Structurally Disabled: A Qualitative Study of Structural Contributors to Disability
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: May 29, 2024
In 1935, Social Security was born of an intention to provide economic security for the people of the United States. Even then, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins noted that the first iteration of Social Security would not be complete. Social Security has been amended multiple times over the years to improve the program and extend the economic support Social Security programs provide. Nearly 90 years later, Social Security keeps getting better. In 2022, Social Security set out to understand more about how to support potential applicants and actual recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs.
In a qualitative study to explore this issue, Social Security collaborated with 13 lived experience experts who comprised a technical working group (TWG). In 2023, Social Security interviewed 44 people (not on the TWG) from around the United States. In 90-minute interviews, people who experience disability shared their thoughts about structural barriers to participating in social, economic, and political aspects of community. You can read the study report here, watch an American Sign Language summary video with closed captioning, or watch the live action narrated summary video.
Many of the structural barriers people identified were not specific to Social Security or its services. For example, participants shared about the value of seeing people with impairments represented truthfully. Accurate representation of people with impairments in media is limited but growing. Study findings underscored that insufficient and incomplete representation contributes to a false perception that impairment is uncommon and therefore accommodations are not necessary. The CDC estimates that at least 1 in 4 people in the U.S. experience disability. Accommodations are essential.
Study participants also offered lived experience insights on how Social Security affects them and on ways the agency can improve. For example, under current law, Social Security uses a binary, economic model to determine disability. This means that Social Security considers a person “disabled” if their impairment prevents them from working. This framing of disability does not reflect the diverse and nuanced realities of people’s experiences with impairment and disability in the United States.
A common concern voiced among participants was about the limitations on how much disability benefit recipients can earn and save. This, in combination with the modest monthly cash amount dispensed to people who meet Social Security disability qualifications, limits disability benefit recipients’ ability to have the same quality of living as nondisabled people. The data generated in this study can strengthen Social Security’s advocacy efforts to better people’s economic security.
Recently, Social Security announced the final rule, “Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations.” This is exciting and important because it removes a barrier for SSI recipients who receive informal support in the form of food and eliminates one cause of recipients’ monthly payment variation. This new rule resonates with the lived experiences of disability benefit recipients.
Social Security staff will keep working, with lived experience experts, to improve the agency’s ability to serve our nation’s people.
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Tags: Disability, Social Security benefits, social security disability benefits, SSI
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TeeDo
A huge majority of the ss taxes that is cut from every American paycheck is wasted by the extreme & excessive measures the government takes to ensure they only give assistance to those they deem worthy of assistance. Doctors fact based diagnosis should be the only deciding factors in approving or denying assistance for AMERICAN CITIZENS seeking SSDI. Quit over paying sun contracted investigation agencies with no medical background to be giving any OPINIONS as to a persons state of ability. Quit over paying thousands of “ALJ’s” to sort thru non fact based circumstantial evidence that can (& often does) become tainted by bias (racism,sexism,classism,ageism etc) & start relying solely on the professional opinions of those who are educated, liscensed & credentialed to make those judgements of disabled or not; & cut the funding for all of the nonessential bullshit.
You guys all seriously need a wake up call if you can’t see thru this smoke screen: SSDI & SSI has become a business for the government to pick and choose who can profit from the money that comes from SS taxes. A small portion of that money gets paid out to recipients of the program- some who honestly deserve it, some who don’t. But a huge portion gets paid to people to have no clue about any science backed, fact based solid evidence of what renders a person mentally or physically incapable of taking care of their own damn self. So why keep paying for this nonsense. Tens of thousands of people (including some non Americans) to spy on & give their opinions( as if it were the gospel) on Americans seeking assistance. The hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on hearing and judges with law school backgrounds not medical backgrounds- that basically implies that every applicant is a liar & criminal until they ( the ALJ’s) decide they are worthy. ( TRANSLATION: every American is born guilty until they prove their innocence) This is not the intentions that our fore fathers founded this country or the constitution on.
So what it all boils down to is this: it has become a business entity. Sure it created a few job positions (ALJ, people who work for PI companies who has the government contracts, lawyers who work for disability representative companies and the technicians in supportive roles, expert witnesses, etc) which is draining the fund that every American paycheck pays a percentage into, that was meant to fund American citizens if and when the time comes in Someone’s life that they are no longer capable of self sufficient sustainability.
I read somewhere these practices amount to $133,000,000,000.00 (one hundred thirty three billion dollars) of government money wasted PER FISCAL YEAR. When in reality MEDICAL DOCTORS ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO GIVE OPINIONS ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISANILITY. If you spent that $133,000,000,000.00 every year on assisting the Americans that doctors find to be disabled, would America as a whole and United nation not be a better, stronger, more powerful country on the “World Stage”?
Why don’t y’all all go sit on your shitters and contemplate that for awhile?
SIDENOTE: I specifically refer to American citizens because I myself firmly believe that this program was originally put in place as a safety net for American workers. I also believe that if we strictly adhere to that rule it would also solve a lot of immigration issues we currently face. There are plenty of others ways America gives aid and support to other countries and that is fine with me. But the welfare programs that were put in place to support American citizens in a time of need, should be restricted to exactly that. Verbatim. (IMHO)
K
Thank you saying it Teedo.
Darrell R.
You sound like a member of the MAGA! Every wealthy American got their wealth originally from the US Government. Fred Trunp build apartments using 100% goverment guaranteed and susidized loans from the government for immagrants coming from Europe after the second world war. Hes tenants got noting but the government shelter as required by the mortgage guaranrtee. If you look up other wealthy Americans you will find the same results.
JERRY M.
CROOKED WELFARE JERK DARRELL: IT IS MUCH BETTER TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUILDER AND CAPITALIST THAN A DIRTY, LYING CHEATING WELFARE RECIPIENT, SSI, SSI-DI, SS-DI GOVERNMENT WELFARE TROUGH SUCKING PIG WHO HAS NO MORALS OR ANY RESPECT FOR WORK! YOU ARE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY U.S. IS SO CORRUPT NOW, DUE TO MARXIST-COMMUNIST DEMOCRATS THAT WERE RAISED BY IGNORANT SINGLE MOTHERS LIVING OFF WELFARE BENEFITS AND CHEAP MEN! SO GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR BUTT AND LEARN HOW TO WORK HARD FOR YOUR OWN LIVING RATHER THAN STEALING MONEY FROM OUR U.S. GOVERNMENT AND US FEW WHO ARE ACTUALLY PAYING FEDERAL INCOME TAXES! U.S. WILL BE A MUCH BETTER PLACE TO LIVE WHEN ALLL YOU ILLICTS AND IGNORANT WELFARE SUCKING IDIOTS WHO DID NOT LEARN HOW TO DO ANYTHING IN SCHOOL, OR FROM YOUR IGNORANT, DEGENGERATE PARENT! YOU MAY BE INVESTIGATED AND PROSECUTED FOR WELFARE DECEPTION AND FRAUD SINCE YOU HAVE LIED, CHEATED TO GET ON EVERY WELFARE PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT ALL THE MANY GOVERNMENT PIG FEED TROUGHS LOCATED ALL AROUND THE USA! THANKS FOR LETTING US KNOW YOU CHEATED, AND ARE STILL STEALING FROM US TAXPAYERS!
JERRY M.
YOU ARE CORRECT! THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PAID TO GET PEOPLE ON VARIOUS TYPES OF DISABILITY PAYMENTS, OR PAYOFFS, SHOULD NOT EXIST! IT IS NOTHING BUT A RACKET TO STEAL GOVERNMENT AND TAXPAYER MONEY! THE MOST UNFORTUANTE PROBLEM WITH THEM IS THEY SOMETIMES CREATE COSTS TO THE ACTUAL SOCIAL SECURITY FUND DUE TO PEOPLE GETTING APPROVED FOR TOTAL DISABILITY WHEN THEY ARE ONLY SLIGHTLY LIMITED IN ABILITIES TO PERFORM THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES OR SOME TYPE OF WORK! THE PEOPLE CLAIMING DISABILITY START OUT THINKING THEY CAN FOOL THE SS REHABILITATION SERVICES PERSONNEL, SO ALL THEY SEE IS DOLLAR SIGNS FROM SS FUNDS WHERE THEY CAN GET CHECKS AND MONEY WITH NO TAXES TO PAY ON THE CHECKS OR MONEY! ALMOST EVERYONE WILL NOT BE PERMANENTLY DISABILED BUT THEY WANT TO GET ON FULL DISABILITY AND STAY ON FULL DISABILITY THE REST OF THEIR LIFE BECAUSE THEY LIKE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO GET SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY THEY DO NOT DESERVE! A FEW PEOPLE MIGHT NEED SHORT-TERM DISABILITY BUT NOT MANY NEED TO BE ON SS OR SSI-DI DISABILITY FUNDING VERY LONG! THERE ARE JOBS ALMOST EVERYONE CAN BE TAUGHT TO DO OVER FAIRLY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME! THE VETERANS RECOVER FROM VERY SERIOUS INJURIES, ILLNESSES AND THEY THEN RE-START PERFORMING PRODUCTIVE WORK AND ACTIVITIES! MANY NURSING HOME PATIENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE STATUS ARE TRULY DISABLED DUE TO CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND OLD AGE DETERIORATION!
CERTAINLY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT LYING AND CHEATING, UNLESS DISABILITIES ARE DETERMINED BASED ON COMPETENT MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS, TESTING AND OBSERVATION OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FUNCTIONS! MOST DOCTORS CAN BE HONEST, BUT SOME ARE LIBERALS JUST LIKE THERE ARE LIBERALS IN POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY PERFORMING GOVERNMENT JOBS WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO PROTECT OUR SS FUNDS AND GOVERNMENT FUNDS FROM FRAUD AND MISUSE! CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER, WELFARE ELIGIBILITY WORKERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES ARE ALL MAKING ARBITRARY JUDGEMENTS BASED ON NON-MEDICAL INFORMATION, WHICH NEVER IS DEPENDABLE BECAUSE THE APPLICANTS CREATE THEIR OWN SUBJECTIVE NARRATIVE TO SUIT THEIR DESIRES TO BE DRAWING A PERMANENT SS DISABILITY CHECK OR A PERMANENT SSI-DI DISABILITY SUPPLEMENTAL CHECK! FAMILIES LOVE FOR MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES TO BE DRAWING A TAX FREE SS, SSI, OR SSI-DI CHECK EACH MONTH SO THE FAMILY CAN SPEND THE MONEY ON WHATEVER THEY WANT TO SINCE THE FAMILY IS PROBABLY THE PAYEE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE DISABILITY CHECK!
BEST THING TO DO IS ELIMINATE MOST WELFARE PROGRAMS, WELFARE DISABILITY LIKE SSI, SSI-DI AS WELL THE DISABILITY PROGRAM IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AGENCY! DISABILLITY DETERMINATIONS MUST BE HANDLED BY NON-BIASED MEDICAL DOCTORS ONLY, JUST AS YOU SAID! AND, EVEN THEN, THE DOCTORS HANDLING DISABILITY MUST BE SPECIALLY TRAINED TO DIAGNOSE MEDICAL DISABILITY, AND THEY MUST BE FULLY TRAINED DOCTORS WHO CAN DETERMINE WHETHER SPECIALIZED REHABILITATIVE SERVICES WILL BE NEEDED, BENEFICIAL, AND FOR HOW LONG REHABILLITATION WILL TAKE TO GET THE DISABILITY PATIENT BACK INTO MEDICAL CONDITION TO PERFORM ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING AND WHATEVER TYPE OF WORK THE PATIENT WILL BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO OVER THE SHORT-TERM, THEN OVER THE LONG-TERM!
THESE ORGAINZATIONS THAT RUN LIKE MILLS TO DO DISABILITY DETERMINATIONS USE, AS YOU SAY, NON-MEDICAL PERSONS TO ACT UNDER SO-CALLED DOCTORS IN PERFORMING EXAMINATIONS, INTERVIEWS, TREATMENTS, ETC., WHICH IS ALMOST TOTALLY DISHONEST BECAUSE THESE IN-BETWEEN NON-MEDICAL, NON-REHAB TRAINED PERSONS ARE INSTRUCTED TO GET APPLICANTS APPROVED FOR MEDICAL DISABIITY, BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM IN NATURE!
DISABILITY IN SSI, SSI-DI AND SS IS PRETTY MUCH A LOSING CAUSE BECAUSE IT IS A DISHONEST PROCESS WHERE THERE ARE QUOTAS AS TO THE NUMBER OF DISABILITY PATIENTS THAT CAN BE APPROVED FROM LIMITED FUNDS! SO, THE CROOKED DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS JUST PICK AND CHOOSE DISABILITY APPROVALS BASED ON THE EASY CASES THAT MAKE THE ORGANIZATION OBVIOUS MONEY THE QUCKEST! OUR SS FUNDS, AND OUR FEDERAL FUNDS WE PAID IN GENERAL TAXES ARE JUST A WASTE OF OUR MONEY WE EARNED, NO MATTER HOW WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS. I KNEW A GUY THAT DREW DISABILITY SS CHECKS FOR OVER 40 YEARS WHILE HE WAS TAKING DOWN TREES IN OUR CITY! ONCE HE GOT ON THE SS DISABILITY, HE WAS NEVER RE-CHECKED BY A COMPETENT DOCTOR TO RE-DETERMINE HIS DIABLED CONDITIONS!
Darrell R.
TeeDo,
Let me tell something about your self and I have never met you and hope I never will.
You have never operated a successful business or ever earned in excess of the amout you are required to pay SS taxes. Therefore you dont realize the big fat cats that earn many times what you earn pay no SS on those earnings. WHY? You ask? Because the wealthy ony went allong with creating SS was if the poor people funded 90% of the cost and that congress could force SS to by government bonds with the excess money for them to spend.
They also agree withthe SS to get the starving beggars off the streets as they were upsetting their wives when the went to expensive retaurants to dine.
JERRY M.
THE WEALTHY ARE THE ONLY REASON YOU HAVE NOT STARVED TO DEATH! YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EAT IF IT WERE NOT FOR TAXPAYERS WHO ARE HAVING TO PAY TAXES TO FUND YOUR WELFARE BENEFITS AND YOUR FREE LIFE IN USA! IT IS THE WEALTH WHO ARE SMART ENOUGH TO BUILD COMPANIES, AND GOOD JOBS FOR EVERYONE ELSE! YOU ARE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO BUILD OR OPERATE ANY BUSINESS, UNLESS IT WAS A CROOKED BUSINESS!
Ana
Ok
Ed
Thanks for taking the time too exspress those thoughts and feelings.
Now if others would take the time to read it, think on it. Your time and passion, would have been well spent. I agree with most of what you wrote.
Something for you in exchange to ponder; a liar and a thief are one in the same. One will steal your possession’s, “replaceable”,,, thee other,” more distructive”, STEALS your trust and faith in them and your future. Not so easily replaced.
TeeDo
Jesus Christ… “Ed” is an AI?!!
Another waste of money
Berdj R.
It’s funny how intelligent, educated people can look squarely at objective facts and either not see them or find reasons to dismiss them, if it doesn’t conform with their belief system. This applies to all points of view across all spectrums of the political landscape. It’s unfortunately a small percentage of the people that can a spade a spade.
JERRY M.
TAXES, GOVERNMENT SPENDING, WELFARE PROGRAMS, AND POLITICAL ACTIONS, UNFORTUANATELY, ARE NOT BASED ON PRECISE FACTS, OR ON CALLING A SPADE A SPADE, BECAUSE THERE IS GROSS INCOMPETENCY AS WELL AS MUCH LYING AND CHEATING GOING ON ALL THEY TIME IN CONGRESS, GOVERNMENT AND IN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE! WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING DISHONEST INTENTIONALLY TO MANEUVER USE OF TAX MONEY, GOVERNMENT SPENDING, SOCIAL SECURITY ACTIONS, ETC. BLOGS WILL ALWAYS GET RESPONSES FROM THOSE BENEFITING FROM WELFARE PROGRAMS, SSI, SS, GOVERNMENT SPENDING THAT DEFEND WHATEVER IF GIVING THEM FREE GOVERNMENT MONEY AND BENEFITS, BUT THAT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AT THE BASE CAUSES OF GROSS OVER-TAXATION, GROSS GOVERNMENT OVER-SPENDING, OR GROSS LYING AND CHEATING AS A WAY OF LIFE IN AMERICA NOW! THERE ARE REALISTIC LONG-TERM METHODS TO DO THINGS IN U.S. GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY IN HONEST MANNERS WITH INTEGRITY! U.S. IS FAR OUT-OF-BALANCE NOW AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS, SO IT IS UP TO SOME OF US WHO HAVE SEEN GOVERNMENT IN ACTION TO GIVE SOME VIEWS BASED ON FACTUAL OBSERVATIONS AND ON DECEPTIVE, INTENTIONAL POLITICAL ACTIONS! RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND POLITICAL FREEDOMS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT OUR WELFARE STATE GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY HAS DEVELOPED INTO A STATE OF THE UNION WHERE LARGE GROUPS AND INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS ACCEPT LYING AND CHEATING, OR EVEN STEALING IN SOME CASES, AS ACCEPTABLE TO U.S. LAWS, WHICH HAS NOW RESULTED IN A CORRUPTNESS IN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE REPUBLIC AS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAS ESTABLISHED! SPADES ARE SPADES, BUT PEOPLE WILL LIE, CHEAT AND STEALFROM OTHERS IN GOVERNMENT AND IN SOCIETY! A PERSON WHO LIES WILL ALSO STEAL FROM US! THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN BY PYCHOLOGY TESTING OVER MANY YEARS! WE CAN, AT LEAST, TRY TO CORRECT THE EXTREME CORRUPTNESS WE HAVE IN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT NOW, OR WE CAN JUST LET OUR REPUBLIC DROP ON INTO MARXISM-COMMUNISM WITH THE BAD INFUENCE OF SOCIALISM CAUSED BY WELFAR PROGRAMS, CONGRESS, POLITICIANS AND BY NEGATIVE TERRORIST GROUPS IN U.S. AND VERY CLOSE IN THE WORLD AROUND USA!
Tony
Jerry collect government benefits, but he opposes government spending. What a joke.
We are all spade collecting government benefits, but he think he is some sort proud working class and doesn’t need the government.
He isn’t rich and has to work. It is not our fault that he doesn’t have enough money to retire from work like the rest of us and has to go back to work for the rest of his life.
How does a person with all that education he claim he has not be able to make enough money to retire on?
Tony
He miss out on the settlement money for students who attended Trump University. The college degree is worthless.
JERRY M.
TONY: STOP TAKING GOVERNMENT CHECKS AND WELFARE BENEFITS! YOU ARE ONE OF THE CHEATERS WHO DISGRACES HILLARY’S DEPLORABLES! DO SOMETHING BENEFICIAL FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! EXAMPLE: WORK FOR YOUR OWN LIVING WITHOUT GETTING ANY SSI, WELFARE BENEFITS OR STEALING ANYMORE MONEY FROM TAX PAYING CITIZENS! TONY, YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS, SO GO TO WORK AND BE A PRODUCTIVE CITIZEN! MAYBE YOU COULD JOIN THE ARMY AND GO TO GAZA! THEY NEED YOUR HELP!
Ed
Thanks for taking the time too exspress those thoughts and feelings.
Now if others would take the time to read it, think on it. Your time and passion, would have been well spent. I agree with most of what you wrote.
Something for you in exchange to ponder; a liar and a thief are one in the same. One will steal your possession’s, “replaceable”,,, thee other,” more distructive”, STEALS your trust and faith in them and your future. Not so easily replaced.
TeeDo
OMFG… THIS WHOLE COMMENTARY IS NOTHING BUT A BATTLE OF CHATGPT AI’s. Is this how you are training them to become smart and teach other AI programs to learn and teach each other to become “intelligent “ so as not to need human programming or control? So much for civil debates of different views and opinions of humans. ( FYI: if anyone thinks this is a healthy way of programming “ intelligent AL’s to “think” & learn & teach other AI’s to self automate… you programmers and developers are a bunch of stupid jackasses) Humanity is screwed.
Lee
Most time the biggest cheaters were owners of companies who paid themselves $25K a year while they supported their wife and four children in private schools, each child had a new vehicle, and the wife had a range rover and lived in a million-dollar house but had several vacation homes. They received large refunds with added EITC payments for each child, food assistance and everything else. This family of cheaters-built strip plaza all over their state and were on bank boards. The real cheaters are controlling the narrative and fueling the Jerry M’s with the same old rhetoric from the 1950’s.
Sandra D.
Amen!
Tony
The range rover has a magnetic sticker with the company logo in the trunk that they will stick on the vehicle when the IRS does an audit. The children’s new cars are also part of the company’s fleet of vehicles. The wife is an employee of the corporation and gets tuition reimbursement from the corporation for her kids private school. The tuition reimbursement is written off as a company expense and deducted from the company’s profit. The million dollar home, vacation homes, and strip plaza are all assets held by the corporation. How do you think rich Republicans and Democrats business owners get by without paying taxes?
JERRY M.
TONY: THEY DON’T GET BY WITHOUT PAYING MUCH IN TAXES! THESE BUSINESSES AND OWNERS PAY A LOT OF SS TAX, A LOT OF FEDERAL INCOME TAXES, AND A LOT OF REAL ESTATE TAXES! YOU ARE LIVING IN A MAKE-BELIEVE WORLD; IT IS NOT THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE THE BIG TAX ADVANTAGES! BUT, THE THING IS YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A JOB, NOR WOULD ANYONE ELSE, IF WE DID NOT HAVE THESE GUYS WHO ARE WILLING TO INVEST THIER SAVINGS AND BORROW MONEY TO START THESE BUSINESSES! AND, NOBODY WOULD HAVE GOOD, HIGH PAYING JOBS IF WE DID NOT DEVELOP LONG-STANDING DEPENDABLE AND STABLE COMPANIES THAT CAN WEATHER WORLD WIDE ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS! SOME PEOPLE ARE SMART ENOUGH, WILLING TO TAKE RISK AND DEVELOP BUSINESSES BUT THEY WORK ALL THE TIME, 80 HOURS A WEEK, NOT MANY ACTUAL VACATIONS, AND ARE UNDER EXTREME STRESS FROM THE RISK THEY MUST TAKE, AND FROM THE LACK OF DEPENDABLE, LOYAL EMPLOYEES WHO CAN BE PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES! MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO GROW THIER JOBS OR BUSINESSES INTO UPPER MIDDLE CLASS INCOMES, BUT A FEW PEOPLE ARE DEDICATED ENOUGH TO BE SUCCESSFUL ENOUGH TO KEEP PROVIDING GOO SALARIES AND BENEFITS TO KEEP THE UPPER LOWER CLASS LIVING A DECENT LEVEL! GET OUR FACTORIES BACK THEN WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER FOR OUR UPPER LOWER CLASS INDIVIDUALS! THE U.S. IS LUCKY TO HAVE SO MANY USEFUL RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE PRODUCTS AND JOBS FOR OUR PEOPLE, BUT THIER MUST BE INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO WORK ALL THE TIME AND TAKE UNUSUAL RISKS THAT MOST PEOPLE JUST CANNOT DO!
OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE ALWAYS A FEW SHISTER INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES THAT TRY TO AVOID PAYING TAXES BUT THIS SEGMENT IS A REALLY SMALL PORTION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES! BRAINS, EXPERIENCE, WORKING LONG HOURS, AND EXTREME STRESS IS RE-WARDED BY HIGHER SALARIES FOR SOME IN THE 1%, BUT THAT IS, TOTALLY, WHAT KEEPS THE ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD WORKING AND PRODUCING MILLIONS OF DECENT JOBS WITH BENEFITS AND SOCIAL SECURITY FUNDING!
Ed
Retired Contract Construction Mechanical “Plumber” here.
17 hard years dealing with liar’s, deviate thieve’s and profiteer’s in upper level; Commercial, Industrial, institutional Construction Co’s for over17 years. Not as clean as you believe them too be. Smart?
Yeah,, but only in the moneitary end of shysting and,,, stealing what they never earned. Not all of them, but the majority knew a damn thing of any part of Construction or what it takes too see completion of a large project.
However; they were blessed with a quick mind, a silver tounge and the ability too walk away clean with more profit in there pocket.
Let me tell you something here; that light switch you naturally, like most of us take for granted, when switched on or off,, if working right and the electric bill paid, works pretty nice. Ever considered how cheap it was? Ok. Now imagine; the many jobs it supportted, the mining alone, those jobs, the mining of raw ore for the iron too build thee equipment needed for those miner. The jobs of Cat manufacture Co as well. Then once those were done completed; the process of mining the copper ore and other associated metal’s needed for that light switch ” lewton or other”manufacter Co. put together with there employed personal so the under valued electric contruction “EMPLOYEE” could sweat his or her ass off to install on a noisy, sometimes dangerous, “not unlike that miner”,, job location to eck out a living for his wife and chidren to do the same as all ther affore mentioned; LIVE in some sembalance of comfort with dignity and pride. Just,,,,, so some Con Artist’s on. Wall Street, can take his 2-3 hour cocktail lunch break and feel secure knowing he has a $18 million parachute in case things come tumbling down, like 2007-8.
Think on that while your on the crapper taking it for granted as well.
Don’t try and convince me these shyster’s are needed for a good economy to work while the blood and sweat of other’s are forgotten waste by products and un worthy of security. Try crapping in a bucket the rest of your days. That’ll help you appreciate thee existence of those $2 light switchs.
Darrell R.
You are absolutely incorrect, Tony. The government decided we all should have shelter and some could not afford it such as the broke imagrants from Europe after the second world war. So they tried motivating wealthy people to put their money into housing, but to make them interested they gave them tax credits as a depreciation on the buildings they built. But that didn’t keep up with the housing demand so they guaranteed to wealthy people’s mortgage money that caused houing to boom with 100% loans guaranteed by the government AND depreciation from paying income taxes using depreciation of the properties while they were appreciating in vallue due to inflation of the dollar and cost to replace.
In addition, the developers like Fred Trump was limited on hpw much rent he could charge tenants, all the appreciation in value and tax credits were eliminating all requiremts to pay income taxes. Then when the mortgages were paid the rents could then be raised and Fred Trump became a billionaire on gobernment programs.
JERRY M.
IDIOT COMMUNIST DARRELL: THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OUR BOSS! WE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR OWN DESTINY, AND IF WE WANT TO WORK, INVEST AND EARN MONEY, WE CAN WITHOUT YOUR BLESSING OR APPROVAL! UNLIKE YOU, BIDEN AND OBAMA THINK, WE DO NOT WANT GOVERNMENT IN OUR BUSINESS AND WE DO NOT WANT PEOPLE LIKE YOU BUTTING INTO OUR BUSINESS, OR SPENDING OUR MONEY! SO, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATING YOU AND ALL YOUR SOCIALISTS, MARXISTS, COMMUNIST FRIENDS AND DEMOCRATS! WE ARE GETTING RID OF ALL FORMS OF WELFARE PROGRAMS, SSI, SSI-DI, SS-DI AND ALL FORMS OF FREE FOOD, ETC. SO YOU DIRTY WELFARE THIEVES WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK AT LEAST 12 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR! YOU NEED TO BE PICKING COTTONL HOEING COTTON, CARRYING WATERMELONS, DIGGING DITCHES, CARRYING CEMENT BAGS, MIXING ROCKS AND SAND, BREAKING-UP BIG ROCKS INTO LITTLE PIECES OF SAND! WE DO NOT NEED YOU DIRTY WELFARE SUCKING PEOPLE IN USA! THANKS FOR PLANNING TO GET OUT OF USA INTO A COMMUNIST COUNTRY WHERE THE COMMUNIST GUARDS WILL LET YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT STOP DOING YOUR PHYSICAL LABOR, OR THEY WILL ERADICATE YOUR SUBSISTENCE AND FOOD SUPPLIES! THERE IS NO REASON FOR TAXPAYERS TO BE SUPPORTING YOU JERKS WHO ARE SO UNEDUCATED YOU HATE AMERICA. AMERICA HAS GIVEN YOU EVERY OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TO DO WELL FOR YOURSELF, BUT YOU ARE TOO STUPID AND VINDICTIVE TO KNOW YOU SHOULD BECOME A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF U.S. SOCIETY, FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF LIVING IN USA WHERE SOLDIERS FOUGHT TO SAVE AMERICA SO PEOPLE IN USA HAVE FREEDOMS AND OPPORTUNITIES! I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY IGNORANT, UNEDUCATED SORRY PEOPLE AS WE HAVE IN USA NOW! GLAD YOU LET ME KNOW YOU ARE ONE OF THEM! THANKS.
JERRY M.
LEE, YOU WOULD STARVE TO DEATH IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE GOOD, HARD-WORKING, THINKING PEOPLE WHO OWNED THE COMPANIES THAT EARNED THE MONEY TO PAY YOUR SALARIES AND PAY INCOME TAXES, AND OTHER TAXES, TO SUPPORT YOUR STATES, CITIES, COUNTIES, GOVERNMENTS, SCHOOLS AND YOUR WELFARE PROGRAM! YOU DO NOT KNOW MUCH, WHICH IS TYPICAL OF FOREIGNERS WITH MARXIST-COMMUNIST THINKING BACKGROUNDS! YOU DID NOT LEARN ANYTHING IN SCHOOL AND YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT USA AND ECONOMICS OF LIVING SINCE YOU GOT OUT OF SCHOOL! YOU LIKELY SPENT ALL YOUR LIFE BEING A STUPID, IGNORANT LAZY WELFARE SUCKING THIEF! YOU AND ALL OTHER WELFARE RECIPIENTS ARE WELFARE THIEVES WHO DO NOT EVEN SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND FAMILIES! YOU WOULD NOT SURVIVE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THINKERS AND WORKING PEOPLE WHO KEEP THE DUMBASSES LIKE YOU SURVIVING, SOLEY, BECASUE THEY PROVIDE THE JOBS FOR YOU! WAKE-UP YOUR DAYS ARE OVER. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CREDIT AND GOVERNMENT TAX MONEY TO PAY DEBTS AND OPERATE A VERY SMALL U.S. GOVERNMENT ANYMORE. THAT IS ALL DUE TO THE WELFARE, SSI, SSI-DI, MEDICAID, SNAP, WIC, CHIP, TANF, OBAMA CARE WELFARE STATE THIEVES DRAINING THE MONEY FROM THOSE WHO EARNED IT. SO NOW, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY FROM SMALL BUSINESSES TO GROW THE ECONOMY! THE ONLY THING WELFARE RECIPIENTS AND SSI RECIPIENTS DO IS PREVENT THEMSELVES FROM EVER LEARNING HOW TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES! ALL YOU GUYS DO IS SMOKE TOBACCO, TAKE DRUGS, BUY BEER, ALCOHOL, JUNK FOOD, STRANGE CLOTHES AND STEAL FROM SOCIETY AND TAX PAYING CITIZENS! YOU ARE THE DEGENERATE MORAL FIBERS OF USA! YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXIST ON BACKS OF GOVERNMENT AND TAX PAYING PERSON ANY LONGER. GO BACK TO DIGGING DITCHES, PICKING COTTON, LOADING WATERMELONS, DOING THE DIRTY WORK MEXICAN ILLEGALS ARE DOING NOW AND GET OFF OUR WELFARE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SSI! WE DO NOT WANT YOU IN AMERICA AND WE WILL DEFUND YOU TO THE POINT YOU MUST WORK TO EAR AND LIVE IN USA! GOOD LUCK WITH YOU UNEDUCATED, DEGENERATE WELFARE LIFE!
Laura
I don’t think you fully read and understood the comment policy.
Tony
People are participating at their own risk in the policy.
JERRY M.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE IN THE BLOG ARE SAYING! THESE MATTERS ARE NOT REALLY A ONE-SIDED THING OR OPINION! THERE IS A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY! I UNDERSTOOD THE BLOG AND COMMENT POLICY. I JUST DO NOT THINK WE CAN CONTINUE ON THE MARXISM OR SOCIALISM GOVERNMENT SPENDING, WELFARE BASED USE OF OUR TAX MONEY! THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT. WE ALL UNDERSTAND A LOT MORE THAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES THINK WE DO!
Tony
Companies are leeches on society just like casinos. Casinoes need people to lose their money in order for them to make a profit.
Companies needs us to buy their products and services in order for them to make a profit. After paying for everything with our money, they end up with a profit.
Where did companies get all this profit from. It came from us. The money we have is slowly going into the pockets of these companies as profit. The companies are not operating at a lost and spending their own money. Most of the companies operating at a lost are tax cheats.
JERRY M.
WITHOUT THE COMPANIES WE OTHER CITIZENS IN USA WOULD NOT EXIST! NOR COULD WE SURVIVE!
Tony
It is the other way around. The companies cannot survive without us. They would go out of business.
JERRY M.
TONY: COMPANIES DO NOT GO OUT OF BUSINESS DUE TO SORRY, MARXIST SOCIALIST WELFARE SUCKING EMPLOYEES! THE COMPANIES WOULD STILL BE IN BUSINESS AS LONG AS THIER PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ARE NEEDED AND SOLD AT A REASONABLE PRICE BASED ON DEMAND! YOU DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT ECONOMICS OR BUSINESS, OR EVEN ABOUT GOVERNMENT! YOU GOT A POOR EDUCATION AND/OR YOU WERE RAISED BY A WELFARE RECIPIENT MOTHER AND/OR FATHER! GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND LEARN ABOUT U.S. ECONOMIC HISTORY, U.S. CIVICS, U.S. CONSTITUTION, U.S. BILL OF RIGHTS, U.S. FLAG, CONGRESS, STATES RIGHTS, RIGHT TO WORK LAWS, COMMUNISM WITHIN UNIONS IN USA, BAD PEOPLE IN HISTORY, LIKE MARTIN L. KING, PRESIDENTS WHO SUPPORTED SOCIALISM AND LARGE GOVERNMENTS WITH WELFARE PROGRAMS WHILE BUILDING WARS WORLD-WIDE TO SUPPORT THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIES! A GOOD EDUCATION, WITH LESSONS IN HONESTY AND RESPECT FOR BUSINESS AND SMART PERSONS IN INDUSTRY WOULD HELP YOU A LOT, IF YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD TO LEARN NEW TRICKS! YOUR OLD TRICKS ARE NOT ACCURATE AND ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN A FREE ENTERPRISE SOCIETY LIKE OURS!
Alvin
The money doesn’t come from those companies, it comes from each one of us .you are the bank no one can loan money out they access it by your signature and SSN.
That’s facts
Ed
Not all SSI or SSD reciepiants are the thieve’s you profess them too be. Origionally “SSI” was intended too support you during your SSD claim approval waiting period. Sometimes up too; 2 years for a final accepted SSD Federal Court hearing approval. How it got too be what now appears; a life time support,, I have no idea.
Earlier I posted 17 years Contract Plumber,, that did not include my 8 year apprentice construction plumber, nor my 2 Years as req Journeyman lic Construction Plumber
That 17 was my; Buisness lic Req if; Master Plumbing Lic.
So 27+ years total before Neck shoulder and Back surgery from injuries sustained from an accidental fall off the 3rd floor complex I was working on at that time, and years later,
a 5 car accident on interstate 35 and I-20 outside of Dallas that finally resulted in those surgeries for,,,,. Ignored by my choice, that fall off 3rd floor in Pheonix, Az years earlier. Learned too work and live with it not knowing the damage I recieved. I was young, married and just had my 1st child,.Life was too good to be injured. I was a PROUD; Son, Husband, Father and freshly Lic Journeyman Plumber who LOVED HIS WORK.
Took 2 years for the insurance Co too settle with accepting responsibility for the neck, knee and back, “which were there’s”,, because of thee additional un addressed “Old” injuries from the fall. They were there objection, wanting too associate the wreck injuries as possible work related as well. 2 years is a long time trying too work without corrective measures takin and I was losing the battle to even walk. So ‘I” applied for SSD as suggested by my treating Doctors and Ins funded other Dr’s required to examine me for there oppisition too the claim. So even if I won or lost,, I’d have medicare too pay for the surgeries,, and hopefully, get back too work before losing my buisness and everything I tried too build. I recievied my SSD, before the court hearing, almost a year and a half after thee accident, only too find out; I had to be disabled for a year before Medicare would kick in. Woww. You’d assume; that they would rather try and repair or fix and put you back too work 1st. Before disabling you and paying you too be broken. So it was almost 3 years since thee accident before the surgen tried and failed too save my career for me. It had too much damage for too long without attention. He surprised me with his statement after awaking from the neck surgery; I don’t know why you weren’t paralyzied, there was nothing left in the injuries too repair at C-3,C-4 and C-5. we removed the disk remain pieces and inserted bone grafts from your hip and you now are worth more than when you got here. We secured it with a titinium plate and 6 screws. You’ll be wearing this neck brace for a while here, 2 or 3 days, then you’ll get a fitted one I ordered before ya leave. I knew then, fussed back,, 4-6months post and now my neck,, chances of getting back too work looked slimm. Had they at the time of that accident takin the damn time too just fix me requardless of “WHO’S” gonna pay, or who or what I am or do,,1st 3 years earlier. I woukdn’t be posting a damn thing here today. I’d be enjoying the fruits of my HARD EARNED LOVED LABOR’S!
JERRY M.
ED: NOBODY APPRECIATES BAD PEOPLE ANYWHERE! AND, BAD PEOPLE ARE NOT NEEDED IN USA! OVER PAID WORKERS, WALL STREET EMPLOYEES AND CROOKED WELFARE RECIPIENTS ARE NOT NEEDED EITHER! EVERYBODY HAS TO BE AWARE AND LOOK OUT FOR THIER OWN BEST INTEREST! WE MUST BE ABLE TO DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST THOSE WHO CHEAT US, LIE, STEAL, OR OVERCHARGE US FOR THIER SERVICES, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE IN SOCIETY! THOSE LOOKING TO US JOBS OR BUSINESSES AS PLACES TO GET RICH OFF OTHERS BY OVER-VALUING THIER SERVICES WILL ALWAYS BE FOUND OUT SOONER OR LATER! BUT, NONE OF US SHOULD BE PAYING FEDERAL INCOME TAXES TO GIVE TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS, SSI RECIPIENTS OR DEMOCRAT MARXIST-COMMUNISTS IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES! AS YOU WOULD KNOW FROM WORKING HARD IN YOUR PLUMBING BUSINESS, HONEST WORKERS AND BUSINESSMEN DESERVE TO KEEP MOST OF THIER EARNINGS RATHER THAN GIVING IT AWAY TO ILLICIT PEOPLE WHO THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO PAY THEM TO LIVE IN USA! PLUMBING CLEARLY IS HARD WORK THAT SHOULD BE RESPECTED BY ALL, ESPECIALLY, HIGH WAGE EARNERS ON WALL STREET!