<VV> costs- CORVAIR content

[Tony Underwood]

At 03:04 PM 12/6/2009, Sethracer at aol.com wrote:
>
>
>In a message dated 12/6/2009 8:04:21 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
>tony.underwood at cox.net writes:
>
>Because  there was no increase in the cost of living.
>
>???
>(wondering if I  heard that right)
>
>
>tony..
>
>
>
>
>Tony - You probably know this, but the ??? requires an answer.


In this instance, not necessarily; I was just not in total agreement.

Now:   I'm not on a fixed income, unless a salary could be considered 
as such... and I'm not paid that much (although I'm not worked very 
hard either)... ;)


>The COLA - "Cost of Living Allowance" of most inflation adjustments, such
>as Social Security and many Union wages is based on an index, which includes
>a  lot of different costs.


Agreed.


>Among them are housing costs -including housing
>prices,  fuel costs, including gasoline, and a lot of others. For 2010, the
>cost of fuel  went down - from $4/gallon to, about $2 early in the year, now
>about $3. Housing  prices collapsed in most areas.


One would think that someone who's on a fixed income wouldn't be 
house shopping... and if they were already in a house either paid for 
or busy making mortgage payments as per normal, housing markets would 
mean nothing at all to them.   If they're still in the same house as 
before, who gives a damn what the housing market does if they're not 
interested in selling or buying?   Has their house payment gone up?

BUT:   ...let's say they have a Corvair habit, and take it from there.


>Now, your costs may not
>have dropped, I own  (most) of a house,


As do I.


>and I am not buying another house
>very soon, so I don't see  that drop.

Me neither.   But I could possibly be in the market for an extra 
'Vair, should a deal come my way and the car is available at a deal 
that flicks my switches.

Now:   adjustments to those fixed incomes for people who live on such 
might not cover things like local tax increases on properties (like 
that Corvair) or increases in insurance rates.

My insurance for the '60 4-door alone has doubled in the last two 
years and I expect it to go up again next year.   Likewise local 
taxes like "city" decals or the county variants, for those localities 
who subject motor vehicles to this sort of tax stamp.   Such costs 
here did go up... not a lot but an increase is an increase.   In my 
instance it cost an extra 20 dollars.  Again, not a lot... but 
Corvairs are like potato chips.

Next:   Hobby costs... do COLA include increases to cover increased 
expenses for something like a car club habit?   Last time I bought a 
gallon of paint for a Corvair it was almost double what I'd paid the 
previous time.   Likewise repair parts which seldom fail to increase 
in cost.   Not only do those other unnoticed expenses like local 
taxes and costs not get covered by that same COLA, but each extra 
dollar it costs those fixed income folks is another dollar they don't 
have to spend on their hobbyist pastime.

Oh, did I mention utility expenses?  Electricity around here keeps 
going up in cost and there's been a LOT of grief expressed lately 
regarding that extra cost by those on FIXED INCOMES, some of whom 
have spoken out about how they're on the edge now and if they have to 
pay the increase they'll have to cut down on either food or something 
else.    Do they have a Corvair?   What's the choice?   Car hobby or 
not go hungry?    And NO this is not an exaggeration... I know 
someone (retired) who got out of 'Vairs because expenses kept 
creeping up and they sold the car because they couldn't afford to 
enjoy the car anymore and letting it sit in a garage wasn't enjoyment.


...could things like this be partly responsible for the reduction in 
people who would otherwise follow a Corvair hobby pursuit?   In other 
words... that fixed income is no longer enough to allow them to 
pursue such a hobby anymore BECAUSE the cost of living index does NOT 
cover all the added costs of living...?


Finally:   Add it all up, then include the straw that might break the 
camel's back in the form of yet another added expense like a dues 
increase...   Like Allen Bristow said, somebody somewhere in the 
organization may need to start looking at ways to reduce expenses and 
work THAT angle, rather than increasing the costs for the membership 
to play on the team, because money is never infinite.   And, like 
Congress (which hasn't caught on to this fact yet), CORSA isn't gonna 
be able to "tax" itself into prosperity by raising dues.


Have I annoyed anybody yet?   Lemme know.   If not, I'll try harder.



tony..