The God that Marks Garps Student

Koby was marked. Garp knew the scrawny brat was marked the moment he laid eyes on him.

Koby had a strong sense of Justice and a Protector of the weak.

So, Tsuisu mark wouldn't be surprising. However, by his Background report and his own personal testimony. Koby arrived on Shells with Luffy. And punched Koby declaring him not a member of the now named Strawhat Pirates

Nika's markings wouldn't be out of place either. 

The Cadet was kind too. There was a partnership blooming with the blond twigs. He has seen Astrus mark a Dog for its Loyalty.

Astrus' mark might be a stretch. As by some of the Reports he's snooped off of Senny's desk Ace has been making a mess in the New World.

So when he took them onto his ship. He was fully prepared for one of his three Godly Grandsons to show up.

He set about the offerings on the shrines. In his quarters. Knowing none of them could resist a snack after using their abilities to hop to a shrine.

Garp snapped awake when he heard shuffling in his room. He spotted the tails of a coat exiting his room.

It could only be Sabo that came to check on his student.

He bolted towards his Wayward grandson.

"You Get black here you brat." Garp said, running out onto the deck only to see Sabo leep off the ship like an escaping boy after hours.

The half-shaded face looked at him with the usual terror. As he disembarked from the ship. 

"Sabo, at least have the decency of a man to say hello to your grandpa!" he shouted after the boy. Sabo would be fine In the water. He could walk on moonlight. But his grandson didn't say anything as he swam away.

" Sir should we go after the stowaway?" One of the twigs on night watch asked.

"No. We'll just lose him in the moonlight. Return to your watch." Garp growled "I'm going back to bed."

" Yes sir." The twig said.

Hello! How did you came up with Law, Sabo, Ace, and Uta's name in the Gods AU??

Uhhhhhh word association? Idk what to call but uh here's the thought process

Astral + Dyonisus/Hephastus (-us) -> Astrus

Tsunami -> Tsuki -> Tsu -> Tsuisu (means versus/equal) (Also consider Tsuibi because Sabo)

Uta + wings -> 奏翔 (to play music + to soar/fly) -> Kanato

Thanatos (T-) + Asase (Ase) + Anubis (-is) = Taseis -> Taesis (the name is in canon limbo because I'm also attached to Law as his god name. Sksksk)

Thanks for the ask! Super excited to share what the names mean heehehhe

The anti-Wiccan ranting among some occultists and Neo Pagans is so self-righteous and all over social media and all their rants about how "problematic" it is are things true in ALL forms of Neo Paganism.

And don't get me started on those that start calling you ill-educated, or stupid for considering Wicca a flavor of Neo-Paganism.

It's like they think the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn were doing things precisely the way the Ancient Greeks were. There's a reason that "Neo" is there. It means "new." Whether you like it or not all forms of Neo Pagan religion are cobbled together from scraps or re-invented whole cloth and, whether they want to admit it or not, borrowing from each other.

You'll find Diana worshipers using Gaelic symbolism, Morpheus invocations using the poppy flower as a symbol in the summoning. (Morphine's connection to the God of Dreams is a nineteenth century invention), and you'll find Asatru followers arguing with Greco-Roman Pagans about which religion came up with werewolves first, usually the Asatru insisting their religion is the source (even though the very word lycanthrope comes from the Greek myth of king Lycaon of Arcadia).

It's weirdly fashionable to be anti-Wiccan because of some of the questionable people who have been tied to it like Gardner and Crowley. Crowley's biggest contribution was the spelling of Magic with a k to differentiate between illusion and occult practice. That man has a very questionable history but sometimes not-so-great people come up with good ideas. And a quick visual distinction between illusion and spell casting is convenient, no matter who invented it. "But Wiccans culturally appropriate!" Annnd? Name a religion that doesn't. Borrowing aspects of faith from open religions is not "appropriation."

If it's your faith you believe it to be true, you're not "stealing it." We don't call it appropriation when a scientist adopts another scientist's theory because it has logic that makes sense to him.

Just because it's popular to bash something and call it bad doesn't make it right. I do not agree with attacking aging hippies for following the "wrong" religion.

It's shameful and I think a lot of the people doing this aren't self-aware enough to realize they are behaving like the very oppressive "Christians" that may have once told them that they were Satanic and going to Hell for following the wrong religion.

Yes, Wicca is a "New" patchwork quilt of old folk beliefs but that shouldn't offend you by their merely existing.

I have news for you. This is true with most religions and this is especially true with Neo Paganism. It's part of why there are so many Astru bigots, because the version INVENTED (yes, invented) in the late nineteenth century and later adopted by some World War 2 Nazis was cobbled together by a bigot.

And though it might anger you to consider Wicca to be a form of Neo Paganism, it is. Its conception is very similar to how most Neo Paganism was shaped a century earlier. Most true Ancient Pagan practices have been lost to history. It's all reinvention or borrowings now.

Stop looking for religions to hate. It's like watching the Pagan equivalent of "I'm Protestant and those Catholics are NOT Christians! Look at all the horrible things they've done as a collective. We've never done anything bad ever as a collective group!"

And then in a special kind of cognitive dissonance, you get the ones who don't like Wicca for the "Harm none" rule and think calling them the "Fluffy bunny of Paganism" is the great Gotchya to shame them. It's so strange to me.

[ ✵ ] ASTRUS are a fictional k-pop girl group formed through fictional survival show “Who is Astrus?” aired on YouTube through their label ROSEMADE ENT. they consist of seven members Missy, Nari, Eve, Snow, Jiyun, Natsumi, & Haeun. The group made a strong debut in 2018 with their extended play “LOVE DIVE” featuring their much loved title track of the same name. The debut did well throughout Korea and internationally charting high.

Later they came back with “Devilish” a single, which again did well, coming close to a win but not yet making it. The group found themselves in a slump by late 2019 after their recent comebacks “Flower Power” “Lucky Star” & “Primadonna” did not chart well or even come close to any wins. The group went on a five month hiatus not very long but no posts on social media or signs of return happened up until the exact five month mark, when a teaser was posted for member Missy’s solo debut, she later debuted with her extended play “Love, M”

Missy’s solo did pretty well considering their last three comebacks and they decided a full group comeback might do well, and to their surprise it did. They came back with an mini-album titled “Lovebite” which went viral and garnered them their first win along with three more wins. The group found themselves in several scandals in 2020-2021, between dating, bullying, and pre-debut controversies they were quite the topic. The group found themselves promoting as six when member Jiyun goes on a hiatus due to personal issues, she made her return in early 2022.

label: ROSEMADE ENT.

fandom name: Mystixs

members: Missy Kang, Hwang Nari, Sun “Eve” Haewon, Takaguchi “Snow” Fuyuko, Park Jiyun, Kusumoto Natsumi, Baek Haeun

colors: #CCDDE0, #FFD8BB, #E4D4F4

Discography!!

LOVE DIVE ( EP, 2018 )

Devilish ( single, 2018 )

Hyped ( single, 2019 )

My Blue Flame ( mini-album, 2019 )

Primadonna ( EP, 2019 )

Lovebite ( album, 2020 )

Bad Ideas ( single, 2021 )

Hands Up! ( album, 2021 )

No More Tears ( mini-album, 2022 )

GREETINGS  ,  angel  .   i  am  praying  that  the  graphic  doesn’t  look  horrible  but  if  it  does  ?   please  pretend  it  doesnt   .   for  those  i  haven’t  gotten  a  chance  to  introduce  myself  to  ,  im  gianna  ╱   gi  .   im  nineteen  and  well   ?   absolute  trash  .   asdj  .  im  so  excited  for  this  group  and  even  more  excited  to  bring  you  your  scarlet  ,  aristotle  wolff  .   random  headcanons  and  more  about  his  background  has  been  on  my  mind  for  days  and  im  just  so  excited  to  share  them  all  with  you  ...  hopefully  it’ll  get  him  to  leave  me  alone  asdfg  .  i  did  write  this  at  4  in  the  morning  so  ???  if  it’s  gross  that’s  why  .   enough  rambling  though  ,  below  the  cut  you’ll  find  everything  you  need  to  know  about  him  ..  ENJOY  .

                       STATS .  here  ,  please  read  for  the  basics .  

                      PINTEREST .  here .

                      CHARACTER  INFLUENCES .  lip  gallagher  ,  charlie  st  cloud  ,   daemon  black  ,   hardin  scott  .  

                       SOUNDTRACK .  numb  to  the  feeling  ,  chase  atlantic  .  faith  ,  the  weeknd  .  feel  ,  phora  .  i  fall  apart  ,  post  malone  .  she  wonders  why  ,  astrus  .  gang  over  luv  ,  brent  faiyaz  .  wicked  games  ,  the  weeknd  .  ivy  ,  frank  ocean  .  gangstas  ,  pop  smoke  .  demons  and  angels  ,  a  boogie  wit  da  hoodie  .  

                                                                 AESTHETICS .

  pearly  whites  concealing  sad  hues  ,   collar  bones  painted  with  hikceys  ,  a  destined  path  carved  by  hands  that  are  not  his  own  ,  a  contagious  laughter  floating  in  the  night  sky  ,   the  memory  of  emerald  hues  haunting  his  dreams  ,  the  lingering  taste  of  bitter  whiskey  ,   calloused  digits  against  soft  skin  ,   footsteps  against  hardwood  floor  in  the  dead  of  the  night  ,  a  tattoo  needle  against  his  skin  whispering  he’s  alive  over  and  over  again  ,   a  soft  scent  of  cologne  and  cigarette  smoke  clinging  to  his  clothes  ,   abandoned  promises  that  weigh  heavy  on  his  shoulders  ,  moans  spilling  of  pleasure  coming  from  the  backseat  of  an  expensive  car  ,    black  rimmed  sunglasses  to  hide  bloodshot  hues  ,  his  heart  beating  in  his  ears  ,   a  never  ending  grief  . 

DOING  EVERYTHING  I  CAN  TO  FEEL  SOMETHING  .

CARELESS  ,      how  many  times  have  you  heard  that  ari  ?     i’d  tell  you  to  count  on  your  fingers  ,    but  you  might  run  out   .   enlighten  me  ,  disagree  .   tell  me  you’re  just  CURIOUS  .    what  ?  i  know  your  LOUD  MOUTH  is  resisting  the  urge  .  i  know  you  want  to  say  that  your  honeyed  hues  always  reflected  a  world  full  of  not  sorrow  ,  but  infinite  opportunities    .   possibilities  and  limits  without  boundaries  .    boundaries  you  pushed  at  every  given  chance  ,  DETERMINED   some  would  say  .   but  me  ?   i  would  say  ,  you’re  your  father’s  son  .    a  spitting  image  right  down  to  curly  locks  and  a  crooked  smile  .    that  assertiveness   in  your  heart  ?   it  was  gifted  by  masculine  hands  that  had  once  fought  the  WAR  of  the  streets               a  never  ending  battle  for  dominance  between  gang  violence  and  a  mother  that  had  a  sadness  so  great  she  spent  her  days  forgetting  her  own  name   .    it’s  okay  ,  i  know  you  didn’t  know  .  and  he  was  never  around  to  ask  ,   the  office  was  his  home  and  the  building  were  family  pictures  clung  to  the  walls  was  the  stranger  .  but   he  did  love  you  ,  affection  shown  in  the  form  of  absence  so  you’d  never  know  what  it  is  like  to  merely  survive  .   

and  i  know  you  want  them  ,     ANSWERS  ,  i  mean  .  but  when  you  ask  me  about  your  mother  ,  i  don’t  have  anything  you’ll  want  to  hear  .    your  first  words   ,  were  mama  ,  but  it  was  not  mama  who  was  there  to  witness  it  .                          that’s  the  reality  of  your  relationship  with  her  .   and   i  know  you’re  still  ANGRY  .   her  absence  was  willingly  ,   and  i  know  you  have  a  hard  time  FORGIVING  especially  when  it  comes  to  her  .   but  truth  is  ,  she  never  wanted  to  be  someone’s  mother  ,   and  it  made  her  feel  guilty  .    she  had  plans  .   and  all  of  them  consisted  of  tan  lines  and  gossip  over  wine  ,  none  of  them  included  your  sweet  whispers  of  i  love  you  .    but  her  not  wanting  to  be  a  mother  doesn’t  make  her  a  bad  person  ,  she  was  once  present  .   she  once  tried  .  and  i  don’t  mean  to  make  excuses  ,  NOTHING  could  excuse  it  .  but  she  knew  .  she  knew  she  could  never  be  what  you  needed  her  to  be  ,  so  she  ran  from  it  and  you   .  could  not  deal  with  how  badly  it  ate  at  her  .  and when  she  got  pregnant  a  second  time   and  your  baby  brother  came  11  months  after  you  ,  she  told  herself  that  it  was  for  YOU  .   that  if  she  could  give  you  one  thing  that  was  worth  anything  ,  it  was  someone  to  keep  you  company  .   it  was  IRRESPONSIBLE,   but  you  know  a  lot  about  that  ,  don’t  you  ?  that  wasn’t  a  jab  .  just  a  reminder  of  the  many  situations  where  your  good  intentions  came  back  to  bite  you  .   that  doesn’t  change  the  fact  that  i’m  sorry  ,  i’m  sorry  she  was  never  there  .  

your  baby  brother  ,      he  was  a  GIFT  .    i  know  you  know  that  .  he  was  more  then  company  ,  wasn’t  he  ?   you  guys  shared  BLOOD  but  it  was  not  just  blood  that  bonded  you   .  IRISH  TWINS  ,     that’s  the  official  term  .   siblings  born  less  than  12  months  apart  .   and  when  you  were  little  ,  that’s  what  everyone  referred  to  the  two  of  you  as  .  twins                     you   were  never  the  type  of  person  to believe  in  cheesy  things  such  as  soulmates  .  when  girls  would  intertwine  their  fingers  with  yours  and  purr  how  the  two  of  you  were  meant  to  be  together  ,  you  had  to  hold  back  laughter  .   but  the  older  you  got  ,  the  more  you  began  to  realize  that  you  and  dustin  ?  you  guys  split  from  the  same  soul  .   it  was  the  day  you  also  realized  that  soulmates  aren’t  just  the  romantic  cliche  in  the  movies  you  grew  up  believing  them  to  be  .   you  couldn’t  help  but  felt  guilty  ,    for  once  belittling  someone  for  believing  in  it  .  because  you  swore  ,  that  everyone  deserve  to  have  a  bond  like  you  and  your  brother  .  

your  nanny  ,      she  was  in  for  it   .   chasing  two  boys  around  the  house  who  could  run  before  they  could  walk  .    close  your  eyes  and  REMEMBER  it  ,    the  way  yous  once  laughed  with  one  another  .     mornings  with  syrup  dripping  on  your  chins  .    wrestling  in  the  living  room  despite  the  warning  from  miss  bailey  that  one  of  you  will  get  hurt  (  which  one  of  you  always  did  )  .    outsiders  might  say  you  two  brought  out  the  worst  in  each  other  (  mrs.  burke  did  when  she  refused  to  have  the  both  of  you  in  her  class  )  ,   but  anyone  who  really  knew  you  knew  how  good  for  each  other  you  were  .   mischievous  ,  but  aren’t  that  what  brothers  for  ?  built  in  partner  in  crimes  ?   best  friends  for  life  .  you  guys  were   inseparable  ,  so  inseparable  that  by  the  end  of  secondary  school   it  was  granted  that  you  were  put  in  different  classes  to  allow  room  for  others  .   you  DIDN’T  mind  ,   even  if  you  did  declare  how  idiotic  it  was  to  your  mother  over  the  phone  .    you  had  friends  .   a  lot  of  friends  .  but  friends  that  were  just  your  friends  ?  that  was  new  .   and  you  never  really  knew  how  to  feel  about  it  .  

high  school  ,       it  changed  your  life  .   i  know  you’ll  say  for  the  worst  ,  but  please  don’t  forget  about  all  of  the  good  that  came  out  of  it  .   the  teachers  ?  they  were  stuck  between  loving  and  hating  you  .   and  some  ?  didn’t  get  a  chance  to  do  either  with  how  much  you  skipped  their  class  .   you  kept  your  grades  up  only  to  continue  playing  hockey                    grades  were  the  only  thing  that  your  dad  actually  checked  .    you  enjoyed  the  social  scene  ,  and  by  social  scene  i  mean  getting  too  drunk  at  house  parties  and  being  rowdy  in  the  bleachers  .    when  you  looked  to  your  right  ,   you  had  a  whole  CREW  of  friends  who  somehow  stumbled  into  your  life  .  and  when  you  looked  to  your  left  ,  you  had  your  brother  .     you  sought  out  EXCITEMENT  ,   anything  to  get  your  heart  racing  .    you  were  IMPULSIVE  .   you  took  your  injustice  out  by  developing  a  CANTANKEROUS  attitude  that  got  you  into  fights  left  and  right  (  on  and  off  the  ice  )  .     high  school  is  when  you  got  your  first  job  ,  sixteen  and  tired  of  hearing  your  father  complain  about  you  needing  more  responsibility                        of  course  this  had  been  after  you  and  your  brother  got  caught  smoking    .    your  legs  landed  you  at   rainbow  point    with  a  confident  grin  and  TROUBLE  in  your  eyes  .  

BECAUSE  EVERYTHING  I  DO  FEELS  LIKE  NOTHING   

it  was  good  ,   you  struggled  but  you  were  happy  .    my  CARELESS  child  with  light  dancing  around  you  .   you  couldn’t  be  touched  ,  you  were  immortal  .   it  reflected  in  your  actions  ,  teenagers  huh  ?   but  we  all  know  there  can’t  be  good  without  the  bad  ,  and  for  you  i  wish  the  bad  had  been  a  broken  ankle  or  failed  SAT’S  .  but  it  wasn’t  .    the  bad  was  ripping  you  to  pieces  ,   beyond  repair  .    i  know  it  haunts  you  ,  the  accident    .   the  realization  when  you’re  eyes  focused  on  the  road  and  saw  a  blue  truck  headed  towards  you  ,  you  hate  the  color  blue  .   you  forgot  too  ,  that  dustin  had  taken  off  his  seat  belt  to  retrieve  the  phone  you  knocked  out  of  his  hands  because  he  was  getting  on   your  nerves  .    it  only  hitting  you  when  hues  opened  back  up  and  a  gaping  hole  the  size  of  a  body  remained  .    you  still  don’t  understand  how  it  could  be  ,  that  you  had  absolutely  no  scratches  .  but  your  brother  ?  he  no  longer  had  air  in  his  lungs  .

you’re  lost    ,     you  want  to  sob  like  a  child  with  hands  wrapped  around  you  whispering  it’s  going  to  be  okay  .    but  it  won’t  be  .      and  you  never  realized  how  lonely  your  house  was  ,  and  how  distant  your  parents  were  .    now  your  home  town  reminds  you  of  secrets  whispered  in  the  dark  and  talks  about  the  future  that  no  longer  exists  for  your  brother  .   you  left  after  that  summer   ,   in  the  beginning  you  missed  holidays  because  you  couldn’t  bare  the  sight  of  an  untouched  room  .  and  that  empty  seat  right  beside  you  dug  it’s  claws  into  your  chest  until  you  could  no  longer  breathe  .    you  HATE  your  home  town  ,  and  the  house  you  grew  up  in  .  and  if  you  could  choose  ,  you’d  never  go  back  .  so  why  do  you  ?   it’s  because  of  the  missed  calls  on  your  phone  from  the  ones  you  call  friends  .  you  feel  OBLIGATED  .   it’s  one  of  the  only  emotions  you  feel  ,  besides  guilt  and   grief    .   you  really  do  try  ,  to  move  on  .  to  feel  more  .  but  it’s  hard  for  you   .  so  you  hide  behind  spontaneous  adventures   and  the  bottom  of  a  whiskey  bottle  .    you  flash  pearly  whites  and  roll  around  in  sheets  with  women  you  could  never  love  like  they  love  you  .    you  ink  your  body  with  permanent  ink  because  it’s  the  only  permanent  thing  you’ll  ever  have  .    you  have  to  remind  yourself  that  you’re  alive  ,  you’re  alive  because  sometimes  you  forget  .   but  what’ll  you  never  forget  ?  is  that   ,  you  did  this                     that  reality  hits  you  when  you’re  at  your  weakest  .  it’s  the  one  that  screams  at  you  until  tears  hang  in  honeyed  hues  and  just  healed  wounds  are  ripped  open   by  your  favorite  punching  bag              the  mirror  .   but  that’s  okay  ,  isn’t  it  ?   because  when  the  sun  rises  ,  you’ll  go  out  and  replace  it   .     and  you’ll  pretend  that  you’re  fine  .  

Astrus - Came Up (ft. Dizzy Wright)

Congress tries to squeeze more out of Social Security, wrecking its customer service

http://ryanguillory.com/congress-tries-to-squeeze-more-out-of-social-security-wrecking-its-customer-service/

Congress tries to squeeze more out of Social Security, wrecking its customer service

Since they’ve been unsuccessful (thus far) at cutting Social Security benefits, congressional Republicans are continuing to resort to the backdoor assault on the program by starving its administrative budget. In the latest versions of the agency’s budget under consideration in Washington, the House is planning to keep the budget at the same inadequate funding level as the current year. The ever more ambitious Senate is trying to cut it by $400 million, or nearly 4%.

To retirees, near-retirees and disability applicants the effects aren’t invisible. They show up in deteriorating customer service at every level.

“Years of SSA cuts have already taken their toll,” Kathleen Romig of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported earlier this month, “leading to long waits on the phone and in field offices for taxpayers and beneficiaries, as well as record-high disability backlogs.”

The Social Security Administration used to mail annual statements of earnings records and prospective benefits to all covered workers, in compliance with a law enacted in 1989. These have now been eliminated for almost all workers, as the agency pleads poverty. It says that anyone can gain access to their records online, but that’s a lousy substitute as long as millions of workers and retirees have only spotty access to the internet or lack the ability to navigate the web.

You can expect all these problems to keep getting worse.

Years of SSA cuts have already taken their toll, leading to long waits…as well as record-high disability backlogs. — Kathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

We’ve reported on the impact of cuts in the agency’s administrative budget before, noting that there’s no rational reason for Congress to impose these cuts. That’s because Social Security’s core administrative budget comes not from the general federal budget, but mostly from the payroll contributions made by workers and their employers — and the spending is very efficient, coming to less than 1% of total benefits. (The agency also fronts administrative services to Medicare and the Supplemental Security Income program, for which it’s reimbursed at least partially from the general treasury.)

Nevertheless, Congress by law still holds the purse strings, and has been drawing them tighter over time. That’s happened even as the agency’s caseload has greatly expanded since fiscal 2010 by more than 20%, to 63.3 million retirees, disabled persons and their families, while the agency’s core budget has fallen 16% from an inflation-adjusted $12 billion. The House would freeze the budget for fiscal 2018 at the 2017 level of $10.5 billion in fiscal 2018, and the Senate would cut it to about $10.1 billion.

The sole area of long-term growth in the budget has been a separate appropriation for “integrity funding,” which essentially means ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse in the disability program, a favorite congressional hobby horse. That line item has grown to about $1.7 billion (in the budget proposals of President Trump, the House and the Senate) from an inflation-adjusted $871 million in fiscal 2010, Romig calculates.

Whether that search for fraud is worth the money is hard to gauge, since the level of improper payment in Social Security disability has been estimated at less than 1%, with underpayment a bigger problem than overpayment. A far greater impact on disability applicants is the record backlog. The Social Security Administration has been struggling with that issue for nearly two decades, but has been unable to get a handle on it consistently because of congressional budget cuts. The backlog came down sharply from fiscal 2008 through fiscal 2012, a period in which the average wait time for a disability decision fell from more than 500 days to 350 days, the first time the wait had been less than a year since 2003.

Since 2012, wait times have again climbed steeply, as a surge of applicants during the recession combined with an inability to hire disability judges and support staff. The average wait time is back up to 626 days. Having to wait an average of more than a year and eight months to receive a decision is an outrageous burden on people who may be unable to work and struggling with what could be terminal illness.

Social Security Administration

Wait times for disability decisions have been climbing sharply again, thanks to hiring freezes at Social Security.

Wait times for disability decisions have been climbing sharply again, thanks to hiring freezes at Social Security. (Social Security Administration)

A contributing factor in Social Security’s chronic budget squeeze could well be the absence of an official boss. There hasn’t been a commissioner in place for more than four years. Since the departure of Michael Astrue in January 2013, the agency has been led by acting commissioners Carolyn Colvin and Nancy Berryhill, neither of whom has had the political heft to carry the agency’s case to Capitol Hill. The Obama administration’s nomination of Colvin, a long-term Social Security official, to the job was derailed on transparently political grounds by Senate Republicans in 2014. But Obama never put up another candidate; Trump’s failure to name a replacement just continues this record of neglect.

A picture of the agency’s declining voice in Congress can be gleaned by the evolution of its budget request just over the last two years. Colvin reported a year ago that “our current state of service remains fragile.” She observed that the agency’s budget for fiscal 2016 did “not allow us to sustain our recent gains,” as it “does not cover all inflationary growth in our fixed costs.” She requested a staff increase of nearly 3,000 people. She didn’t get them.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Social Security’s customer service budget has been cut ruthlessly in inflation-adjusted terms, while its caseload keeps growing.

Social Security’s customer service budget has been cut ruthlessly in inflation-adjusted terms, while its caseload keeps growing. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Berryhill, the current acting commissioner, cast her budget request for fiscal 2018 in cheerier terms, consistent with the Trump administration’s habit of grinning its way past disasters. “The fiscal year (FY) 2018 President’s Budget will allow us to focus on our core mission,” Berryhill said. She described that mission as including reduction in the disability backlog, reducing “improper payments” and “continuing to develop a strong workforce.” None of those goals is consistent with a reduction in the administrative budget, which hasn’t been known for padding.

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Congress tries to squeeze more out of Social Security, wrecking its customer service

http://ryanguillory.com/congress-tries-to-squeeze-more-out-of-social-security-wrecking-its-customer-service/

Congress tries to squeeze more out of Social Security, wrecking its customer service

Since they’ve been unsuccessful (thus far) at cutting Social Security benefits, congressional Republicans are continuing to resort to the backdoor assault on the program by starving its administrative budget. In the latest versions of the agency’s budget under consideration in Washington, the House is planning to keep the budget at the same inadequate funding level as the current year. The ever more ambitious Senate is trying to cut it by $400 million, or nearly 4%.

To retirees, near-retirees and disability applicants the effects aren’t invisible. They show up in deteriorating customer service at every level.

“Years of SSA cuts have already taken their toll,” Kathleen Romig of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported earlier this month, “leading to long waits on the phone and in field offices for taxpayers and beneficiaries, as well as record-high disability backlogs.”

The Social Security Administration used to mail annual statements of earnings records and prospective benefits to all covered workers, in compliance with a law enacted in 1989. These have now been eliminated for almost all workers, as the agency pleads poverty. It says that anyone can gain access to their records online, but that’s a lousy substitute as long as millions of workers and retirees have only spotty access to the internet or lack the ability to navigate the web.

You can expect all these problems to keep getting worse.

Years of SSA cuts have already taken their toll, leading to long waits…as well as record-high disability backlogs. — Kathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

We’ve reported on the impact of cuts in the agency’s administrative budget before, noting that there’s no rational reason for Congress to impose these cuts. That’s because Social Security’s core administrative budget comes not from the general federal budget, but mostly from the payroll contributions made by workers and their employers — and the spending is very efficient, coming to less than 1% of total benefits. (The agency also fronts administrative services to Medicare and the Supplemental Security Income program, for which it’s reimbursed at least partially from the general treasury.)

Nevertheless, Congress by law still holds the purse strings, and has been drawing them tighter over time. That’s happened even as the agency’s caseload has greatly expanded since fiscal 2010 by more than 20%, to 63.3 million retirees, disabled persons and their families, while the agency’s core budget has fallen 16% from an inflation-adjusted $12 billion. The House would freeze the budget for fiscal 2018 at the 2017 level of $10.5 billion in fiscal 2018, and the Senate would cut it to about $10.1 billion.

The sole area of long-term growth in the budget has been a separate appropriation for “integrity funding,” which essentially means ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse in the disability program, a favorite congressional hobby horse. That line item has grown to about $1.7 billion (in the budget proposals of President Trump, the House and the Senate) from an inflation-adjusted $871 million in fiscal 2010, Romig calculates.

Whether that search for fraud is worth the money is hard to gauge, since the level of improper payment in Social Security disability has been estimated at less than 1%, with underpayment a bigger problem than overpayment. A far greater impact on disability applicants is the record backlog. The Social Security Administration has been struggling with that issue for nearly two decades, but has been unable to get a handle on it consistently because of congressional budget cuts. The backlog came down sharply from fiscal 2008 through fiscal 2012, a period in which the average wait time for a disability decision fell from more than 500 days to 350 days, the first time the wait had been less than a year since 2003.

Since 2012, wait times have again climbed steeply, as a surge of applicants during the recession combined with an inability to hire disability judges and support staff. The average wait time is back up to 626 days. Having to wait an average of more than a year and eight months to receive a decision is an outrageous burden on people who may be unable to work and struggling with what could be terminal illness.

Social Security Administration

Wait times for disability decisions have been climbing sharply again, thanks to hiring freezes at Social Security.

Wait times for disability decisions have been climbing sharply again, thanks to hiring freezes at Social Security. (Social Security Administration)

A contributing factor in Social Security’s chronic budget squeeze could well be the absence of an official boss. There hasn’t been a commissioner in place for more than four years. Since the departure of Michael Astrue in January 2013, the agency has been led by acting commissioners Carolyn Colvin and Nancy Berryhill, neither of whom has had the political heft to carry the agency’s case to Capitol Hill. The Obama administration’s nomination of Colvin, a long-term Social Security official, to the job was derailed on transparently political grounds by Senate Republicans in 2014. But Obama never put up another candidate; Trump’s failure to name a replacement just continues this record of neglect.

A picture of the agency’s declining voice in Congress can be gleaned by the evolution of its budget request just over the last two years. Colvin reported a year ago that “our current state of service remains fragile.” She observed that the agency’s budget for fiscal 2016 did “not allow us to sustain our recent gains,” as it “does not cover all inflationary growth in our fixed costs.” She requested a staff increase of nearly 3,000 people. She didn’t get them.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Social Security’s customer service budget has been cut ruthlessly in inflation-adjusted terms, while its caseload keeps growing.

Social Security’s customer service budget has been cut ruthlessly in inflation-adjusted terms, while its caseload keeps growing. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Berryhill, the current acting commissioner, cast her budget request for fiscal 2018 in cheerier terms, consistent with the Trump administration’s habit of grinning its way past disasters. “The fiscal year (FY) 2018 President’s Budget will allow us to focus on our core mission,” Berryhill said. She described that mission as including reduction in the disability backlog, reducing “improper payments” and “continuing to develop a strong workforce.” None of those goals is consistent with a reduction in the administrative budget, which hasn’t been known for padding.

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