<VV> "Fixed Incomes" - CORVAIR content

Mon Dec 7 11:55:45 EST 2009

Ditto everything Tony said: In my case:

1) My house payment goes up every year due to Taxes and insurance increases
2) Florida just raised vehicle license fees - like DOUBLED!  And I have 
4 cars ...
3) Florida just raised drivers license fees - like DOUBLED!
4) FPL is asking for a rate increase!

This is why an increase in CORSA dues is a very real issue for me.  NO 
increase in my retirement income, and increases in lots of things I HAVE 
to pay..... 

Jim Houston

Tony Underwood wrote:
> 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..
>
>
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