ORCHARD BEACH, Md. - Eighty-two-year-old James Hagner has lived in Orchard Beach, Maryland, all his life. He's seen a lot of things, but was surprised when he saw a check from the government.

"I went out to the mailbox, got the mail," Hagner recalled. "I had a check from my mother. She's been dead for 43 years."

It was a check from the U.S. Treasury for $250, one of 50 million that have been sent out in recent weeks to senior citizens as part of the Obama administration's stimulus plan. But to make matters worse, Hagner says he's not gotten his check.

"No, I didn't get mine and I don't care if they ever send it," Hagner said. "I don't want it!"

Mr. Hagner has mostly tried to avoid the media since the mistake became public. But says he's happy with the response he got from Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold , who promised to try and rein in the money coming from Uncle Sam.

Along his two brothers, Hagner served in World War II, and was wounded in Mindanao. He says the money would be better spent fixing the Veterans Affairs health system.

"It's 43 years that she's been dead!" Hagner said. "Them records ain't been cleaned in 43 years?! I say get the records straight or don't send no checks!"

As for his mother, Hagner doesn't think she'd want the check either. He thinks she'd prefer the government pay its bills instead.

"That's what she'd have said: Take it back and pay the deficit," Hagner said. "And that's exactly what they oughta do."

Social Security Administration spokesman Mark Lassiter says officials rushing to distribute payments didn't thoroughly review all Social Security records.

Lassiter says Rose fell into bureaucratic limbo because while she no longer received a Social Security check, the agency didn't have an official record of her death.  Lassiter told the Washington Post there may be as many as 10,000 other such mistakes.

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