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They at least chopped it in half for starters, but no clarification whether that is per person of per family. If the latter, it is a $6,000/year difference for 5 years for a couple, but a savings for families of 3 or more, so we will see what ractually settles out. They are likely to run out of time this year and table it until after the elections.
I would recommend PV over Cahuita. The further south you go toward Manzanillo the better. The snorkeling is world class! The dusty roads have gotten to be a health threat; the further south the better.
And bats with the wing spans of gaviotas flying in front of the headlights!!! Drove that stretch the year Portalon got washed away.
There are no examples of fiscal responsibility in US government. Spending in virtually every state other than Alaska and possibly Texas has significantly exceeded the annual rate of inflation. What disturbs me the most is the attitude state and local governments have taken. The budget in WA has increased 10% per year. Two years ago we had a $4 billion surplus which was spent on additional programs, rather than being set aside for a rainy day. Now that the economy is in dire straights, the state is looking to maintain the status quo rather than slash to the levels of spending 4 years ago. So in their frantic quest to find more revenue, they are resorting to subversive taxation such as attempting to get the courts to overturn voter approved initiatives to limit tax increases (legsilation from the bench). In addition, they are also trying to overturn an initiative passed for external, independent audits of various departments for the first time eever in our state. They have already discovered massive waste. This is the government basically telling their citizens that your vote does mean squat and we know what is better for you than you do. It is an us against them scenario and if it persists, when do we hit the “tipping point”?
The entire mindset of government spending has to be changed from a spend it or loose it system to a system where saving is rewarded. This is no different than a business model where efficiency = more capital to invest in physical plant or higher profits.As Washington resident I have an objection Scott. Our sales tax just went up another .5% to 10.1% in Seattle. As a busines owner we also have B&O taxes, unemployment and workers’ compensation = 14% of payroll. Every town you work in has a license and myriad of permits. To build a home you ae looking at 10% in permit & mitigation fees. Every time you buy a car you pay the sales tax; if it is brought from another state, you pay an excise tax = sales tax. Same with a used car. If you sell your home you pay 1.7% excise tax. Property tax is 1.7% of value every year. There is taxation at every turn; income tax is just piling it on with no equitable relief elewhere.
All cultures do have their communities, however, it has been my observation in the west coast US cities with significant “China Towns” (Vancouver, Seattle & San Francisco), that the Chinese literally take over entire districts. Their ability to proliferate is higher than other cultures and is probably due to the population density they are used to living in. It is this population density importation + lack of respect for the environment that worries me. Costa Rica is .03% of the population of China, thus only a small fraction of their populetion could double the population in CR.
No news on details yet, but that is part of the first step is to have a discussion on the floor of the asemblea. They are racing against the clock to get passage this year with an election in less than a year. Hopefully this delay in getting the bill to the floor has given all the business people, lawyers and other lobbyists time to bend the ears of the legislators.
I agree with Sprite on this one. The Chinese have been tampering with the Yuan for some time and the world is not even close to accepting it as a reserve currency. Even the stallwart Swiss Franc has been battered lately along with the Pound Sterling and the Euro. The cultural gulf + distance is a long way for the chinese to go before anything resembling “Hongcouver, BC”, especially when there are a lot of tropical areas for cheap in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific that are less than a days travel. However, when they do move they will form their own neighborhoods as they have everywhere they have immigrated.
My credit union charges me $15. Most banks charge $45 minimum. BN has no incoming charges either. Now it is as simple as paying a bill on-line.
Monitoring your account activity often is the safety net to hackers. Most POS (Point of Sale) transactions are credited instantly and all bills are paid on-line. Check use is zero these days.
Here is another option that I use. I have wired money to my account in CR, which is the name of an S.A (Corp.) so my name is not associated with it. I always keep the amounts under $3,000 so it is not red flagged by the FINCEN computer. Once the first wire was successful, a template for consecutive wires is established and can be done on-line. Wiring is 24 hours.I also have state bank accounts with BN, which is significanr and there for a future real estate purchase. My philosophy is wahtever crosses the border never comes back. I am not complaining since the interest rate is significantly higher than here, but am curious as to the amount of protection offered. I am certain it is a fraction of the $250,000 now insured by FDIC, FSLIC and NCUA.
If you don’t have a 4X4 in CR (outside the central valley) during the rainy season you will likely find yourself stranded when the roads turn to rivers.
Construction workers, with all the benefits (CAJA, worker’s compensation, unemployment & aguinaldo) cost roughly $4-$5/HR ($3-$4/HR take home). However, a superintendent with 20 years experience costs up to $16/HR ($12/HR take home). These rates are based on my construction cost research of a specific market (south Nocya Peninsula) for foreign owned residential.
A “bargain” is relative, but try to find a prime, high bluff full ocean view property on the US West Coast with sufficient resort, therapeutic and recreational activities, world class food, a commercial center/town and a melting pot of nationalities that is $200,000/acre at most, many @ $120,000/acre or less(high side in CR). Also on the Nicoya Penninsula which is a 4-5 hour trip by car, 30 mins. by plane (Tambor) to SJO if you hit the ferry + traffic right.
Scott posted my research bit on the comparison between hourly construction labor costs with the aguinaldo and all associated taxes (26%). The difference in a “Laborer” classification was about 1/8th-1/10th of Seattle. All labor classification follow suit and it is as affordable as it seems. Scott’s new log panel home is a testament to affordability.
