GOP blocks Democratic effort to award seniors $250 in lieu of lack of COLA increase next year

StarTribune.com ^ | 12/8/10 | JIM ABRAMS , Associated Press

[GreyFriar]

Last years “$250.00” check turned out to be an advance on any over payment of withholding taxes that I had to deduct on what I got back at the end of the year. So much for last year’s “gift” and I bet this year’s will be the same.

[Bob]

No, they don’t vote on the COLAs, as you say. But they do fudge the CPI. It is gotten almost completely bogus. And, at the moment, the buck stops with Obama.

While fudging the CPI is undoubtedly going, my post addressed only the totally separate issue that there was no vote held to freeze the COLA.

[haircutter]

there was NO $250.00 last year...It was in 2009 that they so generously gave each senior $250.00

The Government is the problem and we need to start now cleaning the House and Senate for 2012.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

‘food, gas, home heating, electric bills’

These items are specifically excluded from the calculation of ‘underlying inflation’.

[The Great RJ]

I remember when George Bush wanted to give taxpayers a $400 rebate, Tom Daschle sneered that it wasn’t enough t buy a car muffler. Now The MSM is trumpeting this chump change as being manna from heaven.

[Noamie]

Because a rise in Soc. Sec. disbursement is specifically tied to inflation. It’s the law. No inflation, no bonus.

If you are not satisfied with it then change the law. ;)

Incidentally, Congress gets a raise every year - automatically. It’s written into the procedure.

They would actually have to have a vote to stop the raise.... something they should do immediately. Not to mention the pay cuts they should take.

[ReverendJames]

But yet they find all this money to bailout foreign banks and GE., and pay themselves their COLA.

[CharlesWayneCT]

And yet if you compare the SS payment today to the SS payment of, say, 1990, and then compare the income of today with the income of 1990, do you find a disparity? If not, how can you say the CPI isn’t a rational measurement, whether you think it’s cooked or not?

I know that some people argue the real cost of living for old people is different because they buy different things, or because they use MORE of things because they are older and therefore their costs go up, or have other complaints about the CPI as applied to seniors.

But those are all things that, if we wanted to, we would need to fix by legislation. Right now, SS is adjusted by the standard CPI, and doesn’t care if old people have a different “basket” of goods they buy.

[thulldud]

While fudging the CPI is undoubtedly going, my post addressed only the totally separate issue that there was no vote held to freeze the COLA.

I wasn't jumping on you. Just pointing out another instance of government chicanery, which happens, I must point out, to be a related issue. When the bureaucrats cut common expenses from the CPI in order to hide the rise in "Cost of Living", the effect is the same.

[bert]

Damn..... I already spent our promised $500 on silver

[bert]

....SO WHY CAN’T I HAVE MY COLA???....

It is m understanding that the cola is based on a rise in the consumer price index value. There was no rise in the CPI.

There was a rise in some components but not the total index value.

[Fawn]

This looks so bad.....they should of passed this. Now, the Dems/media are saying Rebubs refuse a measly $250 to seniors but let the ‘rich’ keep millions in tax breaks. I am already reading that which prompted me to find this thread....