Where's The New Social Security Commissioner? - Political Irony?

Where’s The New Social Security Commissioner? – Political Irony?

Social Security has an Acting Commissioner, Carolyn W. Colvin, who previously was the Deputy Commissioner. Ms. Colvin also has prior experience working for the Social Security Administration, and appears to be a competent administrator.

At a time where Social Security needs a charismatic, dynamic, and creative leader and administrator, President Obama has not yet nominated his candidate for the next six year term for the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Here is an interesting take on why he has not yet come forward: http://judgelondonsteverson.me/2013/01/14/who-will-president-obama-select-to-be-the-new-commissioner-of-the-social-security-administration .

Social Security has three huge tasks facing it: Restoring program confidence and solvency, reassessing its service delivery approach and its effectiveness, and updating its programmatic issues, particularly the disability insurance program.

There has been much written about what may be former President George W. Bush’s most significant and longest lasting legacy. There certainly are many to choose from, but given Mr. Bush’s desire to privatize Social Security, the fact that he appointed two Social Security Commissioners, who filled the Commissioner’s slot for nearly twelve years, ranks right up there. Mr. Bush appointed Jo Anne Barnhart who filled the position from November 2, 2001 through January 20, 2007, and then Michael J. Astrue who filled the slot from February 12, 2007 through January 19, 2013. Twelve years! That’s a long time to have people running a program that they may not have even unequivocally supported.

Current law calls for a six year term for the Commissioner of Social Security. Theoretically, the purpose of the six year term was to remove politics from the position. However a case can be made that having a six year term makes it even more political. President Bush managed to control who sat in the Commish’s seat for twelve years! Even W, himself, only controlled or occupied the oval office for eight years!

So where is the nomination for the new Social Security Commissioner? Is President Obama waiting until the second half of his term to name a new commissioner? Is the idea to appoint someone whose term will not expire until after the 2020 presidential election in the event of an opposition party victory in 2016?

This is a poor strategy, if that is what is happening. Social Security needs to be the BEST that it can be NOW! That is a better strategy. The Clinton administration lasted eight years. It had a chance to do a few things to shore up Social Security solvency and bolster program confidence. It did nothing. Is President Obama planning on the same strategy?