Do Media Pieces On The Hearing Backlog At Social Security Even Matter?
Another day, another media piece on the hearing backlog at Social Security, this one with an interview of former Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue.
Call me a cynic but I don’t think there’s any realistic scenario where SSA’s budget gets enough funding to support processing cases at the current rate without a serious backlog. Mainly because there will never be enough political uproar over the backlog to even register with the politicians to make them want to change anything. And the reason for that is that nobody (and I mean nobody) ever thinks that they’ll ever need to use DIB.
My stance is that we should all stop praying for a miracle in the budget to save us. It’s not going to happen. We should all make some sacrifices to create an application and appeal system that works fairly and efficiently and reduces the backlog internally.
Astrue says "Right now, if you're a young working adult, you're looking at a system that, you know, 15 to 20 years from now, unless there's some significant change, is going to start paying you substantially less in terms of benefits than what people get. It would go down to somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of what people are getting now."
This is not correct. Scheduled benefits go up with wages, which are assumed to go up 1.2% faster than inflation om average (and higher than that for the next 6 years). If you factor that in, I think even if there were a cut to 77% of scheduled benefits in 2034, benefits would still be higher in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars than they are now. (However, I still think this "cut" would be bad, and taxes should be raised to avoid it.)
This system will never be made fair or easy period. Also. the stigma and shame mixed into the system will always be part of this in order to discourage its use. If you have the bad luck of a disability you are not a full participant in this society and it will let you know that you are being carried. What we should be proud of is that we are fighting to preserve a wall against full blown fascism in America, A mark of a true democracy is how well it treats it's disabled, widows, children and the poor. I don't care to live in their Ayn Rand utopia which is nothing but dressed up fascism.
Both in terms of facts and analysis this article was fairly lame compared to Hitzik's article in the LA Times. Articles calling attention to the backlog are legit stories to the extent they document the human suffering going on as a result, and document the causes. Really good articles should light a fire under the people who deserve to have a fire lit under them.
We regret to inform you of the death of Western logic. Rooted in ancient Greece the system fueled the West for millennia but has finally been rejected.
Until American voters understand the "if then" logic that cutting government spending means slower and curtailed government services they are going to be simultaneously convinced that government spends too much and is unable to carry out its mission.
Back during the postal budget crisis when smaller little utilized offices were set for closure, a lot of ink (pixels?) were used writing about members of Congress fighting the post office to save those offices and many were members who had voted to not help the post office and were on record saying the post office should be run like a business.
I have been around this issue for 20 years, I never remember a time where there wasn't a discussion about a backlog or articles about it, so my answer would be no.
I tried to help run this "system" for over 20 years. Been retired from it for 14 years. Heard it all, seen it all, frankly. Just ain't nothing new here. My magic wand got broken years ago. In this highly partisan era, there is absolutely no chance for change in any direction. Conservatives shout FRAUD; liberals complain about inadequate benefits. There's no one (with any influence) in the middle. Sorry.
Call me a cynic but I don’t think there’s any realistic scenario where SSA’s budget gets enough funding to support processing cases at the current rate without a serious backlog. Mainly because there will never be enough political uproar over the backlog to even register with the politicians to make them want to change anything. And the reason for that is that nobody (and I mean nobody) ever thinks that they’ll ever need to use DIB.
ReplyDeleteMy stance is that we should all stop praying for a miracle in the budget to save us. It’s not going to happen. We should all make some sacrifices to create an application and appeal system that works fairly and efficiently and reduces the backlog internally.
Astrue says "Right now, if you're a young working adult, you're looking at a system that, you know, 15 to 20 years from now, unless there's some significant change, is going to start paying you substantially less in terms of benefits than what people get. It would go down to somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of what people are getting now."
ReplyDeleteThis is not correct. Scheduled benefits go up with wages, which are assumed to go up 1.2% faster than inflation om average (and higher than that for the next 6 years). If you factor that in, I think even if there were a cut to 77% of scheduled benefits in 2034, benefits would still be higher in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars than they are now. (However, I still think this "cut" would be bad, and taxes should be raised to avoid it.)
This system will never be made fair or easy period. Also. the stigma and shame mixed into the system will always be part of this in order to discourage its use. If you have the bad luck of a disability you are not a full participant in this society and it will let you know that you are being carried. What we should be proud of is that we are fighting to preserve a wall against full blown fascism in America, A mark of a true democracy is how well it treats it's disabled, widows, children and the poor. I don't care to live in their Ayn Rand utopia which is nothing but dressed up fascism.
ReplyDeleteBoth in terms of facts and analysis this article was fairly lame compared to Hitzik's article in the LA Times. Articles calling attention to the backlog are legit stories to the extent they document the human suffering going on as a result, and document the causes. Really good articles should light a fire under the people who deserve to have a fire lit under them.
ReplyDeleteWe regret to inform you of the death of Western logic. Rooted in ancient Greece the system fueled the West for millennia but has finally been rejected.
ReplyDeleteUntil American voters understand the "if then" logic that cutting government spending means slower and curtailed government services they are going to be simultaneously convinced that government spends too much and is unable to carry out its mission.
Back during the postal budget crisis when smaller little utilized offices were set for closure, a lot of ink (pixels?) were used writing about members of Congress fighting the post office to save those offices and many were members who had voted to not help the post office and were on record saying the post office should be run like a business.
I have been around this issue for 20 years, I never remember a time where there wasn't a discussion about a backlog or articles about it, so my answer would be no.
ReplyDeleteI tried to help run this "system" for over 20 years. Been retired from it for 14 years. Heard it all, seen it all, frankly. Just ain't nothing new here. My magic wand got broken years ago. In this highly partisan era, there is absolutely no chance for change in any direction. Conservatives shout FRAUD; liberals complain about inadequate benefits. There's no one (with any influence) in the middle. Sorry.
ReplyDelete