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silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 11:24 PM Apr 2013

Exactly how big a blunt instrument is needed to kill off chained-CPI, anyway?

I thought that carcass was buried late last year. Now it is back, like the phoenix. I called every member of my delegation AND the White House last go-around in expressed in the most poignant terms possible my feelings on the matter. I told the White House that I considered it outright theft of money that doesn't belong to those who would cut. I am soooo over this nonsense. Yesterday I got an email from somebody (can't remember who) asking me sign a petition, which I did. I will gladly sign my name to all such petitions. I think one I saw today was an "I will primary you" type of campaign. Good idea. I am very sick, and on disability. But I swear to you, I am so tempted. Even if I would lose, it would be worth it. You see, it wouldn't be about me. It would be about how I feel, though. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. In this case, Right is wrong, and so is Left apparently. I spent all last fall cheerleading in my private life and online as well for this President. I spent election day on Twitter and Facebook rallying voters. I spent the late hours tweeting for people to STAY IN LINE. For what? I thought this past election was the stake in the heart of the Blue Dogs. Someone, please, help me out.

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Exactly how big a blunt instrument is needed to kill off chained-CPI, anyway? (Original Post) silvershadow Apr 2013 OP
November, 2014 is the blunt instrument. randome Apr 2013 #1
Thank you for this. I hope you are right in your assessment. For all our sakes. silvershadow Apr 2013 #2
So you are rationalizing that Pres Obama is willing to cut SS to "get something done rhett o rick Apr 2013 #3
Social Security has been cut already! golfguru Apr 2013 #5
You are right about that. I think they even skipped a year in there altogether, if I remember. nt silvershadow Apr 2013 #8
Two years! Lugnut Apr 2013 #13
Because there was no inflation those two years Recursion Apr 2013 #18
If there is no inflation, why does a large bottle of Tide cost almost $18.00? Samantha Apr 2013 #25
Because we're talking about between 2008 and 2010 Recursion Apr 2013 #27
^^^^This^^^^ cliffordu Apr 2013 #15
No, they haven't. Recursion Apr 2013 #19
My weekly grocery bill has gone up 25-30% in last 4 years golfguru Apr 2013 #20
Then you're incredibly unlucky Recursion Apr 2013 #21
Read my post again... golfguru Apr 2013 #22
Prices collapsed for everything in 2008 and SS didn't reduce payments like they could have Recursion Apr 2013 #24
This message was self-deleted by its author silvershadow Apr 2013 #28
This message was self-deleted by its author Recursion Apr 2013 #23
Republicans want to destroy the economy abelenkpe Apr 2013 #17
Wait, has the excuse for this changed yet again?? sabrina 1 Apr 2013 #29
How big? AARP was too big for Bush. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #4
If I read you correctly, then, wouldn't the same apply now? I think you are saying Bush couldn't silvershadow Apr 2013 #7
Keep in mind that the worse crap often happens under Democrats because everyone's guard is down. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #11
Mine isn't. Note to all who are on disability: silvershadow Apr 2013 #12
It's too late for you... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #14
I would have, but they wanted me to pay them interest for the hassle of having to have use of my silvershadow Apr 2013 #16
I don't believe it will become law... Comrade_McKenzie Apr 2013 #6
It's one step closer. dawg Apr 2013 #10
It has no real support bhikkhu Apr 2013 #9
We need a BLUNT liberal Democrat as president. Jamastiene Apr 2013 #26
 

randome

(34,845 posts)
1. November, 2014 is the blunt instrument.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 11:29 PM
Apr 2013

Republicans still control the House. That must not be allowed to continue. The only reason Obama is even TALKING about Chained CPI is because if he doesn't, nothing will get done for two more years.

At least this is a negotiating point to get those lazy-ass Republicans back to doing something to earn their salaries. I don't think it will work but Obama has made what I hope to be a final offer. If Boehner has rejected it, and that stands, then we have a dysfunctional government for two more years.

No matter what is agreed to in the House, there will need to be a House/Senate committee to work out the differences and I doubt Chained CPI will survive that.

 

silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
2. Thank you for this. I hope you are right in your assessment. For all our sakes.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 11:53 PM
Apr 2013

Sounds reasonable, I just had no idea we could string this along for two more years.

 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
3. So you are rationalizing that Pres Obama is willing to cut SS to "get something done
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 11:58 PM
Apr 2013

in the next two years"? Correct me if I got that wrong. I say draw the line at cutting SS and Medicare and if nothing gets done, so be it.

You either want to cut SS or not. Which side are you on?

 

golfguru

(4,987 posts)
5. Social Security has been cut already!
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 12:56 AM
Apr 2013

In the Last 3 years social security recipients received about 3.5% raise.

Groceries, gasoline, health services, rents, etc.....things which seniors rarely need (/S) have gone up 3 to 4 times their raise in 3 years.

Lugnut

(9,791 posts)
13. Two years!
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:28 AM
Apr 2013

In 2009 and 2010 there were no COLA increases. It was financially devastating for a lot of SS recipients.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
18. Because there was no inflation those two years
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 04:40 AM
Apr 2013

Actually they got an even bigger raise than normal because there was actually deflation but the checks didn't go down.

Samantha

(9,314 posts)
25. If there is no inflation, why does a large bottle of Tide cost almost $18.00?
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 11:51 PM
Apr 2013

And every time I have visited the pet food store, the same product has gone up about $1.00 a week, for the last three weeks. A number of things have risen substantially in price. The few things that have not, are smaller or the content has been cut.

Sam

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
19. No, they haven't.
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 04:41 AM
Apr 2013
Groceries, gasoline, health services, rents, etc.....things which seniors rarely need (/S) have gone up 3 to 4 times their raise in 3 years.

Nope. All those are figured into the COLA (there's this myth going around that food, energy, and housing aren't factored in when the COLA is calculated; they are).
 

golfguru

(4,987 posts)
20. My weekly grocery bill has gone up 25-30% in last 4 years
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 05:08 PM
Apr 2013

Gasoline has doubled in 4 years.
My health insurance went from $245 to $370 a month.


I can't think of a single NECESSITY for seniors which has not gone up at least 15% in last 4 years.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
21. Then you're incredibly unlucky
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 08:55 PM
Apr 2013
http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx

Nationwide, gas is pretty much exactly where it was 2 years ago

http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=food-price-index&months=60

So is food.

You seem to live in an area that has significantly more price increases than the nation as a whole. Unfortunately, as long as we do nationwide calculations, there will always be some cases of that.

Health insurance I'll grant you, but that's why we passed ACA to bend that the other way, which it's starting to do.
 

golfguru

(4,987 posts)
22. Read my post again...
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 08:57 PM
Apr 2013

I was talking about 4 years, not 2 years.

Anyways, I really do not need to study official statistics. My wallet is
telling me the story loud and clear.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
24. Prices collapsed for everything in 2008 and SS didn't reduce payments like they could have
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 09:01 PM
Apr 2013

SS didn't reduce payments despite the fact that prices for everything had collapsed. Now prices are back up to where they were in 2007. You haven't lost ground since then. Just look at the charts. In effect, you got two years of overpayment on deflated prices for free, and now it feels like a pinch to be back where we were before the crisis.

Response to Recursion (Reply #24)

Response to golfguru (Reply #20)

abelenkpe

(9,933 posts)
17. Republicans want to destroy the economy
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 02:24 AM
Apr 2013

They've been quite open about. Nothing is or was going to get done for the next two years anyway. We needed to win the house in the last election and didn't make enough if an effort to do so. Hope dems do take the house in 2014 but offering cuts to ss is not the way to do it. Such an offer damages democrats more than republicans. Most are already clued in on the obstructionism from the right. No one needed the President to appear to sell out SS to further illustrate that.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
29. Wait, has the excuse for this changed yet again??
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 12:27 PM
Apr 2013

Here's what you are saying now:

The only reason Obama is even TALKING about Chained CPI is because if he doesn't, nothing will get done for two more years.


My head is spinning with all the different excuses I am reading for this disastrous proposal.

What I have been told over and over again is that he proposed the Chained CPI because he knows NOTHING WILL GET DONE because they won't accept it so we shouldn't worry.



Now you're saying he proposed it because he WANTED SOMETHING TO GET DONE. Because if he didn't give them the Chained CPI, nothing would get done. So he expected them to accept it.

So, which is it?
 

silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
7. If I read you correctly, then, wouldn't the same apply now? I think you are saying Bush couldn't
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:09 AM
Apr 2013

take on AARP. I assume AARP is opposed to this, but heck, who knows?

 

silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
12. Mine isn't. Note to all who are on disability:
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:19 AM
Apr 2013

(with the caveat that I am not a lawyer). But my understanding of the disability law is that when you turn 65 (or whatever the age is now), you switch from disability payment to regular Social Security? So, chained CPI would affect you, even though you are on SS now. I am still in my 40's. I would get a screwing.

 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
14. It's too late for you...
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:32 AM
Apr 2013

You should have put a third of what you made all the way back to your first paper route into a retirement account that pays 0% interest.

 

silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
16. I would have, but they wanted me to pay them interest for the hassle of having to have use of my
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 02:14 AM
Apr 2013

funds for 50 years. Its a big hassle having to find places to stash the money, find ways to make interest on it, and find pockets to line with it for decades.

dawg

(10,610 posts)
10. It's one step closer.
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:11 AM
Apr 2013

The power elite in both parties think it's necessary.

It isn't necessary, of course. If the less pessimistic estimates prove more accurate, and they have tended to do so in the past, Social Security may be good for another 75 years with no changes. If not, raising the cap would do wonders. Or, you could levy a small tax on unearned income to make up the shortfall. There are a thousand ways to bring the system into balance without cutting benefits.

But all the Very Serious People think benefits must be cut. It's one of those things they all just *know*.

bhikkhu

(10,708 posts)
9. It has no real support
Mon Apr 8, 2013, 01:11 AM
Apr 2013

I think its a mistake for Obama to even bring it up as a bargaining tool, but it has little support in either party. The one faction of republicans who would have supported it got trounced in the last election.

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
26. We need a BLUNT liberal Democrat as president.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 12:02 AM
Apr 2013

Preferably one with a very blunt way of telling the Republicans to keep their filthy, gnarled, grubby, waxy, yellowed, pus filled, bony, leathery, greedy ass fingers OFF Social Security...AND THEN FOLLOWING THROUGH with a veto if they do try to touch Social Security in any way.

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