brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
I would be happy to organize a fundraiser on his behalf.
I'll make cupcakes.
I would be happy to organize a fundraiser on his behalf.
The Cost of Living Adjustment, if due, is effective every August 1st. But there are no more "August firsts" in the current Contract, therefore, no more COLAs.
Gas and most things are included in the Consumer Price Index. (But tax increases aren't!!! That would make the Government look bad.)
It takes about a 3.5% increase in the CPI from May to May to trigger a COLA payment.
Usually, when a new Contract is agreed to, there is no COLA provision for the first August 1st. The formula would likely start August 1, 2014 and thereafter.
Actually the CPI is a pretty big scam now. They use a small sampling of food and energy. Every month they take a the sample that is the lowest out of the category. For example, for the energy portion in a month where natural gas prices are low and gas for your car is high they will use natural gas instead. The same goes for food. If corn is up 15% that month they will use orange juice if it is only up a few percent. The CPI has not been accurate since the 70s.
You guys go to grocery stores. Look at the prices. There are also other things they do to hide inflation (food companies mainly) when you buy a bag of chips for example, the bag is still big but there are a lot less chips in it, that is just one example. They also use less quality ingredients, such as soybean oil instead of olive oil in a lot of the salad dressings now.
I'll make cupcakes.
Actually the Bureau of Labor Statistics is pretty good about calculating the CPI. They calculate three main versions and give extensive analysis and breakdown of each. The problem is people and politicans quote the wrong index, or misinterpret the data, or cherry-pick to prove their point. Just like with the unemployment numbers and other Government statistics.Actually the CPI is a pretty big scam now. They use a small sampling of food and energy. Every month they take a the sample that is the lowest out of the category. For example, for the energy portion in a month where natural gas prices are low and gas for your car is high they will use natural gas instead. The same goes for food. If corn is up 15% that month they will use orange juice if it is only up a few percent. The CPI has not been accurate since the 70s.
You guys go to grocery stores. Look at the prices. There are also other things they do to hide inflation (food companies mainly) when you buy a bag of chips for example, the bag is still big but there are a lot less chips in it, that is just one example. They also use less quality ingredients, such as soybean oil instead of olive oil in a lot of the salad dressings now.