Lack Of Overseers Leaves Social Security And Medicare Without Independent Accountability
Source: Talking Points Memo/The AP
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
October 2, 2018 10:28 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Key posts overseeing the financial health of Social Security and Medicare have been vacant for more than three years, leaving the programs without independent accountability in the face of dire predictions about approaching insolvency.
With Washington corroded by partisanship and consumed by political crises, gridlock has become the norm and hundreds of senior government jobs remain unfilled. For beneficiaries and taxpayers the lack of “public trustees” for Social Security and Medicare means a loss of outside supervision over bedrock middle-class programs.
Most Americans may not even realize there’s a role in government for public trustees of Social Security and Medicare, but insiders say the special advisers help keep annual financial reports honest by acting as a check on the ever-present temptation for political appointees to tweak the numbers.
“The public really doesn’t have a representative sitting at the table with the government officials, and I think that is concerning,” said Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services secretary under President Barack Obama.
Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/social-security-medicare-public-trustee-vacancies
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I really dislike libertarians..............that are hell bent on saying that they want this society to be a individual society instead of a economic society , dog eat dog mentality, and blaming the government as the problem..................no, it is because of those called asshole like the Koch's, Alderson and others..................... 
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough.............................vote
