"The news had been dreaded by seniors for months -- and today the government made it official: for the first time since 1975, there will be no cost-of-living adjustment (or COLA) for Americans receiving Social Security checks next year.
"Under the law, social security payments are supposed to increase anually if U.S. consumer prices increase. But over the last 12 months, prices have declined. Specifically, the CPI-W -- the price index upon which social security adjustments are based -- has dropped 1.7 percent since September, 2008."
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PersonalFinance/social-security-benefits-social-security-check-low/story?id=8835753
If consumer prices have dropped, why is mom's rent going up? Why do her groceries cost more? Why is her Medicare premium going up? Why is her supplemental insurance (which already takes 25% of her income) going up? Where the hell is the money supposed to come from?
For that matter, why has Congress excluded themselves from coverage under the proposed health care reform that the rest of us must live with?
Oh, sorry, I forgot, we're just "we the people;" we're not the important ones.
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3 hours ago
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A good question is, why are so many people receiving social security that don't really even fit the standard? The program is almost bankrupt due to that fact alone.
What we do to our elderly, in every situation, in every instance, is beyond shameful. The more I dealt with my mother's personal affairs, the more galled I became.
Rob, "This is another tax on the productive, to pay the unproductive."
Right. Mom worked since she was 9 (they did things differently in the old country) until she was 65. She raised a family and worked at Rainfair, Eisendrath, Voorlas, and other local plants. Paid all her taxes.
But she was "unproductive. Right.
My understanding was that the program is nearly bankrupt because politicians keep raiding the fund to pay for things other than Social Security.
That goes without saying, orbs.
However, there are also many, many people collecting and sucking off the system that have no right to do so.
The original intent of social security has become so skewed to fit special interest sectors. There are many people collecting who have the capabilities to instead be working but find the checks available to them none-the-less.
I think I've come up with a solution to some of our problems: mandatory death upon retirement. That would get rid of a large, unproductive population of people who drain our resources. We could do away with Social Security and Medicare entirely.
Ah but they are going to give us a $250 check for the hell of it. (I think) That should cover all expenses. BTW I do know of instances where people get SS and aren't 'regular'. For instance if an American marries someone in another country and is married for a while and dies..she gets his SS whether she ever lived here or not. Also my aunt from Norway came here and worked for 10 years then went back to Norway and collected on both Norways and the US SS. Besides that I get it and I worked for it and I deserve it.
My dad didn't live to collect his Social Security - actually, mom is getting his because he made more than her. So who's getting mom's?
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