Why is it that I have this feeling that the Social Security Administration, under the leadership of Andrew Saul, will use little of the $300 million supplemental appropriation it just got on additional overtime so it can get its work done but will, instead, spend the money on IT contractors who may help the agency, at best, in the long run? Perhaps because I've noticed that Republican officeholders are enormously hostile towards the federal workforce and either indifferent or hostile towards the federal government providing services to the public. Perhaps because I've seen what has happened previously when Social Security got special appropriations when a Republican Administration was in power.
ReplyDeleteYes I am afraid Saul will likely use the $300 million for IT contractors and work towards privatization. In the meantime the backlogs and waiting times for the public will increase I hope and pray he uses the appropriation to help people. .His decisions on telework and keeping the FO open on Wed turned out to be disastorous for the agency,
What is it with governments and privatization? I am originally from the UK and we caught the bug back in the 1990s with costly PFI programmes and the compelling urge to put out to tender, services that ought to have remained squarely within the public domain. As a result, British social welfare is run by a small cadre of chancers and con-artists promising value for money and never delivering. Ministeres in thrall to the ubiquitous management consultants whilst Joe Public gets the shaft.
ReplyDeleteHypothetically, if SSA (or parts thereof) were to be privatized, does anyone know who the main payers would be? I suspect at least one of the major international firms of bean-counters would be at the forefront.