One more very obvious example of something that very clearly demonstrates the sad state of our economic, as well as our societal, affairs today and of just how thoroughly screwed up things have now gotten in this country, is the fact that over the course of just the last three months more Americans have gone on disability than have found jobs, and that's according to fresh figures crunched by the Senate Budget Committee. Underscoring the extent of the recent slowdown in the economy, the startling numbers show that between April and June, a total of 246,000 people enrolled in the Social Security Disability Insurance program. In the same period, just 225,000 found jobs. Such a situation does not paint a very flattering picture of Americans who have become more like Europeans regarding their desire to work.
Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who happens to be the ranking Republican on the Senate budget panel, said the figures raise a great deal of concern about the general health of our economy as well as of the ability to maintain the solvency of the disability insurance program itself. He said that since 2008, a total of 3.6 million Americans have found their way onto disability, while 1.3 million lost jobs. "The growing number of people on disability and other federal benefits, combined with weak economic growth, raises serious concerns about the sustainability of the American economy," he said in a statement. But if you listen to any of the Democrats it's all much ado about nothing. Which is to be expected, I suppose. After all, these clowns see food stamps and unemployment insurance as great way to stimulate the economy.
The stat speaks more to the weakening economy, a reality Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke confirmed in testimony to Congress as recently as this past Tuesday, than any sudden growth in disability enrollment, which has remained fairly steady. A total of 247,000 people went on disability in the first three months of Barry "Almighty's" term, at a time when millions were losing jobs at the height of the recession. Fast forward to the first three months of 2012, and we see that 249,000 people went on disability. While that number was roughly the same in the second quarter, the number of new jobs has since plummeted, from nearly 680,000 in the first quarter to 225,000 in the second quarter. And all we continue to hear from the Democrats is the same old crap about how it's all Bush's fault.
Still, the disability rolls have continued to swell to the point where they now threaten the program's fiscal future. And a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report underscored the troubled finances of the growing Social Security Disability Insurance program. The report showed $119 billion in benefits were paid last year to 8.3 million 'disabled' workers. That represents almost 18 percent of all Social Security spending. According to Sessions' office, the program has been running a deficit since 2009. "Consequently, the trust fund is shrinking and will be depleted by 2016 -- just four years from now," his office said. But again, that all seems to be of very little concern to the Democrats. Just ask 'em. They continue to exhibit what is essentially a "don't worry, be happy" attitude.
According to CBO, it will take some serious budget balancing to right the program's finances - the report floated options ranging from raising taxes to reducing disability benefits to changing eligibility standards to reducing the cost-of-living adjustment tied to benefits. Sessions said administrators also need to do a better job of distinguishing between "proper and improper disability claims." "The administration of this program must be improved to avoid sinking our country deeper into debt, to ensure the program remains viable for those with disabilities, and to protect Social Security itself," he said. The disability program provides benefits to adults who've worked in the past but are unable to work now because of a medical condition. The fund is financed mostly by a 1.8 percent payroll tax.
Ya know, a few of those things that Americans used to be able to hang their hat on, things, I think, that were uniquely American and that easily put us notch or two above the rest of the world, were such things as our strength of character, our work ethic and our sense of self-reliance. All traits that, sadly, seem to be very much on the decline these days. And something that proves that point is the fact that so many American remain willing to vote for Barry. In an age when nearly half us appear to be perfectly content to mooch off of our fellow citizens, I don’t hold out much hope for people coming up with the necessary courage to actually send Barry back to Chicago. I mean why would anyone vote for a guy who's going to be kicking them off the gravy train and telling them it's time to go to work? Ah, "Hope and Change."
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