By Steve Kofahl and Robby Stern
PSARA will participate in a community meeting to oppose the neighborhood Social Security field office closures being planned by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
At 1:30 p.m. Friday, January 13, we will gather at the Chinatown/International District Community Center at 719 8th Avenue in Seattle, to demonstrate our opposition to SSA’s harsh, bureaucratic decision to close its long-established International District and Belltown community field offices, in favor of a new “Metro” office in the Jackson Federal Building.
SSA Regional Commissioner, Stanley Friendship met with community representatives December 19 to hear their concerns about his decision. Meeting with PSARA President Robby Stern; Minority Executive Directors Coalition Co-Chair Sharyne Shiu Thornton; Seattle NOW representative Thalia Syracopoulos; and Seattle Community Law Center Executive Director Alex Doolittle, Commissioner Friendship made it clear his decision is “set in stone.” The commissioner said SSA’s main motive was to save money in the face of shrinking budgets.
The delegation learned that a search for space for a consolidated office was limited to Seattle’s Downtown core between Yesler Street and Lake Union. Confining the search in this way excludes the International District and South Seattle, exactly the areas where an accessible neighborhood office is most acutely needed.
Friendship suggested that if they could meet the needs of 90 percent of their clients at the new location, the needs for personal service of the other 10 percent could be sacrificed.
The Agency is determined to compel Social Security beneficiaries to rely more on telephones and computers and less on person-to-person service. But many beneficiaries cannot use internet self service, and many, for language and other reasons, cannot communicate effectively by telephone.
Many poor and homeless persons lack photo ID and can’t afford to pay for it. They should not be turned away. Disabled individuals should have adequate disabled parking available. Language should not be a barrier to service.
Commissioner Friendship asserted that security would be improved at the new site. He denied that SSA’s office move would be out of compliance with Department of Justice guidelines that recommend against co-location of high security (ATF, IRS, FBI) and low security (like SSA) agencies.
In fact, the new Seattle Federal Building office would not necessarily be more secure. The 1995 Murrah Building bombing in a comparable facility in Oklahoma City cost the lives of 16 SSA employees and 24 of their clients. That bombing was a major reason for the establishment of the Justice Department guidelines.
To reverse this decision will require pressure from elected officials and from the impacted communities. Populations that require face-to-face service are concentrated in central and south Seattle. To make their access more difficult, or impossible, is to deny equitable service. This is simply unacceptable.
Does $160,000 a year in budget savings justify singling out the most vulnerable in our society for denial of government services? How do you put a price on denying service to 30 people a day?
Please call your elected representatives to register your objections. Please join us at the public meeting in the International District on January 13.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This decision makes sense. These two downtown offices are less than 2 miles apart and duplicate precious personnel, staff. resources, and services. The Social Security Administration is the only government Agency that has 2 offices within 2 miles of each other in Downtown Seattle--except for maybe the post office which is bankrupt because of it's inefficiency. I say let's give the SSA a chance to consolidate services in a smart manner before it moves out of Seattle entirely!
ReplyDeleteThe issue is not the consolidation. The issue is the decision to move the office to the Jackson Federal Building. Because it is a high security building, moving it to the JFB will create major access problems to some of the most vulnerable recipients including the homeless, people for whom English is a second language, the disabled because of major limitations on parking, etc.
ReplyDeleteTotally disagree. Lane Street is less than a mile away-so what's the difference and parking around there is crazy. The Federal Building has better bus access. It's the People's Federal Building and the people belong there, so let's stop making barriers and brainstorm creative solutions!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has been to the Lane St. office and the Intl. Dist office knows there is a huge difference in parking and access. The level of security at the Federal Bldg. is also much much higher. Maybe you experience it as the People's Federal Bldg but that is not the experience of most of us who enter the building through the extensive security.
ReplyDeleteSecurity is just the way things are these days--at the airport and elsewhere. I think there are some creative solutions that need to be explored where we can afford access to the building for the homeless and the vulnerable. We need to work with all the agencies involved so those that need the services receive them in a respectful and dignified manner.
ReplyDelete