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[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Hmmm . . .
“. . . A major decline in three years or less” doesn’t sound like either “worthless” or “soon”.
The dollar has been very consistent against the colon (my primary concern) for a couple of years or longer. I’ll mark my calendar for January of 2016 and we’ll see if your doomsday scenario pays out.
[/quote]I guess it depends on your definition of soon, 3 years seems pretty soon to me, maybe not to you. I would rather prepare for the worst and hope (pray) for the best than prepare for the best and have the worst happen.
But everyone lives life differently.
I follow many financial guru’s, they have made a lot more $ than I will ever have, they gain nothing from warning about the pending financial crisis, but yet they do. I find it interesting that major governments around the world are buying gold at a record pace, AND greatly reduced buying of US bonds. I guess everyone else is wrong and the USD will be just hunky dory for all eternity.
To keep on topic, is the Colon backed by anything?
As an FYI, since 2010, the colon has gone from 589.645 colon/USD to 500.2/USD today, looks promising if you ask me! That’s only an 17% decline in the USD in 2 years against the colon, I think things are perfect, no worries my friend.
David, I get it, you try your hardest to keep people from invading beautiful Costa Rica, I don’t blame you.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”VictoriaLST”]Kwhite has a good question. What is the colon tied to?[/quote]
I did a search and my computer did nada. Could not find any info it only exchange rates against the soon to be worthless USD.[/quote]
How soon will the U.S. dollar be worthless? A month? Two? You seem pretty sure about this, so give us a date and we’ll see if you’re right. I’ll put it on my calendar.
[/quote]David, the USD index decline from 121.02 (2001) to 70.83 (2008), a 48% decline. In 2008 we had 10 trillion in debt compared to 16 trillion in debt today. Not a good ratio my friend. If you cannot see the path we are on then I am not sure you should be in charge of the money in your pocket.
If you ran a business this way you would soon find yourself on food stamps.
The USD has been the reserve currency for 65 years, that means all oil trade has been in USD. Iran, China, and Russia have begun trading outside of the USD for oil for about 12 months now. That is catastrophic to the USD. The USD did not become a true fiat currency until Nixon in 1971 separated gold from the USD. With a fiat currency and debt to GDP ratio at 10x debt to GDP, it doesn’t take a rocket engineer to figure that out. I guess we can just keep taxing big, bad corporations to pay for it? I doubt they will keep going, the stock holders and CEO’s will just bail out.
I’ll trade you every USD I have for silver/gold at spot price today, I’ll win that exchange soon. Want to take me up on that?
To answer your question, if I knew the exact date of the decline of the USD I would be a zillionaire, but I suspect that we will see a major decline in 3 years or less. Again, is the colon backed by anything or is it a fiat currency?
[quote=”ratus”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”ratus”]Greetings all…we are looking at houses to buy in Playas del Coco. We have found one we really like, but are concerned about the roof material…it is shingled…they are very good quality, 3 tab , 30 year shingles, the same we use in Canada. But we are not used to seeing shingles used here, has anyone have any info or experience with shingles used instead of traditional tiles etc,?
Thanks1[/quote]Unsolicited opinion from a general contractor in Fla, if you have another choice other than asphalt shingles, go with that one. Albeit the Fla sun is not that of Costa Rica, but comparable, asphalt will actually start to degrade in 10 years or less (even thought they rate them at 30 year), the replacement is prorated depending on how long the warranty is for, it’s a total scam.
I know nothing of the warranty backing in CR, but if you have a choice between metal, tile or asphalt, go with the 1st two.[/quote]
Thanks for the info:D…Im familiar with shingles back in Canada, and yes, they NEVER last as long as they say they will. What surprises me about this home is that owner is an engineer, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why he went with shingles. The rest of the home is built top end..no crap at all, imported marble , Spanish tile flooring, exceeds all seismic codes..just these damn shingle give me a concern. they look great, and are in good shape ( 7 years old) and the roof joists, are 24″ OC ( on center) so the roof is strong enough…just not familiar with shingles here……[/quote]
Maybe some locals will have better advice, but if they look good, you can always change out (or just go over) with metal or tiles in a few years. Should not be too expensive, if you really like the rest of the house, don’t let that be a deal breaker.
[quote=”ratus”]Greetings all…we are looking at houses to buy in Playas del Coco. We have found one we really like, but are concerned about the roof material…it is shingled…they are very good quality, 3 tab , 30 year shingles, the same we use in Canada. But we are not used to seeing shingles used here, has anyone have any info or experience with shingles used instead of traditional tiles etc,?
Thanks1[/quote]Unsolicited opinion from a general contractor in Fla, if you have another choice other than asphalt shingles, go with that one. Albeit the Fla sun is not that of Costa Rica, but comparable, asphalt will actually start to degrade in 10 years or less (even thought they rate them at 30 year), the replacement is prorated depending on how long the warranty is for, it’s a total scam.
I know nothing of the warranty backing in CR, but if you have a choice between metal, tile or asphalt, go with the 1st two.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]Kwhite has a good question. What is the colon tied to?[/quote]
I did a search and my computer did nada. Could not find any info it only exchange rates against the soon to be worthless USD.
[quote=”sprite”]Either they aren’t “holding” enough gold or they aren’t willing to give it up because they know what is coming. All the big players are grabbing gold and silver in a quickening pace. Google any kind of search you want and you will find reports to back this up.
Possession is nine tenths of the law, as they say. And this truth holds all the way down the line to you and to me. If you do not have your wealth in your physical possession, you do not have it. Your paper and digital wealth in a bank account belongs to the bank in every legal and practical sense. The day will come when this will be proved to everyone with a bank account, It has happened many, many times already throughout history.
[/quote]@ Scott, do you know if the Colon is tied to any sort of backing, i.e. based on metal? Or is it a fiat currency?
Unfortunatley there are a whole bunch of currencies ties to the USD. I fear for those countries when the USD decides to drop. There is a lot of talk running right now about converting in Hong Kong Dollar, not so easy to do. They have pretty strict requirements to open a bank account.
[quote=”sprite”]I wonder where Germany’s gold is.It certainly is not where they thought it was or it would not take 7 years for the US to make delivery of only 10% of the total. The FED is probably scrambling to find some replacement gold for Germany…this perhaps explains why the US is preparing to invade Mali, a tiny, defenseless African nation which has more gold in the ground than many other African countries.
I don’t see any point in worrying about which currency Costa Rica uses. It is all paper crap and in light of the above, it should be evident to even a 5 year old what is happening.[/quote]
Sprite….your optimistic view is shining through….just kidding my friend. To boot, the Fed has refused to do an audit of the US gold holdings. I am sure that they have printed trillions to offset the gold they are holding for Germany, thats gubment logic.
If anyone has any pull with Costa Rica, tell them stay away from the dollar!!
[quote=”johnnyh”]This is a fascinating subject for me, so much that my family thinks I’m nuts. But thanks to the op for bringing it up.
Should C.R. Dollarize? No! It should begin by giving their citizens the opportunity to buy silver in the form of Mexican Libertades as proposed by Hugo Salinas Price, one of my heroes.Who owns the Costa Rican central bank? Costa Ricans, or foreigners? I remember when the exchange rate was 6.65 Colones per Dollar back in 1958. I remember when our coins were made of 90% silver. Now they are absolute crap, tokens! I buy the metals in anticipation of the coming Dollar devaluation. So should you.
[/quote]Just this last week Germany is making arrangments to recapture the gold stored in Ft. Knox and underground in NYC.
http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-wants-its-gold-back-2012-10
Interesting timinig on that move, another article I read this morning suggests that Germany should be just about lined up to move out of the Euro, which will undoubtley cause the Euro to crash. Once the Euro starts the freefall, the USD is not far behind, the fiat currency run is over. The only solution is to go back to an international commodity such as gold and silver. Buy all the metal you can!! Silver is poised for a run here in the next few months, should be interesting.
[quote=”camby”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”camby”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”davidd”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]
It is good to hear that you care about your employees, that they are not just some number or cog for you, but important. Good to hear. What is happening when you move? sell buisness? run it from distance?
Simple life is good, but wondering if CR is a right fit…esp as you tag your slef “lover God guns, freedom, wife”, all fine in themselves, but sounds like a billboard for GOP/ tea Partyisms. CR not a likely good fit, as guns more restricted there, esp to foreigners and they have no aggressive, nationalism that you see in the USA, with obsessing over militarism and a hankering need of world control, mixed with rabid fear of everyone else……
Perhaps, Florida Keys? more rural Texas?
Hope CR is for you, but not sure with what you have written thus far, it is a good fit w/Toby Keith AMericanism…..[/quote]I get the feeling you have an issue with anyone that loves, God, Guns, Freedom, notice I did not include my wife, don’t want you to love her, that’s my job.
I don’t know too many people who don’t love freedom, in order to have freedom, one needs to keep the government under control, hence the 2nd admendment, the right to bear arms. If one does not love God, well, that’s between them and God, I am just glad I won’t have to answer for that question when my time is up. I know people that don’t beleive, and that’s all well and good, but what if they are wrong? I would rather error on the side of caution with that one.
CR may or may not be the right place for me, only time will tell. If I am meant to be there then I will be, if not, then so be it. CR is not the only option on the table.
As for the business, doubtful there are buyers lined up in this economy, albeit it is successful, but no one is buying much these days. So my plan is to operate it as remotley as I can, we are pretty wired up technology wise for a construction firm.[/quote]
my issue is with obvious GOP/tea Party lingo and republican talking points. Freedom is bantered around , but never defined. It is a vague “thing” we should all like dearly, but never defined. Guns, I have a few, plus a concealed carry permit and am former law enforcement. Not a pacifist, at all, nor though a flag waving militarist. patriotism is more then slogans and waving, or complete trust/obediance in Govt. Your wife is your own, as is mine mine. 2 straight, hterosexual guys-great and good deal!
I support loval, small buisnesses and those that run them, dislike multi-nationals and Mega-corps.
I am an active churchgoer, prayer daily, several times.
I support Third Parties and dislike many policies.
I am proud of your hard work, initiative and success, but take issues with your “blame the poor, that are parasites” comments, its very marxist “them vs us mentality” and though many are truly lazy, many more are poor through no fault and would love to get out of the pit, but often is very hard. David McMurray has seen and worked with it, me too. many lack training, resources…Until my early 30’s, was a sloganeering, flag waving neocon, so I can spot the type a far off….
Just suggesting that with your mentality, based on your psots, that you will likely hate CR and leave, stay and stew or wind up making all of us Americans look a bit worse.then, all around no one is happy, inc you and family.[/quote]Let me define freedom (my version, and a lot of others). Freedom is being able to do what you want, when you want, how you want, and where you want without government interference. If you want to add a porch onto your house, you do it, without the need for paying “fee’s” to the government. Owning property, which you bought and paid for, without having to pay a yearly fee for owning it.
My whole point, (which is easy to read through all of my post), is that government takes, takes, takes, without representation.
I also think I have stated several times, I am the first inline to help people that need help, the issue is, a large portion of the population in the US has figured out that if they cry poor mouth, they get $ thrown at them, of which I pay for. For the record….I am all for a hand up, not a hand out!!!!!!!!
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[/list][/size][/size][/size][/i][quote=”camby”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”davidd”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]
It is good to hear that you care about your employees, that they are not just some number or cog for you, but important. Good to hear. What is happening when you move? sell buisness? run it from distance?
Simple life is good, but wondering if CR is a right fit…esp as you tag your slef “lover God guns, freedom, wife”, all fine in themselves, but sounds like a billboard for GOP/ tea Partyisms. CR not a likely good fit, as guns more restricted there, esp to foreigners and they have no aggressive, nationalism that you see in the USA, with obsessing over militarism and a hankering need of world control, mixed with rabid fear of everyone else……
Perhaps, Florida Keys? more rural Texas?
Hope CR is for you, but not sure with what you have written thus far, it is a good fit w/Toby Keith AMericanism…..[/quote]I get the feeling you have an issue with anyone that loves, God, Guns, Freedom, notice I did not include my wife, don’t want you to love her, that’s my job.
I don’t know too many people who don’t love freedom, in order to have freedom, one needs to keep the government under control, hence the 2nd admendment, the right to bear arms. If one does not love God, well, that’s between them and God, I am just glad I won’t have to answer for that question when my time is up. I know people that don’t beleive, and that’s all well and good, but what if they are wrong? I would rather error on the side of caution with that one.
CR may or may not be the right place for me, only time will tell. If I am meant to be there then I will be, if not, then so be it. CR is not the only option on the table.
As for the business, doubtful there are buyers lined up in this economy, albeit it is successful, but no one is buying much these days. So my plan is to operate it as remotley as I can, we are pretty wired up technology wise for a construction firm.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]From buns to balls (Christmas balls). What’s next? :lol:[/quote]
Thank you for for the laugh, sometimes we forget to laugh.
[quote=”davidd”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]Sorry, k, but the wealthy and powerful DO write the laws. They influence who gets nominated to run, finance the campaigns of their chosen, and pay the lobbyists to be sure that those who are elected toe the line. And they accomplish a great deal of that with resources unavailable to the rest of us. In every meaningful way, the already absurdly privileged do run the show primarily for their own selfish benefit.
If you cannot tolerate the prospect of giving up just a little of what you have to alleviate the needs and suffering of your fellow citizens, that simply puts you among a large minority (or maybe a majority) of your uncaring fellows. No one can make you feel empathy. Just don’t expect anyone to admire you for it.
[/quote]David Murray
I would love to see your balance sheet of charitable donations
I would speculate without ever seeing it that you it’s very little
why
because people that hold your beliefs are generally the cheapest people around when it comes to donations.
you love to preach about giving and you usually do this best with other peoples money.
do some research on our current president and vice president.. and see how generous they have been. obama has only increased his giving in the last 6 years because of attention to this area.
just spending your life in so called pubic service is the easy way of saying I never had the cajones to stake my claim in the real world
and settled for a government paycheck and pension after 20 years
let me ask you David
in the last 3 years of working did you juice up all your overtime so you can max out your retirement salary..
you sly dog you. 😀
I myself admire K for being a self reliant individual
taking a risk in the real world
creating REAL jobs in the marketplace from the profits of his efforts . not creating jobs off the theft of the taxpayers.
I admire you because your probably teaching your children some great qualities of self reliance and great core values.
which will help them become productive citizens of the world.
NO ONE can tell you how much to give or spend your money.. you simply give because you want to.
good for you and I hope the pleasure of meeting you one day.
think about the mass exodus that will occur over the next 10 years of affluent productive people in our society.
this is what needs to happen in droves..
D
PS. someone once said
[b]
“TRUE MATURITY IS ATTAINED WITH THE REALIZATION THAT NO ONE IS COMING TO THE RESCUE”[/b][size=][size=200][/size][/size][/quote]
David, I am humbled by your comments. I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. I don’t look for glory or recognition. Only a small handful of people know what I actually do. I took look forward to meeting some of the fine people on here, even you David MC. Just ribbing you!
I have a firm stance on provide for yourselves, if you need a hand, outstanding, I am there to help. But if you need a hand out, continue to hold your sign at the interstate onramp.
I provide 15 families with an income, I am scared to death about the possibility of having to let them go because I cannot afford them and the fines/taxes I will have to pay. Ask my wife, I litterally cry at times when I have to release someone, it bothers me to the core. But, I am the mean corporate type that only cares about money right?
I am ammused at the comments on these “blogs” or whatever you call them, it is easy to hide behind a keyboard and be as passive aggresive as you want to be, no one on here will hand you your last paycheck and wonder what will happen to your kids as you drive off. This my friends, it what is wrong with the US, we have become a society of passive aggresive people that have been desensitized to real life.
I long for the simple life.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Sorry, k, but the wealthy and powerful DO write the laws. They influence who gets nominated to run, finance the campaigns of their chosen, and pay the lobbyists to be sure that those who are elected toe the line. And they accomplish a great deal of that with resources unavailable to the rest of us. In every meaningful way, the already absurdly privileged do run the show primarily for their own selfish benefit.
If you cannot tolerate the prospect of giving up just a little of what you have to alleviate the needs and suffering of your fellow citizens, that simply puts you among a large minority (or maybe a majority) of your uncaring fellows. No one can make you feel empathy. Just don’t expect anyone to admire you for it.
[/quote]David, I agree 1000% with your first paragraph, (we better be careful, we are agreeing an awful lot latley).
But….I did not write the laws, I did not fund the politiions, I do not have a lobbyist. When I say I, I am reffering to 98% of us that do not have that priviledge. But unfortunatley I am affected by the taxing laws, for now anyway.
As an FYI, I help people constantly, I give more than 20% of my income to church, charities, food banks, ect. I go to Belize every month to purchase food for an orphange. Because of that style of living, I have been blessed in more ways than strictly financial. I am a firm beleiver of giving a hand up, not a hand out. I struggle with someone telling me I don’t do enough because it is not in thier agenda or does not fit with the way they think I should spend my money. If I am responsible enough to have never taken a hand out from the government, then I certainly am responsible enough to spend the money I earn the way I see fit.
As I have said before, I agree that EVERYONE should pay taxes, it is a needed evil. I just have a fundamental issue that certain people pay a higher percentage than others. And to date, everyone has avoided answering that question, why should one pay a higher percentage than another? We all use the same roads, we all are protected by the TSA (hahaha), we all have the same benefit of the military protection, we all have access to many things funded by taxes, except for certain solcial programs.
I served in the military, saw a lot of very harsh conditions people live in, volunteered my life for the US, to protect this once great nation. So I get a bit irritated that people claim I do not give my “fair share” when 99.999999% of the population that makes a statement like that knows nothing about me and what I do.
[quote=”camby”][quote=”kwhite1″][quote=”DavidCMurray”]The fixed cost of driving ten miles to work, as a percentage of total income, is far greater for someone earning the minimum wage than for a high income earner. That cost is further exaggerated by the fixed cost of the gasoline tax which they both must pay. The same can be said for every other flat (read: “regressive”) tax.
If you think that the population generally is better off when minimum wage earnners are supporting their families on $4.00 per hour (take home) while a rather small strata are struggling along on $400.00 per hour, then you’re an apologist for regressive taxes. If, on the other hand, you believe that the society is healthier when income is distributed a little more evenly (just a little), then a progressive tax structure is more to your liking.
Me? I’d be happier if the President and Congress made the tax structure much more progressive and if that cost folks in my circumstances a little more of their discretionary income. True, I might have to go downstairs to write this on my iMac, rather than upstairs on my iPad, but if the United States’ many poor and undernourished children ate a little better, or if more of its 50 million citizens without health insurance got covered, it would be worth it.[/quote]
David, I appreciate the fact that a lower income family has a greater impact for the taxes charged for “everyday” living. Common sense is that one with $10 and one with $100 is effected differently by a tax of 10%. One has $9.00 and one has $90.00. But does that constitute justification to charge someone that makes more than their neighbor a higher percentage for taxes? What is the motivation for someone that is “penalized” for making more money to start a business that employs 15 people. When there is documented cases of “government assisted” folks making more than the average business owner?
My argument is when you have more takers than givers, what motivates the givers anymore? When that happens, the givers are more apt to become takers at that point. Human nature is to take the path of least resistance. What happens when the givers become takers? Total economic meltdown, which I am very afraid of, this will be the demise of the greatest economy in the world. This very reason is why I am working harder and hedging my bet to move before this happens.[/quote]
who says more takers then givers?
even takers spend money, generate buisness and taxes-esp on booze, lottery tickets. That is aimed at poor people anyway.
and who made these people takers? Dont you think the elites would love pople slowly boiled to rely on them, a new serfdoom of some proporations?
Blaming many and creating yet another fad thing, now the “47%” is a diversion from the real problems and real takers, the elites.I try, best as possible, to frequent and support the local, small and ind buisnessmen.
I avoid the
[/quote]camby, show me in the handbook of life the section that states you are entitled to anything…..I’ll wait why you wrap your head around that. You are NOT entitled to anything, blaming the “wealthy” for not paying more of thier money for anything is ridiculous. I am sure there are plenty of low income families that don’t spend thier money on booze and lottery tickets as you stated. Many are hard working people who have honor and integrity and would never want to be given anything they did not earn.
I would love to know the justification, in your mind, why you feel it is “a duty” of the people who have been more successful to pay a higher percentage for taxes? If you agree with that philosophy, then you are advocating class warfare. Again, no one has come up with a good or knowlegable answer on why should someone pay a higher percentage of taxes based on the amount of income they make? Remember, all men are created equal, unless it comes to taxes?
You blast companies and “wealthy” folks for not paying thier fair share, stop and think for a moment, they take advantage of the tax laws in place, they certainly did not write the law. Blame the politicians, not the people who are successful.
[quote=”camby”][quote=”sprite”]Especially comforting knowing that the IRS is not even a part of the US government. It is a private company which collects taxes which go to foreign banks.[/quote]
IRS is an illegal, unconstitutional agency, Federal Reserve is a private banking estblishment, that for last 100 yrs, the GOp and Dems both have kept alive and w/tentacles in our lives…[/quote]
Camby, it is true that the IRS is unconstitutional, that whole taxation without representation thing.
The cold hard reality is that the IRS is a force to be reckoned with, don’t pay your taxes and see what happens. Jail, plain and simple, and that does not “erase” your debt to them. The only true way to get out of the reach from the IRS is to renounce your citizenship, by the way you cannot do until the IRS signs off on that, proving that you do not owe any more $. At the conclusion they will asses all of your belongings and tax you one final time, then you can renouce. SOunds fun huh?
