Posts Tagged: Social Security Administration

Illegal immigration and WI dairy farms

By Matthew Blake | Aug 01 2011 at 15:31 | Your take

Georgia Pabst of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a critical — and flawed — piece Saturday on E-Verify, the joint Dept. of Homeland of Security/Social Security Administration program that makes employers check the citizenship status of their workers. Right now, E-Verify is voluntary — but new legislation would make it mandatory. Pabst implies this would be bad for Wisconsin dairy farmers, the vast majority of of whom employ illegal immigrants. But it could have the positive effect of curbing the exploitation of these workers. (more…)

Topics: Beltway Outsider, Dept. of Homeland Security, Featured Articles, Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, Social Security Administration
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Should we bother getting riled up about House budget bill?

By Matthew Blake | Feb 28 2011 at 07:53 | Your take

Terrie Albano of the Chicago Independent Examiner rails against the budget passed by the U.S. House last week for its cuts to Illinois social security offices. Administrative cuts to the Social Security Administration are indeed puzzling: the House budget doesn’t reduce the number of people who receive this entitlement or the amount of money they get — it just makes the processing of social security checks more difficult.

It’s not clear right now what, if anything, from the House budget will actually become law.  But it’s important to highlight the profound changes federal agencies will undergo if the House Republicans’ wishes do became law. Among these are cuts to federal agencies that serve the public, cuts that will hardly make a dent in the deficit but will make it harder for government to do its job.

Topics: Beltway Outsider, Government in My Backyard (GIMBY)
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Robbing Peter to pay Paul

By Matthew Blake | Dec 27 2010 at 21:54 | Your take

A signature accomplishment of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was a law that would reduce the benefit of teacher pensions by $200 billion over the next 25 years. However, Chris Wetterich of Gatehouse News Services relays a report prepared for the Illinois state government that shows state pension relief is a zero-sum game. (more…)

Topics: Beltway Outsider, Government in My Backyard (GIMBY), Social Security Administration
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Social Security Administration Overwhelmed by Disability Claims

By Matthew Blake | Apr 13 2010 at 09:37 | Your take

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Monifa Thomas reports that some applicants for Social Security disability benefits must wait more than a year to find out if they qualify. (more…)

Topics: Beltway Outsider, Government in My Backyard (GIMBY), Social Security Administration
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