Online Social Security Card Replacement Coming

     From a contracting notice posted by the Social Security Administration:

SSA is developing an Internet-based Social Security Number (SSN) Replacement Card (iSSNRC) application to improve service to the public.

 iSSNRC will allow U.S. citizens who meet certain criteria to request replacement SSN cards online by completing an application and providing data from their U.S. State-issued drivers' licenses (DL) or U.S. State-issued identification (ID) cards as evidence of identity. SSA then needs to electronically verify that the DL or State ID card information entered matches the data on the issuing State's database for the document being verified.

Boldly Go

Watching TV At Headquarters

    From a contracting notice posted by the Social Security Administration:

The Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG) ... is currently performing market research to determine the availability of sources to provide Community Antenna Television (CATV) and a high-speed internet solution for the headquarters campus. SSA's CATV port distribution system supports local and national network broadcasts throughout headquarters (HQ) and outlying campus buildings. We are looking for sources capable of providing and supporting business information channel lineups for a minimum of 500 ports. ...

Currently, 615 television ports are utilized across HQ campus buildings. ... Television requirements support SSA's executives, senior staff, senior management staff and technical support staff, as well as selected knowledge worker positions requiring real time news and communication. These features allow SSA staff to stay informed during events, weather situations, and emergencies. ...

Our current lineup includes ABC, CBS CNBC, CNN, CNN Headline News CSPAN 1, CSPAN 2, CSPAN 3, FOX, FOX News, Fox Business News, MPT MSNBC, NBC, PBS, and The Weather Channel. ...

The CATV network is also an alternate delivery method for Interactive Video Tele-training (IVT) broadcasts, which provides educational and training content to SSA HQ's components. We currently broadcast seven channels from three local studios and four regional studios. The agency supports a distribution system to insert agency programs that are broadcasted via the CATV network. ...

We request information from businesses that believe they have a bona-fide capability to meet the agency's requirements.

This Article Nails All The Social Security Disability Themes

     Here's an article that talks about these Social Security disability themes:

• It's wonderful when a person who draws Social Security disability can go back to work. We need to do more to encourage that.
• The number of people on Social Security disability benefits is soaring. It's an unsustainable burden for the government.
• Giving Social Security disability benefits to people hurts them because they should be working.
• Tightening the disability rules by making it impossible to get on benefits for obesity wasn't enough.
• Fraudulent claimants for Social Security disability benefits pay money for phoney medical reports.
• High unemployment rates lead to more people on Social Security disability benefits.
• Social Security disability benefits aren't enough to live on.

     The plot twist here is that it's about Australia.

Off Topic: Well, There's Your Problem

Your Wasteful Federal Government?

     A new Office of Inspector General (OIG) report shows that Social Security has 27,885 square feet of office space at its headquarters in the Baltimore area, most of it in the Annex building, that is not being used. You might say that this is just another example of your wasteful federal government and I expect that's how Fox News might present this report but it's not that simple. The first question is why is that office space vacant? It's doubt that it's because Social Security bought or leased too much space. Almost certainly, it's because headquarters workforce has been downsized. The second question is whether, as a practical matter, that space can actually be rented out or sold. Who wants office space in that area of Baltimore especially if it's part of a building that's mostly occupied by Social Security? I don't know the answer to that question. Neither does OIG.

New Ruling On Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

     Social Security is publishing a new Ruling on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Federal Register tomorrow. You can read it today. This replaces Ruling 99-2p.

Tea Party Don't Care

     Social Security field office closes. Tea Party Republican representing the District in Congress doesn't seem to care. Why should he? He wants to close down virtually the entire government. Anyway, that part of his District has mostly Democratic voters. He's got the Koch brothers on his side, so no problem. (By the way, I know that Social Security doesn't base field office closures on political clout and has taken a pretty hard line recently when those with political clout have tried to influence field office closures. Somebody's ox is going to get gored. The agency may as well use objective criteria when selecting whose ox it is. The point here is that the Congressman made no effort to keep that field office open. Most people would consider making that effort to be part of his job description.)
     Update: The Tea Party member of Congress wrote a letter to the Acting Commissioner of Social Security about the office closure. So, is the Congressman representing his district or just being a hypocrite? That's the problem with being a Tea Party member of Congress. You want to close down government but your constituents like a lot of what the government does for them.