Sunday, February 10, 2013

Former Sen. Bill Bradley on what the next SSA commissioner needs

Former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley writes in the Baltimore Sun regarding the characteristics the next SSA commissioner will need, now that current Commissioner Mike Astrue has announced that he will leave as his term expires. Bradley has a long list of qualifications, from management experience to policy expertise to skill at handling delicate political issues.

All of these would be helpful, but almost no individual – who could be confirmed by the Senate, at any rate – has them. So how do you pick and choose from among them?

1 comment:

WilliamLarsen said...

You are correct, finding someone who can actually manage the largest run ponzi scheme of all time and continue it will be difficult to find. You need to find someone of low esteem, a person able to lie to the American people with a straight face. Someone who most likely has no children or grandchildren who will be drowned by the ultimate collapse of social security.

Yes it takes a particular skill set to manage Social Security these days. Navigating the mathematics is most challenging. As wages increase across the US, so does the SSA Wage Base and future SS-OASI benefits at the EXACT SAME RATE. With the US Treasury rate paying far lower than the rate of increase in US wages, Social Security is a mathematical divergent series. I pity the fool who thinks they can change simple math and for those who think they have a plan, well they are simply snake oil salesman.

In reality all SSA needs is a snake oil salesman. Do you think Bernie Maddoff is up to the task of running the SSA?