No Social Security Raise, But Give Seniors $250?

It is now official, there will be no automatic COLA increase in Social Security benefits in 2011.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/2011cola-pr.htm

The Social Security Act provides for an automatic increase in Social Security and SSI benefits if there is an increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was determined to the third quarter of the current year. As determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2008, the last year a COLA was determined, to the third quarter of 2010, therefore, under existing law, there can be no COLA in 2011.

But Democrats desperately need their votes in November, so what's a pandering politician to do? Apparently, the "in thing" to do is to promise an "Economic Recovery Payment" of $250 to every senior on Social Security.
http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1915

“In the event that the Social Security Administration announces it will not provide a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for recipients this year, the House will vote to provide seniors with a one-time payment of $250. I have asked the Ways and Means Committee to bring this legislation to the floor during the lame duck session. All Members of Congress should join us in supporting this legislation which will be fiscally responsible and upholds our bedrock promise of economic security for our nation’s seniors.”

Don't you just love how every single penny spent by Obama and the Democrats is for "economic recovery?" Even though there is no realistic argument indicating that such a one-time lump payment will do squat for the economy, they persist in pretending it will. They also persist in ignoring the financial ramifications of their actions.

Pelosi's statement is ludicrous on its face. If they send these checks out, approximately 53 million seniors will receive them, for a total price tag of approximately $13.25 billion! How can spending another $13 billion on top of all the other deficit spending be considered fiscally responsible?

Even if they attempt to make it "budget-neutral" by adding in tax increases, which I don't believe they will actually do, how is raising taxes in these tough economic times fiscally responsible?

We should view this as exactly what it is, an irresponsible and partisan attempt to buy votes from a demographic that Democrats need to stay in power. Who cares whether or not it's the smart thing to do? Not Democrats. Who cares if this payment will have any effect on the economy? Not Democrats.

And make no mistake, these payments will have little effect on the economy. Why do I say this? Because the root of our problems at this time is unemployment. And giving 53 million seniors $250 won't create a single new job. They won't use that money to create jobs directly, and other businesses won't make permanent hiring decisions based upon a one-time government give-away bonanza.

This is PRECISELY the kind of irresponsible government action that got us into our current problems with our national debt! We cannot afford for our politicians to maintain the status quo and spend our nation into bankruptcy!

We have an election in two and a half weeks. Keep this in mind.