Letter: Social Security hike is absurd
This photo shows the Social Security Administration's main campus in Woodlawn, Md. Credit: AP
I read with trepidation about the low cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees in 2015 ["Benefit hikes to stay low," News, Oct. 19], and I would like to extend an open invitation to those in our government who concluded that a 1.7-percent increase is justified.
Come with me when I shop, and sit with me when I open my mail with notices of increases in everyday expenses. I have not received one notice that says, "Congratulations, your bill is less this month."
Feel free to watch me fill my gas tank. The story specifically indicated that gas prices are down. Yes, in the past two weeks, that's true. What about from January to October 2014?
We've been told about low cost-of-living adjustments for the past several years. Who are these mysterious people who make this decision that affects millions of seniors and disabled veterans, and where do they live? I'd like to know and perhaps move there!
We need an explanation that makes sense, not one that resembles a fairy tale.
Maia Gaiti, Bethpage
