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I’m guessing that if “you” need the services of a funeral home chances are you’re not making many phone calls! That will be up to those left to take care of business after you’re gone. LOL
It is funny that you have to live the entire month… and only then will they pay you! And keep in mind this is after years of working away where THEY got their taxes FIRST before you even got your paycheck!
But I’m just taking a guess here Garland that America or the part that you call home doesn’t have such wonderful attractions like the Del Ray, Blue Marlin, and the Beetle Bar that have kept you coming back to SJ and Jaco all these years! LOL Not that I’m judging, but there is afterall “something” that keeps you coming back to CR.
I’d have to wonder if the folks that you’ve met in your travels (if I have your itinerary right) are truly a good indicator of CR and it’s “charms”. Having visited Jaco several times I can state (with complete confidence) that if you’re judging CR by the “experiences” you’ve had in the place as an overall picture of CR… you need to get out a bit more and explore the rest of the country.
Jaco can be fun… and dangerous… but it’s by no mean a good indicator of the rest of CR.
David…. Might have more to do with the timing of the weekend and the usual due date of your payment. But then again… paying you in year 2009 and making it taxable NOW does make some sense. This way 2009 has 13 payments and the tax is due by April 15 2010…. or perhaps Uncle same is just in the holiday spirit and wanted everyone to enjoy the New Year with a little extra green in their pockets!
Happy New Year!
Great posting! Thanks for the information… one line did catch my attention… and might be the answer to the question I posed….
“In addition, Medicare beneficiaries who want to preserve the option of returning to the U.S. to obtain Medicare-covered services must continue to pay their Part B and Part D premiums or face lifetime premium penalties if they drop out and reenroll later.”
If the new universal health care bill follows the same logic there’s going to be quite a few unhappy folks now being pushed into CAJA and forced to pay for US universal coverage as well that they can’t, or don’t use. The new proposed plan REQUIRES (with a rather large hammer) that you to be enrolled in some type of medical plan as a US citizen… unlike Medicare which only places penalties should you fail to enroll and attempt to do so later. I’m not so sure Uncle Sam will allow a reciprocal arrangement for care in CR or any other country for that matter. And even if you are enrolled in CAJA… what about those that are forced to head home to the US for specialized care?
It brings up an interesting issue for those that believe they have escaped America… the article is a bit dated (2006)… and things have changed quite a bit on the health care front… and while it brings up some ways of dealing with Medicare eligible ex-pats one would have to wonder how the new proposals will impact not only Medicare recipients but younger escapees that will now be required to enroll in the US universal plan!
Feelings?
Give the guy a break…. it’s the Christmas season… unlike all of us posting here during the holidays he might have a life! LOL
Give him a day or two… I’m sure he’ll get back to you… there’s not that much business or money out there these days that anyone in the business:D can afford NOT to follow up on a sales lead!
Maravilla brings up an interesting point… How will Uncle Sam be dealing with folks that are enrolled in CAJA as residents of CR (or folks in any other country) but are still U.S. citizens? Seems there might be a little problem there for those in that situation. Is Uncle Sam going to let you off the hook or will you be paying for two plans! And even if you are “let off the hook” as to required coverage (which I don’t see happening)… you’ll still be forced to pay the increase in taxes to fund this plan. Might he require you obtain citizenship rather than just permanent residency to be exempt?
While medical care is excellent in CR… I’m sure the majority of folks when confronted with a serious (life or death) illness will be running back to the states for treatment. I know of two situations… one with Cancer the other with a neurological condition. So for those that are in this situation… what’s your feeling on this?
As for something that Waggoner mentioned earlier… just because we may have “escaped” to CR doesn’t mean what happens back in the states does effect us. We all have family, friends, investments, and other ties to the states that make what’s happening there very important to us! For folks that are able to maintain homes in both… the tax issues and cost will be a nightmare! And remember… no matter where you manage to hide on this plant… Uncle Sam still feels he has the right to keep his hands in your pockets… so don’t think for a moment that what’s going on right now will not effect your slice of paradise or your continued enjoyment of Pura Vida!
David Wrote….
“Well, phil, you’ve had ample opportunity to read the draft legislation online by now. So tell us, please, just which provisions (citing chapter and verse) have your underwear in such a twist? No rants, no generalities . . . just your specific complaints.”
How about directing us to the section that SPECIFICALLY explains how it’s going to be funded? With a cost of between $850,000,000,000 and $1,000,000,000,000 over the next ten years that would seem like the FIRST thing reasonable and intelligent people would be concerned with! The two different proposals from the Senate and House must now be reconciled by the House Ways and Means Committee. If the title of the body is true to it’s word they should be addressing those issues! These are BIG numbers… which are a PRELIMINARY estimate, which we all know will go higher… how about a REAL answer on the cost and impact to Federal and State budgets and taxes…. I don’t think the surcharge on tanning sessions is going to cover it! LOL
Remember it’s the best and brightest that got America into the mess we’re in right now… Nobel prize winners… the best offerings that Princeton, Harvard, and Yale could crank out… this mess wasn’t created by high school drop outs and working folks that KNOW the value of things… this mess was created by the same folks looking to engineer society a bit more.
Just because a cab driver knows your desired destination doesn’t mean he knows how to get you there… or that he’ll deliver you safely… and most importantly… you should know the cost of the ride before you get in!
Hey David… Merry Christmas!
As for Krugman’s article…. other than the statement…
“Imperfect as it is, the legislation that passed the Senate on Thursday and will probably, in a slightly modified version, soon become law will make America a much better country.”
… he doesn’t make one point or statement of fact to explain or support this bill! Does he explain how it will work… or be paid for… or what the long term effects will be on Federal and State budgets? Instead you uses his time and space in the Times to LABEL those that oppose it! And in doing so he uses labels like “Crazy”… and “Fiscal Scolds”… which I take to mean anyone that might think government might have a way of paying for programs before they just implement them and toss the bill on America’s long term debt!
Not surprising that the Times would publish such an Op-Ed piece… with it’s Christmas theme and all… but does it really provide ANY meaningful information about this bill other than attacking those that oppose it?
Perhaps someone can point out to me how this article has ANY information in it that might educate and sway my position… and while I’m at it… let’s take a vote…. how many folks actually think Mr. Krugman has read the legislation he’s championing?
A nice fluff article that plays on the Christmas theme to give us that nice warm feeling inside! You would think for someone with such wonderful credentials he could provide some details that support his rosy view! Perhaps he will follow-up with a more detailed view that we’d all find more informative…. one can only hope!
Well said…. and a point I made in an earlier posting on this issue! Social Security and Medicare are both MAJOR issues that have been ignored while our representatives debate creating a “new” social program that will fail. Where do these people think the TRILLION dollars is going to come from to fund this scheme over the next decade?
As you said…. Social Security became nothing more than another tax that for the past 40 years that was a great revenue stream for Uncle Sam to use to cover other expenses! Other grand promises, programs, and give-aways that lacked funding. And all the while the SS “trust fund” was stuffed with IOUs… and ran a surplus that covered current benefit distributions… but now the bill is due… so not only has the surplus and revenue stream dried up… it’s become another budget expense to the general budget!
Folks better wake up to what’s going on… and soon! In one way I’m happy the Congress has passed this “BILL”… now they don’t have a smoke and mirrors agenda to distract to public while other BIGGER… more pressing… long overdue issues are addressed! The down side is that Charlie Rangel (D-NY) will have his hand in joining the two bills… remember him… he’s the guy that was using 3 rent control apartments in NY for his “office” while folks were being forced into the street… and had a couple of off shore investment properties (and their income) that fell off the radar…he’s an out and out lowlife that’s made a career of pulling one scam after another! And the two issues I point to are NOT old news… they’re very recent! If it wasn’t for his hue or the intelligence level of the folks electing him he’d be in jail by now! Folks truly do get the government they deserve!
Merry Christmas all!!
waggoner41… Great posting! It touches on the main issue and change we’ve seen in society over the past 50 years that have created the mess we’re in! The family unit has been broken… and folks think government has to jump in and fill the void… BIG mistake!
Personal responsibility has been replaced with government handouts! Bad choices and conduct are rewarded with yet more handouts! And all the while this “help” is added to the US debt! It’s a cascading cycle that has now gone into overdrive… and has now placed us at the breaking point!
If something is not done SOON… some of us know what the outcome will be…. yet others, including our elected representatives don’t seem to get it!
Someone had previously posted that welfare (as well as over handouts) is slavery… I look at it a bit differently… it’s an addiction… a growing one in American society… be it individuals or corporations… and it’s time for rehab folks!
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]imx, we’ve already established that, in your reality, no government program past, present or future can, by definition, succeed. No need to beat that dead horse.
When you lurk behind a pseudonym in a forum like this, you detract from the value of what you write. First, we readers have no idea of whether you have any standing to say what you say because we cannot consider the source. Would you, for example, accept the medical opinions of somebody whose credentials you cannot assess? Second, you leave the impression that you don’t have the courage of your convictions either. I’m willing to stand up and have what I say be evaluated in light of who and what I am. Why aren’t you?
You may or may not know that Scott, our intrepid host, can track your IP address back to its source. No doubt others can, too. So you should be prepared for the fact that whatever you write can, indeed, be traced back to you. The Internet Boogeyman is already lurking under your bed. Cowering behind a pseudonym won’t make him go away.
The impression you leave is like someone heckling from the back of a darkened theatre. Come out into the light and let us see who’s making all that noise.
The other possibility, of course, is that whatever follows “imxploring . . .” is the detritus left behind by a failed experiment in artificial intelligence self-generated by an old Commodore that somebody forgot to unplug.[/quote]
Hey David… Well if you’ve already concluded that any government plan is doomed to failure (“no government program past, present or future can, by definition, succeed.”… your words…)…. then why in the world would we want to attempt to take on a whooper when the US is in such an economic tailspin? Can jumping to another project achieve anything more than distracting the population from how bad things real are?
As for your self indulgent attempts at insult…. I enjoyed them… very cleaver… but I missed the part where you ADDRESSED any of the ISSUES I brought up in my prior post… perhaps it was an oversight on your part… or perhaps the issues where less interesting than attacking the messenger rather than having to formulate a reply.
I’m not “lurking, hiding, or cowering” behind a pseudonym… I’ll let my words stand on their own. Just as yours do… because as I said… just because you claim to be someone on the internet doesn’t make it true… and even if I did post with a full name as you do… would it matter? Do you know who I am, my background, education, work experience, or mental status for that matter? Your picture could be taken in a mental ward somewhere during “pet” therapy and the cat isn’t even yours! LOL You could be the biggest fool on the block… got run out of the last town you lived in by folks with pitch forks and axes… retired from a job where you were so hated that they held your retirement party in a phone booth and still had room for a band… who knows! Let your view and words make your position… not who you think you are!
Does using your name and picture somehow make you believe that your opinion is superior to that of all the others that post here… does it make you self important to a degree that you really believe that your words and views should be looked upon as of higher value then mine or others that chose not to hang their information on all those telephone poles? I have no fear of the boogeyman… my IP address mean nothing as it is not attached to any information that’s on the NET that would do me any harm…. nor embarrass me. Can you say the same?
Besides… doing a quick survey of active users that post here…. besides you and Scott… the VAST MAJORITY of contributor use a pseudonym… are their opinions and views not be treated with any real credence as well in your mind? Or is it just mine that bothers you so very much? Should I post a picture to be treated as your equal? Or is that even possible?
Please don’t insult my courage or conviction and attempt label me as a heckler in a darkened theatre to sway a discussion… it’s an old ploy… and not something the folks here will buy into! Besides some of the BIGGEST fools choose to jump into the spotlight and open their mouths… why not reply to some of the issues I brought up and prove that’s not the case here.
Hey David… Thanks for your efforts in trying put words in my mouth… but as you can ask anyone that knows me… I have enough of my own! But thanks for trying!LOL And in case you doubt that… read on! LOL
I think if you take the time to read my posting once again (slowly this time) you’ll find I never said that we should do away with Social Security and Medicare… I pointed out that they are being IGNORED and need to be ADDRESSED and FIXED before we create another monster government program that sounds great… but is doomed to failure. A failure and cost that will drag the US under! A cost that our children (well not yours…. I don’t believe you have kids), grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be saddled with for the next century!! And all this at a time when the US is facing one of the greatest economic challenges in it’s history we’re looking to “spend” our way out of it… and as sooooo many Americans will tell you…. that DOESN’T WORK! If you have trouble locating one to ask… just look for someone that spent themselves into a black hole and lost everything…. there’s plenty of them around! The bills come due at some point… and the US Government has never “fixed” past problems… they throw money at them and add it to the national debt… and in case you haven’t noticed our creditors are getting shaky about leading us more… as well as our ability to pay it back! And if Uncle Sam and the American people don’t think it’s possible in this situation they are sadly mistaken! The time is now to fix what we have brought to life before we give birth again! Not all that much different than a welfare mother that has three kids she can’t provide for… getting public assistance…. and bringing two more mouths to feed into the world! While great and not so great societies have come and gone for any number of reasons… history does repeat itself and it’s something we should not ignore.
While we see “news” of this health care plan each day in the media… sometimes hourly updates…. Social Security and Medicare become bigger and bigger problems! And the cost and pain to fix them gets higher and higher… quickly approaching a point that NO ONE will want to deal with! Or the “fix” will be so painful that it will not be possible! Are you aware that right now SS is paying out more than it’s taking in monthly…. and has been for the past several months. And we’re not talking a small deficit… it’s huge! Yep… all those IOUs Uncle Sam stuffed the “Trust” fund with over the years while he went on a spending spree, living well beyond his means, fulfilling rosy past promises and funding ill conceived give-away programs are now coming due! And it’s UGLY…. trust me on that! And while the GAO originally projected that this (SS imbalance) would only be a temporary situation lasting a year or two they have now quietly backed off that projection! And guess where the money is coming from to pay back this debt?…. No… it’s not in a CD somewhere… it’s coming from current government budget which are being sent deeper into the red! All the stimulus money being tossed around is a band-aid on what will come in the next 2-3 years! Doing nothing more than delaying a painful reality that most folks are too blind to see or too afraid to confront!
Go figure! So less revenue coming in… Uncle Sam having to pony up what he has borrowed from Social Security over the past decades… SS expenses exceeding income…. So what has Uncle Sam done to deal with this problem?…. NOTHING! But I hear they have some new water-cooled minting presses at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing…. seems the current ones were overeating too often! LOL! With all this going on right now…. lets not forget unemployment… homelessness… the hungry….what’s the big push these days? Oh yeah… Universal health care… let’s not worry about the BASICS… like jobs… a roof…. and food…. people need jobs, a place to sleep, and food EVERY DAY…. so perhaps my “basics” are a little clearer than yours…
Our elected representatives and President are working hard to spend more money they don’t have! And dazzling the American people with their hard work and dedication to society and universal health care! Hugo has nothing on the Boys in Washington my friends! You want health care reform…. great just tell me what it’s going to cost me and I’ll tell you if I’m in favor! I’ve never bought a car without knowing the price before I signed on the dotted line… and I’m guessing none or you have either… so how is this situation any different? They’re selling me a car…. telling me its what I need… telling me I’ll save money in the long run…. pushing me to drive it off the lot…. and they’ll send me the bill later! I DON’T think so! And I can’t even get into the THOUSANDS of other government programs that are bleeding America dry… it would take a lifetime! Let’s stick to the basics… or even better… fix the programs we’ve got now…. eliminate those we can’t justify or fund… and get back to reality! It’s time! And if you missed it yesterday…. the Dems managed to get the vote they needed from Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)with a niffty $50 million PLUM to his home state in the form of total Medicaid funding for the next decade from Uncle Sam… there’s something serious wrong when a Congress and President have to spend that kind of money for a vote! If it’s such a great deal for all Americans why then do they have buy this guy’s support! Do you have a clue what this “Federal” program is going to do to state budgets? I guess Ben does…. that’s the reason he sold his vote to cover his state’s share!
But then again… this is a government that gave GM a little over $50 billion dollars for a 51% interest in the company…. if I have my math right GM was trading at a little under $5/ share at the time with about 1 billion shares outstanding for a market capitalization of about $5 billion… so why not just buy them outright…. 100% and use the other $45 billion to make it a viable car company and create jobs? Instead we we spent 10 times what the company was worth… got half… and allowed the same idiots to run the show! Pure GENIUS! If government is going to get involved… they need to know the cost… have a way to pay for it…. and be smarter! Do you want these same people now taking on Universal health care??
As for my social security account… it’s not an issue for me. I don’t include it in my retirement plans even though there is a sizable amount of money in it. I have more than a decade before I can collect… and from what I see now… it will either be so watered down or will become nothing more than a supplemental welfare program for folks that have not sacrificed, saved, and invested for their retirement as I have. I came to that conclusion many years ago when they started “taxing” your SS retirement earnings if you had addition retirement income sources (not wages in retirement) that exceeded a limit. So let me get this straight… I max out my SS account… I save… I invest… I sacrifice…. and when it comes time to collect… I get less (receive SS payments that are then subjected to taxation returning the money to Uncle Sam’s pocket!) because I did the right thing and took some personal responsibility for my future? Does that sound like a system that encourages “trust”?
As for the current wars…. losers from the start… if you’re not going to use the big stick don’t get into the game… we’ve seen it over and over again the last 50 years! If you’re going to be the world’s enforcer you have to be willing you get down and dirty when the time comes… something US policy seems incapable of doing! There will always be mud holes in this world that no amount of money, reason, or blood can fix! Sad fact but true… time to get that straight in our minds! The equally sad fact is that a good number of those serving in the military would be home and unemployed if not engaged in these conflicts! So perhaps Uncle Sam doesn’t want to see more folks on the streets in the US! Time to cut our losses… and for those who say it can’t be done…. remember a little place called Somalia? But then again the folks there aren’t sitting on oil and don’t have the desire or ability to destroy Israel!
And David… as to who I am… does choosing not to share personal information publicly make my opinion any less valid than yours? Does not choosing to share with the world in a public forum ,as you have, a position based on an attorney’s letter not to comply with the luxury tax filing requirements…. or advising everyone that you’re not reporting your interests in a foreign corporation to the IRS as required… Or for that matter… providing your full name, location, and showing a picture of yourself make your words carry more weight than mine? The cat is a nice touch… I will share the fact that I have two!
It’s the Internet David… it’s like posting your info on every telephone pole in the world… DANGEROUS! That’s not paranoia… that’s just reality! You should consider that when you post or share personal information. We all appreciate each other’s input… but there must be limits. I’ve been on the Internet forever… even before Al Gore claimed to have invented it…. a time before the Net when we shared info on BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems). My choice not to hang my information on as many telephone poles as you have is perhaps based on a bit more experience than yours. And remember… just because you say it on the Internet doesn’t make it true… you could be a 400 pound Filipino women in a mo-mo who’s never been to Costa Rica posting from a Starbucks in Manila or is that me?? LOL
Don’t mind my rants… just my opinion… and I aways enjoy our exchanges… whether we agree or not! On balance I think we often agree… and I always enjoy the mental exercise of defending a position. As I like to say… Ignorance is Bliss… and I’m a heck of a lot less blissful these days! 8)
And why isn’t “sharing” your (uphill) neighbor’s existing well an option? Face it… some pipe, a cistern, and a boost pump are a MUCH better option than parting with $35,000! Talk to your neighbor… make him and offer he can’t refuse! I’m sure he’d love to recover some of the expense he had drilling his well. Even a low flow rate line will be enough to fill a cistern at your house (or property) and meet all your water needs! You’ll increase the value of your property and make it marketable!
We share a spring system (back up to AYA) with 4 neighbors that has worked out very well. The cost per house for all the lines and the large distribution cistern was less than $150 per house. And even with a low flow rate our home’s cistern never runs dry when we have to switch to the back up system!
“Now, imx has already shared with us his total and unequivocal distain for anything and everything ever done by the public sector or that ever might be done. He has a right to his opinion. But you try to get along for a day without the services provided by your governments at all levels and see how far you get. Next time you go over a bridge, think about who put it there.”
If governments stuck to the basics and didn’t feel the need to be everything to everyone I’d be fine with that… but as we’ve seen over the last century… government are ruining man’s ability and DESIRE to do for himself… and the cost of such change is now only coming home to roost! Each generation over the last century have expected more from big brother… and have been unwilling or unable to pays for it! Two years ago all the conversations were about the dire state of Social Security and Medicare… both major timebombs waiting to implode! And here we are talking about ANOTHER major government program that will drag the US under! Much like the folks out there that couldn’t pay their bills and continue their “lifestyle”… and the answer they came up with was to go shopping! And please don’t buy the “We’ll save money over the long run” line! The idea that you can take failed programs and somehow find the money to create others is CRAZY!
Give it 10 more years and see where we are… my guess is it will make the problems we’ve been slapped with in the last three years look like a picnic!
I really don’t have a problem with government… just have them FIX the problems they’ve created before they pretend to take on another for the “good” of the people!
