Social Security spends $700,000 on Phoenix conference

 

 

 
 
Reported by: Josh Bernstein 
Email: jbernstein@abc15.com 
Produced by: Dan Siegel 
Last Update: 7:46 am

 

 

 

Congress demands answers after conference
Social Security says spent over $700,000 to "reduce stress"

 

Video Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the story

PHOENIX -- A Social Security Administration motivational management conference held at a high-end Valley resort last week cost $700,000, the SSA told the ABC15 Investigators.

Costs for the conference at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa included airfare, hotel entertainment, dancers, motivational speakers, and food, an administration official said.

A spokesperson outside the SSA's Phoenix office declined to comment.

A spokesperson from the SSA's regional office said the conference was essential, that teleconferencing was not an option, and that all 675 managers needed to meet in person.

The SSA provided ABC15 with a list of courses provided at the conference, which included "Techniques to Empower You," "Mentoring the Generations," and "Emotional Intelligence."

But the information provided by the SSA did not mention an after-hours casino trip, family members staying at the hotel, or the 20-minute dance party ABC15 observed.

 Video Click here to watch conference dance video  http://www.abc15.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=22882@knxv.dayport.com&navCatId=22


 

Rooms for the conference were booked at $85 per night, far below the $400-plus room rate in prime season.

The SSA said the entire conference was put out to bid and all employees flew coach class, including the commissioner.

The conference cost was still a tough pill to swallow for taxpayers.

"It sounds like a big rip off to me," one Phoenix resident said.

"That's not right," another Valley resident told ABC15 after watching video of conference events.

Social Security trustees said in May the program will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, and the program's trust fund will be depleted by 2037.

 

Claiming they needed to learn how to reduce stress because of a growing number of death threats being made against them, nearly 700 executives from the Social Security Administration (SSA) gathered for a lavish three-day conference in Phoenix, AZ last weeREAD STORY UPDATE: 
 Congress demands answers after conference
Social Security says it was to reduce stress

Social Security Administration Statement

This was a training conference.  The location was selected through the government's competitive bidding process.  The facility that was selected was the lowest bidder, and we paid well-below the prescribed government rate.
-Leslie Walker, Regional Communications Director, Social Security Administration
 
Copyright 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Social Security Execs Boogie Down at Lavish Phoenix Conference

SSA Says $700,000 Event Was Necessary to Reduce Stress Caused by Death Threats

By JOSEPH RHEE and BRIAN ROSS ABC NEWS
July 15, 2009
 
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Claiming they needed to learn how to reduce stress because of a growing number of death threats being made against them, nearly 700 executives from the Social Security Administration(SSA) gathered for a lavish three-day conference in Phoenix, AZ last week, costing taxpayers about $700,000.

Around 700 Social Security executives gather at a 4-star Phoenix resort.

"We received threats against our employees by people who are in the American public," said SSA Regional Commissioner for San Francisco Peter Spencer in defense of the conference. He said "there is a tremendous amount of stress involved in the job that we do."

The conference, which included a performance by a motivational dance company that was captured on tape byPhoenix affiliate ABC15, was held at the Arizona Biltmore, a hotel described as the "Jewel of the Desert" with an oasis of 39 acres of lush gardens, swimming pools and a golf course. SSA executives were invited to join in the dancing.

But the partying didn't stop there. Some of the government managers brought along their relatives, and there was a night excursion to a local casino.

 

Even top Social Security administrator Michael Astrue made a special guest appearance. His spokesman said he flew coach, and the SSA said it arranged the lowest rate possible for the event.

Critics were incensed with the spending, especially during a financial crisis, and took issue with the idea that executives saved as much money as possible.

"Actually, they didn't do it as low cost as possible," said David Williams of the watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste group. "Because as low cost as possible would be a video teleconference. It would not be flying people in from all around the country to have this conference."

The SSA said such in-person meetings are essential, and this Phoenix gathering was just one in a series of such regional meetings, at a cost of over $1 million in the last year alone.
 
Claiming they needed to learn how to reduce stress because of a growing number of death threats... Expand
(/ABC News)

Congressman Kevin Brady, R-TX, was outraged to learn how the financially-troubled SSA, which is expected to be insolvent in less than 30 years unless taxes are raised substantially, is spending its dwindling money.  "It's especially frustrating when you have people who truly are disabled," said Brady. "Who will wait years just to get their case heard and years more just to get a little help."
 

Workshops at the Conference

 (This list was provided to ABC15 by the Social Security Administration)

Multigenerational Communication - What you need to know to effectively manage four generations at work

RelationsShifts - Techniques to empower you to change the way you relate to your work, your colleagues, our organization and our customers

A Leadership Role in Strategic Management Planning - Learn how to be a strategic leader

Managing Diverse People - Forum to discuss diversity and management for all employees

eServices in SSA - Learn about new and innovative agency initiatives and how they will change the face of SSA and help us to meet the workload challenges ahead

Mentoring the Generations -Will help you engage effectively across all dimensions of diverse thoughts, ideas, attitudes, beliefs, behavior and values of all generations

Emotional Intelligence - Learn to "lead from where you stand" and focus on a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance

Policy Perspectives - Learn what's driving SSA in terms of programs, staffing and beneficiaries, how we change policy, hot policy issues

Reasonable Accommodation - Learn how to recognize potential Reasonable Accommodation issues and what actions are needed when certain indicators are present

Health Information Technology - SSA plans for and use of health IT to improve our disability program

Improving Organizational Performance Through Employee Engagement - The effectiveness of engagement in improving organizational operations as well as the supervisory behaviors which foster greater engagement

Removing the Barriers - Learn a hands-on problem solving process that gives employees the opportunity to identify areas of conflicts and concerns in the workplace and options or solutions to address them

Interest Based Bargaining - Learn a collaborative process used for contract negotiations and daily problem solving that will benefit the organization as a whole

Leading at a Higher Level - Join a panel of current Senior Executive Service (SES) Career Development Program Associates and learn what steps they took to prepare themselves for placement in the SES