'Bloodbath': Social Security Administration Begins Mass Firings | Common Dreams
'Bloodbath': Social Security Administration Begins Mass Firings | Common Dreams
What is being described as a "total annihilation" of SSA, say critics, proves that Trump's promises to protect Social Security "are a sham."
The Social Security Administration, now under the control of an official installed by U.S. President Donald Trump, began the process of gutting whole segments of the agency and firing a huge portion of its already diminished workforce, sparking alarm among advocates who say the move will almost certainly result in benefit delays and disruptions.
The American Prospect, which first reported earlier this week that Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek was weighing staff cuts of up to 50%, obtained an email sent late Thursday indicating that the department has launched an "agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions."
This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon "moderation" in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
-- President EisenhowerIt seems that this is going to be put to the test.
Their number has grown but they are still stupid.
Not because they can't get away with it. They can, for a while anyway, before the economic chickens come home to roost.
They simply buy into the Ayn Rand notion that the richest actually do all the work... Which is simply not true and you'd have to be stupid to believe.
I don't buy the idea that these people are plain stupid. This fascist dictatorship is corporate led. The proof is in the allocation of funds.
They know their actions will kill the economic mobility of tens of millions, and tens of millions more will be plunged into poverty. They do not care. They are trying to irreparably destroy democracy and all institutions that facilitate effective governance. They wouldn't be inflicting this type of damage on the electorate unless they believed they'd never have to answer to voters, or risk losing power, again.
Not because they can’t get away with it. They can, for a while anyway, before the economic chickens come home to roost.
With most conservatives they don't notice/disapprove of any of these kind of actions until they personally are affected.
I'm thinking through how this will manifest with Social Security. Certainly retirees receiving Social Security will notice first which represents a high percentage of traditional conservative votes. Second will be the adult children (in their 40s and 50s) that learn their living retired parents are affected. Except by then the damage will be done with months or years before the situation will return to where it was prior to trump.
So aging parents are going to be dependent on their adult children's goodwill in funding their retirement. For many adult children in this case they're already economically stressed and don't have the funds to support their aging parents too because they might still be economically supporting their young adult children struggling to find meaningful wage employment in today's job market. We'll see the aging parents tap any equity they have in their real estate to cover their short term expenses. Eventually those reverse mortgages will dry up too and possibly within 5 to 10 years.
Its going to be horrible for everyone except giant investment groups able to buy up the aging parent's homes on the cheap.
WHY THE HELL AM I PAYING TAXES...I'm not interested in finding Nazi muskrats pet projects. I want the goddamned services we pay for.
Because you obey like a good peasant, and refuse to rebel unless it is from your sofa.
(Don’t worry, that’s what we are all doing. Patiently waiting until they take over)
Unfortunately they won't leave power until they're dead
Sounds reasonable to me