Pro-Con | Should Social Security recipients receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment despite there being no inflation?

KansasCity.com
Sep. 01, 2009

Opinions

YES

I always tell people to refrain from griping if they didn't vote.

But not only did I vote, I did everything in my power to keep the current president out of office. In the Democratic primary, our fair city voted for Hillary Clinton, hands down.

I've earned the right to say, "I told you so."

We are sending millions of dollars to foreign countries, bailing out banks and the auto dealers, but there's no cost of living raise for people on Social Security.

Sorry, that just doesn't make sense to me.

Those tiny, tiny few dollars may make a difference in meeting my bills.

As prices have gone up in the last couple years, I've sold personal belongings, borrowed money on my car title and I just don't go anywhere because I can't afford gas.

During the next year, prices are going to continue to rise, but those of us already straining to pay our bills won't have the income to meet expenses.

I've heard that Obama has a list of people who are against him. I don't care if I'm on his list or not. I've kept my mouth shut and tried to accept this man as president, but he's done nothing to help Americans that I can see.

We are in big trouble and can no longer stand by with our heads in the sand.

| Sharron Perdue, The Standard-Times (San Angelo, Texas)

NO

Senior citizens worried about any Medicare cuts that might be mandated by pending health care reform legislation got some more bracing news: For the first time in more than three decades Social Security payments in 2010 and 2011 are likely to offer no cost-of-living increase. That's because inflation, routinely used to compute such increases, is negligible.

We urge seniors to take heart and count their blessings rather than fall prey to politicians running about crying panic and vowing to address the matter by digging our nation deeper into debt.

For one thing, while no cost of living allowance may be offered next year or even the following year, U.S. seniors benefited significantly through the 5.8 percent increase they began getting just this past January. That's the largest increase since the early 1980s, and it comes despite the fact prices nationwide have fallen tremendously, including that for a tank of gasoline.

That rise in Social Security checks was factored back when food and fuel prices were particularly steep.

We encourage seniors to hold true to principles of fiscal restraint and look beyond the rhetoric - and to do a little figuring on their own to see how, in many ways, those tied to Social Security payments might do better than they would ordinarily expect.

| Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald editorial

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