Comments on: Paul Krugman on expanding disability rolls

By: Ron Miller

Ron Miller — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:24:12 +0000

I don’t think the “never had a real job” rap every really sticks. I’ve made a payroll every two weeks for the last 15 years. But it does not increase the weight of my opinions.

By: gasman

gasman — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:33:25 +0000

Krugman has never had a job outside of his own liberal academic bubble.
Those of us who work for a living know that the vast majority of disability is a disability of mind and spirit.
See Overlawyered just a week ago, the anesthesiologist who was ‘disabled’ because she was a drug user and could not therefore resume working as an anesthesiologist due to handling narcotics as an inseparable component of that job. Sure she was highly educated and could have sought a lot of highly paid work both within medicine or as a non-practicing consultant researcher or other gainfully employed person. Instead she stuck with the ‘disability’ as her career choice, and won the benefits.

By: David Eggers

David Eggers — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:50:22 +0000

I guess I am in a bubble. Personally knowing people who collect disability that would have no problem working has a way of biasing your views against the real truth that politicians tell us.

By: No Name Guy

No Name Guy — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:36:12 +0000

Steve: Permanent, until those of us who actually pay the bills go Galt and shrug the lazy bums off our shoulders.

By: steve mansfield

steve mansfield — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:47:46 +0000

The combination of high unemployment, the never expanding list of what is a mental disability, contingency fee social security disability lawyers ( we’ve all seen the ads) and some SS disability judges who, essentially, grant all claims have led to a 400% increase in social security disability payouts over the last 20 years. Don’t count on the current administration to do anything since putting as many people on the dole is their way of building a permanent majority.

By: Ron Miller

Ron Miller — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:11:06 +0000

I suspect the real answer lies somewhere in the middle, albeit probably close to Mr. Orszag’s view.