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5.7% for Retirees in 2009? It May Still Go Higher

5.7% for Retirees?

Retired Manager
Federal Agency
Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:20 AM

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Not likely to happen. As I've posted elsewhere, retirees already know that when it comes time for our increase, the CPI is miraculously lowered. After our reduced increase, the CPI miraculously rises again to reflect the true rate of inflation. I use to hold my breath; not any more.

COLA'S AND LOCALITY PAY RATES

CLAIMS REP
SSA
Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:52 PM

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everyone is making a big deal about the proposed cola and how certain areas may get even more. i for one think the locality pay rates are a bunch of poop! okay so cost of living in cities may be higher but what about those of us who live in the country and have to drive 30 miles or more one way to work and are paying $4.24 a gallon for gas. i think everyone should get the same rate regardless as things are certainly tough everywhere not just in the cities where there is public transporation, which we do not have in the country. i guess i could buy a horse from my amish neighbor and ride it to work but then my 9 1/2 hour day would turn into a 12 hour day.

Re: COLA'S AND LOCALITY PAY RATES

Human Resources Specialist
NASA
Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:06 PM
I think it's a wonderful thing that you can express your opinions freely...but.. I've lived in the country and I understand what's it's like to drive an hour or more - one way- to work at a federal job. Gas prices are terribly high. However, I've also lived in a large city and I can tell you, there are hugh price differences. I'd rather live in the country and drive an hour to work than try to live in a decent house, in a safe neighborhood, and try to commute to work on the salary you get with"Rest of US" - it can't be done! Employees who are working in the middle ranges of salary have a terrible time just affording rent and gas, let alone food and clothes. My opinion is that you should try living in a large city before you the locality pay is a bunch of "poop". My opinion is that the percentages for locality pay need to be higher, and there should be fewer areas that receive "Rest of US" locality pay. By the way, gas here is over $4.50 and has been for months.

Inept Congress

Worker
DoD
Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:52 PM

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According to the author, "presumably, our elected representatives want to take care of the most important business of the country; namely, campaigning to keep their Congressional seats." I don't think this is an assumption, I think it is fact. Face it, the first duty of people in Congress is to get re-elected. The second duty is not to look bad, maybe actually enact a meaningful piece of legislation and skate through till the next election, collecting the pay and bennies that only a person in Congress can get...you know, the junkets and free stuff from the lobbiests.

Election Campaigns

Executive Director
Federal Union
Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:25 PM

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You wrote:

"Presumably, our elected representatives want to take care of the most important business of the country; namely, campaigning to keep their Congressional seats."

Aren't elections about...uh...democracy?

Retiree Cola

HR Manager (Retired)
DoD
Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:13 PM

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What a shame that the state of our economy is such that it is going to drive our COLA to such a high percentage. Yes, I am thankful that I will get the higher percentage but at the same time it really bothers me that there are tens of million of other individuals who will not be as fortunate. Hopefully this time around we, the American voter, will, when we vote, consider what our elected officials, at all levels, have done to get us in this mess and pay closer attention to what those running for office are saying they will do to "right the ship." We need people in office who will take care of the home front first and remember that we, like other countries, also have million of kids who go to bed hungry and million of Moms and Dads without jobs and that these individuals are our first responsibility.

Re: Retiree Cola

Associate Director
Air Force
Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:40 AM
I agree there are millions of kids in America, but not that they go to bed hungry. Don't bury your head in the sand like past generations in other places have done. We have threats to our country and way of life. We don't want to end up like Poland and Czechoslovakia prior to WWII because they did not see the threat and waited until it invaded them. We don't want to be like Lindberg who said Japan was no threat to the US just month's before we were bombed in Pearl Harbor. We have a lot of overfed kids and people who don't know when they are truly threatened--even when they are directly threatened.

As for politicians, no politician tells the truth. If they say they will lower tax and cust spending, they dont--current administration. If they tell Detroit they will make them a thrive again--they can't. They will tell you what they think will win an election because they are not accountable for their actions. Just hope they will not destroy our ecconomy and not protect us.

Pay Raise/Continuing Resolution

Financial Management Career Field Manager
USAF
Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:54 AM

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Instead of Congress adjourning at the end of Sep without making a final decision on the pay raise for next year, why don't they do the job they were elected to do, and are in office to do, prior to adjourning? Causing more work for the federal service, and angst as federal employees wonder what the "final answer" will be for their 2009 pay raise, isn't a good thing when going out to campaign to keep their positions, as it certainly shows where their priorities are, and aren't! There is a colossal mess, and much time and Human Resource dollars spent, when a partial pay raise is passed, then a subsequent one passed later, just because Congressional members chose to skip out early, leaving federal employees in a continuing resolution status. While the Federal employees deserve and want that additional percentage/raise, it shouldn't be delayed at a monetary and workload cost to employees, because Congressional leaders are looking for their next job instead of doing their current one!

COLA

ret CSRS
ret dod of us airforce
Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:53 PM

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I'am a retirees of may 1-2007 I would like to known how much percent of COLA . dose a person get 12 months for the year of 2008 or like what i got last time 1/12 of a percent and every thing wemt up 5% more then my retment pay hurting person

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