S11.E23: Disablity Benefits

[Lantern7]

John returns to talk about another resource spoiled by bureaucracy, Also, he spends about fifteen minutes talking about the shitshow forced upon Springfield, OH. It must be nice if you're an immigrant from Haiti . . . you move to a small town, you fill a position that had not been taken, you slowly win over the folks . . . and then a few reactionary assmunches accuse you of eating pets, and the right-wing media gleefully runs with it. Unsurprisingly, JD Vance is at the center of this. I don't think there are enough bad things to say about him. He really is a piece of excrement.

As always, John gets frustrated by the main topic . . .or maybe that's because he had to spend the last few minutes with a mime. I think that's a position from the 1977 standard for determining disability, along with nut sorter. It must be hell walking that tightrope, especially when unseen hands from all directions try to push you off

[Annber03]

21 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Unsurprisingly, JD Vance is at the center of this. I don't think there are enough bad things to say about him. He really is a piece of excrement.

What was it John called him when going off about this last night? "Spineless dickshitter"? That about sums it up well enough, I'd say.

But god, John's whole thing about how stuff like this used to actually end political careers was spot on. There needs to be actual consequences for this kind of insanity. Politicians should be automatically disqualiied from running if they insist on pushing these kinds of insane conspiracy theories - they're literally putting people's lives in danger with this shit. People's jobs and livlihoods are actively being negatively impacted by this. Kids have yet another thing to worry about when going to school, 'cause lord knows they really need that on top of everything else. This needs to stop and it needs to stop now. People like Vance, or Trump, or any politiicans of that sort ,need to fece actual legitimate consequences, the sort that will make them and anyone else think twice before pulling this kind of crap again. 

As for the main topic, it certainly hit home on a personal level, 'cause my mom's had issues with trying to collect on my dad's Social Security benefits, which were affected by his being sick and eventually out of work due to his illness (which he later died from, I might add). And my mom's not even disabled and the Social Security benefits she gets would probably, at most, just barely cover the basics. That's it. If she needs or wants anything else beyond that? She'd need to get a job. At an age when she should be enjoying her retirement. Hence one reason of many I'm still living with her. 

So yeah, unfortunately these stories, while heartbreaking and horrifying and ridiculous, were also sadly not all that surprising. Hell, my job is handling FMLA/disability paperwork, and the amount of questions on the forms are insane sometimes. Like, they have to go out of their way to make absolutely sure that this person is really, truly, sincerely disabled, and disabled enough to get benefits or pay or get the necessary time they need off work. And the amount of detail in how you answer those questions will factor into what kind of coverage and support, if any, the patient gets. 

It's incredibly frustrating and time-consuming and it's so much stupid red tape that really doesn't help anyone anywhere, be it the patients or the people deciding on disability coverage or so on. 

But hey, according to some out there, all those people who are getting government benefits are totally living the high life anyway, so they clearly don't need any more help, right? /s 

[DoctorAtomic]

I was pleased to see John show a clip from PBS news re: Springfield. While Vance has been whining about 'why the media isn't covering this', PBS was in Springfield *before* all the nonsense with the pets talking about how the influx of immigration filled tons of unfilled jobs. Then they did 3 or 4 more segments after the pets. 

However, what I think everyone in the media has been missing is that in the rush to disprove an obviously false story, no one is talking about all the issues or Vance wanting families to have more votes than cat ladies. On the other hand, they're basically handing political campaign ads to Harris. Not that I get them, but it's easy to say 'you came here legally, you're working hard just like anyone else, do you want the constant harassment?' Or 'Do you want literal nazis marching up and down Main Street? You're kids won't be able to go out and play.' It writes itself. 

Overall, I think the media dropped the ball. 

[peeayebee]

Trump was taught long ago not to ever admit being wrong. I wonder if he passed that 'wisdom' onto Vance or if Vance was always like that. I mean, Vance admitted the Haitian-pet-eating story was false, but he wouldn't drop it. And Trump saying that people told him about it or he saw it on TV, like that makes it all true and unassailable, is just so stupid and dishonest. But people fall for it. Everything he says he says with conviction, and people accept it. It truly is the Emperor having no clothes.

I hadn't heard the story about the fake sign language interpreter. Why did she do this? I assume she was paid, at least initially. Did she just want to be on TV?

As for the main story, the whole thing is depressing and maddening. I can't see this Congress passing anything about it, but maybe I'll be surprised.

My son is mentally challenged. Twenty years ago my husband died, and my son started receiving Survivor's Benefits, which would have ended when he turned 16 (I think) if not for his disability. It's much more than SSI. Fortunately there's no restrictions on his assets. Nothing can change what he receives. I also get benefits. They will cease if I remarry, work, or if/when my son is no longer living with me. We're fortunate we don't have to deal with the horrible bureaucracy.

When he first started receiving benefits, I would have to submit an audit report regularly. I haven't gotten one in many years. I wonder if that's because of the SS budget cutbacks that John mentioned.

I don't mind mimes. I actually thought the one who appeared with John was pretty good. Very expressive face.

[iMonrey]

21 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I mean, Vance admitted the Haitian-pet-eating story was false, but he wouldn't drop it.

To be clear, Vance never admitted the Springfield story was false. He was told it was false but kept perpetuating it anyway. And then when he was interviewed by Dana Bash, he said he had no problem making up stories if it got the public talking about "the problems" in America (i.e. illegal immigrants). When Dana asked him whether he admitted to making up the Springfield story he denied it.

But I think your initial point is the important one. Trump cannot admit he has ever said or done anything wrong. Once he repeated this idiocy at the debate it was his team's job to double down on it rather than issue a retraction, because they can never admit he said something wrong either. 

They also know immigration is the issue they are the strongest on so it more or less coincides with their agenda to keep hammering away at this Springfield thing no matter how dangerous it is or how untrue it is. And that's just sick.

[bilgistic]

Many years ago during a particularly bad ongoing mental health crisis, I attempted to get disability benefits. I was denied because I was relatively young (30s) and was able to do freelance work some of the time. I made only about $8000 a year. I had no support from anyone and had to cobble together health care from no- and low-cost community clinics.

When they denied me, the job they said I could do was "worm sorter". I'm not joking. I guess there are worm farms somewhere? And I was supposed to be able to move there and work on one? It's all such a scam.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

To be clear, Vance never admitted the Springfield story was false. He was told it was false but kept perpetuating it anyway. And then when he was interviewed by Dana Bash, he said he had no problem making up stories if it got the public talking about "the problems" in America (i.e. illegal immigrants). When Dana asked him whether he admitted to making up the Springfield story he denied it.

Yes, you're right, and I was thinking of the Dana Bash interview. But it's semantics, isn't it. And lies. I just transcribed his response:

"We are creating, we are … Dana, It comes from first-hand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. I didn't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris' policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies."

"Creating a story" does not equal "creating" the media to focus on it. First off, geez, what kind of grammar is saying you create the media to focus on something? I guess he's just such a creative guy that he likes the word create. And really only in fiction do you create/make up something to make people think about it. 

And of course the migrants are NOT illegal. They were invited into this country because of their hardship.

 

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

When they denied me, the job they said I could do was "worm sorter". I'm not joking. I guess there are worm farms somewhere? And I was supposed to be able to move there and work on one? It's all such a scam.

Wow. I'm just sitting here shaking my head.

[Palimelon]

Quote

I didn't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield

She didn't call him out on the fact that a large majority of them are there legally? Bad interviewer! She sucks for so many reasons besides her "interview" with Vance.

(CNN Anchors Won’t Stop Lying About Something Rashida Tlaib Never Said).

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

And of course the migrants are NOT illegal. They were invited into this country because of their hardship.

Which also just further proves that all their insistence about how they only have a problem with people coming here illegally is BS, and always has been BS. They flat out don't want immigrants here at all, period, regardless of legal status. They clearly refuse to acknoweldge that immigration is baked into this country's history. 

[Makai]

7 hours ago, Palimelon said:

She didn't call him out on the fact that a large majority of them are there legally?

She did earlier in the interview. He admitted they are here legally and still refuses to stop calling them illegals. 

6 hours ago, Annber03 said:

They flat out don't want immigrants here at all, period, regardless of legal status. 

Well, they seem to be fine with white immigrants and have no problem calling natural born citizens of color illegal. So….

On 9/24/2024 at 8:26 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

However, what I think everyone in the media has been missing is that in the rush to disprove an obviously false story, no one is talking about all the issues or Vance wanting families to have more votes than cat ladies.

Mainstream media is missing it but non-traditional media and social media isn’t. I see mentions of it every day. Cat ladies for Kamala is a movement now. The merch is amazing. 

Edited September 26 by Makai

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, Makai said:

She did earlier in the interview. He admitted they are here legally and still refuses to stop calling them illegals. 

I didn't hear that part of the interview. He really is a piece of work. 

Quote

Well, they seem to be fine with white immigrants and have no problem calling natural born citizens of color illegal. So….

Exactly. I don't remember if it was when he was President or when he campaigned the first time, but Trump said something like why can't we get immigrants from Scandinavian countries. 

[Palimelon]

When he was President, in 2018. "Won't someone *please* think of the Norwegian refugees!" Meanwhile, the Norwegians told him (politely) to fuck off.

Of course, he has also said something along the lines of the US not getting enough immigrants from ‘nice countries' “like Denmark [or] Switzerland” just earlier this year.

 

Edited September 26 by Palimelon

[DoctorAtomic]

Because those countries have affordable and accessible healthcare.

[andromeda331]

I'm disabled. It took years to get disability first I had no "official" diagnosis and then because I should be able to work, because of my age not because of my health problems. It's really a mess. 

On 9/23/2024 at 9:31 PM, Annber03 said:

What was it John called him when going off about this last night? "Spineless dickshitter"? That about sums it up well enough, I'd say.

But god, John's whole thing about how stuff like this used to actually end political careers was spot on. There needs to be actual consequences for this kind of insanity. Politicians should be automatically disqualiied from running if they insist on pushing these kinds of insane conspiracy theories - they're literally putting people's lives in danger with this shit. People's jobs and livlihoods are actively being negatively impacted by this. Kids have yet another thing to worry about when going to school, 'cause lord knows they really need that on top of everything else. This needs to stop and it needs to stop now. People like Vance, or Trump, or any politiicans of that sort ,need to fece actual legitimate consequences, the sort that will make them and anyone else think twice before pulling this kind of crap again.

I miss those days. I miss there being consequences for all of this.