Is it a Crime that t' Social Security Benefits for Seniors did not Increase for 2 Years under Fraudulent Claim?

[Poly_777]

The cost of living for seniors had increased for seniors more than 20% in the last two years.
Check the food prices in the super markets.
Bragging about how great democracy we are, how come no single politician speaks for the seniors?

[Rocky Mtn High]

That depends on whether you receive benefits or have your income stolen in order to pay those benefits. It is a crime that the BLS is able to manipulate the Consumer Price Index to screw over the retired folks, yes.

[Poohcat1]

Figure how much money the administration is saving that they can spend on all sorts of other projects....like making safe turtle crossings etc.

As a senior, I understand the bind that this ruling has put on people...even though I am still working so do have additional income (not much...but enough)

When it comes right down to it, it is not the job of the government to provide income to people...regardless of age unless they were UNABLE to provide for themselves. I think that having this "safety net"...whether it be in the form of social security or welfare has created a nanny state mentality amongst people. When you know the dollars are going to be there in forty years...why not spend what you make today? We have become a nation of "I want what I want when I want it"

Although the reason the govt. gave for not giving seniors a boost is probably not the real reason...it is time that all of us learn to live on less...and to prepare for our own futures, not expect the govt. to do it for us.

[Daniel]

no it isn't a crime, there isn't a law requiring an annual increase to social security payouts.

[squarelight296]

Speaking as someone who draws a VA and Social Security disability, I have to come to the defense of the government on this---they had nothing to do with the fact that we did not get a "cost of living" (COLA) increase. The formula has been in place for a long time, and is tied to the rate of inflation. To keep the recession under control, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke (a recognized expert on the Great Depression era) has kept our interest rates at near-0% level and the computer program then sets the rate based on this % level. President Obama and the Democrats did try to push through a one-time-only $250 stipend for seniors and the disabled, just to cushion the impact of no increase, but multi-millionaire ($49 million in personal wealth) Senator Mitch McConnell filibustered and prevented this stipend from being brought to the floor, even though the spending of these dollars would have benefited the GROWTH of the economy, creating even more jobs.

On the bright side of things, however, seniors and the disabled did get the Medicare Part D unfunded mandate's "doughnut hole" (gap in coverage for prescription medicines) closed and this alone will save thousands of dollars in prescription costs over a relatively short period of time (see the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009 at whitehouse.gov).

[ConcernedCitizen]

That's nothing. The real crime is that Republicans in Congress are trying to kill the entire Social Security program by cutting contributions to it. Where is the outrage over that? They were elected based on their promise to reduce the deficit, and instead they're raising it by reducing the amount of money going into a fund that has been borrowed from too many times already. That doesn't reduce spending or the deficit; they're just hoping to trigger a full-scale financial catastrophe so they can leave millions of Americans with no retirement benefits. That's not just a crime; it's treason. In 18th century France, leaders went to the guillotine for betrayals more minor than this, but in this country it hasn't even gotten any news coverage to speak of. This just goes to show what a total myth the "liberal media" is. Conservatives have such a powerful influence now, nobody even questions them when they lie and fail to keep their promises.