What Can You Learn at the Social Security Office?

For some reason, I have this idea that a blog was originally to be an opinion piece, for which there might be some disagreement. This piece I am writing is my opinion and there are definitely persons who disagree.

When we went to the Social Security office, we learned that since I am drawing social security payments, any children that I have that are still in elementary through high school (not older than 19) could be drawing monthly social security payments equal to half of what I am getting. That means that if Taylor were my daughter, then she would get these payments until she graduates from high school, or drops out of school. Now you can see where this is going. Be and I reasoned that Taylor has already lost over $10,000 because we did not know this fact. We cannot explain why this is the law -- it just is. So the very night we learned this we went to see Guinn and Callie and proposed that we adopt Taylor. We assured them that this would be a "paper" transition only, and our relationship with them, and Gordon, and Lenna would not change. Taylor could even keep her last name. You could see in Callie's face that this was not going to fly, and she said that they would need to talk to Gordon about it. I asked if it could be done quickly because money was flying out the window by the hour.

Two days went by, so I called. I was informed that Gordon had heard of some new GI benefit that "would be even better for Taylor." So I urged them to encourage him to look into this as quickly as possible. No word. Well, of all things, finally on Taylor's birthday, Gordon called her. Fancy that! I do no know how long it had been since she had heard from him, but now he is the "good daddy." I asked to talk to him, and he said that he had an appointment with an adviser the next day. Sure enough, the next day, Guinn was to pick up Taylor for the week-end, so he and Callie came together. With great flourish and smugness, she gave me a sheet of paper that was supposed to settle the question once and for all. Indeed, there is a new law that will take effect August 1, 2009, that will pay increased benefits to children of military personnel who meet certain requirements. Gordon meets all of the requirements.

The short version of it is that if Taylor goes to college (or trade school, or any other such higher education) following high school, she will be eligible for benefits through Gordon. It was too complicated to digest on the spot, so I told Guinn and Callie that I would look at the numbers and see what I found.

But the thing that made me so upset that I have had trouble sleeping, and have sometimes been a bear to live with (just ask Be) is this. Callie said that no matter what I determined, Gordon was not going to agree to our adopting Taylor. Then she went over to Taylor and got really close to her and said, "Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you too much to let you be adopted. You are worth more than $40,000 to him." At this point, Be said, "What does that mean?" Callie said something of the form that she is worth more to him than any amount of money. Be reasoned that it would be Taylor's money - not his. He wasn't giving up anything. I said that if she meant that much to him, then HE could just give here the money and everything would be settled. She said that was not possible.

Then we got the story of Callie's background. Her parents split, and her mom remarried. The step-dad wanted to adopt Callie when she was 11, and apparently they told her that her dad did not love her, and that was why he was agreeing to the adoption. At this point her tears were flowing, and she reported that an uncle saved her from that disaster, and she quoted the words that he used to describe the step-dad. I will not repeat them. Callie said that she did not want Taylor to go through the trauma that she had to endure. We claimed that the cases were as different as black and white - we were not saying anything about any parents, no relationships would change, and we could get some money for Taylor that she was eligible for. But Callie clearly indicated that she did not trust us. I said, "Callie, you know us better than that." She said, "I think so, but . . ."

Now for the numbers. I calculate that if we could adopt Taylor by January of 2009, and if she finishes high school, then with 5% interest calculated, she would have about $59,000 when she graduates from high school. If she goes for the GI benefits, then she gets nothing if she does no more schooling. The GI bill will pay approximately $8430 per year for tuition after high school, plus $1000 per year for books and supplies, plus a housing allowance equal to a military E-5 category. I made what I consider to be a generous estimate of that figure, $725 per month. At the highest, I calculate that she could be awarded $72, 520 for schooling if she goes four years. I am assuming that they pay the housing in the summer whether she is in school or not.

So it is clear, is it not? The choice is $59,000 for sure which will be Taylor's to use any way she desires, or the potential of $72,000 paid to someone else if things work out right.

My opinion is that I am old enough to know that this world does not run on logic and wise choices. Rather it appears to me that most of the choices people make are based on emotion and self-serving interests. But I cannot seem to learn that, so I keep trying to use what I consider to be logical arguments, and only get frustrated and angry. As an example, consider the kind of "sound bites" that we get from politicians. Is there any logic in most of it? I do not think so - it is mostly emotion and self-serving platitudes.

Well, the end result is that some people are idiots. I leave it to you to decide who they are. Aren't you glad that you do not live with me? Isn't Be Green the best in the world? Yes, and AMEN.