Homestead mailing list

["Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

> Along with the knowledge, that for people
> already receiving S.S., or other gov't checks, the cola being artificially
> restrained -- might as well be a cut.   

COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustments) are starting to become an issue.  The fed
had already artificially restrained COLA for fear of feeding inflation.
Kevin Phillips latest book "Bad Money" has an excellent description of the
process.

I like to say to watch carefully what is being written or spoken in the less
well publicized arenas.  This is where people try to start and push along
memes.  A few quiet words here and there is carefully nurtured can turn to a
crescendo.  This SSI COLA is one of those.

As we have heard many times the last eight years have not seen any real
improvement in middle incomes.  Any increase is well more than eaten up by
rising prices.  The current CPI does its best to restrain the number but it
is there.  We have heard about stagnating incomes but I am starting to read
that yes, middle incomes are stagnant but not government retirement incomes
and other pension funds that us a COLA.  

It would not surprise me to see it become a wedge issue between the retired
and those paying into SSI and told they should not count on it.  It could
then become a wedge to cut SSI COLAs.

Full disclosure:  I am now on SSI being the leading edge of the "baby
boomers."
 
Don Bowen  KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html