THOU SHALT NO CHEAT THY ELDERS = Chained CPI = COLA

[Coyotl]

YES, I"M YELLING!



It is just absolutely wrong and morally incomprehensible to CHEAT people living on 500-$1200 a month.

Means testing, FINE. No cap FINE. But to make the poorest and most vulnerable among us pay down the Bush War Deficit by cheating them out of their food is an unfathomable injustice.

PLEASE Like this graphic post at MoveOn.org's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/moveon

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. Obama promised

He lied?

[Coyotl]

2. We shall see about that very soon, I'm sure.

Too soon to say he lied.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Coyotl.

[Coyotl]

4. Here's what you need to know about Speaker Boehner's "Plan Befuddled."

Here's what you need to know about Speaker Boehner's so-called Plan B -- or what I like to call "Plan Befuddled." It protects the wealthy at the expense of the middle class:



Like Pelosi here: https://www.facebook.com/NancyPelosi

[Coyotl]

5. Time for the Wealthy to Sacrifice

[Coyotl]

6. Lots of facebook action on this issue!

The White House - https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse

I might Like this page someday, after we see if promises are promises.

[iemitsu]

7. I'm yelling too. I've already called both my senators this morning

as I have done each morning for the last three days.
This proposal by the President is nothing short of criminal. Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit and should therefore not be part of any negotiations over the general budget.
Obama is proposing to subsidize the lifestyles of the very wealthy at the expense of the elderly, too many of whom are already poor.
He evidently thinks its fine to put seniors in an untenable situation to appease a few overly wealthy assholes who don't even view America's workers as human beings, even though we are the most productive workers on earth and we are the ones who created the wealth they call their own.
Obama's plan will take even more money out of the capital exchange required for a healthy capitalist economy (as if there was anything healthy about capitalism as a system). The proposal is anti-stimulus, its cruel, its a slap in the face for all of us who worked for Obama's re-election. Obama promised Americans that he would not touch Social Security or Medicare in any way that would hurt recipients. Is Obama as much a liar as Romney? Are Democrats as bad, or worse, than Republicans?
Any money Obama proposes to skim from Social Security would easily be dwarfed by the money this country could save with a single-payer health care system. Obama took this option off the table. My health care costs have continued to rise and what it pays for does not cover what it used to cover. Every raise I might have gotten over the last 15 years has gone to cover the cost of health care insurance, and that insurance doesn't even cover any basic costs. And all the while I'm being told to save, save, save if I want to ever retire. Save? Save what? There is nothing left to save. I'm just surviving and I know that many Americans are struggling more than I.
My mother-in-law moved into our home nearly 10 years ago because what she receives in SS plus her retirement (from work) isn't enough to pay for both rent and food, and she has more monthly income than 1/2 of America's seniors. She is not a leech. Social Security is not the dole.
Yet there is money in America for the feds to buy obscenely expensive military hardware to arm local police departments. There is enough for us to continue pouring $4 billion per week into the war in Afghanistan. We continue to support 700 military bases over seas. We build roads, schools, and hospitals for others but lack the funds to maintain our own infrastructure.
Our government has misguided priorities. The role of our government is supposed to be the welfare of its citizens. Obama's proposal is not in accordance with his role as head of our government.

[Coyotl]

8. Chained CPI Will Reduce Your Social Security Benefits

http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/chained-cpi-will-reduce-your-social-security-benefits

There is a war on social security and America is losing the battle. One constant in the fiscal cliff negotiations is the agenda to cut your retirement benefits by a ruse, a lowering of the inflation adjustment. Congress and the Obama administration are out to do the old switcheroo and swap out the current CPI-W inflation measurement tool for one called chained CPI. Using Chained CPI instead of CPI-W will reduce the adjustment for inflation.

Every year social security is adjusted to keep up with inflation. As we noted in our CPI overview, chained CPI cuts benefits by reducing the cost of living adjustments, known as COLA, to social security benefits. COLA is designed to keep up with inflation, yet chained CPI assumes, wrongly, one can substitute some goods for others as prices increase. We confirmed that the current proposal is to simply swap out CPI-W for chained CPI and use the same formulas to calculate the annual COLA adjustment to account for rising prices. We overviewed the formula to calculate cost of living adjustments earlier. Below is a graph of the current COLA adjustments.



......

Let's assume someone in year 2000 had an monthly social security benefit of $1000. Below are the COLA increases for this person using the current COLA adjustments using CPI-W and then the COLA adjustments using chained CPI. By the time 2013 rolls around this person is now short $49.7. When one is only getting $1000 a month, not enough to live on, those 50 bucks makes a world of difference. While the traditional inflation adjuster, CPI-W has increased benefits 34% over 12 years, chained CPI has only increased 29% over the same time period. That's 5% less in benefits with the same price increases by using chained CPI instead of the current CPI-W series for COLA. The situation only gets worse the longer one collects benefits and the smaller one's start amount social security benefits were. In other words, the very aged and the poor are hit most. The Chained CPI ruse is also regressive in other words.


.......

[Coyotl]

9. AARP to Congress and the President: Don’t Cut Social Security

AARP to Congress and the President: Don’t Cut Social Security
Association urges Congress not to include a cut via Chained CPI in budget deal
www.aarp.org/about-aarp/press-center/info-12-2012/AARP-to-Congress-and-the-President-Dont-Cut-Social-Security.html
from: Press Center | December 18, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 18, 2012 ....

AARP to Congress and the President: Don’t Cut Social Security

Association urges Congress not to include a cut via Chained CPI in budget deal.

Washington, DC – AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond today reiterated the Association’s opposition to including a cut to the benefits of current and future Social Security recipients as part of a year-end budget deal via a formula change known as Chained CPI. She offered the following statement:

“Adopting the chained consumer price index for Social Security benefits will take $112 billion out of the pockets of current Social Security beneficiaries in the next 10 years alone, and is neither fair nor warranted.

“Social Security is currently the principal source of income for nearly two-thirds of older American households, and roughly one third of those households depend on Social Security for nearly all of their income. Half of those 65 and older have annual incomes below $18,500. Every dollar of the average Social Security retirement benefit of about $14,800 is absolutely critical to the typical beneficiary.

“The Chained CPI is a stealth benefit reduction that will compound over time and cut thousands of dollars in retirement income for current beneficiaries. A typical 80-year-old woman will lose the equivalent of 3 months worth of food annually. The greatest impact of Chained CPI would fall on the oldest, eventually resulting in a cut of one full month’s benefit annually. This dramatic benefit cut would push thousands more into poverty and result in increased economic hardship for those trying desperately to keep up with rising prices.”

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for Americans 50+ and the world's largest-circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for the 50+ audience; AARP VIVA, a bilingual lifestyle multimedia platform addressing the interests and needs of Hispanic Americans; and national television and radio programming including My Generation and Inside E Street. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

###

[Coyotl]

10. Congressman DeFazio: If We Reject Bad Deal, Seniors Are Safe And Lloyd Blankfein’s Taxes Go Up

Congressman DeFazio: If We Reject Bad Deal, Seniors Are Safe And Lloyd Blankfein’s Taxes Go Up
http://boldprogressives.org/congressman-defazio-if-we-reject-bad-deal-seniors-are-safe-and-lloyd-blankfeins-taxes-go-up/

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) opposes President Obama’s proposal to cut Social Security and veterans benefits with a “chained CPI.” In fact, he says that making no deal at all before January 2013 would be preferable. Here’s why:

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore) was even more terse. He warned it is better to go over the cliff on Dec. 31 rather than reach an agreement that includes the Social Security cuts. DeFazio said the current CPI, though imperfect, is better than the chained CPI. He asked what motivation there is for Democrats to fight for what, in their eyes, is the worse deal.

“On Jan. 1, if we do nothing, seniors get a full COLA [cost-of-living-allowance] … and Lloyd Blankfein pays more in taxes,” DeFazio said, referring to the head of Goldman Sachs. “If we do nothing, seniors don’t get stuck with this deal.”

[duffyduff]

11. Means testing is NOT "fine"

That is the WORST thing possible. SS must be a universal program for it to continue to exist.

[forestpath]

14. +1

[forestpath]

12. That is pure evil.

[limpyhobbler]

15. +1

[Coyotl]

13. Congressman Kucinich: Obama’s Plan To Cut Social Security Would Make Seniors Eat ‘Cat Food’

Congressman Kucinich: Obama’s Plan To Cut Social Security Would Make Seniors Eat ‘Cat Food’
http://boldprogressives.org/congressman-kucinich-obamas-plan-to-cut-social-security-would-make-seniors-eat-cat-food/

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) just went to the floor of the House of Representatives and denounced President Obama’s proposed Social Security benefit cut, saying that it would induce seniors into having to eat “cat food” to survive:

KUCINICH: Will Seniors be pushed off the ‘fiscal cliff’? Social Security did not cause the deficit, but the White House’s plan to lower Social Security cost-of-living benefits could eventually reduce Seniors’ annual benefits by hundreds of dollars. The gimmick is called the ‘Chained Consumer Price Index.’ The Chained C.P.I. works this way: As the cost-of-living goes up, seniors inevitably turn to cheaper alternatives.

“For example, if seniors usually eat steak but then can’t afford its higher price, they can switch to something cheaper, like cat food- – and the cost-of-living calculation would be ‘chained’ to the cheaper item – - cat food. So, the less you pay for food the less benefits you get. The ‘chained CPI’ benefit cut will chain aging seniors to a poverty of choices, a lower standard of living, with cheaper products.

“The chained CPI formula doesn’t take into account seniors’ rising health care costs. If it did benefits would go up. There is no justification to cut Social Security benefits. No to throwing seniors off the fiscal cliff. No to a Cat Food Christmas.”

[Coyotl]

16. Sen. Bernie Sanders: Social Security has a $2.7 trillion surplus, can pay all benefits owed

Protect Social Security
December 20, 2012 - http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=14E7AB43-8CB1-4DBA-9EC5-5846AB09CEAA

Social Security has a $2.7 trillion surplus, can pay all benefits owed to all eligible Americans for the next 21 years and, because it is funded independently, has not contributed one penny to the deficit. Bernie agrees with AARP, the National Coalition to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and virtually all seniors’ organizations that Social Security should not be part of the deficit reduction negotiations. Bernie opposes the so-called chained CPI, which would lower benefits for the typical Social Security recipient who retires at age 65 by $653 a year at age 75 and by $1,139 a year at age 85. Bernie will vigorously oppose Republicans and President Obama and anyone else who wants to balance the budget on the backs of seniors.

Watch "Mr. President, I am Disppointed" » http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=3f1afec2-5056-a032-523d-2e29dfe56032

Listen to an NPR report » http://www.npr.org/2012/12/19/167649315/boehner-house-will-pass-plan-b-fiscal-cliff-legislation

Sign Bernie’s petition » http://www.sanders.senate.gov/petition/?uid=cc9bfb45-9836-4c1d-a24d-6db690f73458

[Coyotl]

18. Senator Bernie Sanders : Stop Dismantling Social Security and Medicare

Dear Fellow Americans,

In the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Wall Street and corporate America and virtually all Republicans are working on a deficit reduction plan to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while lowering tax rates for the wealthy and large corporations. Sadly, some Democrats are also engaged in this effort. This plan is likely to come up during the lame duck session of Congress after the elections.

Let's protect Social Security - sign the petition!The idea of balancing the budget on the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in our country - the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor - is not only morally grotesque, it is extremely bad economics. We must vigorously oppose this plan.

As you know, the large deficit that we are now experiencing was primarily caused during the Bush years by two unpaid for wars, huge tax breaks for the rich and a prescription drug program written by the insurance and drug companies. Further, as a result of the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street which drove us into this terrible recession, revenue at 15.2 percent of GDP is the lowest in 60 years.

In order to cover the cost of the unpaid-for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they want to make significant cuts to Social Security that will affect not only seniors but disabled veterans. They want to do this despite the fact that Social Security is funded by the payroll tax, has not added a penny to the deficit and has a $2.7 trillion surplus.

In order to cover the cost of tax breaks given to millionaires and billionaires, they want to increase the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 and throw millions of families with children off of Medicaid.

At a time when the United States has the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider, their deficit-reduction plan calls for lowering the top tax rates for the rich and large corporations to 28 percent or even lower.

There are fair and sensible ways to reduce deficits, but having the rich and the powerful beat up on working families and the elderly is not one of them.

We ask that you join us in opposing any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Thank you,
Bernie Sanders
Senator Bernie Sanders

[Coyotl]

17. Boehner: House Will Pass 'Plan B' Fiscal Cliff Legislation

NPR Listen: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=167649315&m=167657214