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Mass. Senate approves sales-tax increase
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PostPosted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:12 pm GMT    Post subject: Mass. Senate approves sales-tax increase Reply with quote

Can't believe this!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/mass_senate_app.html

Now the sale tax is 6.25%. Because more people will go online for big items, I think sooner or later they will start to tax online shopping. I also see higher Federal income tax is coming soon.

BTW, will those tolls be removed on route 90?
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balor123



Joined: 08 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2009 3:25 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

They already have a tax in this state on online shopping. It's called the use tax. Most of us just use the safe harbor but for very large purchases you can't use it.

They could probably replace the tolls on rt 90 with billboards but they won't. If we get over our dislike of something found in every other city in America, then we'd probably just use the money as margin for more borrowing.
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PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2009 4:48 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got one question... Can we go to NH to buy new cars to avoid 6.25% sales tax? 6.25% tax on 20-40k is a lot of money. How does that work for state auto registration?
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GenXer



Joined: 20 Feb 2009
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PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2009 11:29 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't believe you can. I think you end up paying the tax anyway one way or the other. Otherwise everybody would then be buying cars in NH. There are very few cars which can beat some of the best ones in the $25k range, and instead of worrying about an extra $1562 you pay in taxes, you can do the following things:
1) Negotiate like a bandit. It is possible, I've done it, and you can easily walk away with several k in your pocket by simply knowning how to negotiate (hint: MSRP is not a starting point - its a fictitious price)
2) Buy a car that statistically will outperform - Honda, Toyota, Subaru have been shown to have above average reliability, and thinking about how much the cost of repairs will be, you can save thousands just on that
3) Buy your own brakes and tires, and other car parts (use ebay, amazon, save $$$ in the process). Shop for a shop. You can install a set of $20 brakes for $60 ($30 if you wanna go to an 'ethnic' shop in Lynn).

I don't like this, but lets face it - people keep voting for the crooks in power in MA, so the question is, why do they complain? They should be happy - the people they elected are doing what they were elected to do - keep themselves in power forever. I don't think any of these 'legislators' will lose their job over this. They are voting themselves a budget.

There will be groups of people for whom the impact will be larger, but those buying things online will not be impacted. I can buy a PC in Ohio for $200 (no monitor), and the quality will be equal to that of dell at half the price without paying the tax. Almost anything on ebay/amazon will not be taxed. I have rarely bought anything online that has a sales tax (except for random small items). An occasional desk and office supplies, but that's not going to break the bank.

And of course, for those who are closer to NH, go shop there by all means. The tax increase will hurt the businesses in MA, and sooner or later we will turn into RI.
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balor123



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PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2009 4:15 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes you'll have to pay the tax when you register in-state. My cousin learned this the hard way and she's only here as a student! You'll also have to pay the excise tax, which isn't cheap. Sadly, there's no way around the tax by negotiating. You can negotiate just as hard in NH and pay a lot less. Personally, I don't trust random shops replacing my brakes. You can get tires from Costco, which are generally priced well and have some other nice benefits (free rotation and hazard insurance for example). When it comes to serious repairs, I only trust the dealers, unless one of you can suggest a very good shop near Waltham for Hondas. It also depends on the age of your car and mine is approaching the point of it not mattering anymore. One tactic that works really well is to price shop the dealers. Whenever you have a major job, just call them all and get a quote. I think most of them will price match. I saved $200 on my timing belt change earlier this year (off $1k, don't buy a V6). Be sure to check for competitor coupons as well. Add your dealer's coupons only after negotiating, which by the way you can also do on just about any job. I brought them down from $300 to $150 once fixing my steering wheel radio buttons (though it turns out it broke 1 year later anyway, which I used as leverage to get some more discounts).
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JCK



Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2009 5:16 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

balor123 wrote:
ersonally, I don't trust random shops replacing my brakes. You can get tires from Costco, which are generally priced well and have some other nice benefits (free rotation and hazard insurance for example). When it comes to serious repairs, I only trust the dealers, unless one of you can suggest a very good shop near Waltham for Hondas. It also depends on the age of your car and mine is approaching the point of it not mattering anymore. One tactic that works really well is to price shop the dealers. Whenever you have a major job, just call them all and get a quote. I think most of them will price match. I saved $200 on my timing belt change earlier this year (off $1k, don't buy a V6). Be sure to check for competitor coupons as well. Add your dealer's coupons only after negotiating, which by the way you can also do on just about any job. I brought them down from $300 to $150 once fixing my steering wheel radio buttons (though it turns out it broke 1 year later anyway, which I used as leverage to get some more discounts).


balor,

With a Honda, virtually anyone can work on the them. They're super easy to service, don't require any specialized tools, and are very straightforward to deal with. They're also unbelievably reliable and can withstand a lot of abuse.

Personally, I'd save my money and find a good garage. They'll charge you way less than a dealership will, and you'll get the same result.

There's nothing magical about the brakes, only a few parts (rotors and pads) that require regular replacement. Basically all the shop does is either pull out the old rotors, grind them down (if there's enough material left) or replace. I bet the dealers only replace the rotors, and charge you a lot more. A good garage will grind the rotors, so you don't have to replace them quite so often.

You know you have to replace your pads when they start making that awful metal-on metal grinding sound when you hit the brakes. The sound itself is harmless, as the pad have metal "tabs" that are designed to alert you that it's time to change the pads. It doesn't mean that the brakes are any danger of failing.

My take is that, with a Honda, the dealership is just a ripoff. My father-in-law who is an amateur mechanic mostly American cars, is able to service my car (Integra) just fine, and I've seen what goes on under the hood. It's not exactly rocket science down there. Brakes really are just a disassemble, replace parts, reassemble process. I took my car to the dealer a few times, and was spending $800/pop for even the most routine types of servicing, and this was several years ago.
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balor123



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 12:06 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 2002 Accord broke about 1 year after I bought it and I'm not that abusive. As a whole, though, I agree they are reliable. I have a V6 though which makes the jobs harder. Also, it's hard to find a trustworthy mechanic.

I don't usually wait until the brakes start whining to replace them. They'll measure them for free to let you know when they're worn down. I don't think all brakes have that feature. Not sure if mine do.
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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 12:45 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

That sucks! I thought I can buy a Honda CRV from NH to avoid the 6.25% sales tax later this year.... Those tolls on 90 are so annoying . I thought they will remove the tolls. They have discussed it for years.

Honda makes great car. I bought a CIVIC about 4 or 5 years ago. It has not caused any problem. Regular maintenance is enough.

BTW, I think sooner or later the will start to tax online shopping. Local shops will love to see this happens.
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balor123



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:18 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can be sure that once the state's fiscal crisis is over that the sales tax won't go back down as well. Most likely some form of a gas tax is coming as well as toll increases. They may try and hide it in things like monthly charges but this deficit isn't going to close itself.
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balor123



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:19 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder what it would take for the state to default on its debts and contracts...
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GenXer



Joined: 20 Feb 2009
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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 11:37 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

No need to wonder. Just sit and watch. California will be the first example. If you are wondering what will happen - you don't have to. Putting on my prophet hat I can tell you. Obama will bail out the unions -the same ones that destroyed the state. This is what socialist governments do - they increase taxes to keep themselves in business. Nothing will change, it will simply get more expensive to keep the unions going. MA will follow shortly thereafter. Don't expect that to fix the economy though - they will only get the money to pay the unions and government hacks. Unemployment will still hit the roof for the private sector.
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john p



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:48 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're totally right in my view. Governments are run by people who are in for four to eight years and it is just too easy to pass the buck and add to the debt pile. If you can dole out money to your friends and campaign contributers you get the best shot at winning another term. Nobody wants to be the bad guy and mention reality. Politicans are fuzzy friendly types that say "Together We Can" or "Yes We Can". People want to be told that they can do what they want to do. People want to feel safe in their delusions and want someone to tell that that it is ok to live in those delusions.

As an architect I find many clients shop around to find someone to tell them what they want to hear. They will find a firm that will say, sure, we can do it for this amount of money and it will come in at this price and will take this much time. If the client is dumb they might buy a line from a firm that just says what they need to to win the commission and then screws them later once they have them on the hook. This is the Big Dig mentality, lie to win the work and then screw everyone once you've got the commission, and then get out before the yogurt hits the fan. The key is how stupid are the clients, how naive are they, and in this case, how dumb are the voters to believe these warm and fuzzy delusions like "Yes We Can" or "Together We Can"?

The debt that keeps building and building and building needs to be dealt with and if on the other side of the equation you have these delusional people that want more and more and more and don't want to be burdened with competing globally, we will and we did elect a socialist that truly believes that money grows on trees and that you don't have to earn it. Obama is literally printing money, he is telling us that money grows on trees and people voted for him. The belief in the delusion is what scares me.
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JCK



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 2:04 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

john p wrote:
t is just too easy to pass the buck and add to the debt pile.


Quote:
Obama is literally printing money, he is telling us that money grows on trees and people voted for him. The belief in the delusion is what scares me.


john,

You need to get your story straight here. Printing money (no corresponding entry on the balance sheet) is not the same thing as increasing debt.

So what's the realistic alternative? Let 'em fail? That worked wonders with Lehman Brothers...
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JCK



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 2:10 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

john p wrote:

The debt that keeps building and building and building needs to be dealt with and if on the other side of the equation you have these delusional people that want more and more and more and don't want to be burdened with competing globally, we will and we did elect a socialist that truly believes that money grows on trees and that you don't have to earn it. Obama is literally printing money, he is telling us that money grows on trees and people voted for him. The belief in the delusion is what scares me.


And what would've McCain done to get the deficit under control? More tax cuts for the wealthy?
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john p



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PostPosted: Fri May 22, 2009 3:02 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

This whole new spending, Recovering and Reinvestment Act is no different than purchasing stuff on your credit card. We have obligations to the people who purchase our debt.

Think of it like a town's budget, say people stop maintaining their buildings and they take maintenance out of their operating budgets. They can save money but they just delay the maintenance problems and they compound. On the other side of the equation, the rest of the operating budget gets fatter and fatter. We needed to cut our operating budgets and starting to face reality about the debt obligations and the deterioration of our investments in infrastructure.

What McCain represented to me was both sacrifice for country and a perspective that aimed at stopping the hemmorage of government spending. McCain has been fighting government spending for decades. When it came to spending, McCain stood apart from his Republican colleagues during the Bush Administration because he spoke out about the massive spending of both the Republicans and Democrats. Because he cut against the grain of his own party and obviously the Democrats, he was sort of an unpopular figure. Standing in the middle of the road, often times you can get hit by cars on both sides. When you think about that, McCain was always a popular guest on the talking heads shows because he was the voice of moderation. He was respected by Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and even Joe Biden said he would be proud to be on the ticket with John McCain. John McCain fought against the Swift Boat attacks in an election year and stood by John Kerry when they were questioning Kerry's honor. That is a stand up guy who puts honor and truth above Party. That sort of sacrifice to personal political capital is uncommon. Obama voted for down the party line 97% of the time, while preaching about being a moderate voice. To people who paid attention, McCain was the most moderate voice we had. I mean all the right wing talking heads used to grill McCain for his moderate stances and when he worked with "god forbid" Ted Kennedy to address the immigrant issue he was attacked by his Party. McCain did have to play a bit of party politics and suck up to some hard liners to win the Primary, which I wasn't fond of, but it surely was better than to have someone who was a total lightweight who spent his entire career eating at the trough of the public dole, so self absorbed that he writes books about himself and uses the proceeds to buy himself a mansion with the help of a convicted felon who stole money set aside for housing the poor. Obama has no idea what sacrifice is because he never sacrificed anything for anyone. Everything he ever did was to self promote. When Kerry gave him the golden ticket, the key-note address at the Democratic National Convention, he self promoted and did not promote John Kerry as he should have. McCain on the other hand spent 5 years in a Vietnamese prison and when given the chance to go free, said he'd stay and that they could take someone else. That is character, that is sacrifice, that is putting country first. He embodied and lived the values we need right now to motor out of this crisis. Instead, Obama is feeding the delusion and emboldening the lazy people who took on too much risk and are feeding off the public trough. He represents the opposite to the values we need to get out of this mess. He is a lightweight who gets ahead by telling people what they want to hear and he doesn't burden himself with filling those promises solid and he has never advanced anything substantial for anyone but himself. He never took a tough position or risked himself politically. If he was morally against the War, why did he vote to fund Billions to it? Why did he vote to confirm Condi Rice if he believed that she lied to the United States?

I honestly think that the ardent supporters of Obama will end up being disapponted as many are with Deval Patrick.

Also, you can look it up, John McCain filed legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and he was shot down by the Democrats. He warned about a subprime crisis while Obama was suing Citibank for not issuing enough subprime loans. And the Democrats won by saying that there wasn't enough "regulation" in the subprime industry, the industry they helped create via the Community Reinvestment Act. The regulations they said we needed they fought and you can look it up and hear the testimony of Democrats fighting any reform to the subprime lending.

If you don't believe me, look at this chart. Look at how the home ownership rate skyrocketted when Bill Clinton came into office.

http://www.affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/us/us_homeownership_rates_small.jpg

Now is home ownership a bad thing? I say no, but it is clear that the policies that made it possible needed to be regulated so that it didn't go too far.

The older I get, the more I realize that before you begin with any political discussion you need to build a foundation of values. We need to select leaders that are living embodiments of the values we need to rely on in any given situation. It seems that many have sacrified for Obama, but Obama never sacrificed for anyone but himself. McCain is the embodiment of sacrifice and he has been fighting runaway spending for decades. Obama has just saddled us with more debt than any President in history.
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