Yesterday I went to the Social Security Office, across from the prison, to discuss my retirement options. I was given number 199. In addition to retirement, Social Security also dispenses money for disability. I would say from the gray hair, there were about three of us contemplating retirement, all the others were for disability. A few middle age men were carrying their fake canes. The canes aren't fake, it's the disabilities. I saw one such gentleman walk in from the parking lot, clearly the cane bore no weight, and was merely a prop. Most of the people waiting were quite young, in their twenties. Disability has now been expanded to include mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, additive personality and anger management. I will say many of them did look angry to me. It was hard finding a parking space. Business also looked good at the prison. If Johnny Manana's had gotten these crowds....
reprinted from Nov. 18, 2008
Ronald Reagan taught us that whatever we provide money for, we will get more of it. I teach courses on disabilities and it is true that all too many individuals enhance minor problems in order to get benefits. There are folks who are truly disabled and deserving.
ReplyDelete"There are folks who are truly disabled and deserving"
ReplyDeleteI believe pretty much everyone would not have a problem with that.
"all too many individuals enhance minor problems in order to get benefits"
BINGO!!!
And, until this fraud / waste is not stopped, the US will continue to sink deep and deeper into the ocean of debt under the weight of its own entitlements.
About time somebody gave this issue some sunshine.
Lack of common sense is destroying America.
Idiots love to beat up on the bankers and, meanwhile, dudes with fake canes walk by all day.
Yes the recession and 10% unemployment was brought on us by old men disabilities. Yes the number of homeless people has increased 3 fold because folks were lazy and stupid. Yes the number of factories closed was caused by high taxes on the rich. Yes the closing of auto dealerships, retail stores was brought on by some dude with a fake cane getting his SSI payment. Common sense is important but so is knowledge of how things really work.
ReplyDeleteGary -
ReplyDeleteHave you looked at the true state of the social security/disability system lately? Common sense would tell you that a shrinking number of people (know as taxpayers) cannot pay for a growing number of people on the dole.
No matter what you believe, however, I would hope that you would be against people FRAUDULENTLY obtaining ANY benefit. They are stealing from the taxpayers AND from those who are truly deserving.
Those who are faking should have their benefits taken away and be prosectuted to the fullest extent of the law.
anon 12:03, gary or anybody, would have a hard time believing the reality in this town; we may well be the epicenter of abuse. of the 24 service windows at the Social Security Office, 23 are for disability, one for retirement. i urge anybody who doubts this exploitation of benefits to visit the office on N. 4th St. and observe the waiting room. on the day i was there, there wasn't one walker or wheelchair or other obvious sign of physical or mental impairment. i certainly acknowledge that there are well deserving people, but here in allentown, more than most aren't
ReplyDeleteIt is apparently easy to fake a mental illness, and get a cooperating doctor to go along- for their fees with this huge rip-off.
ReplyDeleteMore democratic voters here.
I haven't been to the Soc Sec office, but the driver's license centers are quite scary-and they let the non speakers vote, ughhh
translators are allowed in the voting booths in allentown, coaches is more descript
ReplyDeleteMr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteI sincerely believe by the time I reach the age of retirement, the Social Security chest will be empty.
I am in my mid-40s, and there will be nothing for me.
I certainly have ZERO faith in the government at this point, particularly with these spend-a-holics in the Obama Administration who toss trillions around like it is nothing.
Back to the drawing board for some with respect to common sense here, I see.
One can live in denial, sing kum-bay-yah and fool themselves all day long --- and the tear-jerking Progressive Liberals, as well --- but not me!
America's situation IS unsustainable.
Say Mr. Ledebur :
From what I understand, 43% of Americans PAY NO TAXES currently.
What happens when that number of non-taxpayers is over 50% of the population ???
Who is going to sustain all the exploding entitlements --- YOU?
To Whom It May Concern:
ReplyDeleteI could abuse the system quite easily.
I am diagnosed as Bi-Polar Manic Depressive and have apparently been this way since birth.
Doctors signing off on me is not a problem. They told me so a long, long time ago.
They also advised me I would probably be happier to stay busy and work, though.
Sixteen years later, they were right. No question about that.
Abuse is there with respect to disablities. Believe me. I have been inside the system.
I also know people in the city.
These are facts, and, one way you can judge the sincerity is I just told the whole damn blogosphere the biggest personal secret I got.
Respectfully,
Joe WAS Private
Bi-Polar Manic Depressive
Ronald Reagan taught us that the food stamp lady buying steaks is responsible for all our economic problems. Now it is the dude with the fake cane. It is these distractions that keep the rich rich and the rest of us paying the bills. Toynbee said the history of civilization is the rich convincing the middle class to pay for the poor. I can't believe you guys give a pass to the oligarchs that send jobs oversees, get wealthy trading repackaged mortgages and other derivatives and inventing such gimmicks as credit default swaps.
ReplyDeleteLedebur,
ReplyDeleteWhat a load of class warfare crapola you spout effortlessly like you have been trained by Marx or Lenin, themselves.
Do you REALLY think anyone buys into your last post of garbage?
Do you REALLY believe anything you wrote here?
If so, that speaks volumes for your education and training.
gary, now don't make me do a post about ayn rand. if it wasn't for these rich capitalistic pigs, these oligarchs, there would be no jobs to send oversees. i can't believe you defend the bureaucrats who want to turn route 80 into a toll road, apply sales tax to everything, and tell us they haven't raised our taxes.
ReplyDeleteComrade Ledebur :
ReplyDeleteI bet you are REAL sorry Reagan was elected President - a genuine American LEADER.
He stood up to Communist morons who sought to impose their ideology - which has, time and time again, proven to be a FAILURE EVERYWHERE IT HAS BEEN TRIED.
There is NO UTOPIA, dude.
Ask the Soviets. Or the East Germans.
There is no such thing as Santa Claus, either.
Sorry, somebody probably should have told you sooner.
----------------------------------
From the way you bad-mouth Reagan...bet you thought Carter was good then, say?
Ha Ha
Revisionist history can't save you!
You are more than welcome to launch a futile bid to spread your Progressive Liberal agenda, if you wish.
I could use a good laugh.
BTW - How is the Trabant doing on the open market these days?
-----------------------------------
2nd last guy out of America :
Leave a note and tell Obama to kill the lights when he leaves, too.
(modified old east german joke)
anon 7:01, i know mr. ledebur, he is a devoted mental health professional and educator specializing in special need students. His experience is in the public sector with those of profound disabilities, through no fault of their own. this being a fair and balanced blog, his viewpoints are most welcome.
ReplyDeleteComrade Ledebur :
ReplyDeleteI am bi-polar manic depressive. Apparently, I have been since birth and will be at death. I have seen both the doctors and the system first hand.
What about YOU? Do you have any disabilites you have the GUTS to discuss publically?
How much direct experience do YOU have with doctors, bureaucrats and disabilities entailing entitlements - LIKE ME?
When was the last time YOU visited a Social Security office and waited in line, as Mr. Molovinsky did today?
(tick, tock, tick, tock)
(crickets)
Thought so.
LMAO
So Mr. (Dr.) Ledebur, for the record, is clearly out of this part of my point :
ReplyDeleteA) I sincerely question how many are truly 'deserving' and how many are milking the system.
I live in the city. I know many people.
B) I sincerely question how many Dr. Reagans are out there practicing tough love (nobody likes tough love)
C) How eager the bureaucrats are to fund all of this and to suit what purpose
D) Perhaps most importantly, how much is this all costing.
The country is damn broke. The borrowing and printing and printing and borrowing must stop. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I understand the Chinese to be getting rather angry at the all things we have been up to these past 12 months.
Any rational person/company would be undergoing severe belt-tightening measures in tough economic times.
Anyone with any measure of savvy under such circumstances would be on the lookout for any waste or abuse anywhere to save a buck.
I don't see this in America today, particularly given what I read from opinions offered here, there, everywhere.
I see the borrowing and spending being ramped up, if anything.
But whatever.
Perhaps I am blind as well as bi-polar.
There is certainly enough fraud and contrived waste in taxpayer-funded programs, and there is certainly centripetal accumulation of wealth and monstrous manipulation at the top-heavy top of economic stratification. Trying to decide which causes more damage to society as a whole is a daunting analytic task. Life is a long wrestling with ignorance. Given the fact that the powerful have more resources and tools with which to do harm, and truly live in a different world than most of us... I believe the powerful would tend to do much more harm; but if you'd give the fraud-mongers a chance to be as powerful, they too would probably ascend to new levels of untouchable indifference,
ReplyDeleteand relish the fresh possibilities for streamlined corruption.
frank
Oooooh - back to the old bash the evil greedy rich with a bunch of big fancy words.
ReplyDeleteAaaaah - more naked class warfare
I definitely see people wrestling with ignorance!
"I definitely see people wrestling with ignorance!"
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about that anonymous.
I sense a man spending an undue amount of time speaking stereotypical opinions and old saws from the past in front of a mirror---
1. "back to the old bash the evil greedy rich"
2. "Aaaaah - more naked class warfare"
Practicing the handy, but used-up phrases that constitute muddled thought
I'm sure you also believe that thoughtful language is not precise
and considered but, as you say, "fancy". The trouble with your belief is that we think in words.
frank