"Adopting the chained consumer price index for Social Security benefits will take $112 billion out of the pockets of current Social Security beneficiaries in the next 10 years alone, and is neither fair nor warranted.
"Social Security is currently the principal source of income for nearly two-thirds of older American households, and roughly one third of those households depend on Social Security for nearly all of their income. Half of those 65 and older have annual incomes below $18,500. Every dollar of the average Social Security retirement benefit of about $14,800 is absolutely critical to the typical beneficiary.
"The Chained CPI is a stealth benefit reduction that will compound over time and cut thousands of dollars in retirement income for current beneficiaries. A typical 80-year-old woman will lose the equivalent of 3 months worth of food annually. The greatest impact of Chained CPI would fall on the oldest, eventually resulting in a cut of one full month's benefit annually. This dramatic benefit cut would push thousands more into poverty and result in increased economic hardship for those trying desperately to keep up with rising prices."
Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/...
I'm a member (proud) of AARP. I voted for President Obama. I'm 61 years old.
And I've come to the conclusion that THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE to building our (meaning working class) power. Independent power. Not tweedledee vs. tweedledum lesser of two EVILS every 4 years kabuki cr@p drop everything and GOTV but noooooo, the hard hard hard and at time even dangerous risky business of building OUR OWN MOVEMENT. If the working folk of this country were organized and able to wield OUR POWER instead of wasting ourselves and our energies on electing class enemies every four years... well, hah, it would be. very different story.
Learn from history my friends. Thats how we got whatever we got in the first place, including paid Christmas holiday, which maybe now that the labor movement has been destoyed you don't even get anymore. 8 hour day? hah lets not even go there...