The wisdom of a teenager, the price of freedom

As a misguided teen I vaguely remember the day I wished I had more freedom. Back then, myself being the teen, of course I was right. Now, being much wiser and unfortunately much older, I am reminded of my own youth through my children and their desire for freedom. My first thought is " I wonder how much freedom costs these days?" We'll start with the freedom to be on your own, while maintaining the comforts of home. Let us all do some math.

1 bedroom apartment outside of downtown =$750
Basic cable= $60
cell phone with text = $70
electric = $125
Food = $300
transportation (car) $350
Insurance = $125
clothes, hygiene products = $100

Total expenses = $1880 per month

Really good starting wages for high school graduate $14.00 per hour
40 hour week.
Total gross wages per month $2240
Total net pay per month $1792

Total versus expense = negative $88 per month

I guess it's safe to say freedom has a price and most can't afford it. And It Just Ain't Right

Tax Increases Equal Service Cuts I don't get it

Why is it that the first thing Taxing authorities cut is services to the people who pay taxes.  It seems to me to be counter-productive.  Who wants to buy a house and live in a community where taxes are constantly being raised and services are being cut?  About 10 years ago our county, which will remain nameless(because they're all the same), raised property taxes 70%.  This year they are proposing a 17% increase.  Yet every year since the 70% increase, services have been cut, reduced or downsized.  The government has not downsized, cut or reduced their payroll or staffing.  We have lost funding in Parks and Recreation, police, trash removal, human services, the Arts and economic development.  I long for the day when we get what we pay for.  I know i'm not blameless in this becuase I hired them when I voted, but why do I have to wait so long to fire them and hire someone who will do the job right? Taking away services while increasing taxes and fees, making new taxes when you're not allowed to raise them anymore or calling it a "fee" when in reality it is just another tax well, you know, It Just Ain't Right!

On A Warm And Blustery Day, My Rip On The Insurance Industry

After 12 years in our family's home, each year faithfully keeping up our home-owner insurance, we had the unfortunate occasion of having to use it.  The insurance company, which shall remain nameless because they are all the same, saw fit to give us a multi-policy discount because we also insured our automobiles through them.  Thus begins my story.  On a warm and blustery day a very strong wind blew the roof off of our house.  The roof tumbled like a Chinese acrobat across our front lawn slamming into our new car, at that point just 4 months old.  The car only slowed the progress of the tumbling structure as it clipped the front of my neighbor's car across the street until finally coming to rest in his front yard.  The next morning my telephone call to my insurance agent went kind of like this.

Me:  Yes, our roof blew off during the storm last night and hit our car.

Agents assistant(because agents sell they don't do the messy stuff):  Well sir your home owners deductible is $750 we'll have an adjuster come out to estimate the damages and write you a check ASAP.

Me:  What about my car?

Agent:  Your automobile deductible is $500.

Me:  Wait, my car was parked when my roof hit my car.

Agent:  Yes, your roof is covered by your homeowners policy and your car is covered under auto.  They are two different deductibles.

Me:  What about my neighbor's car?

Agent:  That is his problem, you're not responsible for his damages.

Me:  That doesn't seem right.

Agent:  That's just the way it is.

So here is the hard math.
Roof damage estimate $1600 actual cost $2400 .  Insurance payment $850. My out of pocket $1550.
Car Damage $1250.  Insurance payment $750.  My out of pocket $500.
12 years of homeowners insurance without a claim $5700
12 years of Car insurance without a claim $8100

Drum roll please  My cost $15850  Insurance company pay out $1600
And you have to know that both insurances went up the following year due to the claims.  Claims where i paid more than they did.  The vicious cycle of an industry that you are required to purchase from.  Use it and pay more, don't use it and pay more anyway because they need the money, it just ain't right!

First day in public school

Please don't misconstrue this post as racist that is certainly not my intent. A little over two weeks ago my youngest daughter started public school free being home-schooled through grade three. She was so excited to have music class for the first time. When she got home that day I asked, "How was music class?" she cheerfully replied "We learned a new song today, "Oye Como Va."" completely in Spanish I love Carlos Santana just as much as the next guy but how about we learn a song in English. I'm all for cultural integration but fourth grade music class It just ain't right!

Almost done with the USPS

I've had my issues with the US postal service and the corruption within, however I always tip my carrier when sending out large or heavy packages and in turn he doesn't stay extra long at my house "visiting" while I'm at work. Fair trade but still it just ain't right!

Going postal

About two years ago I purchased items on eBay like millions of people do everyday. Three days later I was happy to see the package had arrived at my home. I was even more pleased to see that the sender had secures the USPS priority mail package with a few extra pieces of packing tape along the edges. My excitement was short-lived however, when upon opening the package I discovered that the items had been removed and the "extra" tape was put in place after and over the USPS postmark. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the theft had occurred within the postal service facility. The items were insured and in about eight weeks my purchase price was returned to me by the postal service. That's not the issue. If I wanted the money I wouldn't have spent it in the first place. I wanted the items I purchased, which are now far more valuable than my purchase price. Did anyone look into where the items had gone. Isn't it a federal crime to temper with the US mail. Apparently not when they are the ones stealing it. This is not a single occurrence, it is all too frequent. It seems that a package sent into the US postal service stamped "insured" is open game and It Just Ain't Right.

USPS runaround

The package is gone. It was worth a lot of money where did it go? Nobody knows. Somebody has it, but nobody's gonna fess up. Punks. My uncle was a carrier for 30 years. Once he delivered a package that only had a name and a city. It was 10:00 at night on christmas eve. He said the name on the package was Billy and he thought it was a child who might be looking forward to the delivery for Christmas and not wanting to disappoint he looked at every address with the same last name until he found Billy. When Billy opened the package turns out it was from his father serving overseas. Also, just so you know Billy never saw his father again as his father died in Vietnam in the spring of the next year. I know this to be true because Billy was a friend of mine for quite a long time. My point is dedication can never be replaced by money.

USPS Runaround

USPS insurance makes you jump through all of their hoops knowing that someone in the post office stole it. It's cheaper for them to pay off the loss than it is to research who stole it and take any real action

U.S Postal Service runaround

When your package disappears in the USPS system who is accountable for the lost package. The way I see it if something valuable gets lost and insurance pays you for it you should also get paid for the appreciation of that item. If the post office loses my coin( steals it) and the coin appreciates in value by $1000 should I be entitled to that amount. Someone in the postal service has my coin and I want it back.