This Tuesday, Jan. 12th at 2pm ET, unions representing Social Security Administration (SSA) employees and advocates representing Social Security beneficiaries will hold a virtual press conference calling on Joe Biden to clean house by removing all of Donald Trump’s political appointees from SSA on day one of his presidency. The press conference will air live on the Social Security Works Facebook page. ...
Who:
- Ralph de Juliis, President of AFGE Council 220
- The Honorable Melissa McIntosh, President of the Association of Administrative Law Judges
- Matthew Biggs, Secretary-Treasurer of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers
- Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works ...
It seems to me that if I were Andrew Saul and I were planning to hang around as Commissioner, I would have put out a press release sometime in the last two months congratulating Joe Biden and expressing an intention to work with the Biden Administration. If I weren't planning on hanging around, I think I would have already put out a press release saying that I was resigning on a specific date. Neither has happened. I don't know what the lack of any press release means. Maybe somebody should ask Saul what it means, like a reporter seeking a comment on this press conference.
10 comments:
Saul doesn't care what happens to his position, much like he has never cared about what is going on at SSA. He had no previous interest or experience with SSA, and from day one he did the bare minimum that the job requires. For old, rich men, this sort of thing is a fun hobby they can pick up in their spare time, try to push some uninformed changes, and then take credit when they work, or just abandon the project when they don't.
If this most recent president has taught us anything, it's that being rich has nothing to do with administrative ability.
9:26 with the best comment ever on this blog
Saul was successful to the degree he was at the Thrift Board because that work entailed very rich-guy familiar things like managing large investment funds. I'm sure he was actually quite well-equipped to walk into that role with the financial knowledge he had gained through decades of controlling 8+ figures of wealth and years in high level executive positions.
SSA...quite a different beast.
9:26 - your comment is ON THE MONEY. Absolutely agree and really wish he would just go away.....let's get someone with experience this time maybe?
Ask yourself, would you want to be commish? Really? it is a horrible job, and no matter what you do people will hate you. So maybe he doesnt really want the job.
The good news is then you can go back to complaining about whoever takes over.
So what I really want to know, but every time I attempt to post it I get censored, is who is the perfect person to take over the agency? Who is the commish you will not berate and belittle from the instant of recommendation until death?
I have been in the game since 2005. I only remember like 3 commissioners of note - Barnhart, Astrue, Colvin. I guess the SSA misses Astrue and Colvin. At the NOSSCR conferences, Astrue at least faked like he cared a little bit. Colvin seemed like a lifer at the SSA who got rewarded at the end. I was too new to the game in 2005 to judge Barnhart. I just know most of my appeals had her name on it.
I remember Obama nominating Andrew Eanes as the Deputy Commissioner. Like Saul, Eanes seemingly did not have much experience dealing with disability. So it goes both ways.
The SSA probably needs to promote somebody younger from within not just chronies from the president. But I am sure Biden will pick some friend. Just sad.
@12:05 The Commissioners are usually just figure heads who donated lots of money to the political campaigns of those who made them commissioner. None of them really do much of anything to improve the agency or improve service to the public. That is the sad reality.
Not one single name. Not one. Why? Because you really dont know who you want and would prefer to just heave stones.
@8:44
I had a few names in mind, but did not believe it appropriate to post others names in public not knowing how they would actually feel about it,
Andrew has been out of the office since 1/6 and some conference calls that were planned are being cancelled.
Interesting developments.
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