Social Security COLA Freeze: Obama To The Rescue? I Told You So!

RFFM.org ^ | October 18, 2009 | Daniel T. Zanoza

[Daniel T. Zanoza]

On August 24, 2009 I wrote a commentary titled, "COLA Freeze for Social Security Recipients: Part of an Obama Ruse to Keep Senior Voting Bloc?".

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Barack Obama has proposed Congress approve a one-time $250 payment to seniors and handicapped ...

[silverleaf]

With that extra $5 a week from the One, The SS and SSI crowd better stick up on dog food while it’s still affordable-and buy some warm socks

sarc

[Sacajaweau]

I’m on SS and Medicare. I also purchase a supplement via a GOVERMENT APPROVED HMO. I have been informed that the HMO premium will go up by 58% in January BECAUSE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CUTS.

[Grams A]

I am sure that the Medicare premium will also go up as well as the deductible. All you are doing is pre-paying these increases but I am sure they will be more than the $250 from BO - but look at all the goodwill he is buying!

[Gaffer]

It is a feeble, selfish person whose vote can be bought for a paltry $250.

[aimhigh]

Half the wealth in the USA is owned by those over 65.

[Gaffer]

That fact just makes it all the more worse.

[silverleaf]

Make sure your Senator and Congressmen know about this.

Also copy this example of “history calling” to those compassionate bipartisan oracles of the east, Snowe and Collins.

[silverleaf]

You kidding? In my town democrat votes can be bought for a sandwich and free cigarettes. That’s why they set up lunchwagons in po’ neighborhood polling stations.

[Sacajaweau]

COLA was based on your existing payment. In other words, because this isn't a regular COLA increase, your base amount doesn't go up....which effects every year thereafter. There's already talk that there will be no COLA thru 2012....That means any gain in monthly SS payments via COLA for 2007, 2008 & 2009 will have been wiped out.

My rent alone has wiped out each COLA increase.

[Sacajaweau]

Oh yeh....My reps here in NY will be a big help.../sarc

[silverleaf]

Just shows who the evil selfish exploiters are, who took all that pie instead of sharing it with someone who needs some free pie on the way up the ladder to pie in the sky.

MEDICARE cuts and age-restricted access to life extending therapy will help address that. Death taxes can help redistribute that pie back to the needy.

[nascarnation]

It is a feeble, selfish person whose vote can be bought for a paltry $250.

Actually I'll take the $250 and vote AGAINST Democrats, LOL

[HarleyD]

LOL if the Dems think this is going to look like a rescue. First, the $250 isn't anything near the 2% pay raise seniors would have received. Second, this is a one-time shot; not a permanent increase. Seniors aren't going to be fooled by this in the least and Americans are going to be incense that we are adding MORE money to the deficit. This is simply rubbing salt into a very sore wound.

This is like say they are going to promote growth by extending unemployment benefits. All this shows is the ineptitude of this government to address fundamental problems. Nobody is going to be fooled and nobody is going to be satisfied.

[The Great RJ]

I remember Tom Daschle saying that Bush's $400 stimulus check wouldn't be enough to buy a muffler. This $250 check would hardly be enough to buy even a fan belt. Seniors have a right to be mad for such cheap patronizing.

[silverleaf]

ditto my axxholes in MD

But at least maybe they will choke-up when lying about intending to save folks money, and they cannot say they were blind to the true effects of their legislative malfeasance

[WellyP]

He STILL can’t buy my vote!

[Citizen Soldier]

I was thinking about when do the congress critters vote themselves their next cost of living raise? They may well sneak it in on the tails of one of the massive 1,000 pages+ bills they pass.

[pnh102]

Good. Maybe now the senior citizens who suck away my paycheck can enjoy those “fixed incomes” that they constantly whine about.

[BBell]

Oh come on, we all know Seniors only eat dog food and cut their pills in half when republicans are in charge.