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| One time Palin supporter, who may be having second thoughts. |
In case you missed it, "60 Minutes" did an excellent segment on the waste and fraud in the Federal Disability Insurance Program. Kudos to Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and his staff for leading the investigation into this. And thank you, CBS, for covering it!
She then links to this story on 60 Minutes in which Steve Kroft, with the help of Senator Coburn and some shady attorneys, supposedly lays bare the overwhelming fraud within the Social Security disability programs.
Now in my job I actually do some work with this program so I was surprised at how aggressively and unfairly 60 Minutes seemed to go after them. And apparently I was not alone, as indicated in the comments section of their own website.
Here is a sampling:
I am a Social Security Disability Attorney in New York City. I watched the website recording of a 60 Minutes spot that aired last night and was disheartened by the sophistry I witnessed. Anytime I hear words like "It's been called a Secret Welfare System," which has been ravaged by waste and fraud, I cringe. First of all, I would like to know who has called it a secret welfare system --incendiary remarks like that must be backed up with facts. Secondly, who says it has been ravaged by waste and fraud -- this uncorroborated remark was left hanging out there as if it accurately reflected the System as a whole.
I also find it troubling and unacceptable that the only attorneys discussed in the program were Binder and Binder and Eric C. Conn. There were so many others you could have contacted about their experiences with the System.
Mr. Kroft, this irresponsible and short-sighted report should never have aired. I am surprised and disappointed in 60 Minutes, a program I have long admired, Please go back to the drawing board and deliver a revised program worthy of the name 60 Minutes.
Here is another:
Agree with all that this is a shameful 60 Minutes segment. Not that I doubt some lawyers are making money or that some of our fellow citizens are marginal disability recipients. Rather that 60 Minutes has what I hope is sheer ignorance (and not something else) wrapping the sheep's clothing of revealing fraud around the wolf of Tom Coburn who is a fervent advocate of Republican efforts to destroy America's safety net. Coburn's fundamental mission is not to reform Social Security Disability, but to destroy it by privatization. Too bad 60 Minutes is an enabler in his efforts.
And another:
I am one of the allegedly evil attorneys on TV .It might help for people to learn the day I heard of this story the two clients I signed up are typical of our business. The first was a fellow with very bad sarcoidosis affecting many aspects of his ability to work including hands , feet, breathing ,stamina. He was trying for many years to learn what was wrong with him but could not get access to treatment or meds. He is a very religious , humble man who would love to work and has been unable for years ; his church may not be able to help any longer.
The second was a family whose mother described an adult daughter unable to work for many years now with debilitating psych issues since age 8 including a horrific set of symptoms associated with obsessive compulsive disorder along with severe depression . Ridicule and stigmatize her associated panic attacks after you have spoken with her and her family. The mom called because she reported she never wanted to bother with a claim before , but recognizes she can no longer support this adult daughter whom she had home schooled .
The truth , as I tell interviewees each day, is that contrary to the harsh stereotypes now circulating with the help of 60 Minutes and other media is that it is very hard to get Social Security disability ;they're gonna think and treat you with cynicism and sometimes almost like a fraudster . Scapegoating those on the receiving end of " hard things happen to good people " is not fair reporting and does great damage. Tom
Then I did a quick Google search to find out if any other news outlets had addressed this obviously biased report.
I quickly found this over at Media Matters:
