Just when you think that the federal government could not be more moronic in the spending of money, you read a story like this. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been approving disability benefits for hundreds of Puerto Ricans because they do not speak English. However, these “disabled” individuals are living in a predominantly Spanish-speaking territory. Having worked for the Puerto Rico House of Representatives years ago, the story seemed to me a belated April Fool’s joke but it appears to be true.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the SSA was misapplying a rule that is intended to provide financial assistance to individuals who are illiterate or cannot speak English in the United States. Under the rules, Puerto Ricans are allowed to receive disability benefits for their inability to speak English as well. I am not sure of the basis for the original rule as a form of disability, but speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico should have been obvious to anyone as not a disability — even in the often twisted logic of bureaucrats. However, the SSA decided that a person applying for disability in Puerto Rico who cannot speak English “may increase his/her likelihood of receiving disability benefits.” What is equally bizarre is that the agency does not even keep track of how many beneficiaries who receive disability insurance for not being able to speak English.
The OIG located 218 such cases of Puerto Ricans were awarded disability due to “an inability to communicate in English.” This included hearings where people were asked to speak, read, write, and understand English. (That itself would appear a curious hearing since the person needs only fail to respond to English and not read or write in English to presumably show this particular “disability.”).
Once again, however, there is no indication that anyone will be fired or disciplined in any way for this waste of money.
Ohhhh, that’s so sad.
Exactly!
Ja, ja OK!
http://www.sonymoviechannel.com/sites/default/files/movies/photos/das_boot03.jpg
Wade – you would wet your pants on a U-boat.
Annie
Help me! Help me! I’m dying from laughter….
Picture this. Haz-Mat suit!
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-g_mWXCJRP8/maxresdefault.jpg
Though I do look pretty swell in my submarine captain’s outfit.
Mums the word. Wisconsin has turned into a fascist state.
Get Shorty.
Best ever.
The pretext work Rockford would do, pretending to be a salesman, surveyor, etc. was spot on. Having the hand stamp printer to make up phony biz cards was classic stuff.
Speaking of Madison…
Passed a new law. Can’t say “climate change’ in government anymore.
I wonder if Professor Turley, the Defender of Free Speech, will say a word or two about this?
Rockford was more realistic than Magnum, although NO TV show or movie is ever truly realistic w/ PI’s, or any profession for that matter. The relationship between Rockford and Angel was a superb pair.
on 1, April 8, 2015 at 4:43 pmJuris
“SSI and Disability has been opened up to all by this Administration.”
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“As one who works at a law firm that regularly represents disability claimants before the SSA, I can say that I have experienced the exact opposite here in the midwest. It seems as though someone from the top has mandated that tougher standards be imposed since Obama took office.”
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Just in case Juris has gone to bed, here is his comment from earlier today.
Paul,
Magnum PI?! Pfffft.
Jim Rockford was the man; Thomas Magnum was Hawaii, a hot car, and an overdone mustache (though I must admit he did get the bad guy and save the girl on a weekly basis).
fiver – Magnum had hot chicks, hot car and Hawaii. Rockford had a bum knee, bad trailer and was always getting beaten up. Liked them both. 🙂
You’re killin’ me, fiver!
Oh, well. It was Kansas City. They did the best they could…
Juris, When a witness is making an ass of themselves, showing their utter ignorance on a topic, you just let them keep talking. LOL! You probably know DA’s and prosecutors offices have in house investigators. I was also an in house investigator @ a large, Loop law firm in Chicago. What kind of civil law do you practice?
Prosecutors do occasionally rely on their own investigators for some cases, and they often keep a team on staff.
fiver – you are correct about prosecutors and their investigators. I ran into a really screwy case about that one time with the State AG’s office and some investigators from their office.
Well Juris, goes to show ya attorney’s are as human as anyone else. But as officers of the court they should rise above it. Unfortunately we hear about the ones who have fallen down here on the a Turley blog occasionally. Judges too.
Well the first thing I want the next REAL president to do, is FIRE all those darn useless police departments. Every one of them. We GOT PIs to do that work. (And they don’t have no unions, either, I bet. And no pensions!)
Why have they been keepin’ this secret all this time – tha’s what I want to know.
Well, I for one, am VERY annoyed. What the heck am I paying all those cops for if they are going out an sub-contracting all that arrestin’ stuff? Here I thought the problem was all these gubment workers and now it turns out we’re using people who are not gubment at all. What’s with that?
Ingannie, at least once a year I get a prospective client that thinks a law license is a license to commit fraud. And unfortunately there are attorneys out there that are scum bags.
Paul, withholding truth and dishonesty are synonymous, especially when I tell clients how important it is I know the good, bad, and ugly from the start, and numerous times after that.