I wrote yesterday about the shocking case of a millionaire collecting food stamps. Today, I have an equally disgusting story of government waste.
The Social Security program is actuarially bankrupt, with unfunded liabilities of several trillion dollars. Our topic today deals with the disability portion of Social Security, which is in especially poor shape, with untold numbers of people faking illness in order to scam permanent payments – beginning in some cases decades before retirement age.
I’ve actually shared jokes about this phenomenon (see here and here), but this is no laughing matter.
The latest outrage is a 30-year old man who pretends to be an infant, and his roommate, who pretends to be his mother. I don’t care that he wears diapers and she changes them. I don’t care that he weighs 350 pounds. I wouldn’t care if I found out that they have sex with turtles and eat horse manure. As a libertarian, I genuinely believe people should be free to do anything that doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.
But I care very much that they are scamming taxpayers. In a typical display of government incompetence, both of them have convinced the Social Security Administration to give them disability payments.
Here are some of the key details from the Washington Times expose, including an effort by Senator Coburn to end the ripoff.
Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican and the Senate’s top waste-watcher, asked the agency’s inspector general to look into 30-year-old Stanley Thornton Jr. and his roommate, Sandra Dias, who acts as his “mother,” saying it’s not clear why they are collecting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits instead of working. “Given that Mr. Thornton is able to determine what is appropriate attire and actions in public, drive himself to complete errands, design and custom-make baby furniture to support a 350-pound adult and run an Internet support group, it is possible that he has been improperly collecting disability benefits for a period of time,” Mr. Coburn wrote in a letter Monday to Inspector General Patrick P. O’Carroll Jr.
The sorry excuse for a human being, otherwise known as Mr. Thornton, responded to Senator Coburn’s letter with a perverse form of moral blackmail.
In an email response to The Washington Times, Mr. Thornton threatened to kill himself if his Social Security payments are taken away, and said the television episode showing him doing woodwork oversold his abilities. “You wanna test how damn serious I am about leaving this world, screw with my check that pays for this apartment and food. Try it. See how serious I am. I don’t care,” the California man said. “I have no problem killing myself. Take away the last thing keeping me here, and see what happens. Next time you see me on the news, it will be me in a body bag.”
My immediate reaction is not very charitable, involving a combination of the f-word with “go” and “yourself.” As I calm down and think about it, I hope that both of these people have friends and family who can help them return to normal life.
But I also know that Mr. Thornton and his partner should no longer be allowed to mooch off taxpayers.
P.S. Senator Coburn also should demand that the SSA track down the bureaucrat(s) that approved the disability payments and have him/her/them fired.
[…] may get on the list because they are undeservingly rich, malignantly evil, incredibly entitled, or downright […]
This was first posted in 2011 just so yall know, and second you might want to read these 2 links:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/18/man-living-as-an-adult-baby-is-cleared-of-social-s/?page=all ;full title is this man living as an adult baby cleared of social security fraud
and another similar site: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051012/Adult-baby-Stanley-Thornton-Jr-cleared-fraud-STILL-getting-disability-benefits.html
so if a person is cleared from committing fraud then they ain’t defrauding the government or taxpayers now are they?
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] looks like a rather robust eater, which is somewhat disturbing on more than one level since he gets disability checks that allow him to fulfill his fantasy of wearing diapers and being an “adult […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] * Another proud member of the Hall of Fame is Stanley, who was a shoo-in for the honor after it was learned that this 30-year old man has been scamming disability checks from the government so he can fulfill his fetish of wearing diapers and being an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] I think of the disability program, I think of the bum who is collecting a check so he can be an “adult baby” and indulge his fetish of wearing diapers. Though I guess that’s not as bad as the situation in Greece, where you can […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] Disability payments to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Giving disability benefits to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] * Another proud member of the Hall of Fame is Stanley, who was a shoo-in for the honor after it was learned that this 30-year old man has been scamming disability checks from the government so he can fulfill his fetish of wearing diapers and being an “adult baby.” […]
[…] * Another proud member of the Hall of Fame is Stanley, who was a shoo-in for the honor after it was learned that this 30-year old man has been scamming disability checks from the government so he can fulfill his fetish of wearing diapers and being an “adult baby.” […]
[…] I think of the disability program, I think of the bum who is collecting a check so he can be an “adult baby” and indulge his fetish of wearing diapers. Though I guess that’s not as bad as the situation in Greece, where you can […]
[…] I think of the disability program, I think of the bum who is collecting a check so he can be an “adult baby” and indulge his fetish of wearing diapers. Though I guess that’s not as bad as the situation in Greece, where you […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] disability payments, I can’t resist noting that the United States may give disability payments to adults who want to wear diapers as a lifestyle choice, but at least we don’t reward pedophiles with disability payments. In the contest for the most […]
Reblogged this on Climate Ponderings.
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” and “Footless […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] the battle of the bums, we’ve had the spectacle of “Diaper Man” vs “Footless […]
[…] payments, I can’t resist noting that the United States may give disability payments to adults who want to wear diapers as a lifestyle choice, but at least we don’t reward pedophiles with disability payments. In the contest for the […]
[…] joke captures the perverse incentives of the programs, but these real-world horror stories about Diaper Man and Footless Hans are only funny in a twisted way. And this Greek story about rewarding pedophiles […]
[…] list. I have no idea who Jeremy Kyle is, but I’m guessing an infamous moocher (sort of like America’s Diaper Man or Germany’s Footless Hans). The other dependents are self […]
[…] Before sneering at the Greeks, keep in mind that “disability” claims also are rising in the United States, which is rather remarkable since jobs have become less arduous over time. Heck, the Social Security Administration decided to give disability payments to a grown man who gets his jollies by wearing diapers. […]
He says he’ll kill himself if they take away his handouts? Is that a promise?
[…] This may be even more absurd than the Social Security Administration giving disability payments to a 30-year old man because he wanted to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] This may be even more absurd than the Social Security Administration giving disability payments to a 30-year old man because he wanted to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Disability payments to a grown man who wants to wear diapers and live as an “adult baby.” […]
[…] Before sneering at the Greeks, keep in mind that “disability” claims also are rising in the United States, which is rather remarkable since jobs have become less arduous over time. Heck, the Social Security Administration decided to give disability payments to a grown man who gets his jollies by wearing diapers. […]
[…] Before sneering at the Greeks, keep in mind that “disability” claims also are rising in the United States, which is rather remarkable since jobs have become less arduous over time. Heck, the Social Security Administration decided to give disability payments to a grown man who gets his jollies by wearing diapers. […]
[…] some of what I wrote last May about Stanley Thornton, a.k.a. Diaper Man, also known as Adult Baby. The latest outrage is […]
this guy says he will kill him self make his last payment in a diffrent form send him a gun with one shell and a note telling him have a nice trip
[…] Whatever the reason, this story is the perfect symbol of bloated, stupid, and feckless government. The only example that comes close, though it only applies to one person rather than an entire class of people, is the decision by Social Security bureaucrats in America to give disability payments to some clown that wants to be an “adult baby” and wear diapers. […]
Get real, why don`t you ?? Can WE do Anything but bitch about this Sorry excuse for a Guvmt. we Are Seemingly ? stuck with ?? Can we Do anything That is Lawful to change it ? Outside of stampeding and mayhem in our streets, etc ? And gee ! Get locked up..or Shot for the Effort ?? SO>>Don`t be so damn hard on the Greek People. THEY are Suffering under a Rotten regime They want to Get Rid of, too. Show Them HOW to do That..( Without Bloodshed, that is ) And Then Show US how to pull it off Right here in this US of A. Or else..Stop your Bad mouthing Greece. Grow Up.. why don`t you ? …confoundmeonce…but Not again.
[…] Whatever the reason, this story is the perfect symbol of bloated, stupid, and feckless government. The only example that comes close, though it only applies to one person rather than an entire class of people, is the decision by Social Security bureaucrats in America to give disability payments to some clown that wants to be an “adult baby” and wear diapers. […]
[…] rather than an entire class of people, is the decision by Social Security bureaucrats in America to give disability payments to some clown that wants to be an “adult baby” and wear diapers. Rate this: Share this:PrintEmailFacebookTwitterMoredeliciousDiggFarkLinkedInRedditStumbleUponLike […]
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Jeez! Having read this post I can only conclude that ripping off the taxpayers is too uniform in style to be coincidence. We have the same stupid people over here in the UK, supplying druggies with their drugs and needles, and benefits because they’re too drunk, or drugged up to work.
Is it possible that the governments of Canada, Europe and the USA, have colluded to wreck our economies by subversion, mass immigration, while exporting our national wealth along with our jobs, to Africa and China?
Or am I just another crazy old bastard, imagining a global conspiracy?
[…] lives as an “adult baby.” But what got me upset was not his lifestyle, but rather the fact that he was mooching off the taxpayers thanks to the dumb bureaucrats at the Social Security Administration, who granted him […]
The ‘Nanny State’ eventually makes Babies out of all.
Please don’t be so hard on Stanley Thornton; he is actually a radical Tea Party activist who is deliberately making Social Security look bad in order to get it defunded or privatized. I believe he’s working with James O’Keefe.
If the guy want’s to “off” himself when he’s pulled off the taxpayer’s teat then I’ll have to say that I’ll personally buy him an office visit with Jack Kevorkian. Make that quick please…
Well, the turtle doesn’t exactly have rights, but they also can’t consent, either.
As a libertarian, I admit I’m torn about the issue of animal cruelty.
As a compromise, I would accept the replacement of the phrase “with turtles” to either “using turtle wax” or “with a dead turtle.”
Other than that, I couldn’t agree more.
I am confused upon how sex with turtles does not infringe upon the rights of the turtle? If an individuals hobby involved lighting cows on fire (and said individual owned the cows) should the government stay out of it?
The parasite claims he’ll off himself if he gets bounced off the taxpayers’ teat. Somehow, I can’t imagine missing him if he does.
-jcr