tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post8876551053702119925..comments2024-03-29T02:05:50.350-04:00Comments on Social Security News: Social Security Is Doomed, I Tell You, Doomed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-83727856276225949242011-10-22T10:35:58.902-04:002011-10-22T10:35:58.902-04:00Social Security is not doomed as long as the worki...Social Security is not doomed as long as the working base is continually expanding. Plus, employees pay into the Social Security fund, so what may change is benefits paid out because of less money to pay out.<br /><br />Someone told me that MEMOism is going to replace the Social Security system. I don't think it will replace it, but be in addition to Social Security.Jay S Faulknernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-67363180076660340592011-10-22T00:29:05.644-04:002011-10-22T00:29:05.644-04:00In 2004, 2005 & 2006, when things were going r...In 2004, 2005 & 2006, when things were going really well financially for many more people, you never heard a peep from anyone about too many undeserving people receiving SSDI payments.<br /><br />Now that a lot of greedy people got burned by the so-called Great Recession, they are looking, in anger, to point the finger of blame for their financial demise on someone. And instead of focusing their bitterness at those who are to blame -- the greedy bankers who bundled up junk sub-prime mortgages and sold them as grade A investments -- they scapegoat disabled workers who are receiving a small pittance to help them pay for their housing, food and other essentials.<br /><br />Sad state of affairs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-26119012885318524682011-10-21T23:34:20.427-04:002011-10-21T23:34:20.427-04:00I was a 30 year SSA employee and have dealt with t...I was a 30 year SSA employee and have dealt with this disability mess the whole time. I honestly think that SSA is incapable of keeping up with the changing medical technology, the medical insurance changes, and the exploding population of baby boomers who will naturally swell the rolls of claimants.<br /><br />The solution is to amend the Act to get the Feds out of the disability insurance business, with an accompanying bill to require temporary and/or long term disability insurance for all employees, part time or full time. DIB has become so out of control, with stupid work incentive and CDR processes (and the accompanying bureaucracy bloat those entail) along with a multiple year wait for a claimant to get a final decision.<br /><br />I'm a progressive Democrat, but the situation has been out of control for a long time. And of course, in the current political climate, this will never happen. Better to starve SSA of needed resources to handle this work than actually do something--and impose more "overregulation" ;) But SSA could be proactive in adjusting to a smaller budgetary climate by actively proposing major legislative changes to its workload, if Congress refuses to give it the tools it needs to deal with this nightmare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-46991282887646166072011-10-21T15:50:56.203-04:002011-10-21T15:50:56.203-04:00SSA hardly needs the "right-wing" press ...SSA hardly needs the "right-wing" press to damage its image -- just look at the 40,000 people erroneously declared dead each year, the multiple millions in incorrect payments, inadequate monitoring of rep payees, ALJs who have never met a claimant who was not disabled, and the general boondoogle that is the disability system. <br /><br />Anyone involved with the disability system who is intellectually honest must admit that the disability system is broken and a high percentage of individuals are granted benefits who are not truly disabled under any rational analysis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-16945734774423339552011-10-21T12:30:09.094-04:002011-10-21T12:30:09.094-04:00I haven't looked at the stats, but I note the ...I haven't looked at the stats, but I note the careful use of the phrase "Since 1985, Social Security Disability applications have doubled as a share of the population"<br /><br />Applications filed are not the same as the number of people on the rolls. Perhaps that has doubled also, but if so, one would expect the reporter to have written that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19246708.post-82782523320143957212011-10-21T12:13:10.863-04:002011-10-21T12:13:10.863-04:00i don't think that the stat about doubling the...i don't think that the stat about doubling the "disabilty" rate since the 1980's is really attributable to a "right wing source[]" It's an indication that the rules for eligibility for disability benefits are too lax. You may not like the conclusion, but the stats don't lie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com