Social Security Payments Stagnate

Recently disclosed information announced that no cost of living increase will occur for seniors this year. I'm not an accountant, nor an auditor, but if you don't think senior citizens have higher expenses this year, lend me your ear.

First to hit me last month was a $50 per month increase in my mobile home park rental. That's an increase from $300. Then Kootenai Electric announced a 12% to 14% increase in power rates. Since I heat with an electric furnace .. well you do the math. Somehow, somewhere, I'm going to have to find roughly $100 per month more in income than I already pay in a pinched budget already.

I'm thinking of giving up television. Living down in a hole, far from TV transmitters, I don't have the option of going to an antenna. I can't get rid of cable for my computer, since I still occasionally write articles for the paper. Try sending 500 to 600 words plus six pictures by dial-up.

If the indexes indicate that there has been no inflation, then I suggest they check the validity of the indexes. Anyone noticed groceries going down? I haven't. Meat is sky high and so is everything else. The old standbys like chicken and hamburger are almost twice what they were two years ago, most likely due to the federal boondoggle of throwing the corn market into chaos, by sending this vital feed crop into bio fuels which could have been produced by waste that does not compete with the human food chain. No good thing that can come from this. I no longer have the option of eating as I have for the past 71 years. I now have to fill up on food that is cheap, rather than nourishing. Well, maybe I can lose some weight now, that is unless they raise the price of wine grapes, putting me back into poverty.

In short, long term problems should not be fixed by short term solutions, especially if politicians continue to pass feel good legislation without regard to unintended consequences.