Do you agree with President Obama's plan to send $250 payments to retirees and people with disabilities because they are not scheduled to receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment?

I don't like it, because that money will be gone. I hope it's enough to meaningfully help those who will receive it, but transfer payments are money gone. They have to be financed through taxes, and taxes have to be collected through growth. If we borrow to make transfer payments, we risk inflation. We should be talking about using the power of government to jumpstart growth. Then we can finance Social Justice through new wealth, as we should.

But, Cost of Living for Social Security recipients begs the question of our starving service sector. Our future benefits are a function of our present earnings. After 30+ years in the workforce, my disability would be about $700 per month. So, not only do we have no maney now, we will have no money when we can no longer work.

I have openly deplored the oppression of our service workers, the fruit of whose labor has long been transferred to the owners of firms, who are now complaining about Obamanomics. These vampires have worked us like dogs for such slight wages that our personal cost of living has had to be subsidized by friends & family with money left over from when the middle class was happening, until that cash cow finally went dry. So, now it's the landlords who are getting stiffed, & there is also a run on all kinds of Government benefits. So we can see the Chickens Coming Home to Roost.

Our choices in life have been dictated by the Lords of Money, & this is totalitarian subversion & therefore anti-American. It is the duty of all True Patriots to rise up & force an end to this betrayal of those who stock your groceries, clean your hotel rooms, wait your tables, & ring in your transactions. Our empty pockets are stifling our chances of economic recovery, and are a disgrace to the Flag, & an affront to God, who hears the prayers of the have-nots, & takes up arms against their Oppressors.

 Luanne,

Don't feel too sorry for Clonnie.  Rumor has it that his real name is Bill Smith and that he wanted a more memorable name, so the alias.  That alias is what made him tough enough to stand up to the battles of this panel!!!!

  Why the delayed reaction and all the uproar of concern now?  Buried in the paper months ago it was published that we would not be getting a cost of living increase for the next two years.  I waited and waited for all the media hype on it and was dismayed that nothing appeared.  I even contacted the paper to ask why there was no coverage on this and received no reply.  Now that we are down to the wire of when we are anticipating it, it’s all over the news as if it had just been disclosed.  This being said, it truly is an absolute, appalling disgrace how some of the most poor, needy, physically handicap people in this country, of such opulent wealth, are being dumped on and tossed aside. 

Because the index for cost of living is stagnant (what a joke), seniors and in particular those with disabilities have certainly seen none of our healthcare, prescription and over all cost of living remain stagnant.  Can you believe my car insurance went up, even though there is not a better driver on the road, this was due to my credit score rating. 

Struggling seniors like myself who are one catastrophic event away from losing our homes, will once again have to sacrifice proper eating to afford to keep a roof over our head.

Did anyone see the Performance from the White House on PBS Thursday evening 10/15?  An evening of Latino music performed on the back lawn of the White House with a stage and tent set up for the event.  Such an outrageous expense of luxury and entertainment for our President and the rich and famous when our country is at war, men and women dying every day, Americans homeless in record numbers, while Wall Street and the auto industry is bailout. The way I see it, Obama just as well be saying, “be damned to those on Social Security…..”Let them in cake”, or in reality any few bread crumbs we might find left lying around the bread box.

Even if we do get a one time payment of $250.00 it is less than what we would normally get which is based on the amount we are receiving.

   Then, when and if they would eventually reinstitute a percentage increase it will be far short of what we would have received had we gotten our yearly increases because the amount is already two increases short.

Having worked on the Obama campaign “for change”, the only change I see is in his lavish, opulent, jet setting life style while the real change is in the poor getting poorer and he and his friends getting richer and richer…….Shame on him !

Marvin Foster:

Luanne, Don't feel too sorry for Clonnie.  Rumor has it that his real name is Bill Smith and that he wanted a more memorable name, so the alias.  That alias is what made him tough enough to stand up to the battles of this panel!!!!

Being named Ricky has served me well because it puts humans at ease.  When they see a big black dog (resembling a cross between a bear and a wolf) coming out of the woods or down the sidewalk, they tend to get nervous... until they hear my name. 

Regarding this weeks topic, it seems like we ought to find a way to adequately provide for retired senior citizens and disabled persons without tossing them a $250 bone (which isn't much these days).  On the one hand, if a cost of living increase is truly necessary and overdue (E. Duane might be right), let's find a way to fully fund it.  On the other hand, if a cost of living increase is either unnecessary or unaffordable, pensioners can continue to tighten their belts like working folks.

Of all the uncaring actions by a Democrat White House and an overwhelmingly Democrat Congress, this has to be the most uncaringest cut of all.  Our beloved seniors spend 62-plus years of their lives producing CO2 and other assorted gases for our atmosphere and what thanks do they get?  Here, take this $250 and pay your cable bill for a couple of months.... 

The left takes great pride in their ability to "care" for the less fortunate among us, but if they really cared, they'd be sending some serious money to the oldsters.  How about $2,500 dollars?  That would only cost $130 billion and would do the retirees ten times as much good.  Heck, why not $25,000?  That's only $1.3 trillion in costs.  You say you're worried about the costs?  Why?  Why did we suddenly start worring about how much debt our grandchildren are accumulating?  It's only money, and our government owns the printing presses.  Another benefit is that we can depend on the retirees to spend the money now, not postpone spending it until an election year, as the politicians have done with the stimulus money. 

Honestly, I astound myself sometimes with my brilliant ideas.  If I had some free time, I would get myself elected to office and go straighten some things out up there along the Potomac.  Naaah ... it'd never happen.  I know some of you have already started stockpiling some of my perceived "insensitive" remarks as insurance against just such an occurrence.  Pity.  It'll be America's loss....

Marvin Foster:

Rumor has it that his real name is Bill Smith

Luanne Traud:

Do you agree with President Obama's plan to send $250 payments to retirees and people with disabilities because they are not scheduled to receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment?

Some musings on the issue:

In the eyes of mainstream economists, the ideal condition is to have a slightly inflationary environment.  Basically, this encourages people to buy now, before prices rise -- and this facilitates economic growth.

The present condition seems to me to be mixed.  Medical costs continue their inevitable march higher. Supermarket food prices feel like they are getting higher, or staying the same for smaller packages.  But big ticket items prices are still lower than they were -- so a lot of folks are still holding off on purchases.  Workers salaries are stagnant, but demands on them are higher. And, unemployment is still high so the money for growth of purchases is limited.

Apparently, Obama and his advisers feel that further stimulus is necessary to forestall a potential economic backsliding, and to edge the economy into a job-building slightly inflationary atmosphere. But, they had to make some choices on how to do it, and this is bound to raise questions.

Even if they may agree with the theory, for political reasons, conservatives are likely going to criticize the action as an unnecessary increasing of the deficit and national debt. You can expect their mouthpieces, Limbaugh, Beck, et all to probably Savage the program.

To limit the criticism, Obama's team did not make it a full court press over the entire population, which would have made the cost multiples higher. But the question will rise as to whether it is really being offered to the ones who need it the most. After all, even though it is being presented as a sop because they didn't get a cost-of-living increase, and while many elderly really need the extra money and will spend it quickly -- putting it to work for the economy, they are already protected by Social Security and Medicare.

It's the younger people who can't get a job, and are losing their homes and don't have health insurance, who are hurting the most. To try to balance that, the leadership keeps extending the unemployment beneits programs, and is working to get a health care program passed. So they calculate that they don't need to offer them this added stimulus.

Since I have been slightly pessimistic on whether we are out from under the threat of a return of the recession, what with the still high unemployment.  Although, a lot of it will be banked and not spent by people who are of the generation that retired with old fashioned pensions from their previous employers, my gut feel is that it was a favorable step that could help needy people and the economy. 

Norb Weckstein:

Even if they may agree with the theory, for political reasons, conservatives are likely going to criticize the action as an unnecessary increasing of the deficit and national debt. You can expect their mouthpieces, Limbaugh, Beck, et all to probably Savage the program.

Clonnie,

I apologize for not including you in the above list. It was purely an oversight, and no slight was intended. Please forgive me (LOL)..

Norb

Clonnie Yearout:

Of all the uncaring actions by a Democrat White House and an overwhelmingly Democrat Congress, this has to be the most uncaringest cut of all.  Our beloved seniors spend 62-plus years of their lives producing CO2 and other assorted gases for our atmosphere and what thanks do they get?  Here, take this $250 and pay your cable bill for a couple of months.... The left takes great pride in their ability to "care" for the less fortunate among us, but if they really cared, they'd be sending some serious money to the oldsters.  How about $2,500 dollars?  That would only cost $130 billion and would do the retirees ten times as much good.  Heck, why not $25,000?  That's only $1.3 trillion in costs.  You say you're worried about the costs?  Why?  Why did we suddenly start worring about how much debt our grandchildren are accumulating?  It's only money, and our government owns the printing presses.  [bla bla bla]  Honestly, I astound myself sometimes with my brilliant ideas....

Btw, uncaringest?  Worring?  Forgive me for noting, respectully, that since your retirement from the fire department, you seem to have less interest in correct grammar.  Perfectly crafted prose used to be your style.  What happened? 

P.S.  Where is Tony when we need him?  Evidently you've forgotten that polite scolding he gave you.  It's the Democratic Party, Democratic administration, and Democratic Congress.

E. Duane Howard:

Having worked on the Obama campaign “for change”,

E. Duane, change is what you will get from this. According to my 6th grade math skills, it comes out to $0.68 per day. This will not buy many votes, but it's still several months until the '10 Congressional campaigns get into gear. Be patient as more $$ are on the way.

Norb Weckstein:

To limit the criticism, Obama's team did not make it a full court press over the entire population, which would have made the cost multiples higher. But the question will rise as to whether it is really being offered to the ones who need it the most. After all, even though it is being presented as a sop because they didn't get a cost-of-living increase, and while many elderly really need the extra money and will spend it quickly -- putting it to work for the economy, they are already protected by Social Security and Medicare.  It's the younger people who can't get a job, and are losing their homes and don't have health insurance, who are hurting the most. To try to balance that, the leadership keeps extending the unemployment beneits programs, and is working to get a health care program passed. So they calculate that they don't need to offer them this added stimulus.

Retired senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes probably do need a cost of living increase in a perfect world.  This is not a perfect world.  Working folks, especially young parents, could use a wage increase, too, and probably need it more, but those Gray Panthers vote.  Giving them $250 might help a bit... maybe.

Norb Weckstein:

Since I have been slightly pessimistic on whether we are out from under the threat of a return of the recession, what with the still high unemployment. 

Norb, "return of the recession?" I didn't know it was over. I will join you in the pessimistic side of things because I believe, realistically, that the worst  is not too far off. Rev. Wright's chickens have yet to "come home to roost" if the spending does not stop soon. Big time inflation is just around the corner due to the "skyrocketing" (to borrow a current buzz word) debt. Hope I'm wrong. This $250/$13 billion handout is peanuts compared to what has been spent and the spending that is in the wings.

Stay tuned,

Nick

In the interest of full disclosure, I will confess that both my wife and I are retired and do look forward to that monthly Social Security deposit into our checking accounts.

I do not agree with or support the plans to send one time payments of $250 to all social security recipients. This is just one more stimulus on top of the excessive amounts already pumped into our economy, for which we and future generations must someday pay the price. Yes, I will accept any handout the government wants to send my way, but I do not think it is sound economic policy.

This is the first time since automatic COLA adjustments were started in 1975 that the CPI has not changed enough to merit an increase in benefits. Last year recipients received a 5.8% increase even though overall CPI increased only 0.1% for the year. This was primarily due to a spike in gasoline prices which has since abated and to the way social security calculates the adjustments using a third-quarter-to-third-quarter period for calculations. I didn't hear anyone screaming that those increases were too big and should be rescinded or reduced.

I realize that many social security recipients are on very tight budgets and struggle to meet their obligations. But they are not alone. We have millions of unemployed and low-wage workers who also struggle. In difficult economic times, the burden must be shared. This is not the time to change the rules of the game just because they didn't justify an increase in benefits this year. Let's be thankful that inflation is low at the moment and hope it stays under control...but don't count on that happening after the massive billions of stimulus money being pumped into the economy.

Clonnie Yearout:

BTW -- if you're old enough to get the $250 and want to take me out to eat, I may be able to get us seated quickly. 

But I'll have to wait for my $250.  As Nick has pointed out, it is only about $0.68 per day.  Do you think we can eat well on that?  I don't think we'll have much of a wait to be seated in the places that will buy us.  We could go to that famous Roanoke establishment that seats 1000... 10 at a time.