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Now, in your spare time, why don’t you actually go out into the community and join the legions of job seekers, whether you’re employed, retired or whatever, just to see what it’s like. Let’s see you compete with five of the unemployed for every available job. When job seekers exceed jobs available by a factor of five, the likelihood of any individual being hired is pretty slim. Go try and let us know how you do.
[/quote]A side note…
Regarding entitlements…we toured a local Salvation Army a couple of years back and were so impressed by it. This was a program devoted to single mothers. They would only take you into the program (let you live there), if you agreed to go back to school and get your diploma. They would then help you prepare for work. We were all so impressed. There was an expectation to that entitlement. Needless to say, it gave these girls hope and determination to better themselves and the program has been extremely successful. No something for nothing there.
Doesn’t regard fed tax…but my county/city/school tax. I pay those every quarter and these go to schools, roads, etc. I just got a $280 add-on to my bill for street ‘oiling’. Huh? I thought my other taxes covered that? When I asked why they were charging this fee every few years to fix a perfectly good road, they said, “oh, look at it like sealing your driveway”. What? I said “I would never pay that to seal my drivway, so why do I have to pay it to seal yours. Why isn’t this coming out of my other taxes”. Not much of an answer given.
Have a nice day all wherever you may be!
“It is absolutely NOT true, loraine, that 50% of Americans pay no federal tax. What 50% of Americans do not pay is federal INCOME tax. They still pay all the payroll taxes that everyone else who earns up to about $103,000 per year pay. Those who earn over that $103k threshold pay no additional payroll taxes. So the burden of payroll taxes, which are the flat taxes you so admire, fall most heavily on the poorest and exempt the richest.”
I understand it’s Federal Income tax…the original 7.65%, however, is fica w/h, isn’t it? I think it used to be broken down 6.2% for social security and 1.45% for medicare, yes? Does that money go and stay in those programs? And do those who choose not to work pay payroll taxes (fica w/h). And doesn’t the bad, mean corporations have to match those w/h? I’m not talking talking about p/r taxes–fica/med.
I want to know where my fed w/h is going and why I have to pay it and others don’t? I have to pay a mortgage, property taxes, health insurance, etc.,and ‘choose’ to live beneath my means and sacrifice. Why am I doing that again?
How much does rich GE pay in taxes?
You know, I don’t have a problem with ‘social’ programs…welfare, food stamps, etc. But they should be working for these benefits. If you want this stuff for free, then you can go and work it off whether it be in a homeless shelter, a church, cleaning a park, burger king etc. It gives them a sense of purpose in life as well giving something back for what their getting. And, yes, i would subsidize daycare to get these girls out there working.
I’ll say it…it burns me to see an 18 year old girl walking down the street with 4 kids under the age of 5. Rather than sitting at home, it would make more sense to me to have her daycare subsidized and have her working 40 hours per week. I think she might appreciate her money a little more.
And, while I completely understand the one poster about encouraging his parents to get food stamps…I don’t disagree with you at all. they should. Because they have put into the system when others haven’t, they deserve it. But, but, but…this is the way this country is heading…well, everyone gets ‘it’, so why shouldn’t I? this is not directed toward you at all. it is more as a whole where those that work for their money and pay so much in Federal ‘income’ tax are starting to get really angry about the taxes they pay, when they see so many around them, getting something for nothing. it’s a mob mentality…I want something, too.
There is a big difference between poor, lazy and those that just take advantage.
it’s like a bad employee who takes advantage. It so lowers the standard. The good employees see what the dead weight is doing and getting compensated to boot, that the good employee becomes resentful and starts doing the same. And one bad apple has spoiled the whole bunch.
I don’t want to see the elderly or the disabled ever eating cat food, but I also don’t want to see an 18 year old with 4 kids in tow living on welfare. The old folks have paid their dues–and now they will be paying more once their various taxes go up. How much more will the able bodied be paying in entitlements–nothing?
99 weekers…they couldn’t find ‘a’ job in 2 years? I’ve been unemployed and it doesn’t take that long to find another. Well, unless you were making 100k and still expect to make that.
A flat tax is fair. There are those who pay nothing and those who pay a lot. Level the playing field and that way no one is getting something for nothing. Plus eliminates the tax cheats with those creative tax returns.
Call me simple, call me simplistic, but things cannot go on as they are. I am by no means wealthy (other than in spirit) or in the 1%, but playing Robinhood doesn’t work. As long as we continue to ‘give’ with expectation of nothing in return from those who take, we will continue to have these problems. It will (already has) create a lazy, stagnant, me,me,me society.
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. That goes for everybody!!! He was before my time, but makes a lot of sense to me. Where did that sentiment ever go? Now it’s…me,me,me. I expect, I expect, I expect.
This was too long of a post…sorry…we’ll have to agree to disagree. I’m personally done debating this issue…back to CR stuff for me!
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”bogino”]
[/quote]
I, for one, am happy to finally see the possibility of taxes increasing enough to pay for what the [b]majority of Americans want[/b][u][/u].[/quote]And what might that be?[/quote]
Fairness in our tax system.[/quote]
I know this is not a political forum, but I couldn’t resist replying. Fairness? 50% of Americans pay NO federal tax. How is that fair? Why not a flat tax so EVERYONE gets to pay their ‘fair’ share? If these gains get taxed as ordinary income, that’ll go from 15% up to 25% and higher. That’s more than a few dollars. And what are the stats on increasing the taxes on every millionaire–doesn’t it come out to an extra $85 billion in tax revenue or something like that–enough for 8 days of what we spend.
If you personally were in a deficit position, would you charge up your credit cards to continue to live as you desire or would you cut back on your spending to make ends meet?
I live in NYS and we are taxed to death (and in one of the highest property taxed counties in the US). When one of two pay no federal tax, there is something wrong there.
The only people who think this tax structure is fair are those who are paying nothing…50%.
[quote=”Scott”]More negative tax news for U.S. citizens/investors.
“The current 15% tax rate on dividends will expire on December 31 this year, unless US lawmakers intervene. If no action is taken, dividend tax rates for all income levels will increase, with the maximum tax rate spiking to 43.4% – a 189% increase.”
That is very, very scary. I don’t know who really thinks that dividends and capital gains rate increases will only affect the rich. Besides the retirees living on dividends, I am single, very middle class, and have quite a few dividend paying stocks/mutual funds that are reinvested (I don’t need the income at this age). I, as well as many others that have these investments, will simply sell them and have to look for something else. Who’s going to take that kind of risk in the stock market for little payoff by paying it back in taxes? Can’t buy CDs or money market accounts…now no dividend paying stocks. What’s left? I guess it’s a nonissue in a Roth IRA…until, of course, they decide to change the rules on that, too! Middle class and I’m probably paying close to 40% of my income in taxes, whether it be income tax, property tax or sales tax. They raise the rates on those particular investments and watch how many more will no longer be able to live on what they make.
[quote=”Versatile”]This week on AG WEB they said beef will be up 10% more for next year due to the drought. 107 degrees here last Wednesday(Kansas City) Yesterday i saw a turtle crossing the road and he had a canteen strapped to his back. Around here you can’t give a rain gauge away.[/quote]
I hear ya. Here in Central NY, we normally have horrendous winters with at least 12 feet of snow, and humid, quite warm summers with enough rain. Last winter, we had only 40 inches of snow, milder temps and this summer… so unbearable! It’s like being in Liberia. It hit 101 last week with awful humidity, and that was within 1 degree of the all time high ever here. I can’t remember the last day we had anything more than a few sprinkles of rain. It is sunnny every day with no rain predicted. I know I could never live in sunny Phoenix. I miss the rain and my lush gardens. Guess that’s why I love Lake Arenal so much! Don’t get me going on food prices. I remember Marvilla posting her grocery bill one day. I can spend that on one bag of fruit here!
[quote=”jamesgoshen4″]Does anyone know of an inexpensive shuttle from Liberia Airport to San Jose on 07/25. My flight arrives at 12:15 PM. I know I can take the deldu or pulmitan bus for $ 20.00 for the two of us. I am trying to keep the transport under $ 100.00 for the two of us.[/quote]
Have you tried ‘Interbus’? I don’t know their rates, but it can’t hurt to check.
What has piqued your interest about CR rather than other central american countries? There is so much variety there and you can have whatever you might want.
The NW beach areas are beautiful but incredibly hot as is the south pacific side. A/C will cost you a small fortune year round. Central valley is popular. We just bought land in Aguacate area of lake arenal. While it gets quite a bit of rain up there, the temps are great (no a/c or heat), and it manages to have lovely warm sunny mornings, clouding up as the day goes on and rain in the evening (rain like I’ve never seen but it manages to be dried up by morning).
As the others have said, it really depends on what you are wanting…do you want touristy areas or residential, etc.
FYI, I had a realtor tell me a couple of years back (when I was inquiring about beach area not far from Jaco) that the average length a foreigner stays there is 2 years before moving inland.
You may want to think about going down a little later than mid october…we usually go at the end of october to mid november and the weather really starts to improve once november arrives.
Keep us posted.
I have two parrots myself (sun conure and blue crown conure) as i was told that bringing them in wasn’t a problem, but forget getting them out. Thankfully, while I have land there, it’ll be many years before I actually live there and then it would only be a half year. I would never consider bringing my birds because, as you question, what would happen if you wanted to return to the US. I would never take that chance–can you leave them with someone in the US and just visit them? It seems like that would be the ‘safest’ thing to do.
If not – you need to hope for one helluva windstorm in the middle of the night with the impact potential of a truck bumper. :)[/quote]
Well, it is in a pretty windy area…maybe the ‘wind’ could take it down??? BTW, how would this get back to the officials? It’s in a rural area with no neighbors and no building would be taking place anytime soon. Does somebody ride around on the back roads? I understand the need and want to reforest rather than deforest and to protect slopes and wildlife, but it seems a bit extreme IMO to monitor every straggly tree. Thanks.
Sorry, one last question…there are daily rates and monthly rates. How many hours in a day do they work (how long is lunch and do they get paid for that), how many days in the week do they work and how many hours is a monthly wage based on? thanks so much!
[quote=”Scott”]This should help but bear in mind this is for ‘salaries’ and not for individual contract work which I would assume would mean you would pay slightly more since the workers and not the employer would have to pay their own CAJA etc.
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/Minimum-Salaries-in-Costa-Rica-2012.cfm ]
Scott[/quote]
Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. I will look up the article and will keep in mind all that you have recommended.
Right now, I need a ‘cutter’, so to speak, not a gardener. And the trees to come down are not primary growth, but rather just scrubby stuff and a couple of spindly trees that are either dead or near. I believe I read that primary growth could not come down (rainforest, old growth)without permission, but this is just junky stuff.
Thanks again!
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]We pay our “on contract” gardeners c12,500 each for a day’s work. They’re usually hard at it by 6:15am after the bus drops them off and they quit just after 11:00am in time to catch the bus home. That’s probably too generous, but they’re good guys and we want this work to be important to them.
Oh wow…that is very generous from what I understand. Is there a place where I can go to research average labor rates? Do they vary by region, too?
I just wrote and lost my post–why does that happen. Anyway, thank you for your reply. I agree that a ‘per job’ basis is best. And I don’t want to get involved in an employee-type situation as that can be costly, plus there is little work to do on a regular basis.
My confusion is in the amount to pay–we paid a local friend’s relative a couple of bucks an hour for the day he did work clearing the area. but I don’t know what to pay for cutting about 10 trees, no more than 20′ tall thin, dead, or dying trees and then burning them. Is the going rate for manual labor about $2 per hour? I just need a starting point to get to my ‘per job, flat rate’.
The tree cutting would be done by a local friend and he is an employee of another and receive benefits. I was told that makes a difference? Regardless, you’ve steered me in the right direction–and I think I will nix the monthly maintenance and just have him weedeat a couple of times before I go down there. Thanks for your help.
[quote=”bogino”]Well…my story is slightly different but still a story that demonstrates kindness and goodwill:
I was driving up the Costanera somewhere south of Dominical about 4 years ago roughly when I almost ran over a sloth that was about a 3rd of the way across the highway. I swerved around him just in time and then backed up once I realized it was an animal. I was by myself and no one else in sight and trying to figure out how to move the guy with those gigantic claws. Waited around for 5 minutes pondering what to do when a small truck with a couple of Tico’s pulled up. One of the guys walked into the bush and came out with a long stick which we then slid underneath the sloths hands and claws and he grabbed onto then the 3 of us carried him across the highway into the bush and found him a tree a good distance away from the road and hopefully added some years to his life. I’m pretty sure I posted a picture of the sloth in the pictures section.[/quote]
I was just reading your story and it sounds very familiar. We encountered the exact thing in the same area. I am wondering if we may have stumbled upon your ‘rescue’ back then. We were driving through enroute to the Osa back in early Nov 2008 and we happened upon a couple of locals transporting a sloth to a tree from the road. We only got to see the tail end of the rescue but it was the first time I got to see a sloth that close. That would be funny if it was the same event.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]After checking out a home in Jaco Beach, we headed up to Lake Arenal for a few days. Just to visit. Just to look at the lake. Just to enjoy the weather. Ok, ok, we bought a house. Not really spur of the moment as we had been researching for 3 years, but unexpected. After all, we flew down to look at beach area property. But we fell in love. Now we have new friends, a great place to dine (Gingerbread House) with an amazing chef (Ayel), and property with a lovely main home, caretaker’s home and 11 acres. Ahhhhhhhhhh[/quote]
Congratulations! Where on Lake Arenal? It sounds likes it’s in the Nuevo Arenal area. We’re actually in the process of buying land outside of NA in Aguacate with lake/volcano views and a short skip down the hill to a boat launch. We, too, have been going down there for some years and have traveled up and down the Pacific coast. While I love all of CR, there was something so special, magical and serene about that Lake–and wherever you drive around, it has a totally different look. Will you be living there year round or part time? I would love to hear the details. If I may ask, did you use a realtor there? Which company and were you happy with them?
