“If Social Security benefits don’t start catching up to the real rise in costs, we’re going to see a wave of seniors falling beneath the poverty line,” says Daniel O’Connell, chairman of the Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group. “It’s particularly outrageous that seniors may be forced to accept a zero raise next year, as our lawmakers have just accepted a $4,700 raise this year.” He said the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is based on the spending habits of young urban workers and the the costs for senior citizens MAY go up even during periods of deflation. Older people tend to pay heavily for medicine and other health related products.
I got my award letter from Social Security, and I will get no raise, nor will any other person who is on disability or retirement Social Security. I can’t believe it. They claim that it is because the cost of living has not gone up. (Please note: The Government is who figures out the COLA.) I will go along with this if no one in public office gets a raise. I get a set amount each month, my bills add up to just almost the exact amount and that does not include my medications, food, repairs or anything else. I ask you how can our country let this happen? How can our officials, who make well over $80,000 a year with some making $150,000 or more, vote themselves a raise? How on earth can they justify letting the people, who worked hard their whole life and paid into the SS fund, live in poverty? How about some bail out money for the people of this country who have worked hard, contributed, and even raised some of them? I am not asking for a hand out I am asking for some return on my contribution. I think I will forward a copy of this to my Congressmen and Representatives. And I will demand an explanation. If there answer is not satisfactory, assuming that they answer, then I will do the only thing I can do. Never vote for them again. I do not think it is the governments job to keep me from living in poverty, that is my own personal responsibility, I just want a fair return on all the money I was required to invest in Social Security over the last 50+ years.
4 comments:
MSN:
I hear 'ya!
Call me a "conpsiracy theorist", but I've felt for many years that causing SSI to lag behind the inflation rates was just another way of ridding ourselves of all these "nasty" elderly or infirmed people.
There is absolutely NO reason why people who HAVE invested in "the system" cannot get what was (and is) truly THEIRS.
Maybe it's time we abolish the whole SSI thing and allow the PEOPLE to invest their money as THEY see fit for their future instead.
That is (with the current administration) we even wind up WITH a future as we'd like to see it.
Very good post.
"Hey Mr. Obama. I'm too big to fail!" I want all my SS 'investment' returned...now! With interest! Yeah, fat chance. It will go to someone who is here illegally instead.
Snakefoot
Snakefoot:
Don't doubt for a moment that the "think tank" in D.C. isn't already hard at work on making that very thing HAPPEN...and all at the taxpayers' expense.
(Hola, Amigo!)
I have no idea who this Daniel O'Connell is but he is wrong on thinking that COLA is determined by the buying habits and income of young urban workers. It is a lot more complicated than that. And for those of you that want to invest SS money yourself, what would have happened to it when the Bush administration recinded all of the banking regulations and the oversite of Wall Street because he thought that government was too big. HELLO, we found out what happened when "Big Brother" was not watching, the system collapsed and took us with it. Then the whole mess, and that's not even including wars that we have no business in, was turned over to President Obama. The problem is not with the Democrats or the Republicans, it is with us. We let the 2 party system get broken and the only cure is to voice our opinions and hope that the right people listen. This is a very good post, keep up the good work to keep people thinking.
RB
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