Posted on 02/12/2005 3:02:24 AM PST by thelastvirgil
Not sure if this is the right place or format for this, but the mods can move it, if not. Received a panicky e-mail message from my brother, last night. He says he has been talking to some "very smart" friends, in St. Louis, that tell him that social security reform will include cutting about half of social security disability recipients off the program.
He went on to say that, the Republicans (those meanies) were intent on kicking anyone off ssdi that wasn't confined to a hospital bed. He forsees having to get a janitor's job followed by slow starvation. He then asked me to click a link and sign an online petition to help stop ss reform. You guessed it: the link led directly to Moveon.org.
I sent him a link to factcheck.org, and tried to calm his fears. I explained to him that Moveon was a bunch of lying jerks trying to scare the hell out of folks that didn't know better, and that he should relax. That didn't help. He is convinced people are going to be driven to the poorhouse by Dubya's plan.
Anyone have any links to credible information that I might use in order to help my brother calm down? This is another reason that I hate Democrats: they peddle this fear to the uninformed, and only know how to scare people.
Two of the best sources for all things "Social" are The Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute. Below is a URL for info on Social Insecurity. Also as an aside, komrade clintax expanded Social Security Supplemental Income for drug addicts. Not only did the druggies receive this but also in arrears, while in prison and in lump sum. The enterprising lawyers also got the taxpayers to pay the legal fees. Some of these enterprising pukes used the lump sum distribution to start meth factories.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/SocialSecurity/wm662.cfm
Sheesh. Did you even look at #8?
Well, that helps a lot. I suppose, anecdotally, we all see cases of folks scamming the system, but I am talking about a real-life issue.
It is a pretty complicated and time-consuming process for a person to qualify for ssdi. It is not a simple matter of reporting in to the local ss office, and saying "I'm too sick or crippled to work". Applicants are screened closely, and medical records are thoroughly checked. SS has the right -- responsibility -- to verify any claims of disability, and as far as I know, they do a good job.
I doubt the criteria include an applicant's appearing disabled to the neighbors is one of those. Thanks for your "input", but I'm trying to get facts.
I am not writing as a "neighbor" but as a professional who runs into way too many SSDI collectors who should be kicked off the dole. Should everyone? Of course not, but there are enough who need to find a job. How do people get SSDI. They get a lawyer ....
Don't worry, sir; it's a free-and-rough bunch in here; just sift through the rough comments and pick out the gems.
It's Free Republic, it just gets this way.
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