Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Social Administration Ordered 174,000 What???

I get my ideas for posts from a variety of sources.  Today it comes from the ever ripe letters to the editor column in our local paper.  A doctor was expanding on a former letter about how the UN is advocating international gun control and the possible implications for American citizens.

In a list of dire possibilities as to what could happen should we lose our gun bearing rights, he mentions that the Social Security Administration has ordered 174, 000 hollow point bullets for their special agents.

Wow!  The picture that comes to mind is overwhelming. First of all I pull from memory my one and only visit to a Social Security office.  It was when we signed up for Medicare.  The procedure was handled efficiently by a lady young enough to be our grand daughter and obviously bored with the rote chore.  There was no sign of security though it may have been lurking as a camera or some such while the agent watched in an undisclosed location.

Actually, had I seen such a person I would have thought him to be building security, not SSA  security!  They, however, have some 295 of these people scattered among 66 offices around the country.  Their task is to ferret out fraud, among other things of which I am not quite sure, and need arms for their safety.  But hollow points?  Yep.  It's apparently a demand of training procedures.

It's perception you know.  I think of government agents much like the illustration, unsmiling and grim and packing heat. When I think of Social Security fraud or Medicare fraud I think of scooters being granted to those who don't really need them or doctors padding an office visit with procedures not really necessary or actually completed.  I picture Social  Security recipients looking much like Hub and myself.

I have to laugh about the current battle between our esteemed political parties regarding the threat of Social Security as we know it being ended. What about the Social Security we don't know?  The one that requires special agents armed with weapons that shoot the most deadly bullets available to keep agency workers safe from irate investigatees!

I am a firm believer in elder power but I had no idea we have the SSA quaking in its boots!


2 comments:

John Dwyer said...

When I read your blog, I thought it was a joke--then I clicked on the link. Our government never fails to amaze me. Years ago, Saturday Night Live would have a field day with this material.

Word Tosser said...

I read an article about that too about a month ago.. was surprise this was nothing new.. that it went back to the 1950's during Ike's time, I think it said.

I did got to the Cda SS office last year with a friend.. and was surprise to see an officer there in the waiting room. Standing up near the wall. Thought about asking him, what did he think was going to happen, that they needed an arm guard.. but he look pretty serious and I decided maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to joke with him. I chalked it up to Homeland Security.. which seems to be evrywhere now.