The pendulum swings. Austerity is in, prosperity is out for the
Working Class. These are the times that will test the metal of those
who believe we could build a better world. We must remain firm in our
convictions, and keep open the door for any who will listen to us.
While this is not Hollywood where the story has a happy ending, still,
hope does spring eternal. And so long as we continue to maintain our
resolve, and bide our time, and the planet does not forsake us, we
will still be around to pick up the pieces.
Carl Jarvis
On 7/23/15, Frank Ventura <frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Worse still in a year and a half we will have a republican president as
well. Just think what his supreme court nominees will be like. Their first
order may well be to declare civil rights legislation to be a violation of
the tenth amendment. Sounds crazy? Well just think of the framework set out
when the voting rights law was recently gutted.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam Vieni
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 10:43 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Senate Bill May Kick 200,000 Off Social Security
If They Have Arrest Warrant
You see where this scountry is going? This is related to having Republican
majorities in both houses of congress.
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) Home > Senate Bill May Kick
200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest Warrant
________________________________________
Senate Bill May Kick 200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest Warrant
By Steven Rosenfeld [1] / AlterNet [2] July 22, 2015 The large
transportation funding bill moving through the Senate would end Social
Security benefits for 200,000 people who have an outstanding felony arrest
warrant-but have never been convicted by a court, or have a warrant for
violating probation or parole, according to disability rights advocates
tracking the legislation.
The proposal, which surfaced late Tuesday, is at odds with recent Republican
statements [3] on the need to take up meaningful criminal justice reforms
such as less harsh sentencing. It also sets a precedent of raiding Social
Security funds for unrelated purposes, in this case transferring $2.3
billion for a range of transportation expenses.
The Senate will be voting on the proposal as part of package of amendments
midday Wednesday, where 60 votes are needed to add it to the transportation
bill. It also takes [4] several billion from selling oil in the strategic
petroleum reserve, Treasury bond interest rates, and U.S. customs fees.
"There are two key issues here," said T.J. Sutcliffe, income and housing
policy director for The Arc, a national disability rights organization. "One
is that the Social Security Trust Fund should not be used for unrelated
purposes, no matter how important. And the other is Congress is considering
cutting off benefits to 200,000 people who rely on Social Security and SSI
[disability] benefits, who, in the case of arrest warrants have never been
convicted."
The proposal surfaced in the Senate on Tuesday in a package of amendments
[5] (page 949, Section 52303) being added to a transportation bill. The
House's version of the bill only would have extended funds for several
months, while the Senate is looking at a six-year proposal-which becomes a
vehicle for many other languishing bills.
Slightly different versions of a bill to punish people with outstanding
felony warrants, or warrants for violating probation or parole, were
introduced in both chambers. Disability and low-income advocates were quick
to criticize the proposals, saying that they will punish people who rely on
Social Security with little law enforcement benefit.
"It would not help law enforcement secure the arrest of people they are
seeking for serious crimes," explained [6] Justice In Aging. "Law
enforcement is already notified of the whereabouts of every person with a
warrant for a felony or an alleged violation of probation or parole who
turns up in the Social Security Administration (SSA) databases."
The anti-poverty law group listed 10 reasons why the proposal was unduly
punitive and would have very draconian consequences:
. "Those most likely to lose benefits are generally those most in need.
. A significant number of people will become homeless when they lose their
benefits.
. Some people have had benefits cut off while residing in nursing homes.
. A very high percentage of those who will lose their benefits are people
with intellectual disabilities or mental illness.
. An unusually high percentage of those who lose benefits are
African-Americans.
. Many will lose Medicare outpatient (Part B) coverage because of inability
to pay the quarterly premium.
. Eliminating what may be their only source of income does not help resolve
these issues.
. Many people never know that a warrant has been issued for them as warrants
are often not served on the individual.
. These warrants are often not easily resolved since many of those who lose
benefits live far from the issuing jurisdiction.
. SSA will have increased administrative costs for processing appeals and
requests for waiver of recovery of overpayments.
"A majority of those affected who are receiving benefits based on disability
fall into these categories," it said. "Large numbers of those who will lose
benefits had warrants routinely issued when they were unable to pay a fine
or court fee or probation supervision fee."
On Wednesday morning, Social Security and disability advocates were lobbying
[4] some Democrats to vote against cloture-or the 60 votes needed to adopt
the package of amendments-scheduled for Wednesday mid-afternoon. Those
included California's Sen. Barbara Boxer, who apparently signed off on the
proposal-saying that Social Security would still have discretion to
preserve
benefits on a case-by-case basis.
However, talk of those "safeguards" and "good-case exemptions" was not
reassuring to Arc's Sutcliffe.
"It is pretty clear it is relying on cutting people off benefits in large
numbers to generate savings," she said.
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet, including
America's retirement crisis, democracy and voting rights, and campaigns and
elections. He is the author of "Count My Vote: A Citizen's Guide to Voting"
(AlterNet Books, 2008).
Share on Facebook Share
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Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [7]
[8]
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/senate-bill-may-kick-200000-social-security-
if-they-have-arrest-warrant
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
[2] http://alternet.org
[3] http://www.cut50.org/mission
[4]
http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/248751-senate-highway-bill-faces-ma
ny-obstacles#.Va-xw5bu1hg.twitter
[5]
http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/7311e4f6-04eb-43b1-a5c2-7586de
e4e805/edw15730.pdf
[6] http://www.justiceinaging.org/the-cuff-act/
[7] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Senate Bill May Kick
200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest Warrant
[8] http://www.alternet.org/
[9] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Senate Bill May Kick 200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest
Warrant
Senate Bill May Kick 200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest
Warrant
By Steven Rosenfeld [1] / AlterNet [2]
July 22, 2015
The large transportation funding bill moving through the Senate would end
Social Security benefits for 200,000 people who have an outstanding felony
arrest warrant-but have never been convicted by a court, or have a warrant
for violating probation or parole, according to disability rights advocates
tracking the legislation.
The proposal, which surfaced late Tuesday, is at odds with recent
Republican
statements [3] on the need to take up meaningful criminal justice reforms
such as less harsh sentencing. It also sets a precedent of raiding Social
Security funds for unrelated purposes, in this case transferring $2.3
billion for a range of transportation expenses.
The Senate will be voting on the proposal as part of package of amendments
midday Wednesday, where 60 votes are needed to add it to the transportation
bill. It also takes [4] several billion from selling oil in the strategic
petroleum reserve, Treasury bond interest rates, and U.S. customs fees.
"There are two key issues here," said T.J. Sutcliffe, income and housing
policy director for The Arc, a national disability rights organization.
"One
is that the Social Security Trust Fund should not be used for unrelated
purposes, no matter how important. And the other is Congress is considering
cutting off benefits to 200,000 people who rely on Social Security and SSI
[disability] benefits, who, in the case of arrest warrants have never been
convicted."
The proposal surfaced in the Senate on Tuesday in a package of amendments
[5] (page 949, Section 52303) being added to a transportation bill. The
House's version of the bill only would have extended funds for several
months, while the Senate is looking at a six-year proposal-which becomes a
vehicle for many other languishing bills.
Slightly different versions of a bill to punish people with outstanding
felony warrants, or warrants for violating probation or parole, were
introduced in both chambers. Disability and low-income advocates were quick
to criticize the proposals, saying that they will punish people who rely on
Social Security with little law enforcement benefit.
"It would not help law enforcement secure the arrest of people they are
seeking for serious crimes," explained [6] Justice In Aging. "Law
enforcement is already notified of the whereabouts of every person with a
warrant for a felony or an alleged violation of probation or parole who
turns up in the Social Security Administration (SSA) databases."
The anti-poverty law group listed 10 reasons why the proposal was unduly
punitive and would have very draconian consequences:
. "Those most likely to lose benefits are generally those most in need.
. A significant number of people will become homeless when they lose their
benefits.
. Some people have had benefits cut off while residing in nursing homes.
. A very high percentage of those who will lose their benefits are people
with intellectual disabilities or mental illness.
. An unusually high percentage of those who lose benefits are
African-Americans.
. Many will lose Medicare outpatient (Part B) coverage because of inability
to pay the quarterly premium.
. Eliminating what may be their only source of income does not help resolve
these issues.
. Many people never know that a warrant has been issued for them as
warrants
are often not served on the individual.
. These warrants are often not easily resolved since many of those who lose
benefits live far from the issuing jurisdiction.
. SSA will have increased administrative costs for processing appeals and
requests for waiver of recovery of overpayments.
"A majority of those affected who are receiving benefits based on
disability
fall into these categories," it said. "Large numbers of those who will lose
benefits had warrants routinely issued when they were unable to pay a fine
or court fee or probation supervision fee."
On Wednesday morning, Social Security and disability advocates were
lobbying
[4] some Democrats to vote against cloture-or the 60 votes needed to adopt
the package of amendments-scheduled for Wednesday mid-afternoon. Those
included California's Sen. Barbara Boxer, who apparently signed off on the
proposal-saying that Social Security would still have discretion to
preserve
benefits on a case-by-case basis.
However, talk of those "safeguards" and "good-case exemptions" was not
reassuring to Arc's Sutcliffe.
"It is pretty clear it is relying on cutting people off benefits in large
numbers to generate savings," she said.
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet, including
America's retirement crisis, democracy and voting rights, and campaigns and
elections. He is the author of "Count My Vote: A Citizen's Guide to Voting"
(AlterNet Books, 2008).
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [7]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[8]
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/senate-bill-may-kick-200000-social-security-
if-they-have-arrest-warrant
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
[2] http://alternet.org
[3] http://www.cut50.org/mission
[4]
http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/248751-senate-highway-bill-faces-ma
ny-obstacles#.Va-xw5bu1hg.twitter
[5]
http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/7311e4f6-04eb-43b1-a5c2-7586de
e4e805/edw15730.pdf
[6] http://www.justiceinaging.org/the-cuff-act/
[7] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Senate Bill May Kick
200,000 Off Social Security If They Have Arrest Warrant
[8] http://www.alternet.org/
[9] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
