High salary increases for some
Are you on Social Security? What percentage increase in Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) have you received in the past three years? Little to not an iota, right?
Just a few days ago I listened intently to a telephone town hall meeting between Congressman Jack Kingston and constituents in the First District; some 3,000 joined the phone conference. Views expressed to the congressman were very interesting, but there was one that really stood out. A senior lady began to lay into the congressman about her Social Security COLA and put Kingston on the hot seat by asking if he had received a raise over the past few years. Kingston responded by explaining reductions that he has made in his office including the elimination of several key positions.
But as this lady talked to the congressman you could actually hear her voice start to tremble as she told him how difficult it was to make it on her measly Social Security check every month. She also explained how she and her husband had worked and contributed to Social Security expecting the retirement to be there when they reached the appropriate age. It was heartbreaking to listen as the lady talked about the tough choices she had to make every month including having enough food to eat.
Today (Monday) I received a report on the White House’s top 20 salary increases for Fiscal Year 2010 - 2011. How’s this for a COLA? One staffer received an 86 percent increase in salary going from a $42,000.00 annual salary to $78,000.00. Another position, the Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, had a salary increase from $71,400.00 to $130,500.00, an 83 percent increase. We really got our money’s worth out of this increase considering the state of the economy. What a joke! Of this top 20 list, the salary increases range from 17 percent to 86 percent.
The White House offered a response by saying that some of the raises were the result of added responsibilities for some of the individuals listed. This may be the case, but an 86 percent increase seems somewhat unreasonable to me. I feel confident that the lady mentioned above would share this same viewpoint.
Somewhere along the way our priorities got lost in this republic.
-Jamie Gardner
But as this lady talked to the congressman you could actually hear her voice start to tremble as she told him how difficult it was to make it on her measly Social Security check every month. She also explained how she and her husband had worked and contributed to Social Security expecting the retirement to be there when they reached the appropriate age. It was heartbreaking to listen as the lady talked about the tough choices she had to make every month including having enough food to eat.
Today (Monday) I received a report on the White House’s top 20 salary increases for Fiscal Year 2010 - 2011. How’s this for a COLA? One staffer received an 86 percent increase in salary going from a $42,000.00 annual salary to $78,000.00. Another position, the Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, had a salary increase from $71,400.00 to $130,500.00, an 83 percent increase. We really got our money’s worth out of this increase considering the state of the economy. What a joke! Of this top 20 list, the salary increases range from 17 percent to 86 percent.
The White House offered a response by saying that some of the raises were the result of added responsibilities for some of the individuals listed. This may be the case, but an 86 percent increase seems somewhat unreasonable to me. I feel confident that the lady mentioned above would share this same viewpoint.
Somewhere along the way our priorities got lost in this republic.
-Jamie Gardner
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#1
chris hunter
on
08/11/11 at 06:32 PM
[Reply]
well i have something to add! i'm only 30 years old i lived a very hard work ethic in my 30 years ever since i was 13 years old buying my on truck before i could even drive it. And now i'm fighting for social security because i was in a wreck that only 2% survive but yet i'm having for fight for social security and fight and fight but check this out. my last tax return which was right after this wreck i had go to a oral surgeon to a bill close to $1000 they told me that i could go to my local defax office and file for emergency media care and they will pay for it, but guess what i was told.... that if i wasn't an illegal alien or had a child of my own living with me they wouldnt pay for it...........wait so i've got to be an illegal mexican who jumped a fence for my government to help me out.......... so if i want my government help i need to moved to mexico and become a mexican citizen then jump the fence and the u.s. will help me out..............what's wrong with this president obama
#2
Dwight Pearce
on
08/12/11 at 12:38 PM
[Reply]
How about folks that had to take on Responsibilities, such as helping or taking care of grandchildren that God forbid something happened to there parents. Or sickness has struck. Do you think they would like a 50% raise??? I was raised on ssI Daddy would like to have a 10% raise while he and Mom were trying to raise us kids. Thank you Dwight Pearce