost savings and the estimated
cost of co-locating with another federal agency instead of the proposed
closure.
The SSA commissioner would also have to submit a report to Congress
justifying the closure, and findings made as a result of the public
comments or meeting.
Yep, that'll work...
ReplyDeleteI'm a democrat. Some politicians don't understand the words"broke".
ReplyDeleteSSA pay their ALJS,and Managers $100,000+ salaries. They pay millions of people benefits. SSA is or has built a new data center(Which i agree with if it enhance the Myssa account).
Private burger companies and others are reducing their coporate taxes(some may say cheating the u.s out of money)by moving their headquarters to other countries.
I'm not YODA,but"clouded the future is".
" bring more community input " Translation: (1) spend more of someone else's money here. or (2) give me more of someone else's money, or (3) our wants are more important than their wants, always has been and always will be.
ReplyDeleteWell, we already know what the public is going to say. They want a local office; the nearest one is too far away; they don't have transportation to get there; it is important to the community that the office with its six or ten employees stay where it is.
ReplyDeleteAnd the office with six or ten employees might have had 20-25 employees 20 years ago, and the workload has at least doubled since then, but since it is now a "small" office, the actual workload carries no weight. FO staffing is continually ratcheted downward until it meets predetermined goals for closing. And no, SSA is not "broke"--admin funds are supposed to come from the trust funds, and represents only about one percent of benefit outlays. increasing admin budget by 50 percent would not make a blip in the overall budget.
ReplyDeleteI think this is fine. Pass it, if it makes everyone feel good.
ReplyDeleteThe COSS just needs to make it clear that she's going to take care of the employees' needs, the everyday stuff any organization needs to do its work, and the stuff we need to do now to prepare ourselves for the future 100%. No scrimping because all that is important if SSA is to function, and who in Congress doesn't want a functional SSA.
Then, whatever bills are left to be paid after all that (i.e., rent) will be forwarded to Congress to pay when the appropriation they give us runs out. Just gather up all those rent-past-due notices, put them in a big envelope, and mail them to Chuck Schumer.