Hello Once Again –
It’s a cool(er) August morning. We won’t see another one like this for a year. Several people have told me it seems like this Summer has just skated by as if blown by the wind. I agree – but I thought it was just me with the advancing of my age. It’s like having the wind at your back, pushing you along.
Last week was rather momentous. The passing of Senator Kennedy – while the House and Senate are out on the Hustings (at least about a third to a fifth are – nobody is keeping really accurate records.) Next year at this time the ‘off-year elections’ will be getting hot. For some Democrats in swing districts, they are already feeling the heat. What nobody knows is how things will play out a year from now and more… Historically the first year after a significant swing in party loyalty – when the White House has changed party occupants – a spate of what might be called ‘buyers remorse’ floods the polls. The most recent Tidal Wave of that sort was 1994 – about 18 years ago when the GOP got control of both houses of Congress. That tide reversed itself in 2008 when both houses AND the White House fell into Democrat hands as we continued a rapid descent down a slippery economic slope.
Will the fact that Barack Obama is the first American President of African descent be a factor in next year’s elections? Undoubtedly. What effect will it have? It’s anybody’s guess – and lots are guessing, while lots are wishing. You can fill in your own blanks arguing those points. The fact is the political landscape is like a seascape – it’s restless and constantly shifting. What’s up this year can be down next year or it can be up and then down and back up by the next election. From that illustration I think it wise to get way back and take a long-perspective look before making predictions. If you’ve already committed yourself – oops… too late.
I heard a Harvard professor say on the radio yesterday, “I’ve found I’ve never been very good at predicting the future.” If I were President Obama, I think I’d have several hundred of those signs madeup and installed first on his own desk – and on those of his top ranked Civil Servants as well as Cabinet Officers. It would save a lot of grief – also I don’t doubt it’s unasked for advice that will be given the amount of attention it cost. So…put away your Ouija Boards, Crystal balls and flip no more coins. The Bible is your best source of getting a good idea of what’s going to happen in your future or mine, Stick with what has the best track record of them all – God’s word.
Cordially, IN HIM
Jack Buttram
http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama08-31-09.mp3
http://www.jebcovoice.net/scripts/jamt08-31-09.doc
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“JUST A MINUTE”
NO COLA – DIET OR OTHERWISE
Just A Minute – Lots of seniors enjoy this program so I want to let you know what AARP and other so-called senior lobbies are crying about for next year. For the first time in 35 years, we Social Security vagabonds won’t get a cost of living increase or COLA in our monthly payments. It did go up 5.8% for this year.
Now Congress – not having enough to do debating health care – is probably going to confuse things. There will be no COLA [cost of living adjustment] increase this year because the Consumer Price Index has fallen for the past nine months. CPI’s the official cost of living measurement. It’s gone down by 2.3%. So they believe your Social Security benefit is actually now purchasing a bit more. There’s a provision in the law however that which says COLA payments can’t be reduced in any year in which the COLA goes negative.
Nonetheless, most of us will have to pay about $2 a month more next year because Medicare drug premiums -- part D -- which comes out of those monthly payments will probably be higher. Confused? Blame it on AARP.
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