New Hearing Offices In Michigan

From the Central Michigan Morning Sun:

Michigan residents have been waiting two or even three years to have their disability cases heard before the Social Security Administration.

New Social Security hearing offices in Mt. Pleasant and in Livonia are intended as ways to alleviate those long waits.

The Mt. Pleasant office opened Oct. 19; Livonia's opened in August. ...

"We already have reduced the average time it takes to process hearings in Michigan from 693 days in fiscal year 2008 to 533 days this year."[said Carmen Moreno, Regional Communications Director for Social Security] ...

A new office in Marquette is planned next year.

Happy 70th Birthday Appeals Council

A belated Happy 70th Birthday to Social Security's Appeals Council, which was established in January 1940!

State Government Furloughs And Social Security

Social Security has posted an impressive website giving information about the effects of state government employee furloughs on Social Security disability claim adjudication. Social Security is dependent upon state government employees to make initial and reconsideration determinations upon disability claims. Many states have furloughed these employees even though all costs associated with them are paid for by Social Security. This website brings home just how widespread the problem is, how long it has been going on and how much it is costing.

I am curious. Have these furloughs been an issue in gubernatorial races around the country, particularly in California?

A View Of The Future

From the likely chairman of the Ways and Means Committee if the Republicans control the House of Representatives after the election:

I support voluntary personal accounts for younger workers that would allow them to build a nest egg for retirement that they would own and control, and could pass on to their families. This will permanently strengthen Social Security, without changing benefits for those now in or near retirement, and without raising payroll taxes on workers. Inheritance rights in personal accounts would especially help widows who depend on Social Security and eliminate the need for cumbersome regulations that too often deny individuals from receiving their benefits in a timely fashion.

Note that he is only talking about voluntary private accounts. Of greater importance, he is dead set against increasing any tax and quite open to cutting future benefits, presumably using the presumably using the voluntary accounts as a cover.

ACUS Re-Established

The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) was established by statute in 1964 as a federal advisory committee to promote better administration of federal agencies. After Republicans took control of Congress in 1995, ACUS was defunded. Although the authority for ACUS remained on the books, ACUS received no appropriation and ceased to operate. ACUS finally received renewed funding in this fiscal year and resumed operations in March. Michael Astrue, as Commissioner of Social Security, is a member of ACUS.

I do not recall any ACUS report on Social Security that had any useful effect. It was and is now composed primarily of law school professors and attorneys at large Washington, D.C. law firm, none of whom have any particular knowledge or experience with Social Security. This is unfortunate since the Social Security Administration simply does more administrative law than all other federal agencies combined. Nevertheless, it is good to see ACUS back in operation. I hope that any studies they do of Social Security are done after consultation with people who do have Social Security experience.

I never understood what the Republicans had against ACUS other than their desire to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.

Bob Bynum

From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 12:54 PM
To: Undisclosed recipients
Subject: COMMISSIONER’S BROADCAST--10/26/10

A Message To All SSA And DDS Employees

Subject: Robert (Bob) Bynum

I am sad to report the passing of Bob Bynum on October 16, 2010, at the age of 89. Bob began his 32-year career in 1948 as a Field Assistant in Montgomery, Alabama and retired in 1980 as the Deputy Commissioner for Programs. Bob also served as the first District Manager in Selma, Alabama, the Associate Commissioner for Program Operations, and the Regional Commissioner for Atlanta. After retirement, Bob continued to serve through volunteer work.

To learn more about his legacy, see the transcript of a 1996 interview by visiting http://www.socialsecurity.gov/history/orals/bynum.html. An obituary is available at http://obits.al.com/obituaries/birmingham/obituary.aspx?n=robert-paul-bynum-bob&pid=146070218.

Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner

Jackson Teleservice Center

From a press release:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today joined Congressman John Tanner and local officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the agency’s new teleservice center (TSC) in Jackson, Tennessee. The Jackson TSC will be the first new call center opened by Social Security in more than a decade. When completed, it will create almost 200 new jobs for residents in the Jackson area. ...

The Jackson call center ... is expected to open by late 2011.

Little Rock Punitive Damages A First

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is saying that the punitive damages awarded in arbitration to a Social Security employee in Little Rock is a first for the agency. $100,000 in punitive damages were awarded for a wrongful termination. The $100,000 in punitive damages were in addition to $100,000 in compensatory damages.