Previous to the Obama administration, it has been four decades since seniors did not get a cost of living adjustment to their Social Security. Since Obama took office, it has happened three times.
When Obama was first elected, before the "consumer price index" was even calculated, our new President announced that there would be no increase in Social Security for two years. It could be that he was prescient and knew the future, or it could be that he would order government figure finaglers to finagle the figures. Either way.
Through all of this, he was able to support raises for government employees, who all ready average seventy-eight percent higher pay than the private sector, and school teachers. I guess their cost of living went up, while seniors living on Social Security were doing just fine. Those little old men that you see bagging in grocery stores are just doing it for fun, maybe.
They tell us that because the price of gas has fallen the "consumer price index" will not increase. A few points. The "consumer price index" is based on younger people earning a salary and active in the work force. They live a far different life style than the elderly.
Seniors don't use much gasoline as they travel far less. A few errands, usually near by, a couple of times a week is typical. While a young person may put twenty thousand miles a year on a vehicle, a senior will be closer to two thousand.
The cost of food and medical care have risen. These, along with the cost of housing, are the big bites in senior's budgets. But government accountants see what they want to see or what they are told to see. I would be willing to bet that sometime next year a raise for the insiders happens. Maybe a small raise, but a raise none the less. And when teacher's contracts come up, speeches in support of raises will be made. But the elderly will survive. At least, most of them.
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