This year the COLA for Social Security recipients was 8.7 percent. After some basic math, I realized that my wife and I would continue to suffer from greedflation. The increase does not account for everything. Our gas and electric bill was increased by nearly 30 percent. Our car insurance was raised by more than 10 percent. Trash pickup rose by 18 percent. On average, our monthly bills increased more than 12 percent. But, who cares? We are elderly. However, one thing Republicans fail to realize is that we always vote.
8.7 Percent: A Dysfunctional Government Created by Political Parties
The first year I was able to vote was 1967. I knew years prior to the 1968 general election that I would always be an Independent. I despise political parties. They create a “politics first” environment which is counterproductive. These groups are more concerned with power and personal ambitions than the American people. Therefore, since the 2000 election, I have not voted for a single “Republican” for federal office. Not a single Republican candidate has been worthy of my most precious weapon against corruption and apathy.
May the Grand Old Party Rest in Peace Instead of Pieces
The truth is that Republicans no longer exist. This party which sits on the right side of the aisle only serves special interests. They are not concerned about the fact that one-half of all Americans struggle to survive in low-income and impoverished demographics. Income inequality has widened dramatically over the last 40+ years. They reject all social programs for low-income Americans, minorities, the working class in general, and the elderly.
8.7 Percent: Greedflation Is not New
I remember the first time that the corporate world created greedflation. It was the 1970s. The petroleum industry lied about a shortage of gasoline. Prices rose dramatically and we waited in long lines to fill our tanks. Producers of coffee and sugar followed their lead. Weeks later prices dropped, but not to their original number. They remained 20-30 percent higher.
Corporate Greed, a Plutocracy, Will Destroy America
The ultimate end of America will not be from a war between nations, or another Civil War. It will be the result of corporate greed. When most Americans can no longer purchase commodities produced by big businesses, the economy will crash.
Millions of Americans, including my wife and myself, rely on Social Security for our income. After working for about 45 years, and paying into the program continuously, we are collecting the money we and our employers contributed. If there are problems with funding, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the 545 men and women who serve in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government. What have they done with the money millions of Americans placed into the program for the last 88 years? Has it disappeared into their own, personal bank accounts? Have they given it to the military to waste?
America is the Only Developed Nation that Refuses to Place its People in Priority Number One
Our government will continue to fail as long as it continues to ignore the needs of all Americans. The minimum wage must be raised to a level that increases the quality of life for everyone. Corporations and the super-rich must pay their fair share of taxes. Annual raises in Social Security payments must reflect rising costs for all services and all necessities.
By James Turnage
Find my nine novels on Amazon’s Kindle
Sources:
CNBC News: Greedflation: ‘Entirely possible’ that food brands are profiteering from price hikes, says Tesco chairman
The Guardian: My life has become a series of painful choices as the cost of living pushes me closer to poverty | Andrea Clarke
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of frankieleon‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
