Been Away from Here. Got Apathetic. Then Got Pissed. Had to come back and vent.

[BlueCaliDem]

138. As it's doing now? When was the last time an SS recipient got a cost of living raise?

That's right. 2008. FIVE. YEARS. AGO.

Do you consider not having been able to give our seniors a cost of living increase for five years, a cut in benefits? Because that's what proponents of the president's proposal is calling the chained CPI that would replace the current COLA formula.

Raising the cap would be an excellent idea. We'd rid our worry that SS won't be solvent in 2033. We'd get that much closer to have rich people pay their fair share to our seniors. And the problem would be solved. But do you recall, in the not too distant past, that social security was strong and flush with more than enough money to fund earned benefits till, what was it again? 2078?

And then Bush happened. And twelve years of borrow and spend Republicans controlling Congress joined forces with him. Tax cuts for the rich was passed TWICE, but as every Progressive knows, they wouldn't pay for themselves even though we were sold that tripe by Corporate Media. I mean, hey, Duhbya even promised he'd keep his paws off of social security, 'member? Well, he didn't. That cash was flowing in thanks to the Clinton years, and Congress redirected it to the Treasury to pay for those tax cuts and then they launched two unfunded wars and kept dipping their hands into the SS trust fund. And here we are today, looking at a 25% cut to basic benefits by 2033.

What I'm getting at is this, considering the fickle American electorate, even IF we can pass a raise in the cap through this obstructionist Republican House (highly unlikely) there's a real possibility that we'll see another Republican president and another Republican Congress in the future. The moment there is, tax cuts for the rich will pass as law again, and all that cash flowing in will again be redirected to the Treasury to pay for them instead of keeping it in the "lockbox" for our seniors. President Obama's proposal would stop that from happening and effectively create that lockbox that will save social security for the long haul and to stop future Republican presidents and a Republican congress from pillaging SS.