Patterico's Pontifications

10/14/2009

Obama: Let’s Give $13B Away

Filed under: Economics,Obama — DRJ @ 7:09 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The Obama Administration wants to give $250 to every senior citizen and other social security recipients because their Social Security payments aren’t increasing from a cost-of-living adjustment this year:

“President Barack Obama called on Congress Wednesday to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year. The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce Thursday that there will be no cost of living increase next year. By law, increases are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year.

It would mark the first year without an increase in Social Security payments since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.”

COLAs are designed to compensate people because their money doesn’t buy as much due to inflation. But if COLAs aren’t needed this year, why is the Obama Administration going to pay people anyway? I think it’s because Obama cares and he’s wants to show how much he cares by giving away other people’s money.

Aw. How sweet.

— DRJ

42 Responses to “Obama: Let’s Give $13B Away”

  1. “What kind of money? ”
    “Obama Money!”

    It’s good to know that our president is such a generous man. The sad thing is, many senior citizens – who really are tight on funds, unfortunately – will give him personally the credit for it.

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  2. That’s why he’s doing it, no one.

    He’s going to rescue them from all those meanies!

    Patricia (c95a48)

  3. Those AARP douchebags are behind this. Same as ACORN, those ones.

    happyfeet (f62c43)

  4. It’s a crass attempt at bribery to gain passage of Obamacare noble proposal to help financially strapped seniors, a plan which Obama will not give a thought on how to pay for it pay for with wise cuts in spending and an economy rejuvenated under his stellar leadership.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  5. My wife and I will take the money and thanks very much but I draw the line at voting for him. Now if it was $500,000 (each)………Nahhh.

    glenn (757adc)

  6. Has anyone been grocery shopping lately? Everything has increased in price. President O’Dumbo is trying to cover for the lies his ‘selected liars’ told and are telling about the economy. I’m a senior citizen and know the price of living has gone way up, but O’Dumbo, the worst president in my 68 years, can take the $250 and stick it where the sun don’t shine.

    Scrapiron (996c34)

  7. He’s looking at the polling numbers and knows he’s lost the senior vote. They think he is selling them out on health care, and they are right.

    He’s taking money he doesn’t have to buy their votes in the 2010 elections. Seniors are smarter than that.

    Corky Boyd (4e8f68)

  8. What better way to buy votes than with the US Treasury?

    SomeOtherSteve (238ed0)

  9. The legacy media will say “He’s so nice.” Then, they’ll have some poor senior who voted for him telling everyone how happy he/she is to get 250 smackers. I hope I don’t puke on my TV.

    Bill M (d2ea93)

  10. This “gift” of public funds is a small comfort when one realizes that the COLA index is a joke since it doesn’t factor in energy costs which have been steadily increasing as the $ has lost value re Au. But, as difficult as things are now for some, just wait until the full effects of the obscene numbers of $’s that the Fed/Treasury has pumped into the economy take hold.
    Jimmah will go down in the books as having only the #2 period of hyper-inflation.

    AD - RtR/OS! (12661a)

  11. BTW, when do they plan to send that money out, I need to order some ammo?

    AD - RtR/OS! (12661a)

  12. A smart move. Brilliant.

    The Emperor (0c8c2c)

  13. Smart because he’s giving to the neediest, Emperor?

    DRJ (7fbae6)

  14. DRJ, you have been following this character’s contributions for the past couple of days. He or she is deep into playing games. If you want to play with the person, have fun. But you are wasting your time.

    And I honestly feel that some kind of recognition needs to be made regarding some of the person’s deeply offensive and creepy comments, not simply about other posters, but the Polanski case in general.

    Eric Blair (8484db)

  15. Comment by DRJ — 10/14/2009 @ 8:06 pm

    I’d be parsimonious with that “needy” label DRJ; particularly in light of the wealth stats from the Census. Not discounting the existance of individual need, but as a group, seniors do pretty well.

    AD - RtR/OS! (12661a)

  16. DRJ
    Smart because he needs to keep them seniors happy. It sends a message. He cares about them.

    The Emperor (0c8c2c)

  17. LET THE BIDDING BEGIN!

    Wow the government almost giving the people their money back

    Did someone explain to Obama that it was HIS party that set the COLA formulas?

    EricPWJohnson (55dc57)

  18. Ah yes 250 million people surviving to [ay for 50 million who cannot work anymore

    Dont give them social security – we are heartless animals

    Let them take our money to give it to someone else who over the past 50 years let them spend us into insolvency – we are idiots

    Cant wait until someone finally says – this program the way it is has to end – no wait George Bush and Arnold Swartzenegger did that!

    EricPWJohnson (55dc57)

  19. If nude dancing is protected speech and running ads against politicians isn’t, surely an equal-protection argument can be made that giving money to some but not to all is unconstitutional.

    Diffus (dd4e42)

  20. New Obama Giveaway Program – Women and minorities hardest hit!

    daleyrocks (d057d3)

  21. Hey Obama math when does 15.3% of 104,000 = 250.00

    EricPWJohnson (55dc57)

  22. It isn’t all that smart. It’s a crude way to prove his a thoughtful leader. Giving them cake is a classic. But when the elderly realize that the deficit is ridiculous, and have memories of Carter, I don’t think this is smart policy. Hell, many of these people realize what’s going to happen to their medicare and Social Security in the near term, thanks to the US’s ridiculous and irresponsible behavior.

    That’s an awful lot of money, too. It’s amazing the scale of spending and the speed with which Obama destroyed the US dollar. We’re talking tremendous wealth destruction for all Americans. We’re talking about an extremely regressive tax, too, harming those who lack real assets the most.

    I grant that if we are really suffering from deflation, it is important and cheap for the government to create a ton of cash. But I don’t think that’s really what’s happening, except on some very convenient pieces of paper.

    Maybe the hope is that we will see these little payments, the homebuyer credits, the clunker checks, the old folk cheese, as part of some convoluted mysterious reason why the deficit has exploded. Perhaps the hope is that if each voter feels they got their slice, they won’t be outraged? I don’t think so.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  23. Democrat policy: steal the taxpayers’ money to buy votes.

    The Chicago Way writ nationwide.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  24. So I will be getting $250 back of the taxes I am paying this year. That will cover one electricity bill for August.

    No, I am not supporting Teh Won.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  25. The cola averages about 50 a month so this isn’t much. (unless it’s coming out of your taxes) I think he’s doing this to help the dems cover the fact that federal employees or at least congress are getting a cola salary increase (you know the one where they have to vote for it not to take place).

    jakee308 (5088ee)

  26. Let’s see, you send 250 to the fed, where 3 bureaucrats get paid to touch it. Then the fed decides to send it back to you, after 3 more bureaucrats get paid to touch it. Sounds like a plan.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  27. Is there any end to the government coffers under this administration?

    JD (5e5cad)

  28. Yes, there is. It ends with groups who are known to be against BHO.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  29. Raaaaacists!

    Dr. K (adb7ba)

  30. Giving away the 250 is insulting to seniors and won’t change their vote if it was not for Obama in the first place anymore than the 600 dollar rebates converted anti-Bush folks.
    As to the COLA I read somewhere that the rapid rise in gas prices last year was during the period when the new COLA rate is established it went up. Conversely this year the gas prices have gone down considerably causing the rate to go to zero despite the rise in prices in other areas. Mil retirees will likely see no cola increase in their retirement checks this year as well. Active duty military will see a small raise but not a lot — Clinton froze the active duty pay during one of his terms and it caused a backlash.

    voiceofreason2 (cfab95)

  31. Clinton froze the active duty pay during one of his terms and it caused a backlash.

    Better written as “froze the pay in 1994”

    voiceofreason2 (cfab95)

  32. Didn’t the First Wookie scoff at the $600 President Bush gave away…something about being just enought to buy earrings with that amount?
    Two-fiddy will only get you part of one earring! Her sneakers cost more than that, don’t they?

    pesto (44bf37)

  33. I think it’s because Obama cares and he’s wants to show how much he cares by giving away other people’s money.

    Dear President Obama,

    Please care less.

    Comment by The Emperor — 10/14/2009 @ 7:59 pm

    Well, unless the Seniors consider it an attempt to buy them off, and are insulted by the move. It’s supposedly to help because they have ‘lost so much on their retirement savings and homes’, which is retarded. They have lost so much more from their retirement accounts alone that $250 is a drop in the bucket, let alone the drops in housing prices.

    Scott Jacobs (445f98)

  34. But, pesto, she can barely keep arugula on the table for her family.

    PatAZ (c90d49)

  35. He should just call it a tax cut to get your support.

    Oh, hold it, you guys only support government checks to people when they go to Richie Rich and friends. $250 to the the person making 1200/month, though? That’s just unfair!

    ‘Tis amazing what riles y’all up. Make sure we denounce this, while the folks with vacation homes in the Hamptons are expected to announce record profits again today. Who knew owning the US govt would be so lucrative and could happen with barely a peep from “conservatives.”

    timb (449046)

  36. Because giving more of other people’s money away is obviously a tax cut.

    JD (683268)

  37. Timmah, What govt checks are going to folks in the Hamptons? Why should an additional $250 of yours and my hard-earned dollars be going to seniors? Why this insistence that there needs to be class warfare?

    Icy Texan (6fdd44)

  38. Icy – Why do you assume he is a taxpayer?

    JD (683268)

  39. Good point, JD. He sounds like he might be an Obama appointee.

    Icy Texan (6fdd44)

  40. I intend to have some fun with the bribe. Not only will my wife and I not vote for any Dem, but we will just send $500.00 to the Club for Growth.

    Bar Sinister (d2caac)

  41. Bar–I think you’ve hit on something. Obama things he can buy seniors with $250? Since he probably insists on giving it away regardless of whether we can pay for it, everyone eligible for it should take it and send it to any conservative running against a Democrat, liberal Republicans or Olympia Snowe. In fact, I think we should campaign for this program–maybe the thought of it going to conservatives would make Obama think twice.

    Rochf (ae9c58)

  42. Rochf,

    Don’t forget any Conservative running against Susan Collins and Lindsay Graham.

    PCD (1d8b6d)


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