Nov 16, 2016

Social Security's Workload Won't Level Off For A Long Time

From SSA OIG

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

As retirements pick up, disabilities will drop off.

Anonymous said...

8:55: not if they increase the retirement age.

Anonymous said...

@8:55

A claimant reaching retirement age won't end pending disability claims and there is no point in filing for disability after retirement age as the benefits are effectively the same (or less in the case of Title XVI).

Anonymous said...

Wow! how did this sneak up on us? Who knew about this? When? Why wasn't anything done! I want a special prosecutor to look into this!

Anonymous said...

@9:25:

IDIOT.

Stiffle your sarcasm.

There is overwhelming evidence that a Special Prosecutor and Congressional Hearings are necessary to investigate and prosecute known misconduct and wrongdoing in the Colvin regime from their completely inept, piss poor micromanagement and obsession with production numbers at any cost, which drove the Agency into the ground, to their failure up to this very moment to acknowledge and take responsibility for the disastrous mess they, and they alone, created.

It's obvious now these idiots were planning to remain, or burrow in, their high level positions had Hillary won the election. Can you imagine the heinous disaster this would have been? Had they succeeded in doing this, these top officials and the favorites they promoted as a quid pro quo to massage/cover their backs, would have continued to belly up to the $150,000+ salaries and take turns giving one another unearned, ridiculously high bonuses every year, while their pissed poor management drove the Agency even further into the ground. God forbid they would have been able to do this, let alone through 2 Hillary Administrations (8 years).

Just imagine another 8 years of cover ups of misconduct and wrongdoing, including criminal; lies/deception; sweet deals for those who engaged in known misconduct and wrongdoing like the hearing office located near former Atlanta ROCALJ Garmon's home, despite a pattern of disability discrimination, and Prohibited Personnel and Unfair Labor Practices dating back several years, which included unspeakable harassment perpetrated on targeted employees and ALJ's in and outside the office, stalking, vandalism, terrorizing, break ins and theft, especially of legal case documents, hacking of computers, identity theft, etc., which destroyed the lives of numerous career Federal employees, and caused some to develop irreversible, severe health conditions; pushing Presidential nominees like Eanes out the door only because the original nominee (Colvin), who was not confirmed, insisted on remaining in her position of power as Agency Head in order to prevent wrongdoers like Garmon from being held accountable; and these are only the tip of the iceberg.

Knowing this will not happen with a Trump Administration is the one solace we can all take from the election results.

Anonymous said...

12:19, Kudos!!

Anonymous said...

A12:19 From all indications, there may be no ODAR left standing in 4 years due to privatization, and maybe no social security left as we know it. No solace there.

Anonymous said...

9:25 puts too much at the feet of Colvin. The folks running ODAR are all Michael J. Astrue creations - Terrie Gruber, Pat Jonas, Gerald Ray, etc. They were there when she came on board. They aren't political appointees so the concept of "burrowing in" does not apply. Colvin did buy into this crew mainly because they stood firm in their belief that they could use data to revolutionize the way ODAR worked. Sam Johnson, and Amy Shuart, his staff director, were also true believers in the wonders of data analytics. Too bad the rule of law just isn't conducive to a paint-by-the-numbers approach.

Anonymous said...

@12:15

While I will not stoop to name calling because if find it childish, I would like to point out this has not one single solitary thing to do with ODAR but with RIB (Retirement Insurance Benefits). Your rant, while entertaining, is completely off the mark for the graphic displayed.

The point I was making is that this graphic represents no new news. The PEW Research Center has been pushing the fact that 10,000 people a day, every day, turn 65 for the next thirty years. They represent the single largest threat to Medicare the system has seen. It has nothing to do with ODAR, nothing to do with your personal axe grinding or your personal agenda.

If for one single solitary minute, you actually believe the elected representative has a plan to fix this issue, can effect a real change that leaves the program intact or even remotely has it on his radar, you have been deeply mislead.

I strongly suggest you look beyond the trees to see the forest before you are left with a clear cut view to the horizon.

Anonymous said...

1D10T error

Tim said...

The biggest problem with data analytics for SSDI/SSI is the data! There hasn't been a system set-up with consistent rules, terminology, etc. to analyze. Doctors don't write their notes for SSA (I've been told this by doctors) and their accuracy/completeness varies wildly from doctor to doctor. Plus, older records are handwritten, often virtually unreadable. Records are scanned, making keyword search unusable. Throw in the fact that symptoms are listed and not actual limitations (which are just a GUESS, anyway)... So, what are they analyzing? Computer brains, put garbage in, get garbage out (Petra-1986).

Anonymous said...

The irony is that the Clinton team relied on data analytics to predict her win. The Trump campaign rejected data analytics. It hasn't been working in ODAR. SO IS data analytics just the latest snake oil?

Anonymous said...

Actually 2:40 you are wrong. Try googling Trump's data operation in San Antonio.

Anonymous said...

Rigged. I don't believe it.

Anonymous said...

@5:38

Nice try, IDIOT. Your sarcastic remarks concerning a Special Prosecutor and Congressional Hearings in 9:25 were clearly targeted to serious, evidence based comments on this board I, and others, have recently made. Your "rant" in 5:38 is BS, and anyone with half an IQ on this board sees right through you. Your sarcasm in 9:25 had nothing to do with the graph depicted above. So, spare me, and us, your holier than thou attitude. You sound like many top Agency managers. You blow a lot of wind which sounds good to untrained ears not affiliated with SSA, while those if us who have been with the Agency for many years see right through you.

It's people like you who have driven the Agency into the ground, and your "rant" in 5:38 clearly reveals you continue to refuse to accept responsibility for the unprecedented, disasterous mess you, and you only, have caused to the entire SSA, not just ODAR, which will take the Agency years and years to recover, and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

Responding to your sarcasm in 9:25 and subsequent "rant" in 5:38 with the term "IDIOT" is quite fitting, and anything but childish. I would do it a million times over. You see, not only have I experienced and observed first hand every single thing I discussed, but MANY other employees and ALJ's have been subjected to the very same things. I am not grinding a personal axe. No, I, and so many others just like me who have all been subjected to these things for many years now, represent a SYSTEMIC problem in SSA, which you and top management refuse to admit, or accept responsibility.

For the record, the bar graph depicted above is not exclusive to RIB. With continued proposals to raise the retirement age, disability claims will only increase, you IDIOT. Besides, my remarks concern the entire SSA, not just ODAR.

Anonymous said...

@9:50 every response you write is the same, and they all sound like Charlie Brown's teacher. Waaa Waa waa wa wa waaaa.

Get over it.

Anonymous said...

@12:25

You can always tell when it's that one because of the repetitive use of:

- "pissed (sic) poor management"
- "gerrymandered" (wholly incorrectly used)
- repeated assertions that Colvin and pretty much everybody else committed criminal acts and engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy, with no specific mention whatsoever what those acts are (vague references to PPPs, discrimination, etc., but no specifics whatsoever). It's dangerous--and you should know this as an attorney--to throw out serious accusations with ZILCH proof given to support them. (These folks are barely public figures, so the NY Times, etc. analysis isn't going to give you much cover--you should really be careful re: those defamation torts, SAA 27)

I just tune her out. She's clearly let her situation--which for all we know was as unfair and terrible as she asserts--consume her, and it's sad.

Anonymous said...

@8:23 Point taken. But that doesn't prove data analytics had any value more than snake oil would have. Both campaigns used the best data analytics that money could buy. one campaign lost the popular vote, the other, (presumably) lost the electoral college vote. That suggests that data analytics had zero effect on the outcome. Trump's data analytics team admitted to being "confused" by the data and surprised he "won."

Anonymous said...

@ 12:25 & 1:12

12:19 & 9:50 here. Yes, 12:25, I am, “That one.” No, I do not sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. No, I will NOT, “Get over it.” Justice must and will be served, or hell will have to freeze over first.

@1:12, You say, “No proof.” Where have you been? For starters, look at ALL the PROOF already revealed on this board the past couple of years:

1. Colvin was NEVER confirmed SSA Commissioner, and the President did NOT renominate her. There were REASONS for this.

2. When the President nominated Andrew Lamont Eanes in Colvin’s stead, Colvin went to great lengths to maintain her POWER as Agency Head. Why? Because as Agency Head, her, and her only, has the EXCLUSIVE POWER to determine what, if any discipline/action will be taken by the Agency for those whom she already knows from investigators engaged in misconduct and wrongdoing, including criminal. The discipline could range anywhere from nothing to termination/removal, to fines, to reduction or loss of Federal pension. You will recall Colvin offered to step down to an SES position, ON THE CONDITION SHE COULD MAINTAIN HER POWER AS AGENCY HEAD. This type of move is unprecedented.

3. When Colvin’s antics to maintain her POWER as Agency Head did not pan out, employees familiar with the situation reported Eanes was shunned from meetings and Colvin’s inner circle. By the time the Senate Finance Committee had all but confirmed Eanes earlier this year, Colvin forced him out the door. Thus far, neither the President, nor any members of Congress, have called out on this. Again, there were reasons for why she did this, i.e., to continue to cover up misconduct and wrongdoing, and refuse to hold known wrongdoer’s accountable in any way.

4. Colvin granted the sweet deal of relocating an ODAR Hearings Office near former Atlanta ROCALJ Ollie Garmon’s, III, home in Alpharetta, GA, a wealthy superb of Atlanta at Garmon’s request. This location is extremely inconvenient for claimants and their representatives, and very difficult and time consuming to access via public transit. Garmon also got his first choice of office space, even though he will not be holding hearings there, and will be depriving an ALJ who is of an office. Apparently, you are OK with this abhorrent cronyism and corruption? Even the AALJ filed a lawsuit over this office relocation and Garmon’s sweet deal.

5. Less than two weeks ago, there were TV News Reports on this blog and in other news sources not only about Garmon’s sweet office deal and the stink of cronyism and corruption, but interviews of other SSA employees he discriminated against based on their disability. They indicated they were subjected to the same type of unspeakable harassment and retaliation orchestrated by Garmon as I, and SO MANY OTHER SSA EMPLOYEES AND ALJ’s have been subjected for the last several years. How dare you profess there is NO PROOF? So, you believe ALL OF US who have been subjected to illegal harassment and retaliation for the past several years, much of it orchestrated by Garmon, are lying? If anyone sounds like Charlie Brown… Good Grief!

For the record, while I was not the first on this board to use the term “Gerrymandering” to describe Garmon’s sweet office relocation deal, or “pissed poor” to describe current SSA and ODAR top management, I concurred with those who initiated their use no other descriptive terms would be better.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Spare us your pseudo concern that what happened to me was unfair, but I am somehow wrong for, “Letting it consume me.” What would you suggest I do, given my specific circumstances, age and expertise? Are you suggesting I should NOT pursue my rights? Why? What about all the others who were targeted?

Your remarks about defamation fall on deaf ears. You see, my reputation and good character has been completely and utterly destroyed through no fault of mine through the entire SSA chain of command and local community. I will never be able to recover. Further, TRUTH AND FACTS ARE NEVER DEFAMATION.

Anonymous said...

and facts and truth are never harmed in your post.

Anonymous said...

@9:13

I stand behind all my posts, and maintain everything I state is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Although you are quick to criticize my posts, I cannot help but notice you have not been forthcoming about your alleged knowledge of the truth and facts. If you know something, then say something. You don't because what you know will either incriminate you, or another crony whose back you are massaging. You are the one hiding and covering up the truth, and your motive for doing so is ulterior.

Anonymous said...

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson in His Journals

Anonymous said...

@12:31 stated, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson in His Journals

Nice quote. I am also a fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson. One problem with this quote is you have NEVER said anything which contradicts anything I have said. If you know something, then say something.

Any ongoing litigation involving the Agency does NOT preclude Agency officials and managers from talking and speaking. Why would you want to continue to protect and cover up those known to have engaged in misconduct and wrongdoing?

I have invited you to correct or expand on anything I have stated in my posts, but you persistly refuse to do so. Readers can ONLY presume you either know nothing, or refuse to state what you know, because it will incriminate you, or the person whose back you are massaging.

In the meantime, I will continue asserting everything I know to the best of my knowledge and belief to the world.

Anonymous said...

And I will continue to mess with you because I think it is a bunch of paranoid baloney and it if had any basis in reality know to anyone other than Big Foot it would be all over the news and not on an obscure blog. Stay on your meds.