Where did Social Security begin? Many would answer, during FDR’s tenure. And that would be partially right. However, a limited form of the SS program began as a measure to implement social insurance during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, when poverty rates among seniors exceeded 50%. The Social Security Act was implemented on August 14, 1935. The act, which was part of the New Deal, was drafted by Frances Perkins, yes, a woman and the only Republican in FDR’s cabinet. She was his Secretary of Labor.
Since that time, many improvements have occurred. Making SS the most efficient agency, in spite of some faults. Now, we are hearing from Trump’s human wrecking ball, that there is rampant fraud being perpetrated daily. According to Musk, there are millions receiving benefits, who are 150+. If DOGE is counting from it’s inception, a person receiving benefits would have to have been born in 1835. An age of 300 (one of the claims) for a recipient would take you back to 1725. America wasn’t even a ‘thang’, as my granddaughter would say. That’s a long time to wait for a check.
I heard once that if you aren’t more liberal when you are young, you have no heart. If you aren’t more conservative when you are older, you have no brain. That makes a lot of sense to me, and that sentiment seems to be the driving force behind social security. What to do with people injured, who could no longer work? What about widows and orphans?How about the aged or the very poor, who have no family to take them in?
Nearly every time I turn on the computer, there is more click-bait telling me that Musk or Trump are going to eliminate Social Security or take a serious bite out of it. How is that eliminating fraud? It sounds a whole lot more like cutting services. Does anyone remember when Baby Bush wanted to eliminate the social security tax and instead have a method of investing that money? I can’t believe that came out of his barely functioning brain. But, he got enough blow back and grief, that the idea, whose ever it was, died a rapid death. There are so many problems with that idea. First of all, how would you make the transition without any recipient falling through the cracks? Who would be in charge of where and what to invest in? How would you keep the recipient’s fingers from withdrawing money, since it would be their money? Oh, wait a minute. Didn’t Congress pass a law that as soon as you deposit money into your bank account, it is no longer your money, but the banks?
Now, since Trump promoted Elon Musk to head up the Department of Government Efficiency, he has been slashing and burning his way through one agency after another. I would believe that many were in dire need of reform, but maybe not all. He’s eventually worked his way to the Social Security Administration. Since he isn’t an elected official, he doesn’t have to worry about being elected again. But if I were in his shoes, I would be very vigilant about looking over my shoulder. Remember the CEO of United Health Care, I would tread lightly Mr. Musk. No doubt, the results of any social security purge will land squarely at the door of the White House and Republicans in general.
Tracey Gronniger, a managing director with the advocacy group, Justice in Aging, was interviewed by Greg Sargent, host of the Daily Blast, from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network. Sargent told her that the Washington Post report is pretty extraordinary. The acting social security administrator said of DOGE’s housecleaning so far. “Things are currently operating in a way I have never seen in government before. The problem is, the DOGE boys don’t understand how social security is supposed to work.
Gronniger remarked, “I agree. It is really scary that we have people in the Social Security Administration, who don’t understand how it works. Yet, they have total control over the agency now. Social security is a very popular program. It is important to over 70 million beneficiaries and enjoys the strong support of the country.”
Social security allows these people to survive, something that billionaires wouldn’t know anything about. People have come to expect social security funds upon retiring, since they paid into the fund all of their working life. And, we are damn well tired of the wealthy looking down their noses at people who collect their benefits, like they were the equivalent of panhandlers on the street. As well, there are family members of deceased workers and people who are disabled and can no longer work. Pulling the financial rug out from under them, would be cruel. Is that how President Trumps wants to be remembered? Does Trump care? Does he have a plan to take care of those who truly need that program, while rooting out those who scam the system?
President Trump promised not to cut benefits. Has he conveyed that promise to Musk? If Elon cuts a thousand jobs, what will be the impact? What jobs could he eliminate without affecting benefits? Are these people who work in the field offices that people rely on to navigate the system, or in the regional offices that help to process those benefits, going to be cut? Many elderly people don’t know how to go online for assistance. And, right now if you try to call the offices, you will have about a three hour wait to talk to anyone, IF you can even get through at all. My personal favorite is, you walk into the SSA offices, and after the guard searches your purse or pant’s pocket for weapons, they ask you if you have an appointment. Of course not. No one would answer the damn phone to make an appointment! But, even though you are already there, having maybe driven miles to get there, you will still have to make an appointment to talk to someone, eventually.
They can deny they are cutting benefits. But, when you cut jobs, you make it more difficult for people to correct mistakes, make necessary changes or even apply for benefits. SS benefits are a life line for many people when they use it to pay for rent, food, transportation or meds. Going after true fraud is okay. But, where is the fraud? What are they calling fraud? Office closures, staff reduction isn’t about fraud, Mr. President. It is about cutting services. Just like what happened with Medicaid in Iowa. Medicaid is a federal program that is run by the states. When Governor Branstad switched to having three private insurance companies take over running the program, I knew this was going to be a problem. When several of us providers met with the three insurance companies mouth pieces, they were doing their best to assure us there would be no cutting of services. I told all three of them, “Then you are going to lose your asses. Do you really think that is why Branstad was in such a hurry to unload Medicare on you people? Because it was such a money maker for the state?” One bailed within a month. Another several months later. And many services were cut. I watched it happen. I was glad to retire.
A poll by the National Academy of Social Insurance found that there was broad support for social security as it stood. The Party’s polled, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, all thought that social security was a very effective and important resource. They believed that social security was so important that benefits should be provided even if that meant raising taxes. Elon Musk recently described government beneficiaries as the “parasite class.” Does that sound like someone who only wants to cut out fraud without affecting benefits to those who truly need it? This is a wonderful example of a shell game! This program needs adequate funding and support. You can’t have it both ways. And you can’t make social security more efficient by cutting funding and adequate staff in all areas. On top of all of that, Trump is encouraging DOGE to look for even more ways to cut into the program by finding more ways to gut the program.
People need to really pay attention to what DOGE is doing, cutting the agency and rendering it nonfunctional. People need to hound their Congress critters to put a stop to this nonsense. I think there will be more than a few Senators and Representatives who will find themselves unemployed otherwise, and sent back to their home state to find some real work. I don’t see how Congress can approve of these cuts and keep their jobs. If too many cuts are approved, the agency won’t be able to function. Then you will see many people not being able to apply for one of the programs, or if already on board, not receiving their full benefits.
Trump says he doesn’t want America to become another Venezuela, but what will we be when millions of people are cut from the rolls or seriously reduced in benefits? You think the homelessness in America is already a problem? You haven’t seen anything yet.
