Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

The reason it takes years is that there are people submitting SSDI as able-bodied 35 year olds. It is actually an incredibly high number of people who are not disabled but want to get on SS disability as an income plan. They get denied and submit multiple appeals that clog up the system. Attorneys are incentived to bring such garbage cases and keep prosecuting hoping someone feels sorry for their 35 year old client and grants lifetime disability. The system is at fault for that, not the employees.

It isn't a bunch of people trying to make disability their income stream so they don't have to work. Benefits just aren't that high, especially for SSI.

Employers are also to blame. Many require their employees to file for SSDI before awarding them compensation themselves. There are a lot of stupid claims, claims the filer and the employer know will be denied.

Social service agencies also file them routinely for clients seeking services - clients who are desperate for any and all aid they can secure; so they reach out to all the sources they can. You never know when one may actually qualify. Many of these clients have mental health issues; so you need a process to determine their actual work capabilities.

The vast majority of claimants do NOT have attorneys. Blaming it on attorneys is ridiculous. Attorneys are only helpful at the ALJ level. The first two rounds, attorneys MIGHT help by providing medical records more quickly; but 99.9% of them don't.

Know what else slows the process? Claimants not keeping the medical evaluation appointments arranged for them by SSA at SSA's expense. The process requires a second chance; so another two months.

Another reason there are so many claims is that people do not understand the eligibility requirements. Just because you can no longer do your current/previous job does not make you totally disabled in the eyes of the SSDI/SSI program. And you may indeed be totally disabled due to some condition but it is not expected to last at least 12 consecutive months, as required by the program. So again, denied.

The simplest way to quicken the process is to lower the standards for what qualifies as permanently and totally disabled. Y'all concerned about taxpayer money should be grateful that the program requirements are as stringent as they are. Otherwise, we'd be paying disability benefits to just about everyone - instead of them getting benefits from private plans and workers compensation.

What the "system" can do is implement some initial screening system to discourage people who clearly will never qualify from even applying, ie: pregnancy being the only medical condition claimed (yes, I actually adjudicated such a claim).

The SSA field offices receiving the initial applications could also require more information at the outset. The disability determination process requires fully documenting every medical issue and almost every claim has additional medical conditions/diagnoses come up in the middle of the process - after the medical records have finally been received from the claimants' doctors. If you want to speed up the process, eliminate this overly-thorough documentation requirement.

I've had it with everyone just casting everyone as lazy freeloaders - or slow, incompetent, unmotivated government workers living the high life on their piddly salaries. These disability claims adjudicators are STATE employees. Know how well-paid state government employees are?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

What "bloat?" The size of the civilian workforce has not actually increased relative to the %age of the entire workforce. Size has remained stable, workload has increased.
The "bloat" is the actual wasteful spending, like for extra security details for frequent trips to Mar-a-Largo and golf outings, as a start. How about the PRESIDENT return to the office full-time and do some actual work beyond signing his name to all the EO's his people put in front of him?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

Eliminating people who process claims isn't going to speed up the process.
Musk's goal is to replace with AI - and then the appeals processes will slow even more because AI will make lots of unnecessary denials.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

The reason it takes years is that there are people submitting SSDI as able-bodied 35 year olds. It is actually an incredibly high number of people who are not disabled but want to get on SS disability as an income plan. They get denied and submit multiple appeals that clog up the system. Attorneys are incentived to bring such garbage cases and keep prosecuting hoping someone feels sorry for their 35 year old client and grants lifetime disability. The system is at fault for that, not the employees.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

Why shouldn’t it? Do you know how long it should take?

I’m sure cutting staff who do this work will really expedite the process, and make it more fair and just. /s

Let’s see: deny, defend, depose. Maybe that’s the trick? I wonder what could go wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the whole “just relocate and get another job” rhetoric seems to assume that there is only one breadwinner. Lots of us went through contortions to set up a situation with two jobs in the same area, semi reasonable commutes, a workable daycare arrangement, maybe even some staggered hours so we could share the load. It’s a delicate balance that took a ton of tinkering and even some sacrifices to construct (ie “not my ideal job but a reasonable commutes” etc.) Then some idiot blows the whole thing up and things we can just get another similar siowith all of those pieces. Darned near impossible!!!

Nah. People do this in the private sector all the time. We had to relocate cross country for an upward career move. We had three
Kids and also a “delicate balance”. You can re-find balance anywhere.

Why do so many of you idiots think that no Feds have EVER worked in the vaunted pRiVaTe SeCtOr?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably in the service jobs mass deportation will free up. Literally, that’s the only thing I can come up with and it’s grim.

My kid works at Target and has hardly gotten any hours the past few weeks. Corporate keeps cutting payroll because they aren't making their sales goals.

A friend owns a local shop, and she let go all of her employees except for her manager. She, her sister (co-owner), and the store manager are running things now. I expect to see this a lot more with local establishments. It makes me sad.

I even noticed Wegmans isn't working as many employees on the weekends as in the past.

The economy is hurting all types of businesses. If people don't spend, there's no need to have an employee in those service industry jobs.

There's a mass layoff coming soon. No one knows when or if they'll be included in it. We only know that it is absolutely coming and probably soon. Who can spend in this situation? I'm spending as though I've been laid off already just to be safe and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Same with dentist- saying they’ve had a lot of cancellations in the last two weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the whole “just relocate and get another job” rhetoric seems to assume that there is only one breadwinner. Lots of us went through contortions to set up a situation with two jobs in the same area, semi reasonable commutes, a workable daycare arrangement, maybe even some staggered hours so we could share the load. It’s a delicate balance that took a ton of tinkering and even some sacrifices to construct (ie “not my ideal job but a reasonable commutes” etc.) Then some idiot blows the whole thing up and things we can just get another similar siowith all of those pieces. Darned near impossible!!!

Nah. People do this in the private sector all the time. We had to relocate cross country for an upward career move. We had three
Kids and also a “delicate balance”. You can re-find balance anywhere.

Sounds like this was an optional move that benefitted your family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably in the service jobs mass deportation will free up. Literally, that’s the only thing I can come up with and it’s grim.

My kid works at Target and has hardly gotten any hours the past few weeks. Corporate keeps cutting payroll because they aren't making their sales goals.

A friend owns a local shop, and she let go all of her employees except for her manager. She, her sister (co-owner), and the store manager are running things now. I expect to see this a lot more with local establishments. It makes me sad.

I even noticed Wegmans isn't working as many employees on the weekends as in the past.

The economy is hurting all types of businesses. If people don't spend, there's no need to have an employee in those service industry jobs.

There's a mass layoff coming soon. No one knows when or if they'll be included in it. We only know that it is absolutely coming and probably soon. Who can spend in this situation? I'm spending as though I've been laid off already just to be safe and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the whole “just relocate and get another job” rhetoric seems to assume that there is only one breadwinner. Lots of us went through contortions to set up a situation with two jobs in the same area, semi reasonable commutes, a workable daycare arrangement, maybe even some staggered hours so we could share the load. It’s a delicate balance that took a ton of tinkering and even some sacrifices to construct (ie “not my ideal job but a reasonable commutes” etc.) Then some idiot blows the whole thing up and things we can just get another similar siowith all of those pieces. Darned near impossible!!!

Nah. People do this in the private sector all the time. We had to relocate cross country for an upward career move. We had three
Kids and also a “delicate balance”. You can re-find balance anywhere.

Anonymous wrote:Probably in the service jobs mass deportation will free up. Literally, that’s the only thing I can come up with and it’s grim.

My kid works at Target and has hardly gotten any hours the past few weeks. Corporate keeps cutting payroll because they aren't making their sales goals.

A friend owns a local shop, and she let go all of her employees except for her manager. She, her sister (co-owner), and the store manager are running things now. I expect to see this a lot more with local establishments. It makes me sad.

I even noticed Wegmans isn't working as many employees on the weekends as in the past.

The economy is hurting all types of businesses. If people don't spend, there's no need to have an employee in those service industry jobs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not like industry layoffs. They are dismantling your government. You may not care about federal employees as individuals but I am surprised at the lack of concern about what this means.

Most Feds will find employment, perhaps not in the cities they are in at the current moment, but the longer term problem is the brain drain.

I think a great many people feel the federal government is substantially bloated and don’t view it the same way as you.

Often the same people who complain when they are on hold at SS or their refund does not arrive promptly or their highway does not get needed repairs...

But isn’t that the point? Feds are the largest employer in the world and nothing is efficient. It shouldn’t take a year to review SSDI. It shouldn’t take 20 years to extend the Silver line to IAD.

But it does and it did. Obviously the bloat isn’t making things better. Time to take another tack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gov. Moore said last week that MD will fast-track qualified and cleared former feds into teaching certification, but I can't find anything about this on maryland dot gov.

https://teach.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Oh wait I meant: https://teach.maryland.gov/Pages/fed-public-servants.aspx

Anonymous wrote:Gov. Moore said last week that MD will fast-track qualified and cleared former feds into teaching certification, but I can't find anything about this on maryland dot gov.

https://teach.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the whole “just relocate and get another job” rhetoric seems to assume that there is only one breadwinner. Lots of us went through contortions to set up a situation with two jobs in the same area, semi reasonable commutes, a workable daycare arrangement, maybe even some staggered hours so we could share the load. It’s a delicate balance that took a ton of tinkering and even some sacrifices to construct (ie “not my ideal job but a reasonable commutes” etc.) Then some idiot blows the whole thing up and things we can just get another similar siowith all of those pieces. Darned near impossible!!!

The double income career kids (dick) model should be rethought. It only works in certain areas that are going to be in the red zone for housing and standard of living. Though with remote work it might have started to make more sense. My wife decided she didn't want the career. Can't blame her, but this is why we moved here, and I ended up with a series of sub optimal jobs, but now she has a job that barely pays for kids babysitting tuition and wants to move somewhere else. We could have had a higher standard of living somewhere else without all of the traffic and what not. The schools would have been better also. The planets only partially aligned for us.

In our case, we had telework and flexibility when we decided to have kids. Now they want to throw us back into the dark ages.