WTB

Editor's note: This story is posted with permission from the anonymous federal employee who shared it with us. Some edits were made for length and clarity.

I never imagined I’d be writing a blog post like this. For over five years, I served at the CDC, pouring my heart and soul into public health, developing critical data tools, and earning a dozen prestigious awards that celebrated my dedication and expertise. That tenure was split where I developed expertise and best practices in the private sector to bring back to CDC. 

Did you hear the President's address to congress last week? Did you follow along with the fact checkers rating almost all of the claims as completely false, partially false, or needing more context?

Let's dig in on a specific false claim that's been repeated by this administration.

The claim

That SSA is paying benefits to people who are over 120 years old.

Editor's note: This story is posted with permission from the anonymous federal employee who shared it with us. Some edits were made for length and clarity.

First, let's get one thing straight: I want the government to be efficient, too.

I want the line to move faster at the Post Office. I want it to be easy (not just easier—easy!) to file my taxes. I want my tax dollars to build roads and schools and fix the damage from natural disasters.

In the tech world, companies often follow the motto "Move fast and break things." This approach encourages quick changes, rapid development, and testing ideas by putting them into the real world—even if that means things sometimes fail. While this can work in the private sector, it is not how government should operate.