Leadership, Messaging, Strategic Blueprints, Views on News • October 15th, 2009

Just wonderin’

by Chris Lato

President Obama is discussing sending $13 billion in checks to seniors to make up for the decline in the cost of living adjustment for Social Security. Increases are pegged to inflation, there hasn’t been inflation, and basically, it amounts to a $250 check.

Also, there is no plan at this point to pay for it.

Isn’t there a reason why the rate is tied to the cost of living and inflation?

On the other side of the coin, this could easily be seen as a PR move on the President’s part. After all, seniors are feeling scared about how a government overhaul of healthcare, including hundreds of billions of dollars in potential Medicare cuts, could affect them. Will a $250 check be enough to make them forgive and forget?

As the debate winds on, (and on –some are grumbling that this won’t get resolved before 2010) the President has to be concerned as the mid-term elections approach. Assuming legislation is passed, voters will have a long memory on this one. Candidates seeking re-election should prepare themselves for all sorts of angry questions from agitated constituents. Some will be angry that anything passed. Some will be angry about what stayed in the legislation, others will be angry about what was taken out.  

Healthcare ‘reform’ is shaping up to be one that makes virtually no one satisfied with the outcome – and, when coupled with the economic doldrums,  that makes for treacherous ground in the next election year for incumbents.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 10:23 am and is filed under Leadership, Messaging, Strategic Blueprints, Views on News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.