Mr. President….Unchain our Social Security!

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Mr. President, over your years in office there have been a few things that did bug us.  You know…like not going after the Big Banks, breaking them up, prosecuting those folks that could make up anagrams for any possible combination of letters….that virtually had no merit….to sell to anyone.  Then there was your lack of follow through on the Immigration issue.  Giving immigrant kids a momentary pass….was a nice thought…..but where is the follow through and real answers we can hang our hats on…..when it comes to solving immigration.  Passing Obama Care was a nice touch, but then where is the follow through?  Shouldn’t we have a long list of specific things to fix with a bar chart of when these things will become reality?  Where is the Obama Care Think Tank?

OK, so the Republicans have been blocking you at every turn.  We agree with that.  OK, so you had a tough re-election campaign that kept you occupied and away from the seriousness until you could win again.  Congratulations by the way!  But hey, that was in November of 2012……six months ago…mind you.  OK, so the Republicans have been blocking virtually any ideas you had on balancing the budget, dealing with the $16 Trillion dollar deficit or finding a viable Final Four or Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  We have noticed you have been quite busy recently putting your political capital out there for a variety of gun control measures which will have little of no effect on Professional Criminals, Drug Cartels, Psychopaths, the Mentally Disabled, Dysfunctional Families with abusive members, Illegal distribution of Prescription Drugs, Over prescription of Prescription Drugs, Violent Video Game Manufactuers and of course….prosecution of people who have been refused availabilty to purchase Firearms on the current NCIS System…..when the numbers of buyers refused are staggering – and the prosecution of even felons and those known to be mentality disabled are infintismal.

Mr. President, we understand that you can’t do everything – all at one go.   You have those nasty North Koreans, the Syrians, the Sudanese, the Yemenese and about 100 more countries which may be endangering the borders of the United States.  Of course, no one promised that being President was going to be an easy gig.  Your choice of music at Presidential functions is great.  We even like Chuck Hagel and John Kerry.  Some pretty good choices, in spite of resentments and objections from the Red State side of the Congress.  We will miss Hillary however….she did a very good job….along with Leon Panetta.  Those were great choices too.  You seem to be continuing to make some great Cabinet Appointments….excellent.

The largest gorilla or elephant or snake in the room however seems to be focused on your recent submission of a so-called bi-partisan budget.  We seem to be cutting our military because of several factors:  The Sequester, The Drawdown of our Military across the world – including Europe, Afghanistan and others, Dealing with Women in Combat, Dealing with Sexual Abuses in the Military and the Military Academies, Dealing with spiking Healthcare cost for Military Retirees, their dependents and those Military members disabled by the side effects of war.  TriCare prices are spiking and so are the Three Major Healthcare provider policies for not only the military but for members of the civilian working population – The Cost of Premiums up 85%, with huge spikes in personal and family deductibles – bureaucratic sound walls to get needed or even grandfathered therapies.  Spiking costs for therapies and necessary drugs and prescriptions.  This is a mess and we need you to take some of that political capital and aim it in this direction.  Etna, United Healthcare and Blue Cross – Blue Shield either need to change their ways or the U.S. Government needs to find a way to dispense some TARP money in their directions.  Hey, we also need to label all GMO products sold in America too – if you can find time.

OK, Mr. President – as the saying goes: “The Straw that broke the Camels back” – however is simply this.  “Chained CPI” – in the words of Margaret Thatcher… “NO, NO, NO!  NO!”   Taking food out of the mouths of fixed income seniors, little old ladies and men – living alone – trying to afford their Medicare Payments, their Prescription Drugs, their rent and their food……doesn’t need a draw down in order to help in “other areas of government programs”.  Mr. President we have been short sheeted on the Annual Cost of Living Increase for Social Security, Military Retirement and Disabled Senior for 15 years.  The words “Quality of Life” seem to always be missing in the equation.  Our Great Granmother died at 99 years of age in an old folks home in 1952.  Her Old Age Benefits were $24 dollars a month.  Her rent was $18 dollars a month before she went to the old folks home – bedridden; dying from bed sores and lack of care!  We don’t need to repeat this very repetitive story in 2013 or beyond.  Granma Minnie would have continued to eat cat food….hadn’t her grand daughters offered some financial help.

Mr. President….Unchain our Social Security………find a way to insure that the Cost of Living Increase either remains as it is or in the words of Senator Bernie Sanders……we need it to go up – not down.  Uncap Social Security.  $119,000 dollars a year is hardly a cap that is viable in 2013.  That might have worked in 1980 but not in today’s dollars.  Cap the initial payment to new retirees…..we can understand that…but the salary cap for Social Security should be doubled.  Take money out of people’s pay…up to $238,000 a year.  Social Security will become flush till 2050.  Mr. President – find a way to help our Seniors in this Country.  We need your help!  Take the Chained CPI – off the table and put it into the waste can of American history.  The last time this was tried was 25 years ago.  It didn’t fly then and hopefully, the outlook in 2013 doesn’t seem anymore optimistic.