The Wall Street Journal is fantasizing about cuts to Social Security. It will happen -- just as soon as the Wall Street Journal supports higher taxes on those with high incomes. Anyone want to predict when that will happen?
Oct 21, 2013
Attack On Social Security From Children's Advocate
From WNYC:
The president of the Harlem Children Zone said he's on the college campus circuit to gin up student activism around entitlement spending. As it is, Geoffrey Canada said, seniors are erasing any chance for the next generation to have the safety net they will need and deserve.
"There are a lot of folk who have a lot of money who simply don't need social security. And we can't even begin to have a conversation around means testing for that group," he said. "It's unfair to the next generation."
Oct 20, 2013
Partial Shutdown At Social Security Threatned Life Of SC Man
From The State of Columbia, SC:
Saturday almost ushered in David White’s last dose of Tasigna, a pill he was receiving free of charge to treat his chronic myeloid leukemia.
The 31-year-old Beaufort resident was participating in a clinical trial with drug maker Novartis, and he qualified for more of the $2,300-per-month drug — if he could prove his date of eligibility for Medicare. That day falls in August 2014, two years after White’s illness forced him to file for disability.
As proof, Novartis required an official document from the Social Security Administration, at a time when the agency was severely slowed by a 16-day, partial government shutdown.
It was only once the shutdown ended, following Congress’ vote to fund the government through Jan. 15, that White got what he needed to secure his lifesaving treatments.
Former ALJ, Under Investigation, Attempts Suicide
From the Huntington, WV Herald-Dispatch:
Police are investigating what they called a possible suicide attempt by a former judge under investigation by a U.S. Senate Committee for possible fraud in awarding government disability benefits.
David B. Daugherty was found sitting unconcious in his car in a Barboursville church parking lot about 3:20 p.m. Monday, Barboursville Police Chief Mike Coffey said on Friday.
Coffey said a church worker found Daugherty and called police. When officers arrived at the lot, investigators found a garden hose duct-taped to the exhaust pipe of the car and leading into the passenger compartment through a rear side window. The garden hose was pinched on one end and melted on the other end by the exhaust pipe. Coffey said police also found an empty liquor bottle and empty pill container near the car.
Before an emergency squad arrived, Coffey said police were unsure if Daugherty was alive and used the church's difibrillator to check for a heartbeat, which he had. He was then taken to St. Mary's Medical Center and was breathing on his own shortly thereafter, Coffey said. As of 5 p.m. Friday, he was no longer a patient at St. Mary's. ...
Oct 19, 2013
NADE Newsletter
The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE) has issued its Fall 2013 newsletter, which includes summaries of presentations made at NADE's National Training Conference by two Social Security officials.
Oct 18, 2013
COLA Announcement Probably Coming On October 30
Looks like Social Security will be announcing its Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) on October 30. It is likely to be 1.5%.
Breaking Bad In Rhode Island
The Associated Press reports that Randolph Hurst of Wesh Warwick, RI has pleaded guilty to various state charges related to identity theft. Hurst was an Assistant District Manager for Social Security. He used his position to obtain personal information which he then used to gain control of a man's stock investments and steal $160,000. Hurst is facing up to 45 years in prison.
Maybe The Right Wing Should Just Lie Low For A Bit
From Michael Hiltzik writing for the Los Angeles Times:
The anti-deficit lobbying organization "Fix the Debt" staged a question-and-answer chat on Twitter Thursday. Its goal presumably was to reach America's smartphone-savvy youth with its message that Social Security and Medicare payments to their grandparents are going to land them in the poorhouse a few decades from now.
It's fair to say that "Fix the Debt" got more than it bargained for. Twitterers from all over responded to the invitation with pointed, tactless and downright impolite questions. Many of them aimed to discern how paring social insurance benefits for the elderly and infirm will make society stronger, which is the core of the organization's worldview. Those so inclined can still post their thoughts at #fixthedebtqa.
Among the choicer comments: "Can you explain why anyone chooses to be born poor? Why should the rest of us be responsible for their flawed decision-making?" (That's from Twitter user @jefftiedrich.)
A couple of good roundups of the dialogue thus far can be found at the Washington Post's knowmore site and at Liberaland.The tweets at knowmore site and Liberaland really are funny.
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