While targeting Bristol’s Social Security office for closure, the federal government plans to leave offices open in eight other Connecticut cities that serve far fewer people.
The only bigger municipality in the state that lacks a Social Security office is West Hartford, which shares a border with Hartford, which has a full-service office..
East Hartford, however, which also borders Hartford but which has a population almost 10 percent smaller than Bristol, has a Social Security office that’s slated to remain open.
Even tiny Willimantic, which has a little more than a quarter of Bristol’s population, will retain its Social Security office.
The Social Security Administration plans to close the Bristol office on Nov. 2 to save about $113,000 annually. It anticipates that residents of Bristol and surrounding towns will use the frequently crowded office in New Britain instead.
Connecticut’s two senators and U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, are pushing the Bush administration to reverse course and let the office remain open.
There are currently 17 Social Security offices in the state. Bristol’s is the only one that’s slated to shut down.
If the office is closed, Bristol will easily be the largest city in the state lacking a Social Security office either within its borders or in a neighboring municipality.
Milford, which also lacks one, is midway between New Haven and Stamford, which do. It has more than 20 percent fewer residents than Bristol, which had 60,187 as of the last Census. Experts say the city has added about 1,000 people since the Census.
The eight Connecticut cities and towns that are smaller than Bristol that have Social Security offices are Ansonia, East Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New London, Norwich, Torrington and Willimantic.
In a letter to the administrator of the Social Security Administration, Larson and U.S. Sens. Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd argued that Bristol’s office should remain open in part because of the “unique transportation situation” that would make it difficult for someone to take a bus to the New Britain office.
The lawmakers said in a recent press release that the proposed budget passed by the House of Representatives this spring includes a significant increase in funding to the Social Security Administration. The Senate may provide even more money.
They said that almost 15 percent of Bristol’s residents are 65 years or older, which means that at least one in five city residents gets Social Security because of age, survivor benefits or disability. Politicians point out they are also often the people who have the hardest time traveling.
"We must remind the Social Security Administration and the President that they owe our seniors the respect of an accessible Social Security office,” Larson said.
"It is critical that seniors have easy access to Social Security offices," said Dodd, who is running for president.
"I will continue to work closely with Senator Lieberman and Representative Larson to urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider his decision to close the Bristol office. Thousands of Connecticut seniors rely on Social Security and they should not be forced to jump through hoops in order to get the benefits they deserve."
Lieberman said he is “extremely disappointed” that Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue's decision to close the Bristol office.
"Consolidating this office with the New Britain office would be a tremendous burden on seniors in our state, “ Lieberman said.
“Earlier this year, Senator Dodd, Representative Larson and I met Commissioner Astrue to hear the agency's budget concerns, and we responded by working in the House and the Senate to increase the budget for the Social Security Administration,” Lieberman said.
“In view of these facts, I urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider this decision," Lieberman said.
City officials and the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce have also called for the office to stay open.
Connecticut's Social Security offices
Ansonia
Bridgeport
Bristol
Danbury
East Hartford
Hartford
Meriden
Middletown
New Britain
New Haven
New London
Norwalk
Norwich
Stamford
Torrington
Waterbury
Willimantic
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
I would just like to know when Gov. Jody Rell is going to speak up on Bristols' behalf.To date she has been silent,why?A Republican Governor just MIGHT get the ear of the President,yes?
a Republican Governor who voted for John Kerry?
It's amusing that this Democratic city is now begging for a Republican President to intercede on their behalf to keep a SS office open.
How many times have we read in the past few weeks on Steve's blogs that Bristol, Connecticut, and the Federal governments' budgets are too fat. Well, you have to begin somewhere. More offices should be closed.
Yes, more and more people will be entering their golden years, but they are also more educated, more mobile, have better transportation and most issues with the Social Security Administration can be done via telephone, mail and the internet. Satellite offices are dinosaurs.
Besides, if one needs to travel to New Britain, many can get there more quickly than driving across all of Bristol.
It's the old axiom, cut, cut, cut, but not what I want.
Spoken like a true Republican.Insensitive,callous and self serving.Yeah,let's make life even a little TOUGHER for our seniors.If anyone of your relatives were in need of those services,and NOT all that "mobile", I'm sure you would be singing a different tune.It's EASY to run that "rot" when you are not directly affected by the loss of these services!
Tim, if my relatives needed help, I would help them, myself. I don't need the government to service and pay for all of my needs from the cradle to the grave. All that does is cost you, me and them even more tax dollars, which all 3 complain.
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