The Social Security Administration (SSA), in an effort to deal with the stress of their jobs, held a conference a couple of weeks ago in Phoenix Arizona during which 700 SSA directors relaxed to the bill of $700,000 worth of tax payers’ money. They had dance troops. They stayed at a nice hotel. They even had an excursion to a local casino.
Three things:
First, the SSA justified the conference as an answer to its administrator’s complaints about job stress. This means that they have jobs. In this economy, where so many of us are unemployed and trying to figure out how to manage without a steady income, a stable job is automatically reason that one shouldn’t complain. Given the number of people who are out of work, it is grossly apathetic towards the nation’s suffering to justify spending that ridiculous amount of taxpayer money to combat the stress that comes with continued stable employment. They want to see stress? Someone should fire them.
Second, given that my peers and I will not get any social security by the time we are eligible because it will have dried up by then, I personally see this party as the SSA’s spending MY money and you should as well. We pay into social security accounts from which we will not be able to collect, that’s money that we simply lose, and the people responsible for administrating to this botched system are busy having a party.
Third, and most importantly, this party is a blatant sign that our government has no idea that they need to start bringing their behavior into line with our economic problems. This SSA conference is shameful, wasteful, and shows that our government agencies are just plain out of the loop. While you and I are tightening our belts and trying to figure out how we’re going to pay our bills, these guys are being given a thousand dollars vacation on the taxpayer dime. When will the government learn that the days of wine and roses are over? The time has come to work out a budget and to cut out the lavishness that we, as a country, simply can no longer afford.
DISCUSSION
Nel2U Jul, 24 2009
Now I know why my disability benefits haven't been calculated properly, and why I haven't received funds due me after 2 1/2 years of inquiry. (Yes it's a bit short of the standard 3 year delaying-period.) Don't know how they justify that timeline, but it tells me that by delaying, they're hope is that we the disabled, become homeless or die, and won't ever receive benefits we paid into over the years (whether we wanted to or not). Meanwhile, they have jobs with health benefits. Party on!!
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Rodger Oct, 8 2009
Simply you have your facts wrong. There were no dance troops they had a morning exercise. The casino visit was on their own. And attending a conference is far from being out of the loop - connecting face to face is still important.
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