National Computing Center "Precarious?"

From Information Week Government:

A report by SSA IG [Social Security Administration Inspector General] Patrick P. O'Carroll Jr., examining the top management challenges the agency will face in 2011, shows it grappling with a host of IT [Information Technology] infrastructure projects the agency's IG, Congress, and the SSA's advisory board worry it can't handle.

One of the biggest problems is the agency's transition to a new data center, according to the report. The IG has characterized the replacement of the SSA's National Computer Center (NCC) -- built in 1979 -- as the SSA's "primary IT investment" in the next few years.

The agency has received more than $500 million so far to replace the outdated center, which is now so severely strained by an expanded workload over its time of operation that it may not be able to function by 2012, according to the report.

However, the SSA does not foresee completing the new center until 2015, a project the IG deems as "imperative" considering the precarious position of the existing NCC.

VOIP Problems

From Federal Computer Week:

The Social Security Administration’s voice-over-IP [Internet Provider] installations in its initial 192 field offices had problems that included long installation times, incorrect invoices, overpayments and possibly poorer customer service, according to a new report from SSA Inspector General Patrick O’Carroll Jr.

For example, the average time for achieving successful VOIP performance and functionality initially was 197 days in October 2008, which remained high for several months before dropping to 46 days in April 2009, the audit issued Dec. 28 said.

Also, VOIP might have affected customers’ satisfaction.

“Although SSA achieved VOIP functionality and performance, when we attempted to contact sampled field offices where VOIP had been installed, we encountered long wait times, disconnected or dropped calls, poor sound quality, and difficulty when navigating the telephone menu tree,” O’Carroll wrote. In addition, four of five field offices contacted said they had received negative comments from customers, he said.

Fee Payment Numbers

Social Security has released the final 2010 numbers for fees paid to attorneys and certain others for representing Social Security claimants.

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-10	32,227	$111,440,046.23
Feb-10	29,914	$105,708,101.59
Mar-10	34,983	$122,874,426.87
Apr-10	44,740	$153,478,589.32
May-10	34,686	$119,527,194.40
June-10	32,432	$111,887,579.72
July-10	32,232	$132,328,622.27
Aug-10	34,755	$119,424,346.42
Sept-10	32,660	$108,650,373.60
Oct-10	38,705	$128,133,064.77
Nov-10	31,788	$106,559,848.38
Dec-10	33,315	$108,879,872.67

Posthumously Conceived Children Give Social Security Fits

From Capato v. Commissioner of Social Security (3rd Cir. Jan. 4, 2011):

In August 1999, shortly after the Capatos‘ wedding in New Jersey, Mr. Capato was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and was told that the chemotherapy he required might render him sterile. The Capatos, however, wanted children, and thus, before he began his course of chemotherapy, Mr. Capato deposited his semen in a sperm bank, where it was frozen and stored. ...

Mr. Capato‘s health deteriorated in 2001, and he died in Florida in March of 2002. ...

Shortly after Mr. Capato‘s death, Ms. Capato began in vitro fertilization using the frozen sperm of her husband. She conceived in January 2003 and gave birth to twins on September 23, 2003, eighteen months after Mr. Capato‘s death. ...

In October 2003, Ms. Capato applied for surviving child‘s insurance benefits on behalf of the twins based on her husband‘s earnings record. The Social Security Administration denied her claim ...

What is before us is a discrete set of circumstances and the narrow question posed by those circumstances: are the undisputed biological children of a deceased wage earner and his widow ―children within the meaning of the [Social Security] Act? The answer is a resounding ―Yes.

I think it is past time for Congress to get over whatever squeamishness it may have, address this issue and end the litigation.

House Republicans Name Social Security Subcommittee Members

The Republican members of the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Ways and Means Committee, the most important Congressional committee for our purposes, have been announced.

• Rep. Sam Johnson (TX)
• Rep. Kevin Brady (TX)
• Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH)
• Rep. Aaron Schock (IL)
• Rep. Erik Paulsen (MN)
• Rep. Rick Berg (ND)
• Rep. Adrian Smith (NE)

Sam Johnson, picture here, is the chairman of the Subcommittee. Johnson proposed a Social Security "reform" package in 2005 that, basically, would have allowed Americans to opt out of Social Security. It is certainly a more detailed and workable plan than anything former President George W. Bush put forward but, still, it is very unlikely to move forward at any point in the future. I do not see that Johnson has been pushing this or any other plan in recent years. If his plan were adopted, I have no doubt that millions of foolish Americans would opt out of Social Security and would later become destitute rapidly once they became unable to work due to illness or age. I would call it a trap for regular viewers of Fox News.

Lieberman On Entitlement Reform

Since the beginning of last year, Trudy Lieberman has written dozens of pieces for the Columbia Journalism Review on "entitlement reform," particularly the effort to dramatically restructure Social Security. Her overarching theme is that this is an effort by the right wing to convince political elites that a dramatic restructuring of Social Security is inevitable and desirable even though virtually no one other than the extreme right and the political elites thinks this is a good idea and ever though a dramatic restructuring of Social Security is unnecessary. She has an important message.

E-Mail To Social Security Employees

A Message To All SSA And DDS Employees

Subject: Do Not Open Mail

We do not have complete information, but we want you to know that there have been two explosions in the mailrooms of two Maryland State government facilities. At this time, we cannot rule out the possibility of hazardous materials. While we have no reason to believe that our facilities have been targeted, in an abundance of caution, we are taking the following precautions. Effective immediately and until further notice, no one should open any mail, including packages. Managers have already issued specific instructions to mailrooms. All employees should be vigilant about any suspicious activity. If you see anything suspicious, immediately notify your supervisor and call 410-965-2222.

Michael J. Astrue

Commissioner

A Warning

From USA v. Rodriguez (11th Cir. Dec 27, 2010)

The main issue in this appeal is whether the prying by a former bureaucrat is criminal: that is, whether the defendant violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which prohibits “intentionally access[ing] a computer without authorization or exceed[ing] authorized access, and thereby obtain[ing] . . . information from any department or agency of the United States.” 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(B). Roberto Rodriguez, a former employee of the Social Security Administration, appeals his conviction for violating the Act on the grounds that he did not exceed his authorized access to his former employer’s databases and that he did not use the information to further another crime or to gain financially. ... Rodriguez at trial admitted that he accessed information for nonbusiness reasons when he obtained personal identifying information, such as birth dates and home addresses, of 17 persons he knew or their relatives. Rodriguez also appeals his sentence of 12 months of imprisonment on the ground that it is unreasonable. Because the record establishes that Rodriguez exceeded his authorized access and the Act does not require proof that Rodriguez used the information to further another crime or to gain financially, we AFFIRM his conviction. We also conclude that Rodriguez’s sentence is reasonable.