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The Social Security Administration announced today that the 2020 COLA will be just 1.6 percent, continuing the worrisome trend in which COLAs have averaged just 1.4 percent from 2000 to 20"Adequate COLAs are critical to retirement security," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. "Social Security is one of the only types of retirement income that provides this essential protection against rising costs. "When a retiree's costs rise faster than their COLA, the buying power of Social Security benefits erodes, leaving people with a benefit that doesn't go as far as it did when they first retired," Johnson notes. According to research by Johnson, Social Security benefits have lost 33 percent of buying power since 2000..But so far Members of Congress haven't received a paycheck. Eric Pianin, a journalist who covers the federal budget for The Fiscal Times, perhaps expressed it best as a "brilliant budget tactic that backfired." The House last March passed a new budget along party lines that would achieve a surplus within ten years, mainly through deep spending cuts and reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlements. Earlier this spring the Senate took up the challenge and passed a .6 trillion budget that has greatly different priorities for spending and taxes than the budget passed by the House. But neither Senate nor House negotiators have met in conference where the two chambers would negotiate differences and produce a compromise budget agreement..The assertion that many lower - income beneficiaries would lose benefits due to higher COLAs simply isn't the case, but is rather another example of twisted partisan rhetoric. Voters would be far better served by lawmakers who are more focused on solving problems of the majority of people than spreading misinformation to protect the tax breaks of the nation's wealthiest workers..This years study of retiree costs found that between January of 2000 and January of 2019, Social Security COLAs increased Social Security benefits by 50 percent, but the costs of goods and services purchased by typical retirees rose more than twice as fast - 100.3 percent. Food and medical costs - particularly for fresh fruits and vegetables, and prescription drugs - were among the most rapidly - rising costs over the past year. The study examines the growth since 2000 in price of goods and services that are typical for retired and disabled households, and, compares them to the growth in Social Security benefits due to annual COLAs..THREE PROPOSALS WE OPPOSE:.Pay special attention to the bathroom. Bathrooms are second to kitchen remodels for raising the selling price of your home. Modernizing the fixtures is a good idea, but don't rush to throw out that antique claw foot tub, check with your agent first. There are companies that can refinish those old tubs. Repair or replace leaky toilets and faucets. Repair or replace chipped tiles, replace caulking and grouting where necessary..This week, TSCL's Board of Trustees traveled to Washington, D.C. for their second meeting of 201TSCL's Board of Trustees includes the following members: Larry Hyland, Chairman; Tom O'Connell, Vice-Chairman; Charlie Flowers, Secretary; Edward Cates, Treasurer ; Michael Gales, PAC Treasurer; and Richard Delaney, President of TREThe Enlisted Association..If your mother enters the nursing home, you can ask the nursing home to submit a "demand bill" to Medicare. When that is rejected, then you can appeal and get a shot at overturning the decision..Click here to learn more about the NASI survey.