SSI Payments

* Should the states administer welfare, including SSI?

Having worked for decades, finally disabled but not yet 50 years old, my total Social Security disability/SSI monthly income amounts to less than that of a minimum-wage earner. We all know that the SSA (Social Security disability) amount is far lower than it would be if Social Security hadn’t been mismanaged for decades.

In addition, my past taxes paid to the federal government went into the federal general fund from which SSI is paid. Under the present system, the SSI money passes through state government hands and the states are allowed to “skim” this money by arbitrarily denying much needed cost-of-living increases of 5%. Recently, our own “enemy-of-the-dis- abled” Gov. Pete Wilson pulled this budget trick and ripped off our 5% to “rescue” education. Maybe the states should administer welfare, but definitely not SSI!

BRENT BAKER