Senior Spotlight By John Toscano
Labor Org. Set To Fight SS Changes Again

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum contended last week that a city agency charged with caring for seniors is swamped with an overload of cases and is neglecting the people it's supposed to be helping.

Following a review of the Human Resource Administration's Adult Protective Services (APS) unit, which is supposed to provide care and assistance to 6,154 seniors, Gotbaum recommended the hiring of 60 additional staff workers and additional training of the new recruits.

Gotbaum said her staff had reviewed 57 cases and interviewed 29 APS employees and found that staffing levels were too low for the unit's case load, which had nearly doubled over the past five years.

APS is supposed to look after 6,154 people, but over the past year, the number of people facing evictions rose from 1,268 to 1,754, a 38 percent increase, Gotbaum said.

As a result, she said, each worker handles an average of 35 cases, 10 more than the amount recommended.

Gotbaum said the HRA had followed her recommendation and has requested funds to hire 29 caseworkers, who will receive expanded training. A contractor to handle more cases will also be named.

RENEWED BATTLE OVER S.S.? According to a story in the "American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Bulletin" (winter edition), President George W. Bush is gearing up for another shot at privatizing Social Security, and the union federation is set to resist his efforts again.

In 2005, when the president made an attempt to change the program by allowing some members to invest part of their contributions in the stock market, AFSCME formed a coalition, Americans United to Protect Social Security, that joined in the battle which blocked the president's plans.

The president's opponents maintained that if his privatization plan went through, benefits of older members would be cut sharply.

Now, says AFSCME, the president and the investment community, which stands to make huge profits if the 70-year-old Social Security system is privatized, are planning another assault on the retirement plan which serves millions of members.

AFSCME cited statements made by Bush that Social Security reform would continue to be a top priority for him. In addition, it cited reports that Bush's top aides said the administration was making plans to seek changes in the program. Even after the huge setbacks suffered by Republicans in last fall's elections, where Congress came under Democratic control, a day after the voting the president again vowed to move forward with his plans to radically change S.S.

AFSCME said that with all those warning signs, it stands ready to mobilize its members and others opposed to privatization and to do battle again with the Bush administration.