And just when you thought it could not get worse for POTUS

[Paul Moscow]

And as an aside, the states with the highest percentage of the population on disability,

West Virginia
Arkansas
Alabama
Kentucky
Mississippi

Would think that these states have a very high percentage of poorly educated, blue collar workers who perform physical labor and are therefore more prone to disability? Seriously though, the SS disability program is absolutely riddled with abuse, costing billions every year in fraud. So Obama will be getting right on that, am I right? I mean, it's not like millions of people going onto the government dole might yield some political advantage, like bringing down the U-3 unemployment number, right?

Honestly, this shouldn't really come as a surprise. I think Obama said many times during the campaign that he will not take any meaningful action on reforming entitlements and deficit reduction until (1) gays can marry, and (2) women are granted a two-week post-birth "return policy" for aborting unwanted fetuses. Damn that obstructionist GOP! 

Stats or numbers to back this up?

Do you trust NPR? Start there: http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

Also see http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardfinger/2013/01/14/fraud-and-disability-equal-a-multibillion-dollar-balck-hole-for-taxpayers/

While the NPR study cites the fact that the number of people who have applied for disability has increased as the economy has tanked, it doesn't mention that the percentage of those people applying who are denied has risen as well. The program actually became more stringent in this sense since the economy fell apart, less than 40% of people who apply are accepted.

There has been a rise in total disability payments and that's been attributed to a) Baby Boomers aging and entering into "high-disability" age groups and b) the influx of women in the 1970's and 80's into the workforce (women who paid into a system they are now withdrawing from). As such, disability payments have leveled off and are projected to fall.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Do you trust NPR? Start there: http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

Also see http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardfinger/2013/01/14/fraud-and-disability-equal-a-multibillion-dollar-balck-hole-for-taxpayers/

While the NPR study cites the fact that the number of people who have applied for disability has increased as the economy has tanked, it doesn't mention that the percentage of those people applying who are denied has risen as well. The program actually became more stringent in this sense since the economy fell apart, less than 40% of people who apply are accepted.

There has been a rise in total disability payments and that's been attributed to a) Baby Boomers aging and entering into "high-disability" age groups and b) the influx of women in the 1970's and 80's into the workforce (women who paid into a system they are now withdrawing from). As such, disability payments have leveled off and are projected to fall.

Oooh, the number is "expected to fall!" We'll there's a relief. Yes, if the economy actually improves and people go back to work, I expect the number on disability will[i/] fall. Youd have to be seriously diluded to ignore the rampant fraud highlighted in that NPR piece. Can't help you.

[Paul Moscow]

Do you trust NPR? Start there: http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

Also see http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardfinger/2013/01/14/fraud-and-disability-equal-a-multibillion-dollar-balck-hole-for-taxpayers/

While the NPR study cites the fact that the number of people who have applied for disability has increased as the economy has tanked, it doesn't mention that the percentage of those people applying who are denied has risen as well. The program actually became more stringent in this sense since the economy fell apart, less than 40% of people who apply are accepted.

There has been a rise in total disability payments and that's been attributed to a) Baby Boomers aging and entering into "high-disability" age groups and b) the influx of women in the 1970's and 80's into the workforce (women who paid into a system they are now withdrawing from). As such, disability payments have leveled off and are projected to fall.

Oooh, the number is "expected to fall!" We'll there's a relief. Yes, if the economy actually improves and people go back to work, I expect the number on disability will[i/] fall. Youd have to be seriously diluded to ignore the rampant fraud highlighted in that NPR piece. Can't help you.

You're overstating the impact that "fraud" plays in this or to even make clear what your definition of fraud is. While I'm not denying that some fraud (even what your definition is, which will probably be poor, lazy, obama voter who wants to sit on his couch all day) certainly occurs there is scant evidence that it is significant and even less so that its "rampant". The NPR piece did nothing to change that see the mountain of research and academics who came out against it.

There certainly is a problem with the program overall but it's entirely systemic and is based on so many varying factors including the economy, tax base, health care, welfare, budget allocation, etc, etc, that even bringing up fraud is to put a bandaid on a broken arm.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

Do you trust NPR? Start there: http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

Also see http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardfinger/2013/01/14/fraud-and-disability-equal-a-multibillion-dollar-balck-hole-for-taxpayers/

While the NPR study cites the fact that the number of people who have applied for disability has increased as the economy has tanked, it doesn't mention that the percentage of those people applying who are denied has risen as well. The program actually became more stringent in this sense since the economy fell apart, less than 40% of people who apply are accepted.

There has been a rise in total disability payments and that's been attributed to a) Baby Boomers aging and entering into "high-disability" age groups and b) the influx of women in the 1970's and 80's into the workforce (women who paid into a system they are now withdrawing from). As such, disability payments have leveled off and are projected to fall.

Oooh, the number is "expected to fall!" We'll there's a relief. Yes, if the economy actually improves and people go back to work, I expect the number on disability will[i/] fall. Youd have to be seriously diluded to ignore the rampant fraud highlighted in that NPR piece. Can't help you.

You're overstating the impact that "fraud" plays in this or to even make clear what your definition of fraud is. While I'm not denying that some fraud (even what your definition is, which will probably be poor, lazy, obama voter who wants to sit on his couch all day) certainly occurs there is scant evidence that it is significant and even less so that its "rampant". The NPR piece did nothing to change that see the mountain of research and academics who came out against it.

There certainly is a problem with the program overall but it's entirely systemic and is based on so many varying factors including the economy, tax base, health care, welfare, budget allocation, etc, etc, that even bringing up fraud is to put a bandaid on a broken arm.

It's a bigger problem than you think, but it's also a way to decrease entitlements without hurting anyone other than crooks and stimulate the economy by lowering taxes.

[felix rex]

Wait, a second term president is suffering from low popularity?

Republicans like to think they have halted Obama's transformation of America by stymieing his efforts at gun control and (seemingly) amnesty for illegal immigrants, but the truth is, the status quo is AOK with liberals. Welfare continues to expand, a whole new entitlement has been more or less enshrined, more and more people continue to drop out of the workforce, and annual deficits continue to top $1 trillion. Liberals already won their America last November. All this stuff is just noise.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/07/news/economy/deficit-falling/index.html

Tax collections rose by $220 billion -- or 16% -- between the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 through April 30. Individual and payroll taxes accounted for $184 billion of that increase.

The tax haul rose sharply primarily because wages and salaries were higher, the payroll tax cut of the past two years expired on Jan. 1 and the fiscal cliff deal brokered over New Year's raised tax rates on high earners.

Spending, meanwhile, fell 1.9% year over year, the CBO estimated.

The biggest percentage drop occurred in the payment of unemployment benefits, which were down nearly 25%, or $15 billion. Defense spending fell 5.3%, or $20 billion, and "other activities" -- primarily spending on nondefense programs -- fell 8.6%, or $58 billion.

THIS IS LIBERAL AMERICA!!!

Unemployment benefits have run out for a huge number of people that are still unemployed, of which millions are now getting disability payments and considered employed. This is liberal America.

It's not that they count as employed, it's that they don't count as unemployed, there's a significant difference there that you miss or intentionally construe.

LOL - This is liberal America

And as an aside, the states with the highest percentage of the population on disability,

West Virginia
Arkansas
Alabama
Kentucky
Mississippi

Not gonna lie. I just assume they're all too fat to work.

[sonofdaxjones]

What else is knew.

JFK/RFK spied on the civil rights movement.

LBJ spied on the Anti-War crowd.

Nixon had his enemies list.

It took Hillary months to find those files in her office. 

'Merica

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I can't even imagine the outrage if bush had been caught doing this under the guise of terrorism.  This is going to cause heads to explode in the media.

 

This administration is full on nazi