Following several weeks of scary-to-seniors dire warnings --- from President Barack Obama to national print and broadcast media --- that more than 45 million Americans may not get their August Social Security payments if the debt-ceiling crisis was not resolved, lo and behold, just minutes after the debt-ceiling vote passed in Washington, the Social Security Administration issued a news release saying benefits will be paid on time, notes Grumpy Editor.
Whew!
Imagine this miraculous speed: With the green light and to meet the next-day (Aug. 3) dissemination, the U.S. Treasury Department immediately cranked up its check-printing presses or geared for direct deposits to millions of recipients. Then, for the mailed checks, the U.S. Postal Service took over for following-day distribution around the country --- a delivery process that usually takes two days to mail boxes.
Hard to believe?
Not even usual eyebrow-raising investigative reporters were stirred by this magical, super-fast federal government action, equal to pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Strangely, with millions of Americans concerned, few print and broadcast media reported the announcement that Social Security benefits would be paid as usual and on time.
The Aug. 2 news release from the Social Security Administration announced “payments for August 3 will be made on time and as scheduled. Payments for August 10, 17 and 24 also will be made as scheduled.”
The three-paragraph news release also reminded that “current beneficiaries must switch to electronic payments by March 1, 2013.”
That should provide another “crisis” for media, focusing on recipients who do not have bank accounts.
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