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@Zahavasdad
OOT Most Orthodox synagogues built after 1950 had school classrooms and many day schools and Yeshivos started in these now empty spaces, paying for utilities but little or no rent.
When I was president of such a shul decades ago, we gladly gladly gave free use of 12 classrooms for a startup Boys High School and Mesifta because it guaranteed we’d have a minyan every weekday.The Waterbury Yeshiva took over a huge Conservative synagogue building with school wing when the dying congregation merged with a small synagogue in the suburbs.
The Stamford Yeshiva is in the old JCC
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I use to teach a class as an adjunct in a law school that operated in one office building in a corporate park. The school occupied two floors and the rent from the third covered the mortgage and insurance. They were able to charge tuition 1/2 the price of university associated law schools that maintained a full campus and amenities.Yeshivos need professional business management. The Rosh Yeshiva and volunteer boards are generally not equipped to produce a business plan and run the institutions as they should be. The RY and staff should be teaching and tending to the spiritual and educational needs of the students, not spending most of their times trying to raise funds and keep the doors open.
I have been on OOT Yeshiva Day and High School boards (as well as a Mesifta or two) for more than 40 years, following in the footsteps of my father Z”L.
The only time period when these institutions were self sufficient was in the late 1960s and 1970s. The public schools integrated and Jews were in a panic to place their children into all white educational environments.
Large endowments and building contributions bought places for children with no previous religious education.By 1980 most of those who had lived in the cities had been able to sell their homes and buy.build in the white suburbs and they no longer needed this schooling. The endowments were in place and some continued to donate to annual fundraising drives.
The most important thing these non-frum Jews did was to get Federations to make Day Schools Constituent Agencies. Thus the entire Jewish community helped support Frum Day Schools and High Schools (as well as Conservative, Reform and nondenominational schools.There is not enough donor money to carry the weight in the frum community. Really good fundraisers understand that the entire Jewish community, businesses and institutions should be mined for resources.
@Curiosity
The voucher for free merchandise as part of remuneration would also be subject to income tax, payroll tax, etc.
Why should employees be told where they have to shop. They can’t use the vouchers to pay their home utility bills, or gas up the car.
The local participating Jewish merchant will be more expensive than the general merchants, This is reminiscent of the company stores who ripped off workers paid scrip 100 years ago.e Bad ideas from the past should be left buried, not resurrected.Bad ideas from the past sh
The unpaid staff may not be filing labor department complaints, but in some states, any non-profit that takes any government money (Bus service, food programs, special education, nurses, etc) is subject to audits by all state departments including wage and hour division of labor dept
at least FORTY of them
@Rebetzin
That chef is wearing whites that come from a linen supply or uniform company who bleached and launders them.
The plumber or carpenter who gets greasy fixing you pipes owns his clothes and his wife is stuck laundering them. Trying to keep them pristine while running a household is not feasible, thus the dark colors.@Zahavasdad
I believe teachers should be well paid.
That said, one must realize that the union teacher in the public school district has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, state certification, a teaching license, is required to attend professional development classes and in some states obtain a master’s degree within 5 years.That Morah who is receiving a low wage may only have a Bais Yaakov education and a year in Israeli seminary.
This doesn’t mean she isn’t a good teacher, but we are not comparing the same job and requirement for employment.When a cleaning lady who doesn’t speak much English gets $30/hour, that Morah should be paid at least $50.
“Mama, can Avremi and Yossi stay for dinner?”
“You know I only made enough for the family”
Tateh to Mama: “Put a little more water in the soup”At some point the soup may be filling, but has little nutritional value!
Just because we can squeeze another student or two into the classroom, doesn’t mean a quality education can be delivered to all the students.
Not every Rebbi is capable of teaching the same number of students and not every classroom mix is the sameCharities are not bound by the Federal Do Not Call regulations,
same as politicians running for office or any company you have ever done business withToo many exceptions
It used to be legal.
Prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964…..
I’ve seen many a property deed that says no Jews
When my older brother applied to university he was told the Jew Quota was closed (1963)
Clubs and hotels were restricted.
In the 1800s in many US states only Christians could vote or hold officeI could go on and on.
NO, 2019 is not the highest rate of anti-Semitism in US history, but the media brings it to our attention.
@Rebbetzin
Thanks for your good wishes for my grandson’s recovery.
The discussion of the Chasam Sofer is interesting, but my days of arguing the theoretical really ended when I left Yeshiva for university and law school. As an attorney I deal in the concrete facts of the situation.As we say the theoretical is not ripe, it could not be brought for a prospective judgment.Small town synagogue life is far different than big city shtieblach. Everything is more regimented and seats, tables, siddurim, chumashim, machzorim outnumber the congregants. Young people tend not to return to raise their families and we see many synagogues close and sell off or give away their belongings.
Just this year, a major MO Hungarian shul less than 20 minutes from here closed and was demoished and senior living apartments are being built on its site. Mrs. CTL grew up in that shul and when we were in high school there were 500 member families, a Rav, asst. Rabbi, educational director, Hebrew School and Day school. As of a year ago they couldn’t get a regular minyan. The suburb is still white and Jewish, just not frum. The next generations moved away to NY, Baltimore, EY, etc.
@Whitecar
I’ve always said I was born and raised and still live in southern CT.
I went to college in Philadelphia and Law School in Mass.
I am admitted to the CT, MA, NY and FL bars but only practice in CT and FLTo my knowledge I have never been in Lakewood.
I saw the Brooklyn Dodgers when they still played at Ebbets Field in Flatbush.@Rebbetzin
I both a seat in a specific location. Let’s call it row B seat 6 (a made up location). If the shul expands and adds additional seating, but my physical seat is still where it was, then that is my seat.
If the shul wanted to remodel and move seats and rows (adding 10 feet might change where the bimah would be located to keep it central) then the shul would have to negotiate with owners of life interest in specific seats. The shul could not just move a purchased seat.I don’t see such a thing happening, as I’ve said before most suburban shuls were built for the baby boom of the 50s and 60s and have far more seats than needed today.
@Joseph
When I am a guest in another shul where I am a stranger, I make sure to arrive early, ask those present who the Gabbai is and inquire as to where I should sit.
If I know in advance that I’ll be there, I might call the shul office and ask if there is someone I should ask for on arrival who can show me where I should sit.No you are not violating HIPAA…and neiher and I, we are not healthcare professionals treating my grandson.
They were unable to do the surgery as the ankle is too swollen. They injected sedatives, pushed the bones back into place and constructed and applied a splint. He is restricted to bed with raised foot until surgery will be done (no later than Monday) they will be inserting a plate, not just pins as originally thought.He is sleeping soundly right now in what had been his great grandmothers’ room. Mrs. CTL and I had made a decision to keep the hospital bed, wheelchair and other equipment figuring it might be needed at one time or another as we age, never expecting it would be used fro a grandchild.
ΧΧ’Χ¨ ΧΧ’Χ ΧΧ© ΧΧ¨ΧΦ·ΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧΦΈΧ ΧΧΦ·ΧΧ.
Thank you for your thoughts and interest
@AviK
I am not writing about pother shuls that have other rules, or what went on in Germany decades before either of us were born.
I wrote about the contract for sale of a seat and its privileges in my own synagogue.
My mother’s side was German, arriving in the USA from Bavaria in 1868. I was brought up that if you are not punctual it is rude and unacceptable. The last time I was late to shul was first day R”H 5778 because my MIL was niftara the previous evening and I would not leave Mrs. CTL until our daughters had arrived to her, then I went to shul where my sons, sons in law and older grandchildren were in the family seats.Every shul is an independent organization that may have a board that sets rules, others are fiefdoms run by the will of the Rav. What we don’t have is a diocese system such as the Catholic Church that sets standard rules to be followed by every constituent parish.
Every Jew may join or not join the synagogue of his/her choice providing they meet the requirements set for membership. Once a member they are free to get involved and reach a position that helps set policy.
I grew up in a shul that had open seating, I prefer assigned/purchased seats. That said I often willingly give up my seat in advance for scheduled simchas.
Unlike shteiblach, I am speaking about a seat in the sanctuary (which has hundreds of fixed pew seats) NOT the minyan room, which seats 60 and is first come first served (except for the Rav’s seat).Unfortunately, something happened today the CTL family that affects our seats this Shabbos………………………
My 14 year old grandson was playing basketball in PE and twisted and broke his ankle. Tomorrow morning they will operate and pin the ankle back together. He will be restricted to the house for two weeks, then out using crutches. He will recuperate in our home because his own bedroom is on the second floor, and we have a first floor handicapped accessible/equipped suite that had been used by both out late mothers.
SO, this Shabbos the CTL clan will hold minyan at our home as well as kiddush and lunch. At minyan this afternoon I told the shul Gabbai that he was welcome to let others use our seats this week.@Gadolhadorah
Please do not confuse purchased seats for use (life tenancy in our shul) with fundraising memorial placques on seats. I have no right to claim a seat that has a placque in memory of my late father. That just says money was given to the shul to honor his memory, just like a window, classroom, etc. My right is to a seat with my own name on it for which I purchased a life use plus pay annual dues. When my father Z”L was niftar, his name plate was removed from his seat and it was made for sale by the shul. My brother purchased it for his grandson.@Rebbetzin
You don’t seem to be willing to understand that there are no shortage of seats for kiddush at our shul. The only seat saving I condone is so that a family may sit together. I would prefer that Yankele save 6 seats so that when Ima and the babies come into the social hall the family sits together and both parents tend to the kids, than have three youngsters parked in single empty eats at otherwise adult tables.As for hoarding or grabbing quantities of food that is unacceptable. We are a bit more upscale than many shuls, if there is a kiddush with more than kichel, wine, juice there will be paid staff from the caterer serving the food, no one will be grabbing 6 pieces of kugel. Someone may have two plates in his hands, one for himself and one for an elderly or infirm relative who is already seated. The servers would place one piece on each plate……period.
I never said it is okay to hoard limited quantity items, getting a plate for an elderly or infirm person is not hoarding.
B”H neither food or seating is stretched to the limits in our shul.
To quote my deceaed OMA, it soundslike the people behaving that way in the shuls you frequent sound like ‘peasants from the east’
@Rebbetzin
Don’t try to argue law with an attorney, you have not read the contract for sale of the seat. Not only have I read it, I wrote it along with a property attorney and a Superior Court Judge.I purchased a life tenancy, so no I can’t take it home. Anyone using it without my permission is not a tenant as you suppose (erroneously) but a SQUATTER subject to immediate eviction.
Your suppositions that: “A shul extends an open invitation to all visitors to enter and use their facility. This implied invitation allows visitors to become βtenantsβ in βyourβ empty seat. As the βlandlordβ (with very limited property rights) you cannot merely evict the tenant because you showed up!
I am explaining this at length because this is a common misconception in shuls when people claim rights to βtheirβ seats.” is FALSE. Our shul has signs in the lobby instructing visitors/guests to see an usher or gabbai for seating and that seats with nameplates are not to be used without permission,
I f I know I’ll not e in shul on a given day, I infirm the gabbai, and as my agent he may let someone use my seat.The $5,000 I paid for my seat 30 years ago doesn’t relieve me of paying annual dues.
The congregation is a private entity and as such may adopt its own rules, you can’t make blanket statements based on other synagogues’ practices.@Ubiquitin
No one has to stand while my paid for eat sits empty awaiting my arrival.
The nature of small town shuls is that they were built to accommodate the baby boom of the 50s and 60s (as well as white flight) and have far more seats than members to fill them.As I have posted before, there are signs in our shul’s lobby informing guests to ask an usher or gabbai for a place to sit and that seats with name plates are not to be used by guests.
I have also posted that if I know I will not be in attendance I inform the gabbai in advance and tell him he may let others use my seat@1
where did I write the board told a Rov what to do?
I’ll give 1000 dollars tzedaka if you can point that out
I wrote the board had a discussion about unacceptable behavior by his wifeThe Rav is an employee of the congregation and serves at their pleasure. When his contract was up it was not renewed for a number of reasons.
@Rebbitzen
I made no mention of taking food. It is only proper to take food not for yourself if it is to feed an elderly or infirm adult who is unable to do so, or a parent putting food onto the plate of a young child who should not be taking it him/herself.
These types of kiddushes with the heavy cooked food are not the norm in our OOT shuls.
In fact I had a run in years ago with the Rebbitzen of my shul in my previous town. She was heard announcing to her 8 children that they should eat plenty at the kiddush, because she was not serving Shabbos lunch when they got home.
The executive board had a discussion with the Rabbi after that about this unacceptable behavior.BTW>>>>unlike many shtieblach, our suburban synagogues do not have a shortage of seating space (or food). Attendees are generally members. Seats being saved at kiddush are so that a family may be seated together, not to get a seat while others have to stand.
It sounds like you attend a shul with ill-bred and ill-behaved people
If my seat has my nameplate on it showing that I have purchased it, NO ONE has richus to be seated, even if I don’t show up until Adon Olam.
I have no problem with a person holding seats at kiddush so that his wife/kids have time to join him and be seated as a family. That does NOT mean entering the kiddush hall in advance of the congregation to reserve the seats. Unless we are sponsoring the kiddush or attending a simcha such as a Bar Mitzvnch , we don’t stay for the food, we leave after the Rav makes kiddush. We eat lunch at home, not shul.I’m old fashioned, I think kiddush should be wine, kichel, grape juice and maybe some fresh fruit.
@Funnybone
I consider any member of a well regulated militia (government regulated that is) to be military and they would be allowed to have guns“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
So, if you bear arms for other reasons and the government says no, it is not an infringement of your rights.
IMHOWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I actually agree 100% with Joseph about something.I know it’s Adar, but it’s NOT Purim yet!
The OP posed limits such as no cheerleaders/commercials………………….
I would not want my kids at professional sports venues where the crowds are out of hand, drinking beer, vulgar language, etc.That said, I take my grandchildren (as I did not children) to attend local college baseball games as treats during Chol HaMoed Pesach. There is no alcohol sold, the crowd is a family type. The players are scholar athletes who must maintain grades to play/stay on the teams (Note I did not include footballi or basketball which attract a lower strata of fans and players).
An afternoon in the fresh air and sunshine at the ballpark is worthwhile and healthy. Helps eliminate Vitamin D deficiency,
Sit ins are for the college crowd (showing my age)
Just a a point of information:
OOT is is not unusual for people to belong and pay dues to multiple shuls. Many people pay dues to the shul they grew up in so that they will be able to be buried in family plots on that shul’s cemetery.
Others pay dues for business reasons supporting all the torah institutions in town.@DY
“What would happen if the chiyuv of the non paying member was bigger (e.g. yahrtzeit vs. avel during 11 months)?”
The first time this happened the guest would be given the honor (provided the paying member was not sponsoring a kiddush/oneg on that date). The second time the Rav or Gabbai would explain to the guest that the honor belonged to dues paying members and suggest the guest join (if a local resident).I changed the verbiage in my answer from non-paying member to differentiate between guest and congregants who for some reason are unable to pay dues.
@JDBguest
Actually owning the seat with my nameplate on it does mean that my neighbor’s CANNOT sit there if I arrive late.
Our shul has signs in the lobby advising guests to check with an usher or the Gabbai for available seats. Also, a notice that seats with name plates are not available to be used at will.
I am seldom late, generally if caused by a true emergency. I expect my seat to be open when I arrive, The last time I was late was first Day R”H when my MIL was niftara the night before in our home. I took extra time to make sure my daughters had Mrs. CTL comforted and rounded up the grandchildren and arrived about 10. I found it comforting to have our family block of seats waiting for us.That said, if I know I’ll not be in shul for Shabbos or Yuntif I let the Gabbai know in advance and he is free to let others use my seat.
Dating…………..
I always told my boys: Pick a nice restaurant, even if there is nothing worth a pursuing, at least you had a good meal.@DY
If a paying member of the shul and a non-member both have yahrzeit on a given day, the paying member is accorded a place ahead of the non-member for honors. To quote the old American Express advertisements: “Membership has its privileges”@iacisrmma
Things are different OOT.
Large building fund pledge pledges and expensive dues are the norm. Shteiblach really don’t exist in any real numbers outside of big cities. Shuls tend to own their own cemeteries and burial is mostly restricted to dues paying members.
I own my seat, as do the other members of my immediate family, the seats have our names on engraved brass plates. That doesn’t mean I don’t pay yearly dues.
We have plot in a family cemetery in NY, but are also entitled to plots in the local synagogue cemetery.
Shul Rabbis OOT tend to be full-time employees of the congregation, quite a different position from the Rav in a shteibel.In many cases paid membership can get you:
1. Reduced price or free burial plots
2. High Holy Day Tickets (not necessarily reserved seats)
3. Reduced cost for simcha hall and kitchen
4. Sick visits by the shul Rav when you or other family member is in the hospital
5. Help arranging shiva minyan including loan of siddurim and folding chairs
6. Higher ranking in list for aliyos or davening for the amud.
7. In some shuls the Rav can not charge for officiating at a member’s wedding or funeral. The member may be expected to offer an honorarium, but it is not required.
8. Bar Mitzvah lessonsThey are 4 hours closer by air to NY than Hawaii
@Joseph
Why do you think I specified a time period of the 1880s to 1924?
This was after the economic collapse following the Civil War and Reconstruction and the first Red scare after the Russian Revolution.
Things did not open up for non-white immigration until the 1970s.Quite simply, American immigration policy prior to the 1970s assigned most of the quota to northern European countries…those likely to send white skinned emigrants.
The WASPs running the State Department were not interested in dark skinned, olive complected residents from the Med, North Africa or the Levant.
My maternal line had no problems getting visas to enter from Germany in 1868. My paternal line came in 1872 and 3 from what is now Belarus. They were forced to split the family as the quota for 1872 had filled and the mother and youngest two children followed using the 1873 quota.
The only Sephardim I know whose families came between 1880 and 1924 are Dutch. This is different from old time Spanish Portugese colonial family descendants@AviK
I have NO say on how you live in Israel, as long as I choose to live in galut it is not my business.
State Legislators work part-time and receive part-time pay. The legislative session is less than 5 months per year. Legislators are expected to earn their main living elsewhere.Participation in the public funding is voluntary so agreeing to the rules in order to accept the money does NOT violate Citizens United. Virtually every candidate for the state legislature in 2018 used the state funds unless banned for breaking the rules, unable to raise the minimum funds to qualify, or one rich dude oin Madison who thought he could buy his office and lost.
Neither candidate (multi-millionaires) for governor took public funds and they spent what they wanted. The winner is not taking a salary for being governor.
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I see you avoided the questions I posed to you about integration in Israel……….@WTP
I can assure you that I am mortal. But no one who has met me or seen me would call me ‘mere’ (smallest or slightest).
It is now 11:05 am. I got up at 5 and let the dogs out. I took the carcass from Friday night’s turkey and put it in a pot with freshly chopped veg and spices and water and set it to boil for soup. I through a load of wash in. At 6:45 I turned the pot down to the lowest setting to simmer, moved the wash into the dryer and left for minyan. After minyan, I learned for 45 minutes and then came home. I turned off the soup, removed the carcass from the pot and placed the covered pot on my patio table to cool (so I could skim the fat off later and serve the soup for supper tonight).
I then made breakfast for Mrs. CTL and myself. At 10:45 I had a scheduled teleconference with a client and his accountant for 15 minutes. I’ll work on their request in the office tomorrow.I’m spending a little diversion time in the CR and at noon I’m taking my 12 year old grandson to the local middle school for open rec basketball
About 3PM I’ll feed the dogs.
I’ll put supper in the oven about 4:30pm, tonight it’s easy …Turkey pot pies made with leftover turkey from Friday Night.
While it bakes, I’ll go to mincha,
The grandchildren are coming for supper, after supper Mrs. CTL and I will enjoy the kids while their parents clean up, do the dishes, etc.
Around 9PM, when it quiets down, I’ll get on my treadmill and read while I walk for about 45 minutes.With planning I’ll get a lot in today. Yesterday was my day of rest
@Ben L
The citizen legislator is alive and well in Connecticut. No one could afford to live (they might exist) on the $28,000 salary we pay state reps and senators.
We have public financing of elections. A candidate for the state house needs to raise only $5,100 to qualify. It must come from at least 150 individuals who live in the district and the amounts of the contributions must be at least $5 and no more than $250. The candidate cannot give more than $1000 of personal money or loan the campaign more than $1000.
Thus the candidates run with equal campaign funding .@AviKand 2
For someone who doesn’t live in the USA you have a lot to say about how we live.
How integrated is your neighborhood in EY? How many non-Jews are ion the state run schools in your neighborhood?There are 14 houses on my immediate block. 8 are owned and occupied by American born whites (2 belong to me and my daughter and her family occupy one of them that had been my late MIL’s). There are 2 African-American families, 2 Indo-Pak and Hispanic families.
I’d call that integrated
I’ve been to Mississipi, Jackson, Biloxi and Pass Christian on legal business for one of my trust clients. The neighborhoods are not integrated, nor are most public schools. In the 60s and 70s whites fled to gated communities and private schools.As for the Federalist Society, they have only one adult chapter in CT and it is restricted to lawyers, I am not interested in joining.
@DY
Using saved tax dollars for other projects does not mean higher taxes, it doesn’t change the amount of tax paid, but reallocates expenditures.
Contrary to your opinion, I don’t want to keep it for the government, I want to spend it for the benefit of the populace.I am the first to admit that small town government and operations is quite different than big city ways. Maybe that’s why I like living here. Last year the kids’ plays-cape at one of our parks needed replacing. The bids came in at over 100K which was not in the Parks and Rec budget. So the local service organizations got together and made a proposal to the town. Buy the material and the citizens will do all the construction and landscaping at no cost to the town. In fact, Home Depot stepped up and donated the materials and in two weeks the project was complete. This wouldn’t work in NYC. The municipal unions would be apoplectic if free labor was used.
I’ve talked about supporting our EMS. We have a great one, mostly volunteer, as is our Fire service. Mrs. CTL has needed EMS as recently as last month. They arrived in less than 2 minutes. Because they were told the patient was a female they sent a female crew and paramedic. I may be in the vast minority being observant and Jewish in this town, but the community respects everyone’s values. Small town living is not for everyone, but it works for us. We are close enough to the big city when we want what it offers, but avoid the hassles and expense of living in the concrete jungle.
@Joseph
I attend local government meetings in my small town 2-3 nights per week this time of year, This is both budget formation time and prime time for P&Z applications, because builders/developers want to have shovels in the ground come May.
I enjoy the character of my small town and like being involved. Unlike NYC with its myriad of paid elected officials, our town has only two elected paid full time officials and two part-time. All other elected officials and board and commission members are citizen volunteers. That’s the New England way.I have a major investment in this town, homes, office, commercial property and like to protect my investments.
You haven’t seen me chime in on the vaccination threads as they are not an issue here. I could care less about the white shirt threads. Private schools get top set uniform requirement.
@Ben Levi
Supporting increased funding for schools, libraries and EMS services in my town does NOT have to mean supporting a tax increase.
It may call for reallocation of town spending.
I don’t feel the need for our town to own and operate 2 golf courses. Sell or lease them to private operators and use the money to benefit more citizens.
Not every department head should get a town car for 24/7 use. Drive to the office in your own car and use a town owned vehicle from the municipal fleet when you have to leave your office for official business.Last year I was on the Senior Citizens commission, The senior center request funding to add 2 more mini buses for free senior transportation to doctors, shopping, cultural events, etc. It would have cost about 400K per year. We investigated and found we senior center could provide on call service for senior center members using Uber and a town account. Scheduling of rides requested by seniors calling a clerk at the senior center who already was booking existing vans. Cost less than 200K per year.
For too long government look at budgets and said this is what we want to spend and we’ll raise taxes to gain the revenue. Out town now looks at revenue and decides how best to spend it.
It’s all about spending smarter, not more. One needs to apply a business head to government, not civil service mentality
Affordable for whom?
In some jurisdictions that means low income housing, in others it can be single family houses that are on half acre plots and cost 400K.Most suburbs fight developers whop want to build low income housing because each home generates less than average property tax revenue and the inhabitants tend to have more children attending public school placing a burden on the town.
Being anti-low income housing is often a smoke screen for being racist…not wanting minorities moving in who can’t afford the regular minimum acreage zoned homes.City politicians fight to force developers to build affordable housing units in their projects, suburban residents fight to keep them out. I was a a local Planning and Zoning hearing last night. A developer wanted a variance to build 14 cluster single family homes on a 9 acre plot. The P&Z regulations would have permitted 9. He threatened if not approved he’d build 4 story affordable housing walk up apartments (50 units). The state permits this when a town ha less than 30% affordable units.
The public doesn’t like developer using this law to change the character of the town, so he was granted a variance to build the 14 homes, but restricted to 2 bedroom no den models, and every home must have a two car garage underneath, no on street parking permitted, guests must park in driveways or a private lot he must construct at the rear of the property,@2scents
I send a separate check in a separate envelope made out to the municipality and state that this is a donation of additional tax dollars and to be used for xxxxxxxx.
BTW, this money is not deductible under the IRS Code. One may only deduct taxes for which you have a liability.There are people who give extra tax dollars to the US Government, but it can only be done to reduce the national debt, not fund items of interest.
“You can contribute online through a Treasury website (pay.gov). … Or you can write a check payable to the U.S. Treasury’s “Bureau of the Public Debt.” If you prefer to write a check, note in the memo section that your donation represents a “gift to reduce the debt held by the public.”@Joseph
I manage well on 4 hours per night. My parents had similar sleep patterns as do my brothers. My elder sister requires 7 hours.
The 4 hours is an every night thing. When I was younger I could skip a night’s sleep each week without it affecting me, but since about the age of 50, I need to sleep every night.I always found the hour of 5:15-6:15 to be ‘my time’ and very productive, no interruptions.
@klugeryid
I don’t have earnings above 600K, but that is where the maximum Federal tax rate kicks in.
I do send additional tax money to my my municipality to help support voluntary fire and ems services and our public libraries. One can designate where the money will go (as opposed to the Town’s general fund). If our state and the federal government allowed similar designated tax contributions I might send them money as well, But as long as Trump thinks he can spend on a wall without Congressional authorization I’ll not send an extra cent.@BenL
Which candidates running on a platform of raising taxes did explicitly support?
I know I voted against Trump.
Just because a tax increase is in a platform does NOT mean it is the reason I vote for a particular candidate. I’ve never read a party of candidate’s platform (outside of my own candidacy for local office) and found that I agreed with 100% of the words therein.
I don’t support school vouchers, I do support increased funding for libraries and schools, if this requires increased taxes, the increase is not the reason for my vote.
I voted in favor of a sewer tax in our town 25 years ago, as I believed sanitary sewers were better for public health than septic tanks, and cesspools.