DOGE Catch-All
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New Social Security rules: SSA to require in-person identity checks for new and existing recipients by end of March | abc7.com
In%20an%20effort%20to%20limit%20fraudulent%20claims%2C%20the%20Social%20Security%20Administration%20will%20impose%20tighter%20identity-proofing%20measures.
In an effort to limit fraudulent claims, the Social Security Administration will impose tighter identity-proofing measures - which will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with the agency over the phone.
Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency's "my Social Security" online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday.
The change will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information.
Retiree advocates warn that the change will negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, those who live far from SSA offices and have limited internet access.
The plan also comes as the agency plans to shutter dozens of Social Security offices throughout the country and has already laid out plans to lay off thousands of workers.
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Hopefully, most SS recipients can use the 'my Social Security' online service. Millions of elderly folks going in-person to SS offices would be a logistical nightmare.New Social Security rules: SSA to require in-person identity checks for new and existing recipients by end of March | abc7.com
In%20an%20effort%20to%20limit%20fraudulent%20claims%2C%20the%20Social%20Security%20Administration%20will%20impose%20tighter%20identity-proofing%20measures.abc7.com
In an effort to limit fraudulent claims, the Social Security Administration will impose tighter identity-proofing measures - which will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with the agency over the phone.
Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency's "my Social Security" online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday.
The change will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information.
Retiree advocates warn that the change will negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, those who live far from SSA offices and have limited internet access.
The plan also comes as the agency plans to shutter dozens of Social Security offices throughout the country and has already laid out plans to lay off thousands of workers.
heelinhell
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I've been saying for a long time that the major problem facing America is our reluctance to address the fact that the poor have too much and the rich have too little.
Finally the proposed GQPer budget is doing something to bring things back into balance.
www.rawstory.com
Finally the proposed GQPer budget is doing something to bring things back into balance.
GOP budget plan would take from the poorest 40 percent and give it to the rich: Yale
The budget plan being contemplated by congressional Republicans would represent a massive transfer of wealth from the poorest 40 percent of Americans to the richest 1 percent of the country, according to a new analysis from Yale's Budget Lab.As explained by researchers Harris Eppsteiner and John...
www.rawstory.com
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superrific
Legend of ZZL
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LOL. Reminds me of Schatz' tweet a while back, "on the plus side, the American people are finally getting the cuts to national parks that we've been demanding."
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ZenMode
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Inside The Now-Shuttered Federal Agency Where Employees Lived ‘Like Reigning Kings’
Employees of DOGE's latest target spent taxpayer money on exotic vacations, portraits, and more.
One of the seven small federal agencies that President Donald Trump ordered downsized or eliminated on Friday was rife with corruption, with its employees hiring friends and relatives, commissioning paintings of themselves, and using government credit cards to indulge in constant luxuries.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) occupied a nine-story office tower on D.C.’s K Street for only 60 employees, many of whom actually worked from home, prior to the pandemic. Its managers had luxury suites with full bathrooms; one manager would often be “in the shower” when she was needed, while another used her bathroom as a cigarette lounge. FMCS recorded its director as being on a years-long business trip to D.C. so he could have all of his meals and living expenses covered by taxpayers, simply for showing up to the office.
FMCS is a 230-employee agency that exists to serve as a voluntary mediator between unions and businesses. As an “independent agency,” its director nominally reports to the president, but the agency is so small that in effect, there is no oversight at all — and it showed, becoming a real-life caricature of all the excesses that the Department of Government Efficiency has alleged take place in government.
This reporter spent a year investigating the agency a decade ago, and I found egregious and self-serving violations of hiring, pay, contracting, and purchase card rules. One thing I could not discover is why the agency actually existed, other than to provide luxurious lifestyles for its employees. Endless junkets to resort destinations, which employees openly used to facilitate personal vacations, were justified as building awareness of the agency in the hopes that someone would actually want to use its voluntary services.
FMCS seemed, quite clearly, to exist for the benefit of those on its payroll, and not much else. One employee told me: “Let me give you the honest truth: A lot of FMCS employees don’t do a hell of a lot, including myself. Personally, the reason that I’ve stayed is that I just don’t feel like working that hard, plus the location on K Street is great, plus we all have these oversized offices with windows, plus management doesn’t seem to care if we stay out at lunch a long time. Can you blame me?”
Employees of DOGE's latest target spent taxpayer money on exotic vacations, portraits, and more.
One of the seven small federal agencies that President Donald Trump ordered downsized or eliminated on Friday was rife with corruption, with its employees hiring friends and relatives, commissioning paintings of themselves, and using government credit cards to indulge in constant luxuries.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) occupied a nine-story office tower on D.C.’s K Street for only 60 employees, many of whom actually worked from home, prior to the pandemic. Its managers had luxury suites with full bathrooms; one manager would often be “in the shower” when she was needed, while another used her bathroom as a cigarette lounge. FMCS recorded its director as being on a years-long business trip to D.C. so he could have all of his meals and living expenses covered by taxpayers, simply for showing up to the office.
FMCS is a 230-employee agency that exists to serve as a voluntary mediator between unions and businesses. As an “independent agency,” its director nominally reports to the president, but the agency is so small that in effect, there is no oversight at all — and it showed, becoming a real-life caricature of all the excesses that the Department of Government Efficiency has alleged take place in government.
This reporter spent a year investigating the agency a decade ago, and I found egregious and self-serving violations of hiring, pay, contracting, and purchase card rules. One thing I could not discover is why the agency actually existed, other than to provide luxurious lifestyles for its employees. Endless junkets to resort destinations, which employees openly used to facilitate personal vacations, were justified as building awareness of the agency in the hopes that someone would actually want to use its voluntary services.
FMCS seemed, quite clearly, to exist for the benefit of those on its payroll, and not much else. One employee told me: “Let me give you the honest truth: A lot of FMCS employees don’t do a hell of a lot, including myself. Personally, the reason that I’ve stayed is that I just don’t feel like working that hard, plus the location on K Street is great, plus we all have these oversized offices with windows, plus management doesn’t seem to care if we stay out at lunch a long time. Can you blame me?”
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“The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is issuing this statement to address the recent article by Luke Rosiakwhich resurrects reporting dating back over 12 years.
…
The article references elements and reporting that are not only outdated but also fail to acknowledge the substantial reforms FMCS implemented over a decade ago. Since the time of that reporting, FMCS has:
- Completed an Internal Independent Audit: FMCS commissioned an external independent audit to thoroughly review past practices and implemented 100% of the auditor's recommendations, further solidifying and displaying our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.
- Established a Comprehensive Ethics Program: In response to those issues, FMCS introduced a robust ethics initiative designed to guide our operations with the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
- Enhanced Operational Oversight: Beyond these measures, FMCS has consistently invested in best practices and compliance protocols. Our proactive approach to agency management ensures that any legacy issues are not only addressed but serve as a catalyst for ongoing organizational excellence.
- Maintained a Pristine Record: External independent financial audits have been conducted with zero findings of any irregularities, affirming our commitment to flawless financial stewardship.
Furthermore, FMCS is not a drain on taxpayer dollars as the article would suggest. In fact, our operations are managed on a $55 millionbudget (representing less than 0.0014% of the federal budget) yet we generate an impressive return on investment exceeding $500 million annually for the US economy. …”
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Background:
“… FMCS, an independent agency, works with labor unions, federal agencies and private sector employers to avert strikes, impasses and litigation stemming from collective bargaining disputes. It was established by Congress as part of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, making Trump’s planned closure of the agency legally dubious.
… Experts have long touted the cost effectiveness of programs like FMCS and the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s alternative dispute resolution process in helping parties reach agreement without the need for litigation. …”
www.govexec.com
Some budget details:
www.usaspending.gov
——
I’ve never had any contact with this agency and don’t know how accurate their claims of cost savings by helping labor disputes avoid litigation really are. It does sound like it was materially reformed during the Obama Administration…
“… FMCS, an independent agency, works with labor unions, federal agencies and private sector employers to avert strikes, impasses and litigation stemming from collective bargaining disputes. It was established by Congress as part of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, making Trump’s planned closure of the agency legally dubious.
… Experts have long touted the cost effectiveness of programs like FMCS and the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s alternative dispute resolution process in helping parties reach agreement without the need for litigation. …”
Trump continues to curtail union rights and career pipelines
Guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management last week instructs agencies to ignore union contract provisions on reductions in force, and apply its policies.
www.govexec.com
Some budget details:
USAspending.gov
——
I’ve never had any contact with this agency and don’t know how accurate their claims of cost savings by helping labor disputes avoid litigation really are. It does sound like it was materially reformed during the Obama Administration…
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“… For weeks, Mr. Musk’s group said on its website that it had terminated more than 700 leases, and saved more than $460 million in the process.
But around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the group eliminated references to 136 of those cancellations. That reduced its savings by $140 million, or almost 30 percent of the total for lease cancellations it had claimed a day earlier.
Mr. Musk’s team did not give a reason for the changes. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. …”
ChileG
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Wait, the Daily Wire had an article that was FOS?
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“… Mr. Musk’s team also removed mentions of plans to cut dozens of local office spaces across the country for the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration, although more than 30 properties used by both agencies were still listed on the group’s website.
Those battles do not appear to be over.
This week, The New York Times asked the White House which of the terminations on the Musk team’s list were still accurate. A White House official declined to name any, offering instead a written statement: “G.S.A. is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization.” …”
ZenMode
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It was accurate and the linked article calls it out.
This reporter spent a year investigating the agency a decade ago, and I found egregious and self-serving violations of hiring, pay, contracting, and purchase card rules.
The story is incomplete in that it doesn't relay the changes that were made.
ChileG
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Yeah, I said it was full of shit.
superrific
Legend of ZZL
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ZenMode continues to make a strong argument for continuing DEI. Chantel Wong had the title of "ambassador" but that's just nomenclature; her actual position was to head the Asian Development Bank. Here's a brief description of her resume:
She served in a number of positions in the US government. Under Barack Obama, she served as vice president for administration and finance, and CFO, at the Millennium Challenge Corporation from 2011 to 2014. Previously, she was budget director at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 2011–12, acting budget director at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and as the chief of staff to the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under Bill Clinton, Wong represented the United States on the board of directors of the Asian Development Bank.
In 1989, Wong co-founded the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership.
So if DEI was responsible for getting this position, then DEI did a great job because she's super-qualified.
She served in a number of positions in the US government. Under Barack Obama, she served as vice president for administration and finance, and CFO, at the Millennium Challenge Corporation from 2011 to 2014. Previously, she was budget director at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 2011–12, acting budget director at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and as the chief of staff to the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under Bill Clinton, Wong represented the United States on the board of directors of the Asian Development Bank.
In 1989, Wong co-founded the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership.
So if DEI was responsible for getting this position, then DEI did a great job because she's super-qualified.
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“…
Of the 47 SSA field offices listed for closure on the Department of Government Efficiency website, 26 are slated for closure this year, with some taking effect as early as next month, according to an Associated Press analysis of the data.
That change, in addition to the impending closure of field offices across the country, and a plan to reduce the agency workforce with mass layoffs, could result in massive delays to services, advocates say.
…
The end of phone service identification could be dramatic for some recipients, including families with children who will be required to visit an SSA office, since children can't open online accounts through the "my Social Security" online service.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said "this will make it far harder for the American people to claim their earned benefits. It could even cause major delays, and ultimately collapse the system, by overwhelming the field offices." …”