Your Tax Dollars At Work

A photo sent in by a reader

Social Security Contracting Over The Years

Courtesy of FedSpending.org here is a summary of the total amounts spent by the Social Security Administration for contractors in recent fiscal years (FYs), with the percent change from year to year:

• 2000 $483,881,742
• 2001 $533,685,696 +10%
• 2002 $567,777,205 +6%
• 2003 $542,115,565 -5%
• 2004 $708,751,407 +31%
• 2005 $848,600,487 +20%
• 2006 $810,847,838 -4%
• 2007 $746,276,332 -8%
  

Large Class Action Centified

From a press release:

Judge Certifies Class of Three Million Visually Impaired Beneficiaries in Social Security Administration Lawsuit

On Thursday, September 11, 2008, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted class certification in a disability rights action in which plaintiffs argue that the Social Security Administration (SSA) fails to provide its communications in alternative formats that would enable people with visual impairments to have equal access to SSA programs as required by federal disability civil rights laws and the U.S. Constitution.

The case is scheduled for trial in April 2009. Attorneys for the plaintiffs include the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Heller Ehrman LLP; the National Senior Citizens Law Center; and Disability Rights Oregon (formerly the Oregon Advocacy Center). ...

AALJ Using Publicist

Business Wire has a press release from the Association of Administrative Law Judges (AALJ) about the upcoming testimony of the AALJ President, Ron Bernoski, to the House Social Security Subcommittee. The press release is of no consequence. What is of consequence is that it appears that the AALJ is using a publicist. I should have noticed this last month when the AALJ issued another press release.

Waiting In Omaha

KETV in Omaha, Nebraska is running a story on the backlogs at Social Security. You can watch the TV story online. Here is a bit from the transcript of the story:

The bureaucratic red tape bogging down the Social Security system results at times in beneficiaries dying before they get their benefits, said an Omaha attorney. "A year ago, I had three people commit suicide. That just rips you up, said Tim Cuddigan, an attorney specializing in social security disability cases. He said the backlog is not because people are cheating the system. And it's not because they don't qualify for benefits. It's that Congress hasn't adequately funded Social Security for 15 of the past 16 years, Cuddigan said. ...

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on the performance of Social Security's appeals hearing offices.

Hearing Processing Time Report

The latest issue of the Social Security Forum, published by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) is out and it contains a July 31, 2008 report on Social Security's hearing backlogs. The pages are reproduced to the left. Click on each one to see it full size.

Compare the state of the national backlog over time:

• January 25, 2007 -- 508 days
• May 25, 2007 -- 523 days
• July 28, 2007 -- 528 days
• August 31, 2007 -- 523 days
• November 30, 2007 -- 500 days
• February 29, 2008 -- 511 days
• May 30, 2008 -- 523 days
• June 27, 2008 -- 529 days
• July 31, 2008 -- 530
  

So why does Chief Administrative Law Judge Cristaudo tell a newspaper that things are getting better? Obviously, they are getting worse. It seems to me that the Chief Administrative Law Judge should either be frank with the media or just not talk with the media. This misleading statement demeans him and his office.

Results Of Last Week's Unscientific Poll

If the election were held today, who would get your vote for President of the United States?

Robert Barr, Libertarian Party (4)	3%
John McCain, Republican Party (45)	30%
Ralph Nader, Independent (2)	1%
Barack Obama, Democratic Party (101)	66%

Total Votes: 152

Top Social Security Contractors

Courtesy of FedSpending.Org, here is a list of the the Social Security Administration's top contractors for fiscal year (FY) 2007, which ended on September 30, 2007:

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP	$139,332,680
IBM CORP.	$37,325,409
HEWLETT-PACKARD CO.	$31,768,431
PRUDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL SVCS LP	$27,432,126
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP.	$25,718,516
CA INC	$22,209,200
WESTAT INC	$19,952,405
SOFTMART, INC.	$17,858,501
I. LEVY AND ASSOCIATES, INC.	$16,567,153
AHTNA INC	$15,555,044
PARAGON SYSTEMS, INC.	$12,762,199
AT&T INC.	$11,684,532
MAXIMUS INC	$10,484,015
MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH	$10,064,001