Carman Johnson has many opinions about many things. She is also the Crossing Guard for school children going and coming to school each day on Main Street and South Avenue. Talking her her about traffic problems in Beacon reveals a plethora of information. But it was Sue Serino’s latest photo opp with and declaration of Hulk Hogan Day while employees of the Social Security office in Poughkeepsie were protesting and demanding it be re-opened, alongside other residents of Dutchess County, that got Carman upset.

“That really ticked me off,” Carman told A Little Beacon Blog. “To declare a day for that man, when social security offices are being closed, is, is…” She couldn’t find the words. Carman is a retired federal employee for the Social Security Department. A position she held for 30 years. Prior to that, she worked in the Draft Department for 3 years during the Vietnam War. “That was the worst job of my life,” she told ALBB.

Ned Johnson and his wife in Seattle. Looking very much alive. Ned was declared Dead by Elon Musk’s DOGE Department, and his social security stopped and withdrawn from his bank account.
Photo Credit: Kevin Clark / Seattle Times

“Do you know,” Carman began, “that in the 30 years I worked in Social Security, there were only 2 deaths that were wrong. The people were still alive, but Social Security had them as dead.” Under the current administration, several alive people are being marked as dead, their benefits stopped, and in some cases, money sucked out of their bank accounts.

Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency are hunting for dead people on Social Security rolls, and claims they found many.

In Seattle, there was Ned Johnson, the Seattle Times reported. “You wake up one day and discover you’re dead,” Johnson told the reporter. “It’s been truly surreal.” The reporter stated: "Musk is contending that hordes of dead people are listed as alive in the Social Security databases, and are fraudulently still drawing benefits (which the Social Security director disputes)."

Ned is 82 and collecting Social Security. But when he was identified as dead, his payments stopped and $5,201 had been withdrawn from their bank account by the federal government, on the grounds that he had died months prior. His Medicare insurance was also canceled.

While on the phone with the bank to dispute the withdrawal, Ned asked the bank what he died of. The bank told him to ask Social Security. But when he called Social Security, he could hardly get through because it has become so understaffed. The reporter stated: "He called Social Security two or three times a day for two weeks, with each call put on hold and then eventually disconnected. Finally someone answered and gave him an appointment for March 13. Then he got a call delaying that to March 24.

"In a huff, he went to the office on the ninth floor of the Henry Jackson Federal Building downtown. It’s one of the buildings proposed to be closed under what the AP called 'a frenetic and error-riddled push by Elon Musk’s budget-cutting advisers.'”

Ned eventually proved that he was alive, and got the $5,201 back. But he hasn't received his current Social Security checks yet.

Back in Beacon: “They are trying to privatize social security,” Carman said. “I don’t even know how that would work. They are getting into that money.” Does Carman believe it criminal? Like they are trying to steal the social security money? “Yes. People worked their whole lives for that money. And now the federal government is making it harder to receive it. You have to verify yourself in person, and they are closing offices.”

Carman concluded with: “You know, someone said that Sue Serino was all about the photo opps. I know her to fight against unnecessary federal and county fees. But I guess that person was right. Sue’s just there for the photo opps.”

Carman was one of many who used to love Hulk Hogan. But after his racist revelation years ago, she stopped. Just like this Beacon local did.