Here's an example of what happens when the federal government runs social programs: bad decisions which hurt people and which have no legal basis ("it just seemed like a good idea", is the excuse). If only this was a rarity or the worst example......

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?i...Administration

In this case, there's almost a (Change that to over half a) billion dollars in renumeration to claimants and legal fees to be paid by the Social Security Administration in this settlement - and it could have been much worse if it went to court.

This settlement must be paid fro SSA's operating account, and not through additional taxes or appropriations - that's the way it works when agencies are sued and lose/settle. So, SSA is now almost a (Change to well over a half)billion poorer because of bad/illegal decision-making, and the odds that anyone will be fired due to this is almost nil. What's sad is that this matter has dragged along for quite a while, with SSA knowing it was only a matter of time before the **** hit the fan. Now the hope is that the settlement will fly under the public radar.

And we wonder why SSA is going broke! And now "we" want this kind of management over everyone's health care - with the same "remarkable" decision-making and staffing?

[[Math corrected per Bimmrtl's comment - he's right! My morning math is never good!]]