Posted on 09/12/2009 5:32:46 AM PDT by Kaslin
“A lot of seniors do not know what’s coming down the pike… When they hear (about it) they’re going to be upset,” said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Sander’s statement refers to last month’s projection by the Social Security trustees that there will not be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years.
While historically a small amount, each Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is a big deal for America’s senior citizens.
As well it should be.
Seniors living on a limited, fixed income face multiple financial decisions several times each day. Most revolve around what food is available to eat that day and what household utility bill payments they have to juggle each month in order to have something to eat.
In a growing number of cases, “three squares” is a long-gone practice that’s no longer possible. Rent, taxes and personal health-care expenses are other living cost drivers.
Coming on the heals of the still-unfolding debacle called Health Care Reform, in which many of America’s seniors feel they have been targeted, this latest misstep singling out seniors will increase conviction on the part of those seniors that, perhaps, they are indeed in the administration’s crosshairs. That cannot be good for our senior citizens or for any of us.
But, rather than focus on the root causes and develop a comprehensive plan with complementary strategic and tactical elements, politicians and special interest groups lobby for partisan approaches that seem designed to fit only with their favored party’s typical political posturing.
Here’s an example:
Barbara Kennelly, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, wants Congress to ignore existing law and do either a 1 percent increase or issue a one-time payout of $150 to each Social Security recipient. That would cost over $7 billion.
Kennelly also wants to increase the wage amount on which all workers must pay Social Security taxes each year. That will further erode take-home pay for everyone.
Rather than help formulate real solutions, such proposals seem designed more to provide political cover for the administration and current congressional incumbents, many of whom are former colleagues of Ms. Kennelly, a longtime U.S. Rep. (D-CT), while placating members and financial supporters.
If implemented, such proposals would perpetuate the problems confronting both our senior citizens and all working Americans, who have been saddled with exploding government debt, out-of-control government spending and burgeoning taxes.
It’s time to set aside politics and develop a comprehensive plan with genuine complementary strategic and tactical elements - devoid of political tradeoffs so typical of Washington - that will serve the practical retirement interests of all Americans, seniors and active workers.
If we fail to do so, we will open the door to what Art Linkletter rightly called “Generational Conflict.”
You ain’t seen “generational conflict” yet... but it is coming - guaranteed!
There just is not enough younger workers to pay benefits for all of the baby-boomers about to hit the goobermint feed trough. Simple math.
Sorry, Gramps.
>>Sander’s statement refers to last month’s projection by the Social Security trustees that there will not be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years.
Good! Most Americans won’t be getting a COLA raise—or any raise—this year. Most will be lucky to make the same money this year as they did last year.
If the GOP had a brain, one of their primary platforms for 2010 will be the protection of Medicare and a promise to de-fund and overturn Obama Care if it passes. Take away the highest percentage and most reliable voting bloc from the Dems and they are in deep kimchi.
This could possible be the opportunity to flip those life long FDR democrats away from their lifetime of blind loyalty. This is not their parent’s democrat party anymore.
The RATS are going to have a real bad day in Nov 2010!
No Social Secuirty raise or Cola this year, but that didnt stop the County from raising my Property taxes 7% this year.
It wont stop the Feds from raising my taxes by not voting to continue the Bush tax cuts. It wont stop the Feds from passing Cap and Trade, and their expensive Health care bill.
My sales tax rate in Maryland was raised to 6%.
My Governor borrowed from the Stimulus fund to help Baltimore, my county never saw a dime.
Food prices are rising, because we are using food for fuel.
Call me cynical, but I suspect that this will somehow be labeled as the fault of the GOP.
Well, yeah, but those workers had no choice but to pay in to that socialist system, when they could have been investing on their own. They are feeding at the trough because the "goobermint" took their money over the years without their permission.
Do you think that people who aren’t on Social Security don’t pay property taxes too? Income taxes? Social security taxes? Do you think we don’t buy food at the same store as you? This nation is sinking into a depression. We are all going to have to learn to make do with less.
In this economy, we’re ALL on fixed incomes! You can’t just quit your job and expect to find a better one the next day, and if you do, the new company is probably as cash-strapped as your old one.
I think you could set SS right and probably even make sure the minimum was more reasonable if there weren’t so many boomers (and I'm a boomer which is why I know this) who are taking their SS when they don't need it. They may want it to keep themselves up to the same level they had while they were working, or to spoil their grand kids with, but the absolutely do not need it. If SS were means tested at some reasonable level, it probably would have never gotten in the hole it's in and it'll never get out of that hole until the greed of boomers is replaced by some degree of responsibility on their part. I meet ten boomers on SS and not really in need of it for every one that depends on it and nothing else.
Of course, being a boomer makes me very familiar with what that age group thinks and I'm not holding my breath while I wait for them to become responsible.
Regards
I have a question for Obama who claims that he’s going to pay for his health care debacle by getting at some $600 million in medicare fraud and waste.
So if there’s that much waste, why doesn’t the administration go after it because it’s the right thing to do right now. Why wait?
If the fraud and waste could be recovered, it would help reduce the deficit.
And if the congress would reduce its own expenses, like their luxurious little junkets to exotic places, that would also help.
The Democrats have held the pocket book for the last several years. How come they haven’t fixed everything growing on the money tree? Instead, they stand around and blame Bush when, in fact, the president doesn’t make taxes — Congress. And it’s been a Democrat congress since the mid-term election in Bush’s last term.
So if Obama is blaming the last administration for the economic woes of this country, then what he’s really saying is that the Democratic controlled congress caused this mess and he was a sitting senator during those times, even though he was too busy out running around the country with his campaign.
More than a few seniors and many baby boomers voted for this. Baby Boomers will be getting the blue or red pill meeting soon enough.
In addition, Obama’s goons will work to keep interest rates low and the stock market is headed back down. Seniors in CDs are getting less than 2%.
Seniors and baby boomers better wake up and they better tell their kids and grandkids.
If I subtract my mortgage, car payments, and commmuting costs, I live on about $1500/month. If you are retired now and living on Social Security only, then you worked through some very prosperous times and didn’t save anything for YOUR retirement. I’m sorry for you, but I don’t think that working people should have to cut back even more so you can get annual raises.
But I hope that you are telling everyone that will listen about the perils of depending on the government to take care of you. They will let you down when you really need them most.
My husband's aunt in her mid 80's lives in Canada, she fell a couple of years ago. Went to her gov't primary care doc, he TOLD her she was TO OLD, to JUST DIE and refused to treat her for what turned out to be a broken back. Her heart doc noticed she wasn't moving as spryly as usual when he examined her, she told him about the fall and HE took the necessary x rays, and then treated her for a broken back...she was in a wheel chair for months and then a walker, today she is as spry as she was before the fall.
I don't understand why you aren't shouting for relief. Not relief as in welfare , but from relief from the higher taxes, big spending, pork budgets, and stupid laws such as Cap and Trade. Government should not be slowing down the jobless rate by hiring government workers. That is the business of small business and large business. We cant all work for the Government, someone has to work in other sectors to pay those that do. Cap and Trade and the new health care bill will be employing thousands under new government programs , meanwhile small business and even large businesses will be forced out of business or out of the country.
That’s exactly why these cowards will back down and throw the seniors a bone before the mid terms.
But the congress got their raise didn’t they? I am sure all the fed workers got their COLA too! Did the military get a raise?
Fire every federal bureaucrat not engaged in national defense and sell all federal properties, including all federal forests, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, etc., over a 40 year period. Use the sales to pay people a lump sum equal to what they paid in over their lives. Also seize all property, money and assets of every politician and their descendants who foistered this ponzi scheme. Then no more money. End SS immediately.
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