Social Security COLA formula ignores rising costs

Well, it looks like the bureaucrats who figure out the cost of living and who reside in Washington's ivy towers have made their monumental decision, "No increase in Social Security come 2016." They base this on the low price of gasoline, which they say proves inflation is low.

Ha! If only these little tin gods in D.C. would go out into the real world where the price of milk, eggs, cheese, beef, ham, etc. have increased. And let's not forget the increases in rent, car insurance, property insurance, flood insurance and healthcare premiums, which have gone up as gas has declined.

I seem to recall the high price of gas was used in years past to justify the increases in food, but now other excuses are being used why the price of food hasn't come down with the price of gas (mad cow disease, chicken flu, etc.).

Maybe seniors should start to form political action committees to send our overpaid representatives a message that they will no longer be neglected and are willing to vote accordingly.

I only have one more comment. I wish local politicians and their developer friends would quit using the same old stock answers in their push for the developments they favor: "This development will invigorate the neighborhood." Most of the time it just adds more traffic and the need for more services.

William E. Moore

Bradenton

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Social Security COLA formula ignores rising costs ."