Social Security Numbers Stolen
Contributed by Patricia Fisher
WAKE UP ALASKANS. Donald Trump has allowed Elon Musk access to the Treasury Department’s payment system giving him access to your Social Security Numbers and Tax Records, including your bank information. Musk, who now runs DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, is unelected, not a government employee. DOGE was granted access to 6 billion in government funds, without the authorization of Congress. THIS IS A THEFT.
The Treasury Department payment system includes payments for Social Security and Medicare, tax information, and payments to government contractors, health care and veterans’ services. It means DOGE employees have access to the Social Security numbers of millions of Americans, along with sensitive tax information and bank accounts for direct deposit. A Federal judge has blocked DOGE from accessing this information, but it is unclear what information has already been downloaded.
Critics of DOGE say that Musk, who runs companies including SpaceX that receive billions in government contracts, could be engaged in work through DOGE that may pose conflicts of interest with his private businesses, such as potentially gaining access to data about competitors' federal contracts. It would be possible that payments could be made which would favor Musk’s world-wide business empire.
Government efficiency should be a goal of the new administration, however, it should not be done at the risk of endangering lives, such as cutting air traffic employees, food inspectors, or medical research. It should be done carefully, with a scalpel, not a slash and burn approach. And access to personal data should be OFF Limits.