AllGov has put together a biographical piece on Andrew Saul, President Trump's nominee to become Commissioner of Social Security. Here are some excerpts:
Saul was born in New York on November 6, 1946. He did his undergraduate work at the Wharton School at Penn, earning a B.S. in 1968, just as Trump did.
After graduation, Saul took a job with Brooks Fashion Stores, a mid-range women’s clothing chain. He became vice president for store operations, executive vice president and in 1980, president of the company. Saul’s tenure as president was marked by millions of dollars in losses for Brooks. ...
Saul joined the board of New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1997 and in 2006 was appointed its vice chairman. He has been an MTA board member ever since. In 2003, he was chairman of the MTA audit committee when state and city comptrollers accused MTA of keeping two sets of books. While on the MTA 15-person voting board in 2005, Saul’s was one of only two votes against a holiday fare reduction for transit riders.
Saul was a top fundraiser for George W. Bush, and was rewarded in 2002 with an appointment as chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which supervises 401-k-style retirement programs for federal employees, including the military. Saul tightened loan requirements for Thrift members and grew the fund while maintaining strict financial controls. He remained on the board until 2011.
In 2007, Saul entered the race for Congress from his home district in New York, and his deep pockets made the candidacy popular with the GOP. However, Saul dropped out of the race in November 2007 days after The New York Times reported that two of his campaign donors were bidding to build on MTA property. Saul also drew criticism for proposing transit fare increases. ...
Saul’s personal life took a couple odd turns. As his daughter, Jennifer Saul Yaffa, was going through a divorce in 2009, Saul began eviction proceedings against the family, which was living in a Fifth Avenue co-op owned by a family trust. A court ruled against Saul. In 2012, he tried to get out of a trespassing charge by claiming he was a police commissioner. Saul was trying to ride a bicycle on a dam when told by a police officer that he was trespassing. Saul ignored the officer, who had to pull Saul off his bike. Saul produced a “courtesy card” he’d received through the MTA police. Despite all that, Saul wasn’t ticketed. ...
Hmm...the only thing I find exceptionally odd is the eviction. Could it have been with the aim to avoid the asset being relevant to the divorce proceeding? Not experienced in family law, but that seems odd. Oh, and the impersonating a police commissioner. That seems odd too.
ReplyDeleteIt's troubling that he took campaign contributions from companies with business before the MTA while serving as the vice-chairman of the MTA. But then the current administration doesn't seem to care much about financial conflicts of interest. Yet another rich trust-funder Republican contributor and college friend of Trump appointed to a high-level government job...nothing to see here, just "draining the swamp." Snicker, snicker.
ReplyDeleteMy first question to him would be why do you want this job? Next question would be how did your name come up for consideration? Then I would ask specific questions about Social Security and what he thinks should be done for the program.
ReplyDeleteAnother creature for Trumps swamp
ReplyDeleteAnything would be better than the current bozos who run this place.
ReplyDelete@9:41
ReplyDeleteWell said.
@9:41 and @8:48
ReplyDeleteOne of the more ignorant comments on this blog. Pray tell, what would you do if you were the Commissioner? It's always so easy to criticize others....
I agree with 9:41 and 8:48 simply because no decisions are being made. It is being run like a factory by people who only know one aspect of the agency. The sad part is they, haven't even figured out how to navigate through the political waters on The Hill. The lack of leadership is going to be the death of the agency if anything. We are losing a lot of smart people to contractors because SSA doesn't value new ideas. They just want to keep on chugging.
ReplyDeleteIf I were the COSS, I would make myself known on The Hill, I would partner with the unions so that they can lobby for more funding. I then would work with my DCs to prioritize what we are utilizing the money we have received (currently the DCs have no idea what to do with the money). Needless to say, Operations is running this place, and they don't even know how to run their component let alone the entire agency.
Its sad...
I don't normally comment on here so much any more, but understand this, if you think what we have is bad, just wait. It is going to get a whole lot worse.
ReplyDeleteIf I were the COSS, the first thing I would do is empower my DCs to make decisions rather than letting my chief of staff micromanage everybody.
ReplyDeleteMicromanaging is bad. But DCs operating without unified direction is worse. That's what we have now and probably always will. Giving them more power without clear orders is not going to be better.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you expect an ACOSS who is a nonpartisan career employee to be making all sorts of big decisions? There is no mandate for that. The leadership at that level are effectively caretakers keeping the place running. The agency does need Senate confirmed leadership. Agree with @1:52. Be careful what you wish for.
ReplyDeleteYou would have to be a fool to take the position. It is a no win situation, hearing backlog, lack of funding, lack of staff and office closings, yeah, great opportunities there! Then be under the current regime, just a cherry on top!
ReplyDelete