KNOE in Monroe, LA has a report on the lines outside their local Social Security field office. Note that the TV station displays the then current temperature in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
KNOE in Monroe, LA has a report on the lines outside their local Social Security field office. Note that the TV station displays the then current temperature in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
15 comments:
It gets hot in Louisiana in July is news?
I think it's more about the elderly, disabled, and children having to wait outside in sweltering temperatures instead of inside an air-conditioned building as it has been for decades before. But yes, @10:42, it does get hot in Louisiana in the summer.
Just more sad news indicative of how poorly things are done at SSA. And, no one seems willing to fix it.
There are ways to fix this problem but there just seems to be an apathy about it. Making seniors and disabled people wait 30 minutes in the the hot Louisiana summer sun is unacceptable. SSA needs to do a PR outreach and TV commercials to encourage appointments and using the online system. There could be an express line for people who just need to drop off documents and get the originals back. I mean, think out of the box! Put up a tent in the parking lot to provide shade. Open in the evenings, if necessary. Set up a short term office in the local shopping mall. Encourage private groups to get involved. Attorneys and Reps, how about a little pro bono work. Do something!!
You can’t do ANYTHING in the government without going through the proverbial “red tape”.
All of the things you mentioned require budgetary adjustments which again, won’t happen.
I know from experience that the summers are HOT in Louisiana. Folks who live there are likely aware of that. That said, I fully support increased staffing in all FOs. It is gonna be cold in upper Wisconsin this winter too and that is even more dangerous IMO.
@3:25 PM
I understand. However, it does not cost anything to ask the local radio/tv stations to do a story where you can tell people how to avoid the wait. You can also send a letter to Social Service agencies and private groups that deal with seniors and the disabled.
Do you need an appropriation to set up an express line or certain hours for people to quickly drop off documents? I understand government red tape. But there are things that could be done.
Congress needs to increase the funding and add staff to SSA. However Malls and supermarkets are open, school are open and there is no reasons why SSA office cannot open as well. It's hot almost everywhere in the country and these lines outside the LDOs should make the national news. We need to shame congress into increasing funding.
Not arguing with you on any of this, just curious, do you know that these things aren’t happening?
I wish change was that easy. Speaking as just an FO CR, there is little that can be done locally to help. It took months to just have a few additional cubicles installed that could be hooked into SSA's systems. A temporary place in a mall would be great but it may take years to pull it off.
Short answer, yes.
If you don’t think we’ve spouted these ideas to management the last two years, its Infuriating.
I’ve given suggestions for improving services delivery options for 20 years now. Some would need appropriations but most would be just minor adjustments to office procedures.
NOTHING CHANGES. Those in charge do not care.
The MOU with the Union restricts the number of people in the lobbies. The "evaluation period" ends September 30th. Hopefully the artificial limits put on our lobbies will end shortly after that. And I don't want to hear that we need social distancing any more - look around you, it isn't happening anywhere else. And for those of you thinking we need to continue to live with pandemic restrictions, please tell me how you are doing this when you aren't working. the union is now pushing full time telework because of monkeypox. Give me a break!
I hope they do remove the restrictions. They should also remove the mask mandate and call all the employees with Reasonable Accommodations back to the office instead of working from home 100%!!!!
Genuine ask: Name your top two or three ideas.
As far as working in the FO?
“Pie in the Sky” asks or just general workflow enhancement requests?
Post a Comment