Where's Our C.o.l.a.?

[purple]

I know we gripe on here about why we aren't getting any COLA raise this year or in the future as far as we can tell. So far the VA hasn't been very forthcoming with a good answer, er, excuse.

Soooo....lets ask. All of us, on the same day. We can pick a day and every send an IRIS inquiry asking the question on the same day. Bombard their system. Hey, what can it hurt? Thoughts?

[rentalguy1]

guys....costs of almost everything is down (gas, groceries, clothes, etc). That's just the way it is. If you don't like it, start contacting your elected federal officials and lobby for a annual "raise." A lot of folks seem to think that is what the COLA is, and it is not. You should be thankful that they don't adjust our disability downward to adjust for the current cost of living indicators.

just my $.02

[purple]

Rental-

Where do you live that the costs of everything is down? Yes, gas is down, milk is down; but not much else.

[timetowinarace]

I have to go with Rental on this one. There will be no COLA increase this year and we should consider ourselves lucky COLA does not go backwards.

[purple]

Ohio must be the only place then that prices are going up....

[broncovet]

I agree with Purple...the VA budget INCREASED by a significant amount..so where is the money for Veterans? Is the entire amount of the increase supposed to go for

additional administrative costs/ additional VA employee bonuses and salary increases for employees? We have pretty much not received additional services and Is it not the VA's job to serve Veterans, or is the VA's job to ensure that bonuses are paid to employees?

Or did the VA get more money so they could squander it on additional IT projects, without passing any of the increase to Veterans?

Is it unreasonable to think that, in light of VA's budget increase, that SOME of this "extra" money should go to disabled Vets?

Purple is right..only a few prices have gone down, and mostly everything increased..and, even if prices DID go down, is it a crime for the VA to have Veterans payments INCREASE relative to inflation for ONE year, since most years we dont even keep up with inflation?

What would be wrong with increasing payments to Veterans by the same amount the budget was increased? Taxpayers have not begrudged a Department of Veterans Affairs budget increase, so why would they begrudge some of this increase being passed on to Veterans?

If the VA doesnt want to call it a "Cola" increase, how about renaming it an increase for Root Beer?

Edited September 21, 2009 by broncovet

[darkhorse]

Might make you feel better if you think about it like this.

For 2009 we got a 5.8% Cola which was a large Cola. Divide this in half and comes to 2.9% for 2009 and 2010. Maybe thinking this way will make you feel better. We don't have any control over this. It's all about inflation but who knows all these unemployment extensions and stimulus payments weren't expected so who knows.

dh