Meet The President's Budget Commission Members

Read TPM Media's rundown on the members of the President's Budget Commission. Talk about a stacked deck!

Disabled Employees Sue Social Security

From the Baltimore Sun:

A group of disabled workers is moving forward with a class-action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration alleging the federal agency discriminates against employees with disabilities by denying or limiting promotions.

An office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Aug. 25 affirmed a 2008 decision by an EEOC administrative judge that certified the case as a class action, attorneys for the plaintiffs said Monday. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and other damages as well as changes in policies and procedures that will improve career opportunities for disabled employees, according attorneys for the plaintiffs.

The federal agency could not be reached late Monday for comment.

The Koch Brothers And Social Security

I have seen an explosion of anti-Social Security articles in newspapers, magazines and blogs in recent months. No doubt, much of this is a genuine reflection of the widespread and undying opposition to Social Security among the 20% or so of Americans who are on the extreme right. However, the unprecedented volume and ferocity of the articles I am seeing has made me wonder what is going on.

I encourage you to read Jane Mayer's article in the New Yorker on the Koch brothers.They are secretive oil multi-billionaires who have spent tens of millions of dollars, perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars to promote their openly anarchist views -- and I do mean anarchist. They want government, apart from police, to disappear. The late William F. Buckley described their political philosophy as anarcho-totalitarianism. The Koch brothers founded and support most of the right wing think tanks. They have created many seemingly grassroot groups that are actually "astroturf."

There is no question that many of the virulent attacks on Social Security are coming from organizations founded, supported and largely controlled by the Koch brothers.

Government Shutdown Coming?

At least one observer believes that should Republicans retake control of the House of Representatives after the election they may force a government shutdown in order to defund health care reform. The right has become so frighteningly strident that this seems plausible to me. Of course, a lot of people remember this did not work so well the last time Republicans tried it so common sense may prevail.

Republican Senatorial Candidate Says Social Security Unconstitutional

Joe Miller, who is very likely, perhaps nearly certain, to be the Republican senatorial candidate in Alaska:

That Two Year Waiting Period

From Kaiser Health News:

After Russ Hillard developed Huntington's disease, a devastating neurological disorder, he lost his $35,000-a-year job as a welder and, with it, his health insurance.

His wife, who was working part time, had insurance, but it didn't come close to covering the medical bills for the incurable disease, which causes uncontrolled movements, emotional problems and the loss of cognitive abilities. Eventually, Hillard qualified for Medicare, which covers disabled people under 65 after a two-year waiting period. But the coverage didn't kick in until after the family went deeply into debt and had to take out a $20,000 loan on their home in Methuen, N.H. ...

Under federal rules, most people with disabilities who are younger than 65 aren't eligible for Medicare until more than two years after they qualify for Social Security disability income. A coalition of more than 65 organizations led by the Medicare Rights Center has been pushing Congress to do away with the waiting period. But the effort has stalled because of the high cost to the federal government – an estimated $113 billion over 10 years ...

Some groups, including the Huntington's Disease Society of America, are going their own way, asking Congress for specific waivers from the Medicare waiting period for their diseases.

The Best Economy-Minded Bloggers Out There

According to the Christian Science Monitor, they have "assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there." This is from one of them:

No discussion of the upcoming collapse of the bond market would be complete without a mention of Social Security.

At least, after they’ve lost their money in stocks, real estate and bonds, Americans will at least have Social Security to live on, right? Wrong!

You know all that money you pay in Social Security taxes? Where do you think it goes? Into current expenses and US bonds!

That’s right, the feds just use the money to finance whatever fool scheme they’ve got going at the moment…and give the Social Security Administration a bond in return. In theory, the SSA has assets. In practice, all they’ve got is the hope that the feds can squeeze enough money out of taxpayers to meet their obligations.

And from there, the blogger goes on to use terms such as "Ponzi scheme", "chain letter" and "default." He also claims that assuring that there is enough money to pay future Social Security benefits would require "doubling every tax we pay, starting now."

You might be interested in the fellow who wrote this, Bill Bonner. He works for Agora Financial. Here are a few "Special Offers" from Agora's homepage, which may give you an idea of where this fellow is coming from:

• "Last year $200 could have turned into $10.1 million following 5 simple steps revealed in this secretive retirement blueprint."
• "Steve Sarnoff makes one pick each week. Since November 2006, not one pick has lost value! It’s no wonder our readers could have turned $5,000 into $1 million in just over 5 years!"
• "One investment should rocket even faster than gold over the next 12-24 months... yielding at least 3-to-1 gains on every dollar invested... GUARANTEED."

ALJs Concerned About Threats

From a press release:

The Hon. Randall Frye, Pres. of the Assn. of Administrative Law Judges and a federal judge with the Social Security Administration based in Charlotte, N.C. and the Hon. Dana Leigh Marks, Pres. of the National Assn. of Immigration Judges and a federal immigration judge in the Department of Justice based in San Francisco, will release new data on threats and attacks directed at federal administrative law judges and will discuss concerns by judges about the level of safety in federal courtrooms where Social Security and Immigration cases are heard at a National Press Club Newsmakers press conference, Monday, August 30, at 10 a.m., in the Zenger Room of the National Press Club, 13^th Floor, National Press Building, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. ...

Between March and August of last year, 28 threats were recorded on Social Security offices that handle disability hearings and in the same period 10 individual judges who hear disability claims were threatened. Threats to the wives and children of judges also has been reported. In January, a gunman, possibly upset about a reduction in his Social Security benefits, killed a U.S. courthouse security guard and injured a deputy marshal in Las Vegas.

Judges have reported chairs being thrown at them, their robes being grabbed while on the bench and one respondent in an Immigration hearing reportedly attempted suicide in front of the judge.

Complicating matters and increasing security risks is the fact that most Social Security and Immigration judges do not have a bailiff or a security guard in their courtrooms and many of these facilities are only protected by private security guards. A large number of these courtrooms are now located in leased office space rather than government buildings.