Penalizing the poor

To the editor,

Enclosed please find a copy of a letter I wrote to Congressman Costello regarding Social Security cost of living adustments.

Congressman Costello,

I am writing in response to your letter and the likelihood that there will be no Social Security cost of living adjustment for 2010 and 2011.

It is my opinion that the state’s dire fiscal situation has been brought about by the politicians we have elected and the poor decisions that have been made on the behalf of all citizens of Illinois. If Social Security (SS) recipients are not going to receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA), it seems only right that the congressmen should freeze their own salaries and not receive an increase until the economic downturn has ended.

I appreciate the fact that you are cosponsoring H.R. 3536 and H.R. 2365, which you state are to provide a one-time payment to SS recipients and would base the SS COLA on calculations that would better reflect the cost of living. I assume this would be an increase, though your letter did not specifically state that. When the local/national economy takes a downturn, I feel it is very unfair to penalize the poor and elderly just because they are unable to fight back.

A copy of this letter is being sent to our local newspapers, The Gazette-Democrat and Southern Illinoisan. I’m encouraging other Social Security recipients to write letters, too.

Sincerely, Lloyd Brasel, Cobden