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#publicservices

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Okay, this is just stupid! One of the benefits of having a #website is that people can access your services at any time, day or night, right? Well, I just went to the #SocialSecurity website to try and get a benefit verification letter, which I need because I'm trying to reestablish a #VocationalRehabilitation case. I clicked "Sign In" and was greeted by this message:

This service is not available at this time.
Please try again during our regular service hours (Eastern Time):

| Day | Service Hours |
|-----|--------------|
| Monday-Friday | 4:15 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. |
| Saturday | 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. |
| Federal Holidays | Same hours as the day the holiday occurs. |

If you need immediate assistance:

  • You may call us Monday through Friday: 8:00AM - 7:00PM at: 1-800-772-1213
  • If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, call our toll-free TTY number: 1-800-325-0778

This of the website limitation is especially frustrating for me because I have a #Non24HourSleepWakeDisorder and an unpredictable schedule. It feels like the website is designed without thinking about people like me who need flexibility.
Has anyone else out there had similar issues with government services or other websites?
#Vent #Venting #Disability #ChronicIllness #Accessibility #DisabilityRights #InclusiveDesign #GovernmentServices #PublicServices
@disability@a.gup.pe @disability@beehaw.org @disabilityjustice @accessibility @chronicillness @spooniechat @spoonies

"When does this stop? Every other month; earlier today Mega Bastard Utilities announced record profits, and celebrated by murdering 6000 kittens. And now, the weather.

I blame Thatcher... Yes you can, I think you'll find you can blame Thatcher for pretty much everything. Of course you can. The first leader to make an entire country believe that there was something fundamentally wrong with spending money on public services."

#JonathanPie, 2025

youtube.com/watch?v=qj-gAUaUF-

The Digital Benefits and Disbenefits Cornucopia croupier has dealt the Ten of Agency (AG-10). The card's focus is anti-claimant fraud. Full details at digitalbenefits.uk/deck/agency

DBD Cornucopia is a practical tool for teams implementing welfare benefit e-government services. It assists system review to identify how digitisation choices affect claimants adversely.

Do you want to make #publicservices work better? Join us! buff.ly/YWQfTzS

buff.lyBenjamin P. Taylor on LinkedIn: Systems Innovation public sector conference Feb 2024 | 33 commentsDo you want to make #publicservices work better? Join us! Relational public services can transform our communities — but why do successful examples remain stuck in short-term bubbles? At the Systems Innovation conference, we dug into the tension between transactional approaches and relational methods that truly put people at the centre of service. We explored how governance and cultural resistance can prevent even the most promising innovations from scaling up, even when they deliver better outcomes and real savings. Key takeaways from the day included: - a call for systemic thinking in public service transformation, - the urgent need to shift from transactional to relational methods built on trust and human connection, and - the challenge of scaling deep change in environments resistant to #innovation. We debated policy design and #governance innovation, the 'cautiously promising' role of '#AI' in public services, and the importance of adaptive #leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration. These insights underscore the need to embed learning-based governance and dismantle the bureaucratic barriers that keep our best ideas on the fringes. See the attached short summary for more. The conversations, from inspiring examples like public health in Amsterdam to bold new ideas on system redesign, left us with a clear challenge: How do we move these ideas from the margins to the mainstream? >>>JOIN US! 1. Tomorrow’s feedback event (Wed 5 March, 10am) is our chance to unpack these debates further and co-create actionable strategies with our sensemaking community - and get a full session-by-session rundown of the event. 2. Join our free, open sensemaking community - kick-off Wednesday 12 March 2pm to continue rethinking governance and embracing a model where people and relationships drive public value. Links below! How can we overcome the invisible barriers that keep our most effective ideas from reshaping our system? | 33 comments on LinkedIn

Do you want to make #publicservices work better? Join us! buff.ly/DtU3RH4

buff.lyBenjamin P. Taylor on LinkedIn: Systems Innovation public sector conference Feb 2024 | 33 commentsDo you want to make #publicservices work better? Join us! Relational public services can transform our communities — but why do successful examples remain stuck in short-term bubbles? At the Systems Innovation conference, we dug into the tension between transactional approaches and relational methods that truly put people at the centre of service. We explored how governance and cultural resistance can prevent even the most promising innovations from scaling up, even when they deliver better outcomes and real savings. Key takeaways from the day included: - a call for systemic thinking in public service transformation, - the urgent need to shift from transactional to relational methods built on trust and human connection, and - the challenge of scaling deep change in environments resistant to #innovation. We debated policy design and #governance innovation, the 'cautiously promising' role of '#AI' in public services, and the importance of adaptive #leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration. These insights underscore the need to embed learning-based governance and dismantle the bureaucratic barriers that keep our best ideas on the fringes. See the attached short summary for more. The conversations, from inspiring examples like public health in Amsterdam to bold new ideas on system redesign, left us with a clear challenge: How do we move these ideas from the margins to the mainstream? >>>JOIN US! 1. Tomorrow’s feedback event (Wed 5 March, 10am) is our chance to unpack these debates further and co-create actionable strategies with our sensemaking community - and get a full session-by-session rundown of the event. 2. Join our free, open sensemaking community - kick-off Wednesday 12 March 2pm to continue rethinking governance and embracing a model where people and relationships drive public value. Links below! How can we overcome the invisible barriers that keep our most effective ideas from reshaping our system? | 33 comments on LinkedIn
Continued thread

I'd be okay with platforms like YouTube offering a whitelabel option, free of algorithm motivators that serve self-interest.

But for entities like Amtrak or NOAA to rely on platforms like Twitter or YouTube for alerts and videos is as reckless as using a @gmail email or hosting on Geocities.

We deserve better, and we can demand it!

Hundreds of thousands #protest across #Greece over deadly #TrainCrash

Story by Reuters
Published 6:19 AM EST, Fri February 28, 2025

"Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities and towns across Greece on Friday to demand justice on the second anniversary of the country’s deadliest-ever train crash, and striking workers grounded flights and halted sea and train transport.

"Fifty-seven people were killed when a passenger train filled with students collided with a freight train on February 28, 2023, near the Tempi gorge in central Greece.

"Two years later, the safety gaps that caused the crash have not been filled, an inquiry found on Thursday. A separate judicial investigation remains unfinished and no one has been convicted in the accident.

"#MassDemonstrations were planned in dozens of cities across the country. All international and domestic flights were grounded as air traffic controllers joined seafarers, train drivers, doctors, lawyers and teachers in a 24-hour #GeneralStrike to pay tribute to the victims of the crash. Businesses were shut and theatres canceled performances.

"By early morning, tens of thousands had gathered in #SyntagmaSquare in the center of #Athens, watched by police in #RiotGear. A sign read: 'Government of murderers.' Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government, which won re-election after the crash in 2023, has faced repeated criticism by relatives of the victims for failing to initiate a parliamentary inquiry into political responsibility.

"The government denies wrongdoing and says it is up to the judiciary to investigate the accident. Friday’s protests reflected mounting anger over the disaster in Greece, where mistrust of government is common following a 2009-2018 debt crisis in which millions lost out on wages and #pensions, and #PublicServices suffered from underfunding."

Read more:
cnn.com/2025/02/28/europe/gree
#GreeceProtests #PowerToThePeople

CNN · Hundreds of thousands protest across Greece over deadly train crashHundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities and towns across Greece on Friday to demand justice on the second anniversary of the country’s deadliest-ever train crash, and striking workers grounded flights and halted sea and train transport.
Donald Trump - Eine Person, die gerne die Demokratie abschaffen will.
Blog-Demokratie.de · Mass Exodus from Musk’s Secret Agency – 21 Top Employees Resign in Protest! By Werner Hoffmann - Democracy of the center, because extreme wings destroy the country - . The efficiency agency Doge, led by Elon Musk, is facing a significant personnel crisis. 21 employees, including engineers, data scientists, and product managers, have resigned in protest against the agency’s recent direction. Their main concern is the agency’s growing role in restructuring government functions, centralizing sensitive data, and potentially compromising public services. This development is a major setback for both Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump, who aims to streamline the federal workforce and eliminate thousands of government jobs through Doge. “We Can No Longer Support This Agenda” In a joint resignation letter, the departing employees justified their decision, stating that their professional integrity was at stake. They refused to “develop technologies that undermine government structures, endanger citizens’ privacy, or dismantle essential public services.” Initially, their work was intended to make government operations more efficient, but they now see it as being repurposed for political and ideological goals. The Controversial Role of Doge Doge was established as part of Trump’s federal administration reform efforts. The concept was first introduced by Musk during a public discussion with Trump, in which he immediately pledged his support. While the agency was created to improve bureaucratic efficiency, it has recently taken drastic and controversial steps. One of its most alarming moves was the partial shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with 2,200 employees placed on leave—effectively crippling the institution. Another growing concern is Doge’s unprecedented access to financial and personnel data through the U.S. Treasury. Critics warn that this centralization of sensitive government information poses serious risks to national security and privacy rights. Musk’s Economic Interests Under Scrutiny Musk’s involvement with Doge has also raised questions about conflicts of interest. His companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have multi-billion-dollar contracts with the U.S. government while also being under regulatory scrutiny. Observers suspect that Musk is leveraging his position within Doge to secure strategic advantages for his business empire. With the departure of 21 key employees, Doge has lost a significant portion of its expertise in technology and data analysis. Whether Musk and Trump will be able to push forward with their radical restructuring plans remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear: opposition to the agency is rapidly growing.

#Trump’s federal #firings imperil #government services from cities to farm towns

The Trump admin’s move to fire thousands of federal employees could have a swift & severe impact on #PublicServices, staffers warned Friday, making it harder for #veterans to get mental #HealthCare & hampering #electric service to some #rural residents as a beleaguered #workforce struggles to cover for lost colleagues.

#USpol #DOGE #labor #law
washingtonpost.com/nation/2025

The Washington Post · Trump’s federal firings imperil government services from cities to farm townsBy Hannah Natanson
Continued thread

Freedom is not about a lack of restrictions. A person removed from a prison camp is not free until they are fed, treated, healed & functioning in society.

Our possibilities to act make us free in the world.

Our children are being thrown in a world where there are no public roads, no bridges, everything has toll booths, everything charges them rent.

Let's re-establish the public lands of the internet! Make internet internet again!

Sign the manifesto!
#freedom #internet #publicservices