Don’t Count on Future Social Security Increases

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today my neighbor gleefully told me about how he and his wife received their "stimulus 250.00". after listening to his rant about how wonderful his holyness,pope obama the first, had taken care of them, politely showed him mainsteam, page 53, about BO,Polosi, Reed, statements that there will be NO COLA increases in SS for at least 3 years, and showed him the math on how they got screwed to the tune of several $$$$$ his only response was,hes black and he cares! Geez that gonna go far when i get my 500.00 gas bill next winter!What in the hell were you people thinking when you voted for this loon? Im running out of stuff to sell!!

d kaiser of NE 12:39AM May 14, 2009

How fortunate we are to such a talented group of mathematical wizzards who could not see the econonic bomb dropping but somehow have the ability to predict no funds for seniors for the next 3 or more years. Let's see, how would that equation look: 0 + 0 = COLA. PERFECT
Here's a novel thought! What if tax rate was eliminated or lowered for Social Security income? If I understand the system, taxes generated S.S. funds. Funds are again taxed when distributed as S. S. imcone.
Please correcct me if I am not accurate.
Thank God for Wall Street! (Did I really say that?)

Jim Scheu of PA 7:09AM May 09, 2009

It is accurate that Obama, alone, cannot give or take away cost of living raises for SS, but HIS party, with his request for legislation, certainly can. The index is slanted towards the cost of goods purchased by young, working adults, and not towards the BASICS for retired individuals, who often don't have adequate food or heating for their homes (if they can hold on to them). If Obama wanted to assist retired individuals, barely scraping by on SS and, for some, depleted 401's, he could with the assistance of Pelosi and Reid, rules of the Democratic party. Instead, Obama is interested only in flowery (with a lot of bloopers lately, including one-after-another-malapropism Biden) speech with no specifics. The Democrats wanted power and have it. Look at how they're using it...pretending they didn't cause the financial debacle, i.e. Frank & Dodd, and doling our our tax dollars to AIG & Citibank, because they all have big investments in it (Pelosi, Heinze/Kerry and who knows how many more).

Jim Martin of MA 9:24AM May 07, 2009

My husband and I both are retired and over 65, we needed the
raise, but knew if the democrats could they would ruin
everything. Our medicine and medical increases will take all the stimulus. What happened to the $1000 stimulus we were
promised if we voted for Obama. Bless the banks!

B. Boswell of AR 12:46AM May 07, 2009

Some of the comments are really puzzling. Apparently, people do not realize that the president does not control how much or how little the COLA will be each year. I suggest they Google this issue to learn the true facts. The author of the article also does not know what will happen for the year 2010. The decision is based on the cost of living increase between the third quarter of one yaer and the third quarter of the next year. Until those numbers are known, nobody knows what will happen.

Dick Squier of CA 6:43PM May 06, 2009

What a mess we have gotten ourselves into voting for a change, boy didn't we get a change. Everyone thought President Bush was so bad, I don't believe he would have touched SS COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS. This Adm. said all the right words to mesmorize everyone just to get into office. Now, things are taking place we wouldn't have dream of in our wildest imagination. Fortunately, it didn't take us long to see our mistake.

KLW of MD 1:21AM May 06, 2009

WHY GIVE THE 250.00 stimulus check and then not give us the cost o0f living raise. I REALLY JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE WILL MAKE IT BECAUSE EVERYTHING GOES UP EVERY YEAR. I SURE HOPE THIS ISSUE WILL BE LOOKED AT AGAIN.

MATTIE HANES of TX 5:46PM May 05, 2009

I hope all you liberal Dems are happy with electing BO.
This is the "Real" change that the empty suit was talking about. NYS inflation rate is greater than 10%. Unemployment is on its way to 15%. Our grand kids have $40-$100K worth of debt
jammed on their shoulders. BO is kissing the butts of every 2-bit dictator in the world. My goodness: This has happened in just 3 months. Image what our lives are going to be like in 4 years.
I guess seniors will learn to like the taste of cat food for dinner for the next 10 years!!! Obama and his gang of criminals will be eating Lobster Dinners at our expense while we try to figure out how to make ends meet.
Some have predicted that we would be looking back at the Bush years and say that it wasn't that bad, may well be correct!!!

BTH of NY 4:13PM May 05, 2009

why give the 250.00 to seniors, and then take away the small cost of living raise that they need to increase their ability to pay bills that have increased twice as much as the cost of living raise would be. It is a shame to target the people that have worked hard to support America all their lives, where would we be without them? I would hope that this issue would be looked at again and the right decision would then be made

Patricia E Thomas of KY 12:45PM May 05, 2009

why give the 250.00 to seniors, and then take away the small cost of living raise that they need to increase their ability to pay bills that have increased twice as much as the cost of living raise would be. It is a shame to target the people that have worked hard to support America all their lives, where would we be without them? I would hope that this issue would be looked at again and the right decision would then be made

Patricia E Thomas of KY 12:45PM May 05, 2009