It takes a strong spine (or a hard heart) to criticize President Obama’s idea of sending a $250 check to every Social Security recipient — something he wants to do because the cost of living doesn’t entitle seniors to a cost-of-living increase for next year. New York Times economics columnist David Leonhardt noted that because overall prices have dropped 2.1 percent this year but Social Security benefits won’t drop accordingly, “recipients are already set to receive an effective raise.” And seniors may be sympathetic, but they’re better off than some demographics. “The real median income of over-65 households rose 3 percent from 2000 to 2008,” he wrote. “For households headed by somebody age 25 to 44, it fell about 7 percent.”
The whole episode does not bode well for the prospects that Obama and Congress will do something substantive about the unsustainability of Social Security and Medicare. “If the long-term issue is entitlement reform,” said Joel Slemrod, a University of Michigan economist, “the fact that the political system cannot say no to $250 checks to elderly people is a bad sign.”
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37 Comments
I think it is called political pandering.
This statement was accurate. The whole episode does not bode well for the prospects that Obama and Congress will do something substantive about the unsustainability of Social Security and Medicare.
Let’s see, we can’t afford COLA for SS, but O’BAMA, Pelosi and Reid want to increase the nation’s debt by adding trillions of dollar in debt or public option health care.
What is it about fiscal responbility that O’BAMA does not understand?
The COLA formula is flawed.
It the prototypical “shopping cart” it’s based on doesn’t reflect stuff old folks buy. New clothes and shoes for kids, gallons of milk per week, commuting costs… etc.
Seniors have to pay more for prescriptions, insurance co-pays, utilities….
And the sorry fact is Social Security is a pittance. Oh, Pat Roberts and John McCain and Warren Buffet still cash their Social Security checks… but far too many seniors actually have to live on their benefits.
That said, yeah, it smacks of political pandering.
But it’s not without a valid foundation here in the real world.
I don’t care what the Feds say, since what they say is frequently politically slanted or just plain wrong, look at the rising cost of many food staples and other everyday items…..they are costing more.
Add to that the fact that interest rates on bonds and other income producing savings, that seniors rely on for income, are delivering next to nothing.
Many seniors are hurting.
And all Obama and the Dims want is to takeover health care, a major part of the American economy, and screw that up even more than it is and do so simply for their own political power purposes. What a bunch of shi+s.
Monkeyhawk,
It looks like you can add Boxlock20 to that list of people whining about government largess while on their way to the bank to cash their Social Security checks.
Ahhhh, I just love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.
Why not? Because it is not in accordance with the law. However, the cpi-w should be dropped for social security indexing, with the cpi-e taking it’s place. Monkeyhawk is correct, the cipi-w (the current index) does not reflect the buying habits of those collecting social security.
Hey, I’ve been on furlough for 7 weeks this year, that’s a paycut of 15% or so. Perhaps the President could send me some extra money too!
littlejohn,
You could move to America Samoa.
They are getting 78,000,000 in Porkulus funds for a population of 65,000 people.
And, another 24,000,000 for solar panel project on an island that has rain 200 plus days per year. :D
There has been an increase in the cost of living for seniors. In relation to them the COLA index is flawed.
“Regular” offers –
“littlejohn,
You could move to America Samoa.”
WE Blog CONs are turning against themselves!
Repubs were whining that old folks weren’t going to get any increase this yr., now they’re whining that they are! Damned if you do, or don’t, so best to ignore them and do whay you think is right, Mr. pres.
Because it’s nothing more than pandering and political bribery. Of course, all spending is political bribery to one degree or another, but this idea is spectacularly so.
Kill it.
“Damned if you do, or don’t, so best to ignore them and do whay you think is right, Mr. pres.”
So said advisors to Presdient Bush
$250.00
What an insult, what a slap in the face to our parents and grandparents.
“It takes a strong spine (or a hard heart) to criticize President Obama’s idea of sending a $250 check to every Social Security recipient — something he wants to do because the cost of living doesn’t entitle seniors to a cost-of-living increase for next year.”
Pure friggin’ genius. Pure poetry.
Congress just gave a bunch of already uber-millionaires huge million dollar bonuses for failing.
The old folks that are warehoused are living on $600. a month and these creeps offer them a token $250. for the year?
Just how far would Obama or any of those POS legislators stretch $250. for the year?
Social Security was a bs, feel good waste of an idea to begin with. It gave people a false hope of “security” much like this “War on Terra” nonsense.
Sorry to offend the progressive sensibilities on here, but the delusion must be called out.
WE AREN’T MAKING ENOUGH PEOPLE ANYMORE.
Those eeveeel “breeders” are chastised by the abortion and greenie-there’s-too-many-people crowds. Ya’ll want your cake and eat it too. People like Bleucheese want “government to pay for it”, NEWSFLASH: the government has no money.
One day, those who produce in this country will get tired and Atlas will shrug.
It can’t come to soon in my opinion.
250 bucks…what an joke.
But go on, feel good, pat yourselves on your backs over it.
GD this place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvdwkENbeE0
$250. About the price of a lobbyist lunch in Washington, D.C., home of pork.
Why bleeping even bother?
Dennis
It doesn’t take a “strong spine” to criticize this decision, it just takes *a* spine.
It just takes the ability to recognize this for what it is: An unfunded pander to the relatively rich senior class at the expense of the relatively poor younger class, the same younger class that won’t be able to count on a bankrupt Social Security or Medicare system when they get older.
The incompetence of the “baby boomers” is starting to get all of us mad.
Your parents went through a depression and survived, making sure that when it was over, you’d never have to go through it. You got fat, drugged out and lethargic. You felt you were “fighting the man” while becoming him.
You squandered all of it. And raised a bunch of spoiled children who in turn birthed a generation of misfits and meth heads that have ZERO direction and a dim future.
You screwed up and left your kids generation to deal with it.
I vote that we leave you to rot.
The “death panels” are for you. =]
pleefer……..oddly i almost agree with you…….would have to get rid of a lot of kids also, and most of the libs……..i have always felt that the baby boomers as a whole failed their kids and NOW we are failing our grandkids…..and it was not because how our parents (the depression generation) raised us…..and i’m a baby boomer
I’m figuring that we’re getting into the mid to upper part of stage 9:
Each of the great civilizations in the world passed through a series of stages from their birth to their decline to their death. Historians have listed these in ten stages:
The first stage moves from bondage to spiritual faith. The second from spiritual faith to great courage. The third stage moves from great courage to liberty. The fourth stage moves from liberty to abundance. The fifth stage moves from abundance to selfishness. The sixth stage moves from selfishness to complacency. The seventh stage moves from complacency to apathy. The eighth stage moves from apathy to moral decay. The ninth stage moves from moral decay to dependence. And the tenth and last stage moves from dependence to bondage.
Gramps is just going to squander that $250 on hookers, blow, and viagra.
Party on, Gramps!
dan….as you normally do you have nothing to contribute…..remember a skunk smells his own oder first…..you fit perfectly
oder=odor
wichdick….once again your…..criticism cuts……me……deep to the…….bone…..how ever shall……I recover?
wichdick=wichhick
dan………….as i said you have nothing to contribute…now as usual go hide
wichdick…….hide from……you why……would I?……. ………………. ………
…….dang……it…….
wichdick=wichhick
He1111111111111111111111111!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!
Give some of that FREE OBAMA MONEY to the old farts!!!
Everybody BELIEVES NOW the GUBERMINT OWES THEM SOMFIN!!!!
HAND OUT THAT FREE OBAMA MONEY!!!!!!
http://obamagrantmoney.com/2009/02/12/did-you-vote-for-obama-to-get-free-money/
THANK YOU BARACK OBAMA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
WE ARE GETTING SOME OF THAT FREE OBAMA MONEY
Literally……
http://www.thebigfeedblog.com/2009/10/free-obama-money-causes-near-riot-in.html
Its hard on your back!” 1:45
She is referring to standing in line for cash, but its better than working for a living. It’s HARD GETTING SOME OF THAT FREE MONEY!!!!”
3. “Im not frustrated cause my reward is gittin dat monaaaaay”1:59
http://www.charlotteconservative.com/index.php/2009/10/detroit-obama-money/
“Why are you here?”
“To get some MONEY!”
What kind of Money?
“Obama MONEY!”
Where did Obama get it?
I don’t know! His STASH!!!?!
Obama MONEY WE WANT OBAMA MONEY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-qknji7GD4
This country is history………
American_Way,
Isn’t it a little early in the evening to be this drunk? I’m a little worried about your drinking…it seems like it might be getting out of control.
Maybe you can find some peace at this link:
http://www.aa.org/
I’m headed out for the evening to attend my daughter’s orchestra concert. I’ll check back in on you later. All politics aside, if you ever want to correspond privately with someone who has been where you seem to be and found a better way to live….contact me.
You have my e-mail address. Peace, brother.
Give out the $250, another few Billion won’t hardly be noticed in the $13 Trillion debt.
It doesn’t matter that there was negative inflation per the Gubbermint. Those senior citizens all vote, and they can be bought off with a measly $250. They are THAT dumb.
With gas prices rising, that will pay for 4 tanks of gas for the old geezers.
Daniel
Posted October 29, 2009 at 1:42 pm | Permalink
…….dang……it…….
wichdick=wichhick
Hehehe, I love it!
The whole idea of cost of living increases, which is valid, is that otherwise seniors could not keep up with inflation. But when inflation is negative, that “cost of living’ increase should be omitted. People in their working years are seeing salary freezes or being laid off all over the country, yet the politicians need yet another giveaway to curry favor with voting blocs. The essence of government fiscal policy under this administration is to transfer wealth from the workers of the present and future to those not working – sometimes it is valid; many times it is strictly political.
The cons should’t have been agitating that the poor seniors weren’t going to get their increase this year.
WHy not Phantom? We can get them all worked up on Obama taking away their SS, cutting their medicare, increasing their taxes, and forcing death decisions on them.
Obama really makes it easy.
Why not to give $250 to Gramps
================================
I’m not sure where you can buy a cup of coffee for less than $0.70 a day, but good job on making “hope” a reality Obama.