Shithead is gonna screw up our COLA isn't he???

[ThingsGottaChange]

Just saw where he's going back on the Federal worker's raises. It's said the COLA is law but, I remember when Obama held it back. So tired of worrying about what that POS is gonna do next, to us little guys/gals. Damn him!

[leftieNanner]

1. But, but

Donny's gotta go golfing this weekend again. You moocher workers should be honored to contribute to that.

sheesh.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. But remember what Trump said.....He's going to bail out farmers and build the Wall...

So! There is plenty of money for Federal workers COLAs.

[KPN]

3. Source? Federal retiree here.

It must be nerve rattlingly demoralizing for many feds these days with the morally corrupt moron we have occupying the WH. Hang in there. He'll be gone sooner than later.

Reagan started that shit by delaying the COLA 3 months for 4 years in a row while he was in office. Then he did something called "grade-bulge reduction" which reduced the pay grade pf thousands of federal employees. The goal was demoralization of the workforce and consequent attrition. Attacking government by attacking and chasing off it's employees.

Can't remember details about Bush Sr., Clinton, and HW, but Obama's 3 year freeze on COLAs took the cake and still frosts me. They came during my last 3 years prior to retiring and, consequently, affected my pension substantially since it was to be based on the average of my highest 3 years of salary which, for most -- including me, tends to be one's last 3 years. His reasoning -- everyone should share in the pain caused by the 2008-09 stock market collapse. Never-mind that my retirement investments also took a big hit (-30+%) at the time. He almost bought into and implemented the "chained COLA" concept as well; a sure road to deeper poverty for those dependent on SS or federal pensions.

If and when we win the WH back again, no Democratic Party President should ever make moves that affect the working/middle class negatively in the hopes of assuaging Rs who he/she mistakenly thinks he/she can work with again. To do so would be absolutely naive and irresponsible -- and may just lose whatever is left of the working class' loyalty to the party forever.

[ThingsGottaChange]

5. Link

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/30/politics/trump-cancels-federal-employee-pay-raises/index.html

I'm not a federal employee. Just a disables retiree. Yes, Obama's freeze on COLAs fried my butt as well. Which is why I am so worried about 2019.

[KPN]

8. Thanks.

[WePurrsevere]

4. No, the president has NO say over Soc Security's recipients COLA. Any increase we get...

is automatic and falls under the Social Security Act. If we don't get an increase it's because the CPI-W formula they use says there's no "inflation" to justify it OR because our cost of Medicare went up and wiped out the increase in benefits we got (our benefit amount can't go down only stay the same or increase).

Thankfully there's no increase in our Medicare cost next year (let's not get into the years after.. grr) and inflation is over 2% and, although it's a bit early to say, experts are saying we should get over a 2% increase, quite possibly the highest in years, that we'll actually see in our bank account.

The COLA will be announced in October. Let's keep our fingers crossed the increase breaks the 3% mark. It's still not enough and Dems really should run on changing it to the more accurate CPI-E for elderly and disabled but it'll probably be higher than this year's was and we get a one year break in Medficare cost increases.

Sources:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2018/08/28/social-security-recipients-could-see-big-raise-cola/37544173/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/unsweetened-cola/
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/latestCOLA.html

[ThingsGottaChange]

6. Isn't there more than one formula?

Isn't that how Obama cut it off? I'm pretty sure that's how he did it. Do we know which formula is being used for 2019?
Again, I am not a federal employee and I don't pay much attention to Medicare, except to know I owe thousands for health issues just this year (so far). I just don't want to have those few extra $$ yanked from me again. And I can most assuredly see the rotund one doing just that!

[WePurrsevere]

7. Different groups affected by COLA? Yes...

But since this is the Social Security & Medicare group and the OP seemed worried about Trump possibly cutting Soc Sec benefits that's what I was trying to explain so people who are elderly and/or disabled, as I am, wouldn't be stressing needlessly.

Anyway, as I stated above, For Soc Security COLA there's just the one formula. (<The link goes to the Soc Sec Admin site.) There's a link to the 1973 Soc Security Act that details the formula/how increases are calculated on the page too.

Anyway, Obama alone couldn't freeze (nor would he have) COLA for recipients of Social Security. It simply wasn't in his power to do so as I addressed with links above.

OTOH he could and did freeze raises for fed employees since that's something that can be done by a president.

The reason Soc Sec recipients didn't get increases for a few years wasn't because Obama froze us. It was only because inflation was low and our cost for Medicare Part B went up enough to cancel out what little we might have gotten. The way our benefits are calculated and the increases for Medicare have made it so our buying power has diminished. Obviously how our COLA is calculated needs to change. IMO this an issue Dems must address and push to fix and NOT with the 'chained cpi' bull.

I tried to find info on fed retirees COLA being frozen but I'm not seeing that as having happened either. It's possible I'm missing something since I'm extremely tired and rushing a bit ATM but all I could find is discussed in the WaPo link a couple paragraphs up.

I'm not saying that the Republicans couldn't band together and TRY to change the Social Security Act in a way that would harm seniors and disabled beneficiaries. I tend to think it's extremely unlikely that they'd get enough willing to commit political suicide ATM though.

[ThingsGottaChange]

9. Thanks

I may actually get it now. Things are getting a bit fuzzier as the days go by......

[WePurrsevere]

10. Fuzzy I can certainly relate too...

If you have more questions I'll try to help. We're all so stressed with this admin, and there are legitimate concerns about how our benefits might be impacted, that I just wanted to ease your mind a bit on THIS one at least.

[Cousin Dupree]

11. Well he screws everything up! That's how he rolls!

[LibinMo]

12. If he could he would

By executive order!

[Maxheader]

13. Just remember...

Low lifes like mitch the bitch and pee ryan want to abolish the ss system,
the medicare system, the medicaid system...And turn it all over to their
insurance buddies...