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Friday 11 OctOber 2019
Continued from Front campaign," said Schia-
With the COLA, the estimat- vone. "I really don't know
ed average monthly Social what to believe."
Security payment for a re- Democrats are working
tired worker will be $1,503 a to convince older people
month starting in January. they have their backs on
Joe Schiavone, who retired Social Security. Voters age
from flooring sales and lives 65 and older went 53% for
on Florida's Space Coast, Donald Trump and 44% for
says it feels like he's not Hillary Clinton in 2016, ac-
keeping up. cording to a Pew Research
"My biggest concern is that Center analysis of people
your money is buying less who participated in its sur-
and less," said Schiavone, veys and were confirmed
who's in his early 80s. "The to have cast a ballot. Now,
figure that they use for the Democrats are aiming to
rise in the cost of living to recapture older voters.
me is very erroneous." On the COLA, Democratic
Schiavone points to in- presidential candidates
creased health care pre- Elizabeth Warren and Ber-
miums and copays, along nie Sanders are proposing
with other kinds of insur- to use a measure of infla-
ance, as the main culprits. tion that reflects expenses
He expects that part of his for households headed
COLA will be eaten up by by a person 62 or older. It
an increase in Medicare's usually outpaces the index
"Part B" premium for out- currently used.
patient care, which hasn't Their Social Security plans
been announced yet. would also bolster benefits
Roughly 1 in 2 seniors live and raise taxes to keep the
in households where Social program afloat. In Con-
Security benefits provide at gress, a major Social Securi-
least half the total income. ty overhaul from Rep. John
"None of the jobs I worked Larson, D-Conn., would
on in my life had any sort also switch to a new infla-
of pension or 401(k) plans," tion measure.
said Schiavone. The White House had no
He's wary of politicians' comment on the COLA de-
promises about Social Se- bate. Trump ran on a prom-
curity. "I very rarely believe ise not to cut Social Security
what anybody says in a benefits. Republicans have

In this Oct. 9, 2019, photo, Joe Schiavone, 81, is seen in his home in West Melbourne, Fla.
Associated Press

resisted expanding Social current inflation measure for their survival."
Security, pointing out it is too generous, because In addition to greater infla-
won't have enough money it doesn't take into ac- tion protection, his legisla-
to pay full benefits starting count that when prices tion would improve the un-
in 2035. go up, many people look derlying benefit, particular-
Economists debate how to for cheaper goods. "You ly for low-income workers. It
best account for inflation's would be overpaying CO- would extend Social Secu-
impact. LAs," he said. rity's solvency by slowly rais-
Richard Johnson of the Ur- Larson, whose bill has more ing the payroll tax rate from
ban Institute think tank said than 200 co-sponsors, says 12.4% to 14.8% and increas-
the measure Social Security he believes the politics of ing the amount of earnings
now uses reflects workers, Social Security are chang- subject to the tax. Current
not retirees. "If the goal is ing because "reality has set law sets a maximum level
to maintain seniors' living in." of earnings that can be
standards, then the cost- "Many Americans have not taxed — $137,700 for next
of-living adjustment is go- recovered their wealth and year.
ing to fall short if it doesn't assets from the great crash Polling shows Americans
measure seniors' spending," of 2008," Larson said. "Dur- have doubts about the fu-
he said. ing that time, Social Secu- ture of Social Security. An
But former program trust- rity did not miss a payment. Associated Press-NORC
ee Blahous says even the These benefits are essential Center for Public Affairs
Research survey from Feb-
ruary found that 39% of
Americans had little or no
confidence the program
will offer the current level
of benefits in five years. Just
24% said they were very
confident it would, with an-
other 36% saying they were
somewhat confident.q