LETTERS

Re “The new COLA wars,” Opinion, May 21

After reading the article by a former Social Security official about “the COLA wars,” there certainly is a COLA conflict going on, but instead of offering him a soda, a small sip of reality might be better.

The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients does matter. And it matters most to people who rely on these yearly monetary increases. Older Americans spend disproportionately more income on things that are steadily going up in price -- such as energy and healthcare. A flat economy has unfortunately not slowed the growth of healthcare spending.

Without the COLA, people have less to fall back on, given decreases in home equity and the rise in joblessness.

We all need to ensure that Social Security continues to be dependable by developing policies to keep Social Security strong for those who need it most.

Nancy LeaMond

Washington

The writer is an executive vice president of the AARP.