The DOGE Team Is Cluster Bombing Social Security
Wrecking-ball changes made in haste seem destined to disrupt payments for the first time in the agency's history.
Over the last decade or so, the younger generations have expressed increasing resentment that Social Security will not be there for them when they reach retirement age, that the 6.2% deducted from their paychecks – double that for the self-employed who have to pay the employer’s 6.2% as well – would make it what Elon Musk is calling "the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time".
But their fear of losing out was only that Social Security would run short of funds when their time came and not be able to pay full benefits.
What they nor current retirees hadn’t bargained for is the Trump administration’s multifaceted attempt to finally take great strides toward accomplishing the Republican dream of seeing Social Security destroyed altogether, despite Trump when candidate repeatedly telling us that he would not “touch” Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. “I will not cut one penny from Social Security”, he said.
What he did not say was that he intended to have Elon Musk lay hands on the agency for him. Musk and his acolytes have been doing so in several ways, starting with having acting commissioner Michele King and her chief of staff fired when they refused access to the agency’s data. Trump's replacement, Leland Dudek, threw open the doors despite a federal judge blocking access to personal data and accusing Musk of a "fishing expedition".
SQUEEZE PLAY
First announced, in February, were 7,000 job cuts at the already understaffed Social Security Administration (SSA) to bring the personnel count down to 50,000. Worse, The Washington Post ran a story that said its management had been told to swiftly produce plans to cut the agency’s… Continue reading
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