For decades the Democratic Party has scared senior citizens before every election with phony accusations that Republicans would reduce or eliminate their Social Security benefits. Even while Republican elected and party officials have urged fiscal responsibility to ensure Social Security and Medicare could be stabilized, Democrats have engaged in scare tactics to win elections while unnerving seniors.
We have a Democrat presidential administration and Democrats control both houses of Congress. Now that they have control, what is their first order of business? Democrats have put a freeze on Social Security cost of living increases — the first in 35 years — reducing all recipients’ income.
This is an outrage. The Obama administration is asking seniors to swallow this bitter pill at the same time. Seniors whose average federal remuneration is less than $14,000 per year are getting zero COLA while federal employees whose average annual salary is $79,000 per year are getting 2 percent COLA.
No one is disparaging the right of hard-working public servants to a cost of living increase, but one has to see the disparity. Where are our local Democratic congressional leaders in decrying these actions? Is this administration’s popularity more important than the financial hardships of its constituents?
The missing cost of living increase could have absorbed most of the increased cost of electricity the administration’s cap and trade bill will cost us. A 2 percent increase could help offset increased health insurance premiums that government-run health care is sure to bring.
After decades of hearing that fiscally conservative Republicans were somehow a threat to their well-earned benefits, seniors now have to ask our Democratic president and elected officials why they are the ones hurting seniors’ pocketbooks and undercutting a promise.
Vince Tabone
Executive Vice Chairman
Queens County Republican Party
Whitestone
