2010 Cost of Living Adjustments COLA Table increase for Social Security Federal Retirees Limits Rates

I DIDN'T vote for this administration, but even if I did....EXCUSE ME? How can you say that people DESERVE to sink further into poverty because they were LIED TO and they believed the lies? Have you ever believed someone when they were lying to you? If you have, then you have no room to talk about what anyone deserves. If you haven't, well then, Superman, you are one of a VERY select few who have such SuperPowers. As such, it's unethical to lord it over and look down upon those who are doing the best they can without your vast powers. Perhaps you also think all of Congress was just voted into office at the same time as the President?

20 years of what sitting behind a desk no doubt and seen no combat probably! Thank you for your service!

I just love those who can second guess the whole freakin planet on an individual basis from the anonymity of the internet. I'm one of those whiners you're talking about. I lost everything I had in Katrina, including most of my house. I DON'T live in a flood zone! Every cent I had went into my house and between a city that made me keep fixing the same things over and over again because the code changed an inch here and an inch there and a contractor who not only overcharged outrageously but also did incredibly shoddy work I had to have redone (for example: I had over $16,000 in roofing put on TWICE and it still had to be torn off and completely rebuilt a THIRD time) I eventually ran out of money and my house is now being fixed by Catholic Social Services. In the mean time, I'm no longer able to work since I can barely walk unless I have a cane or walker, I can't drive anymore, I have narcolepsy, brain damage and hypothyroidism, ALL of which is from the FEMA camper I've been in since Katrina. So even though I had a well paying trade (industrial welder/fitter) before the storm, now I'm living on for a month less than I used to make in a week, NO savings, no other resources of any kind. YES, we're whining about no COLA this year, BECAUSE CONGRESS NOT ONLY CAN AND DO VOTE THEMSELVES RAISES, THEY ALSO GET IT AUTOMATICALLY to keep up with the inflation that didn't exist which is why WE will continue for this year and probably the next two to live on the same money while costs keep going up. I'm just grateful I'm too young for Medicare or I would REALLY be screwed with the MANDATORY participation and MANDATORY increases. THOSE poor souls got a CUT in their checks because of those increases AND a CUT in their services which means they will now have to pay for those services from their check which means a double CUT. My mama is one of those people and she did what you did. You think that works for everyone? The company she retired from has been screwing the life out of her retirement ever since she got it. It's now less than half what she was told it would be. Want to know who she retired from? AIG. The bailout bandits. So Congress gets two raises in 2009 and another one in 2010. And I shouldn't be upset about that while I try to budget my little over $10,000 a YEAR to cover just basic living expenses. I gave up my cell phone, satellite service (which means I have zero tv reception), eating out, entertainment, clothing budget, every luxury but internet and if that didn't pay for itself and then some, I wouldn't have it, either...in an attempt to stay under budget. How much do you think ANYONE in Congress gave up? I DID plan better, a helluva lot better. Unfortunately for me, the Universe did not abide by my plans. So please save your smugness for those who deserve it. It just royally pi$$es me off that YOU are not outraged by this BS and instead play the Blame the Victim game. That's the attitude of the last holdout on the jury to convict a rapist...they always say she brought it on herself.

Obviously you have never served in the military or if you have couldn't wait to depart at the end of your enlistment or I suspect were kicked out because you couldn't cut it! You speak high and mighty of taking pay cuts for business / jobs and 800 who have lost their job in one county when all the while it is so easy to forget the fallen, the mamed and the disabled who provided you the freedom to have this way of life that you take for granted. I have sympathy for those who have lost their jobs and taking pay cuts but I do not forget who has provided this way of life for all Americans. If not for the US military, you might very well be speaking German, Japanese or sometime in your lifetime, even Arabic. Wake up! US Air Force (Retired), Clarksville TN.

Well Sir or Madam - It's simply about this - - - being faithful to the promises that our Government has made to us... I promise you, those in charge will see an increase! Your comments are not only insensitive to those who either 'gave some or gave all' but also rather short sighted... How about using some of the stimulus package (TARP) to provide COLA for those who really need it... CWO5 Christensen, USMC(Ret)Semper Fi!

Oh, don't worry about where the $100 million is coming from, they'll do the same thing they always do when they need more money.....just print it.

Ok, I was with ya all the way up to don't tip at restaurants. So your plan to save money is to still eat out, but screw the server? THAT IS HOW THEY MAKE THEIR LIVING. Shame on you!!! If you can't afford to leave a tip, stay home and cook it yourself! Those people are taxed on minimum wage whether they make it or not. If everybody took your advice, there would be no servers to worry about tipping, they couldn't afford to work, they'd make more picking up aluminum cans. What the H*LL is WRONG with people anymore?????

Well said! (Minus a few typo's) You have a point. I just recently listened too "so called" analyst on CNN and FOX and it would seem like they are trying to separate the country and make other countries view America as incompetent and inadequate. Hannity, Beck, O'Reily and Limbaugh, are these guys for us or against us. It would be nice to hear them try to pull us together instead of creating divides. I'm also ashamed to listen to Christian Radio and am saddened by some of the things I hear Christians say about our "Black" President. They really don't even give him the courtesy of calling him President. They just call him Obama. If we don't show respect and concern for our Leader, why would we want other countries and media to show respect. It's funny that you mentioned most Educated President, but I never hear them speak kindly about him on any matter. I think I'll pull up my boot straps, stop complaining and try praying and supporting. That's what they did during the depression. It's funny how history repeats itself. When will we learn?

Food skyrocketed and that a cost of living expense. Then why did food stamps increase by almost 25%. Because that's how much food increased alone. I don't see electricity or heating going down or the same as last year costs. This too is cost of living expense. Where the hell do these congressman get off saying there is no cost of living expense. Maybe with all their golden expense accounts and raises, maybe they don't have any cost of living increase, but for the average Joe there is plenty. I think they think were about as smart as a rock. Yes they do need to realize they work for the ordinary person and we need a little integriety from our government. It's all about what they can get instead worrying about the people and our countries values. Were becoming more of a dictorship country with all our freedoms being taken away daily. Just like this patriot act that Bush signed illegally into office and should be null and void and Bush put in Jail for doing so. About time they get punished for thier actions and wrong doings. Lets get real here.

Let's start a portition

Right on Brother and let's start a petition.

i just wanted to respond to your entry. i feel for you im in the same situation. i just cancelled the cable and i now get 1 chanell to watch. i have to cancel something else and its a tuff 1 to choose. they expect me to pay 325 a month for medication i recieve 900 a month ssd im single my rent is 600 a month. and they take away the extra help. what the .... is going on? someone dropped the ball. im waiting for someone to go postal it will happen sooner or later. wake up and fire all the top empjoyees a s.s.a

the fed or gov sould stop giving assistance to all single parents because they all report them self as single and at night they have there comom law husbands or friends with them and they sure r not free at home. all these singles mom r well dress and with hi-light hairs and all this fansy nails where they have to redo every 2 weeks. The government should more investigation at night on all this single parents what they do and where they go. all this single parents can go work on the fields if they real want to get have what they have but not with the our tax money. All border towns should be investiagted closing since 80% gets the assistance and the elderly and disable do not get food stamps and etc. the world is full of fraud with all this government assistance medicae food stamps and tanf. Alot of people work and do not report to the IRS so they can get all govermemt and federal assistance.

LBJ set up the formula for COLA which is used for military, federal civil service, and social security pay. You should read the paper and listen to TV and radio to have known there will be no COLA for 2010. This was announced starting in late Oct. as end date for COLA calucations per formula is 30 Sep of ever year. Really naive to still think a COLA would be possible in this damned depression.

I'm a disabled vet living on my VA disability compensation, and like you will be receiving no pay raise this year. While I can agree to an extent that perhaps the military base pay should also remain frozen, (I'm torn on this since our military people still make far less in their base pay than they should,) I'd have no objection whatsoever to them getting an increase in things like hazardous duty pay for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. What *I* object to is while the rest of us who have served are getting no pay raise, and so very many in the private sector have taken pay cuts, why have government paper pushers, (who already made well above the median income level for the country,) seen a 5% increase in the number of people making $100,000+ over the last year or so? While the Dems and Obama are slamming private industry honcho's for their bonuses, and claiming that these tight times require tighter belts, they're passing out bonuses to government workers like we're flush with extra cash. THEY may be, but only because they've ripped off the taxpayers for billions as they drive our country into bankruptcy. I sure HOPE that we see some major CHANGE in the makeup of Congress after the 2010 elections and get some fiscal conservatives in there who will respect the fact that the government doesn't HAVE any money of it's own, but only that which it confiscates from the populace! THAT would be "hope and change I can believe in!"

They need to go, along with all the others. The older folks that need the increase, will only get the screw in more ways then one, especially if the healthcare bull is approved