George W. Bush is entering the presidency with a firm mandate to reform Social Security and has promised to make the issue a top priority for his administration. Visit the conference website and watch streaming video of the event. Reengineering Social Security in the New Economy , by Thomas F. Siems, January 23, 2001. The New York Times reports on forthcoming studies from the Social Security Advisory Board that will outline the administrative problems the Social Security Administration will face in handling the tidal wave of baby boomer retirements in coming years. The SSAB was created in 1994 to advise the president and Congress.
Statistics show that the problems have increased in the last few years.
People who visit Social Security field offices often find overcrowded waiting rooms. Waits of two, three or four hours are not uncommon. With field office workers continually pressed to increase productivity, the quality of decisions suffers. This has increased the likelihood of errors and fraud. While the advisory board found management problems throughout Social Security, conditions were particularly bad regarding disability.