I wonder if the 62% of old people who would rather have smaller government and fewer services...

[Drunken Irishman]

Would have a problem with us totally ending social security and medicare to help pay for college and unemployment benefits?

:shrug:

[madfloridian]

1. You are pushing Bush's generational divide.

And that appears to be the policy our party is following.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. It seems the generation divide is being pushed through stupidity...

No other reason to explain those numbers!

[kestrel91316]

2. They'd probably be happy to see an end to SS and Medicare so the fat cats could have even more tax c

[monmouth]

3. Very foolish to withold a COLA this year. We would have been thrilled

with anywhere from 1-1/4 to 3%. My rent has gone up twice since '08 so this is not helpful. Many seniors will look at that and vote accordingly.

[LibinMo]

8. Those Seniors need to be better informed

"COLA is equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next. If there is no increase, there is no COLA."

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/latestCOLA.html

I think the formula for determining SS COLA needs to be reworked but since it was enacted in 1973 it's hardly fair to blame either party.

[RC]

14. Doesn't our "Consumer Price Index leave out unimportant stuff like food and other stuff

that only the little people use? I seem to remember reading something like that, it leaves out something important that should be there.

[CBR]

15. No. It includes food.

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpifaq.htm#Question_1

What goods and services does the CPI cover?

The CPI represents all goods and services purchased for consumption by the reference population (U or W) BLS has classified all expenditure items into more than 200 categories, arranged into eight major groups. Major groups and examples of categories in each are as follows:

* FOOD AND BEVERAGES (breakfast cereal, milk, coffee, chicken, wine, full service meals, snacks)
* HOUSING (rent of primary residence, owners' equivalent rent, fuel oil, bedroom furniture)
* APPAREL (men's shirts and sweaters, women's dresses, jewelry)
* TRANSPORTATION (new vehicles, airline fares, gasoline, motor vehicle insurance)
* MEDICAL CARE (prescription drugs and medical supplies, physicians' services, eyeglasses and eye care, hospital services)
* RECREATION (televisions, toys, pets and pet products, sports equipment, admissions);
* EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION (college tuition, postage, telephone services, computer software and accessories);
* OTHER GOODS AND SERVICES (tobacco and smoking products, haircuts and other personal services, funeral expenses).

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I kind of doubt that their thinking (if you can call it that)

has gotten that far.

But if they thought about it, they most likely would be horrified.

[elleng]

6. Of course they would, its always the OTHER guy's stuff that's objected to.

Which is why our 'representative' government is supposed to figure all this out.

[doc03]

7. The thing of it is even those wanting to cut SS want it cut on

people 50 or younger. As long as those getting the benefits don't get cut they are all for it, screw the people under 50. It's the same thing with health care the ones that have it are the ones making all the noise, the Rethugs convinced the old people that their Medicare was being cut by $500 billion. The birth of the something for nothing gang the Teabaggers.

[Stargazer99]

9. Divide and conquer, eh, rightie

[Bitwit1234]

10. I am sure the "OLD" people you are talking about are

rich. I can not for the life of me believe that normal every day senior citizens would agree with republicans and their policies. Those tea bags are not representative of most seniors in this country.

[Drunken Irishman]

13. Hard to imagine 62% of 65+ voters would be called rich.

[sarge43]

11. Well, as one of those old people, I'm wondering why

there's no finger and head shaking about the 30 to 64 gang. They're not exactly supportive either.

[golfguru]

12. Big difference

The old codgers have paid social security taxes all their life.
So, they have earned the benefits.

College students have'nt paid anything. So it is basically a handout.
Unemployed's employer have paid taxes but not enough for 99 weeks.

[Cleanelec]

16. What an idiotic post

Those "old" people paid into the system all their lives. They deserve every cent they get.

[Peregrine Took]

17. Amen!

[bigwillq]

18. Good post.

On all levels.
Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Historic NY]

19. The 18-29 can have whatever they want but its the older people paying for it....

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. these old people want to have subsistance farms so they can pay for themselves1

they want to dig the ground to plant veg, fruit, raise chickens!