So when fuel and food prices are rising rapidly they are volatile, and excluded from CPI, so no COLA increase. But now, when fuel prices are falling they are dominating all other costs, so no COLA increase. Got it: whatever happens, no COLA increase. During the Obama presidency we have seen fuel and food costs increase more than any other living generation of Americans, but somehow we have the first three years of ZERO COLA increases in the history of the social security program. I don’t draw social security, but this is outrageous. Using the CPI to peg SS and COLA is stupid for other reasons beyond this blatant fraud. “Real” cost of living is influenced by real estate taxes, increased cost of education, increased housing costs, increased cost of services, and many other factors not considered at all.
Oh, kwitcherkikken. You say yourself you’re not even on Social Security. Medicare needs to stay viable, so we’ll pay whatever we have to. Social Security was never intended to be a stand alone pension plan even though it is possible to live exclusively on it if one’s home is paid for and there is little or no debt. People who couldn’t be bothered to plan for retirement and now complain about it are due about as much sympathy as college grads with student loans and degrees in useless fields.