U.S. deficit commission proposes drastic cost-saving measures, including reducing SS increases

[The Straight Story]

U.S. deficit commission proposes drastic cost-saving measures, including reducing Social Security check increases

http://twitter.com/breakingnews
http://on.msnbc.com/9haAhC

WASHINGTON — Leaders of President Barack Obama's bipartisan deficit commission are proposing to reduce the annual cost-of-living increases in Social Security. It's part of a sweeping proposal to wrestle $1 trillion-plus budget deficits under control.

The proposal would also set a tough target for curbing the growth of Medicare. And it recommends looking at eliminating popular tax breaks, such as mortgage interest deduction.

As proposed, the plan by Chairman Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson doesn't look like it can win support from 14 of the commission's 18 members to force a debate in Congress. Bowles is a Democrat and was former President Bill Clinton's White House chief of staff. Simpson is a Wyoming Republican.

[PBS Poll-435]

1. Reducing Increases

huh?

[The Straight Story]

2. Cost of living increases (nt)

[PBS Poll-435]

4. Yeah. I know.

Seems strange that you can cut a budget by reducing the growth of spending. Not actually reducing spending, just the growth of it.

[HereSince1628]

14. That's always an argument...create future savings by stopping growth

This was one of the WH watch phrases for HCR.

[benlurkin]

3. We are doing that NOW

No COLA for the past two years

[PBS Poll-435]

8. Do you think CPI is being manipulated in order to stop COLA?

Things seem more expensive now than they were in 2008.

[Lasher]

9. But that is unusual, and is because there has been no increase in the cost of living index.

I know, I know. But energy costs went down and that's part of the formula.

[Lasher]

5. COLA

Most folks don't get an annual increase anyway because Medicare Part B premium increases eat up what they would have gotten.

[KansDem]

6. Goddamn it! How many times must this be said??!!!

1) End the bogus wars;
2) Let Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy expire;
3) Get all of the TARP money back

No need to touch Social Security or Medicare!

Savvy?

[FiveGoodMen]

13. That's what any DECENT person would try to do.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. Sneaky. Reduce something during a period when it doesn't exist.

Since nobody has gotten a COLA lately they probably figure nobody will miss it.

Worst part... the are the same sort of RW a-hole who talk about looming hyper-inflation so in their minds they are potentially destroying people.

(In the real world there is no looming hyperinflation, but these shit-heels don't know that.)

[county worker]

10. Please you DUers that said this would not happen, please respond below

I remember when we posted about this in the past we had quite of few people calling us Chicken Littles in effect.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. They cannot respond. The sky fell on them.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. Has to pass Congress and be signed by the President

This has the administrative effect of a woman's phone number on a cocktail napkin.

[county worker]

17. We'll be talking in a few months I'm sure.

[shraby]

15. What cost of living increases???? We haven't had any for

2 years. One year my folks got one and they raised the cost of medicare and it was a negative gain for them.

[shraby]

16. Further thought..how about taking away the Cola for congress-

critters.

[notadmblnd]

18. What- are they going to start taking away?

Because there's have been no increases recently. None last year and none next year.

[jgraz]

19. It's fucking obscene

I can't believe any Democrat would support this.

[Lugnut]

20. Reduce the COLA?

How do you reduce zero?