by
Paul Griffitts
The
rhetoric about "tinkering" with Social Security in the
name of setting aside some of the contributions to private investments
is only a play on people who are under forty to gain their support.
Before
I was forty years old I also thought that the six percent taken
from me every week was outrageous and should be eliminated, but
that was my youth and selfishness speaking. Today as someone over
fifty my attention turns towards fixing what is advertised as broken.
I say
begin with what is already there. There are according to some over
half a million disability appeal cases pending in one of the already
largest agencies in the Federal Government. Most will be paid at
an extreme cost to the current Trust Fund; these costs are in the
name of expert witnesses, being doctors, occupational specialists
and attorneys to the tune of hundreds of dollars sometimes thousands
per case. Remember the longer an attorney delays the case the more
they get in the settlement when the claimant is paid. The fee is
twenty five percent of the back payment to the claimant.
Then
we have to look at the Adjudicating Law Judges (fancy name for administrators
who preside over hearings) whose interest is best served by granting
the benefits to the claimants simple because they will then not
be brought up to an Appeals Council who may overturn a non-payment
and the ALJ would then have to work the case again.
Then
we can look at the Federal Government's refusal to fund the Investigative
department of the agency who reviews ongoing disability cases and
determines if there is a heath improvement and removes claimants
from the payroll who otherwise may receive unmerited benefits for
many years or life. Not to mention the fact that if the claimant
is paid there is no review by the Appeals Council and the claimant
is paid ongoing for life.
These
are just a few of the areas that can save tax payers a ton of money
and get the money to where it is really needed. Setting aside two
percent of my contributed six percent to a "Private Investment"
may net me a few more dollars when I'm 67 years old but at what
risk. Fixing the broken internal problems are much more likely to
ensure that in 17 years there will be a retirement Social Security
check.
About
the Author
Paul Griffitts, 30 year Biblical Researcher, Teacher, Writer
Bible based editorials and research articles for today’s Christian
P.O. Box 500 Sutherlin, OR 97479
http://www.believer.com
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Write to me at Paul@believer.com
