President Bush's main architect charged with reforming Social Security [Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson] today sounded resigned to moving forward on small changes both Republicans and Democrats can agree on instead of the massive program once envisioned by the White House. ...
"I'm not naive; I'm not going to tilt at windmills," he says, explaining why he isn't pushing for a new debate on massive, Bush-styled reform. Paulson described himself as a lonely soldier in the effort to battle for Social Security reform, one of the major issues he came to Washington to work on. He said that he has been encouraging ideas from all sides, but so far, "I've been playing solitaire."
Sep 13, 2007
The Last To Admit Defeat
From U.S. News and World Report:
Sep 12, 2007
Social Security Employment Level
The numbers are in from the Office of Personnel Management for the number of employees at Social Security as of June 2007. Here is the number and how it compares with other dates.
June 2007 62,530
March 2007 61,867
December 2006 63,410
September 2006 63,647
September 2005 66,147
September 2004 65,258
September 2003 64,903
September 2002 64,648
September 2001 65,377
September 2000 64,521
September 1999 63,957
September 1998 65,629
June 2007 62,530
March 2007 61,867
December 2006 63,410
September 2006 63,647
September 2005 66,147
September 2004 65,258
September 2003 64,903
September 2002 64,648
September 2001 65,377
September 2000 64,521
September 1999 63,957
September 1998 65,629
No Revolving Door At Social Security
About a month ago I posted on this blog a notice about an opening at my law firm for an attorney to practice Social Security law, particularly to handle cases going to the Appeals Council and federal court. Given the number of Social Security employees who read this blog, it seems clear to me that a few hundred lawyers employed by the Social Security Administration read the help wanted ad or heard about it from someone who did, but not a single current Social Security employee has applied for the job.
I can think of many reasons why an attorney employed by Social Security would not apply: not interested in moving, not interested in private practice, hoping to get an ALJ job, not interested in a job writing briefs, loves current job, etc. Of course, the Social Security Administration does not exist to train attorneys to work in private practice. The agency can take pride in retaining its skilled workforce. Still, it seems surprising that not a single current Social Security employee has applied, even at a time when some idiots are harshly and unfairly taunting Social Security attorneys by calling them "scriveners" or referring to them as "the dregs of the legal profession," largely because many have never made a court appearance. I do not agree in any way with this criticism. Social Security's attorneys have challenging jobs. There are many ways to be a lawyer and working for the Social Security Administration is one of them. I have hired former Social Security employees in the past and may do so in the future.
There was a time in the late 1970s and early 1980s when there was a slow but steady stream of attorneys leaving Social Security for private practice. That is what I did in 1979. That stream has nearly dried up. Not only are Social Security's attorneys not applying for my job, but it seem that almost none of them are applying for other jobs or considering hanging out a shingle.
I have worked for both state and federal government. I live in a state capitol where the dominant employer is state government. I have observed government employees closely for decades. My best answer for why almost no Social Security attorneys are looking at private practice is that government service is particularly attractive to people who value job stability over just about everything else. Private practice involves working for a small entity that cannot offer anything like the job stability of federal service and that makes private practice out of the question for most Social Security attorneys, even though law firms often offer higher salaries, better working conditions and a job that does involve representation of clients, which is the paradigm for the practice of law.
Can anyone give a better explanation?
I can think of many reasons why an attorney employed by Social Security would not apply: not interested in moving, not interested in private practice, hoping to get an ALJ job, not interested in a job writing briefs, loves current job, etc. Of course, the Social Security Administration does not exist to train attorneys to work in private practice. The agency can take pride in retaining its skilled workforce. Still, it seems surprising that not a single current Social Security employee has applied, even at a time when some idiots are harshly and unfairly taunting Social Security attorneys by calling them "scriveners" or referring to them as "the dregs of the legal profession," largely because many have never made a court appearance. I do not agree in any way with this criticism. Social Security's attorneys have challenging jobs. There are many ways to be a lawyer and working for the Social Security Administration is one of them. I have hired former Social Security employees in the past and may do so in the future.
There was a time in the late 1970s and early 1980s when there was a slow but steady stream of attorneys leaving Social Security for private practice. That is what I did in 1979. That stream has nearly dried up. Not only are Social Security's attorneys not applying for my job, but it seem that almost none of them are applying for other jobs or considering hanging out a shingle.
I have worked for both state and federal government. I live in a state capitol where the dominant employer is state government. I have observed government employees closely for decades. My best answer for why almost no Social Security attorneys are looking at private practice is that government service is particularly attractive to people who value job stability over just about everything else. Private practice involves working for a small entity that cannot offer anything like the job stability of federal service and that makes private practice out of the question for most Social Security attorneys, even though law firms often offer higher salaries, better working conditions and a job that does involve representation of clients, which is the paradigm for the practice of law.
Can anyone give a better explanation?
Sep 11, 2007
One Account Of Social Security Disability Claim
Medical News Today is carrying an article written by a person who just received a favorable decision from a Social Security Administrative Law Judge. Is he happy? Not really. Of course, he made his situation worse by being so proud that he waited several years after becoming disabled before applying for benefits, but read it yourself. It is an all too common story.
Sep 10, 2007
Mental Illness And Disability
From a press release from the National Institutes of Mental Health:
Mental disorders rank among the top ten illnesses causing disability—more than 37 percent worldwide—with depression being the leading cause of disability among people ages 15 and older, according to the Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors published in 2006. Yet, the world’s mental health care needs are largely going unmet, especially in less developed nations but also in high-income countries, according to results from a new survey of 17 countries conducted as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Mental Health Survey Initiative. The results of the initiative, partially funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), were published in The Lancet in September 2007. ...
Inadequate services were most commonly found in low-income countries, but even in some high-income countries, people received inadequate services. For example, in the United States, only 18 percent received minimally adequate services—much lower than any other high-income country.
Sep 9, 2007
Improvement On Aged Cases
Here is a nugget from press release Social Security issued about the new Quick Disability Determination (QDD) regulations:
Commissioner Astrue said. “I also am proud of our improvements with pending disability cases that have reached 1,000 days waiting for an appeal hearing. We have aggressively worked on these cases and now have fewer than 600 pending, down from more than 63,000 cases in October of last year.”
Sep 8, 2007
Cost Of Privatization Campaign
From the Associated Press:
The Bush administration spent at least $2.8 million traveling around the country promoting its plan to let many people divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into private retirement accounts, congressional investigators said Friday.
The Government Accountability Office, acting on a request from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., counted 228 different Social Security reform public speaking events by Bush administration officials in 2005. ...
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