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Obama’s entitlement opportunity
Most Americans breathed a sigh of relief last month when Congress finally averted another shutdown of the U.S. government. But that limited, short-term victory for bipartisan compromise can’t erase the defining, long-term challenge of stemming the still-onrushing tide of federal…
Searching for a real populist
In the American political lexicon, few words are as prevalent — or as confusing — as “populism.” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) gets described as a populist because she wants to curb the power of corporations and increase Social Security benefits. So does…
Federal employee unions lay out 2014 priorities
Two of the nation’s largest federal employee unions have shared their 2014 legislative priorities with the Federal Eye, laying out the issues they’ll focus on as the government moves forward with its first comprehensive budget agreement in more than three…
Your tax dollars at work and play
The fantastic federal budget is in the news again as Congress and federal agencies pretend to have taxpayers’ welfare in mind. The Heritage Foundation has a new report titled “Federal Spending by the Numbers, 2013: Government Spending Trends in Graphics,…
Social Security: Ring in the new year with a COLA
Many people ring in the new year with Champagne. People who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) get to ring it in with a COLA. This year, more than 60 million Americans are receiving a 1.5 percent cost…
Tiny military pension cut is a good move
That didn’t take long: President Obama’s signature on a hard-won House-Senate budget deal was barely dry before members of Congress from both parties began falling all over themselves to undo one of its provisions.We refer to the 1 percentage-point reduction in…
Raising the Bar: Applying for Social Security disability
If you’re thinking about applying for Social Security disability benefits or have already done so, here are a few things to consider. As a general rule, if you are younger than 50 years of age you must show that you not…
Why Social Security must be strengthened
Let’s say neither the 2008 crash nor Chinese slave labor got your job. Or you’re a Maryland public employee whose Democratic legislature and governor are committed to saving the economy by saving jobs. (In Republican-run states, those geniuses think the…
Government attempts to rein in disability fraud
Facing backlash from scandals and the specter of running out of money, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is making changes in 2014 to curb fraud in its disability programs. Today, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has roughly 11 million beneficiaries receiving $140…
Wealthiest Americans exempted from paying 2014 Social Security past Jan. 2
Nearly all working Americans will continue to pay the social security tax through the duration of 2014. The 900 wealthiest, however, have fulfilled their responsibility for the whole year on Thursday by earning $117,000 – the maximum total social security…