Ex-CTLawyer

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 50 posts - 2,101 through 2,150 (of 3,285 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: How often do you think about your liver? #1318320
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    DY…
    The video still shows the chef using a potato masher in a bowl. I assume he is using it on the hard boiled eggs, not the liver.
    I’ve not watched the video, sad to admit I’ve been making chopped liver far longer than he is alive.

    in reply to: How often do you think about your liver? #1318319
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    DY…………….
    if you like pieces, then use a hochmesser (mezzluna) in a wooden bowl to chop the liver instead of a meat grinder.
    I don’t use an electric grinder, but the old fashioned hand crank grinder that screws onto a counter-top.
    We buy fresh bagels Sunday Morning. Any left uneaten on Tuesday are put in a bag in the freezer to be used for chopped liver or poultry stuffing.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1318308
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Joseph
    You may not like the laws as they are written, enforced, etc. BIT that does not mean they are corrupt. You need to look at the dictionary definition of corrupt:
    “adjective
    having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.
    “unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials”
    Laws may be applied by corrupt individuals but in and of themselves they are not corrupt.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1318268
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    AviK….
    In 5 years, my new hires should be off on their own as solo practitioners or partners in a small firm of similar aged attorneys. They know when being hired there is ZERO chance of becoming a member of the firm. Long term family owned firms generally do not make non-family members partners and are not interested in large expansion.
    Lack of a Grand Jury Indictment means that a prosecutor has to justify bringing prosecution to his/her superiors without being able to shift blame on the Grand Jury. I feel it benefits all involved, not just defendants. I have seen witnesses terrified of appearing before a Grand Jury because they are without the benefit of counsel while in the room.

    Atty. Spinella is a Criminal Defense Attorney, he is NOT part of the Hartford Courant newspaper. Apparently he wrote an opinion piece or was interviewed by them. He practices in The Hartford area, I do not. I’ve not read his piece and can not pass judgment on his opinion. He certainly is not the be all to end all in Criminal Justice matters in CT.

    The beauty of America is that different people can have and express different opinions.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1318265
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Joseph
    I made no indictment of the NYS Criminal Justice System. I merely explained how the system works in CT.
    I am admitted in CT, MA and FL and the Federal Bankruptcy Courts.
    I made no statement that the NY Criminal Justice System is corrupt and appreciate your not putting words in my mouth

    in reply to: Guilty Parties #1318186
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Among Roman Catholics they are one and the same as they believe in the Doctrine of Original Sin.

    in reply to: Inside-out Ravioli 🔀🍝 #1318185
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Ravioli Nudo, which is described as ravioli filling unstuffed from its ravioli.
    The stuffing is boiled in the pasta pockets, then the pasta is cut open, the cooked (poached) filling arranged in the plate with a light drizzle of sauce and sprinkled with some fresh chopped Italian Broad leaf parsley.

    An extremely low carb meal that works well on a diabetic diet.
    Without paoching in the pasta pockets there is no way for the ricotta to maintain form.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1318172
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    AviK…..
    different states, different systems.
    There is virtually no patronage in the CT States Attorney offices (we don’t call them DAs). A particular attorney might get to pick his own secretary from among the civil service list. He can choose which State Marshal to use to execute service, but he has to choose from the official list for the county and doesn’t get to hire new people.
    Judges don’t hire bailiffs, clerks, secretaries…they are appointed by the chief administrative judge form the civil service list. Appellate Court Judges can choose interns/law clerks who work without pay.
    The real Patronage is in the local Probate Court system. These are the only elected judges. They can appoint guardians, conservators and executors to make a percentage of the estate. The judges also hire their own clerical staff and bailiffs. There is a local Probate Court Judge who has multiple brothers who are also attorneys who get virtually every assignment and his family member, an ex-con is mayor of that city.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    As for the prosecutors office, the government does not compete with Wall Street and White Shoe firms for employees. The 3 beginning attorneys I hired this year would be paid about 10% less in the States Attorney’s office, but have better benefits (including a pension) worth far more than the differential.
    A career attorney in the department earns a comparable living to private practice attorneys who are not in the partner track or sole proprietors.
    The backstaff does not appear to be stretched thin. Unlike NY much of the investigative work/lab work are done by city and state agencies. We are a small state, only 3.6 million people equal to Manhattan and the Bronx) and statewide cooperation and workload sharing is the norm. We don’t have overlaying levels of government, only state and municipal which leads to fewer bruised egos.

    My brother has constantly told me how much easier to practice here in CT and work with the prosecutors. There are not the great logjams of backlogged cases. When doing appeals work, the farthest a prisoner might be held from your location is a 90 minute drive (compare that to a Brooklyn attorney with a client incarcerated in Malone on the Canadian border).

    Judges try both civil and criminal cases in the same Superior (our trial level courts) Courthouses. There is no sense of the prosecutors being the enemy. Yes, defendants’ attorneys are looking for the best deal for their clients. Prosecutors are looking for the correct outcome.

    The biggest difference is that CT does not indict by use, or misuse, of the Grand Jury. The local State’s attorney brings indictments. Defendants don’t face that Grand Jury alone and there are not the intimidating threats made to those who appear before a Grand Jury with its special and secretive ways.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1317763
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @YitchokM………
    This is weird, like writing to myself (as you have my first name and last initial)………………..
    I have discussed this with criminal lawyers who practice here in CT Superior Court and the Federal Court of this District.
    CTL’s next older brother happens to be a Criminal Defense Attorney (we are not associated in business). He practiced in NY until 2001 then moved his practice to CT. The difference between the court/legal system in the 2 states is unbelievable.
    As I’ve stated before, in CT (with the exception of Probate) we don’t elect judges. We also don’t elect District Attorneys. Therefore no overzealous prosecutor is trying to make a name for him/herself as a tough guy to win election.
    We have no overworked ‘Public Defenders’ employed by the government to represent the indigent. Instead there are private agencies who supply the counsel. In many areas all attorneys are expected to take X amount of these Pro Bono defense cases per year. I don’t do criminal work, but many is the time a Judge has ‘ordered’ me to provide preliminary legal advice to the unrepresented (NOT defend them in a trial).
    Yesterday I was in motions session for family court issues. Mostly support and visitation contempt motions. The vast majority of people were self represented. Every time a plaintiff brought a motion for contempt against an ex-spouse for non-compliance of a support order, the judge cautioned the defendant that if they were found in contempt they could be put in jail until the account was brought current; and that they should seek legal advice before opening their mouth to speak. If they did not have an attorney and could not secure the services of one immediately, the judge assigned waiting attorneys such as myself to take the parties into a conference room and try to negotiate an agreement while explaining the reality of jail for non-payment of support. Legal Aid only provides counsel to criminal defendants, but here in the largest city in CT, judges try to equalize the playing field in the court system.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    On a different subject. I first met Rabbi Saul Berman when he Rabbi of Young Israel of Brookline, Mass in 1970. I may not agree with him politically or level of frumkeit, but don’t consider him a Pariah. I take offense to Joseph calling a REITS ordained Rabbi, both Mr. and a Conservative Rabbi. Don’t like him, fine, but he didn’t attend JTS and is not a member of the Conservative Movement.

    in reply to: How often do you think about your liver? #1317756
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    DY………………
    Saute 1lb finely diced onions for mixing with 1lb chicken liver and 1/2 pound calves liver
    Use approx 1/2 cup oil/schmaltz to saute,
    Then this all goes through the meat grinder along with 5 hard baoiled eggs and 1 stale bagel
    Mix together adding white pepper and garlic and 2 tablespoons mayo
    Let chill overnight, then either pour off excess oil, or mix in a little more mayo if needed

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1317657
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @yitzhokm
    No, I don’t have a ‘rosy’ view of our legal system, and I am NOT wrong. I have made it clear in my posts that NY is but One of the FIFTY United States. It is NOT typical of what goes on in most of the others.

    I think many of the 8 Million NYC residents would object to you calling them low class.

    In the hinterlands (even 50 miles from Times Square) and especially in Red states, the populace has a different view of civic duty. The courts run much more smoothly.
    The fact that I don’t practice criminal law doesn’t mean I don’t observe many criminal trials. The nature of a smaller state is that often the same judge in the same courtroom will hear both criminal and civil cases on the same day. If my case is not called first I may have to sit through a criminal proceeding until my turn comes.

    in reply to: Alternatives to BMG #1317484
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @TheGoQ

    What’s wrong with New Jersey?

    Let’s start with the Governor…who wanted the beach to himself and brought us Bridgegate.
    Then the lovely small while driving through Elizabeth

    My comment about not wanting to live in NJ, should not be taken to mean that I feel there is something wrong with NJ, but that not everyone wants to live in NJ.

    I’m 50 miles from Manhattan, and my sons went to Yeshiva in Brooklyn, that was far enough to travel when we wanted to see them. Mrs. CTL and I were not interested in schlepping to southern NJ to visit, or drive them back after they came home for a Shabbos, doctor’s appointment, etc.
    BTW>>>they went to the same Yeshiva I, my brothers, my father and uncles all attended. We were happy with the result, why would we send them elsewhere? (Especially since our family tradition is to learn a couple of years after high school, then university and professional school).

    in reply to: Chalav Yisrael Egg Cream 🥚🥛 #1317453
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Lightbrite…………….
    Those of us older than 60 remember when egg creams were a staple of the corner stationery/candy store.
    Contrary to your understanding egg creams could be made with chocolate or VANILLA syrup.

    Growing up, the seltzer man delivered a case of siphon bottles to our home every week. My father and eldest brother loved chocolate egg creams, my mother preferred Vanilla.
    As for me, I preferred the pretzel Rod that was the usual accompiament.

    in reply to: What happened to Kaufmans Bungalow? #1317454
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    I never went to Kaufman’s, as my grandparents owned a bungalow colony. That said I was fixed up with a Kaufman daughter back in the 70s. It didn’t work out, much to Mrs. CTL’s joy.

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Gadolhadorah
    Your post to which I replied did not specify TOP NYC FIRMS. MOST newly graduated lawyers are not employed by these firms, especially frum lawyers who can’t produce all those hours because of Shabbos and Yuntif restrictions.

    MOST newly graduated lawyers are NOT in NYC and its commuting distance.
    I was in court today in Bridgeport, CT. It is one of the 5 highest paying cities for attorneys in the USA. There was a 2 hour delay in a case and I had coffee with a number of lawyers who own local firms of decent size. All had hired Ivy league grads this year, not one had to pay more than $94,000 starting salary, and that student was on the law review and in the top 3% of her class. She did not want to work or live in NYC.

    Because my new hires know they will never be in a partner track, I will never attract the top percentile of graduates from the top schools.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1317339
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @YitzchokM

    You are correct. I practice Family Law: Divorce, Estates, Adoptions and Business law specializing in closely held and family businesses.
    My firm does NO criminal law work with one type of exception. If the child/grandchild of a client or a client gets hauled into court for a traffic offense and the client calls us, we’ll show up for the arraignment so the person is not unrepresented while we recommend criminal practice attorneys for the client to engage.

    I’m in my mid 60s. The last time I appeared to represent a defendant in Criminal Court was about 30 years ago. I was in the courthouse and a judge grabbed me and assigned me a 19 year old accused of shoplifting as a pro bono case. She was a firs time offender, and I was able to negotiate accelerated rehabilitation. If she kept her nose clean for 12 months, the record would be expunged, she would stay out of the particular store permanently and do 100 hours community service. She went on to college, became a middle school math teacher, married and has kids of her own. A $50 fine and a criminal record would have done nothing for the merchant, but this result helped the offender.

    in reply to: Innocent until proven guilty #1317039
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Joseph….
    Take off your NY reference glasses, it is only ONE of these 50 United States.

    I live and practice law in CT.
    Except for local probate (Surrogate Court for you NYers) judges, we DON’T elect judges. Judges are nominated for appointment by the Judicial Committee of the State Bar Association and confirmed by the Legislature. It is a non-political process.

    Jurors are called for service in CT for 1 day. If not placed on a trial jury the are dismissed and not eligible to be called for three years. Employers MUST pay employees for 5 days of service, then the state pays if the employer does not/ Most employers of any size pay the full salary to jurors on duty.

    There are very few exemptions from service in CT. the Governor, Lt. Governor and sitting judges and those over 70. Even Attorneys must report for Jury duty. I served on a criminal jury 2 years ago. It was in a district where I do not practice and before a judge I have never met.

    Youngest Ms. CTL had jury duty two weeks ago. She was chosen for a jury (Civil case) but rec’d a call from the court that the parties had settled and did not have to report the second day.

    Not everyone OOT looks to get out of Jury Duty, many consider it a civic responsibility of citizenship in this great country.

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Gadolhadorah
    Most newly graduated Lawyers do NOT earn upwards of $150.000 right out of school. Those days ended with the economic collapse of 2007/8. Top firms may pay that to graduates of the top schools, but may newly admitted lawyers are lucky to get a job paying $80,000. Many can’t earn enough to cover their student loan payments.
    There is a glut of lawyers on the market and salaries for beginning lawyers have fallen quite a bit.
    My firm is in one of the highest paying cities for lawyers. I hired 3 new associates this year (not counting daughter and son in law). All three came from Ivy League law schools, but were not top 5% of their class. They are starting at $82,500 plus benefits and do not have to produce the 2-3,000 annual billable hours that Wall Street and White Shoe firms require. That said, I don’t pay $150-180K, but had more than 200 applications for the 3 positions.
    What’s more these new hires know that they will never be on a partner track, only CTL family will ever be partners in my lifetime. The new hires can expect to learn a lot, get a living wage and after 3-5 years hang their own shingles or become an in house counsel for a large corporation or government agency.

    in reply to: Alternatives to BMG #1315388
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Huju.

    The Ivy League has 8 colleges/universities.
    Please don’t refer to them as the goyim’s.
    Many Jews attend/attended these fine schools.
    I am a proud that University of Pennsylvania is my Alma Mater
    Other members: Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Yale (in my hometown), Columbia, Cornell, Princeton.

    The formerly all female colleges of similar caliber were known as the Seven Sisters (Radcliffe was affiliated with Harvard and Barnard with Columbia).
    In ancient times when I attended University of Pennsylvania, undergraduate men were in ‘the College’ females were in ‘The College for Women’ Wharton School of Finance was co-ed, the Schools of Nursing and Allied Medical Professions were all female. The Graduate schools were all co-ed.

    in reply to: Alternatives to BMG #1313857
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Reasons not to attend BMG:
    #1 No desire to live/study in NJ
    #2 Family (father/grandfather/uncles/Brothers/cousins) attended another Yeshiva and that’s where the boy will also attend
    #3 Family adheres to a particular Chassidus and boy will attend an affiliated Yeshiva
    #4 Parents wish boy to live at home and commute to Yeshiva car, bus, subway, walk)
    #5 Boy/Family wants boy to attend Yeshiva and College
    #6 Finances It may not be affordable for the boy or family for him to be at BMG
    #7 Boy attended a feeder High School for a yeshiva
    #8 Boy was not accepted

    None on my sons or grandsons attended BMG. They attended either the Yeshiva in Brooklyn I went to or the one Mrs. CTL’s father attended. My eldest grandson got a real thrill when he walked into shiur the first morning and found the room had a plaque by the entrance stating it had been donated by his great-grandparents.

    in reply to: Clipping coupons #1313250
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Retailers, as opposed to manufacturers, often use coupons as a way to measure response to advertising, particularly when trying a new publication.
    Back in the 80s I had a couple of retail stores. There was a new ‘Pennysaver’ type publication in the area. Their salesman was representing the publication’s market saturation and cost effectiveness of advertising as opposed to the traditional area newspaper.
    I ran a series of once a week advts. in both the free publication and the daily newspaper. The advt. was the same, but the newspaper had a coupon for 10% off a $10 regular price purchase, the new publication’s coupon offered 15% off the same purchase.
    Coupons were good for one week. After the 5 week experiment, I tallied the results. 10 times as many coupons were redeemed from the daily newspaper than the new publication. The daily newspaper’s cost per column inch was double that of the new publication. So I was getting 5 times the response for my money by using the daily newspaper. I did not place any further advts. with the new publication. IIRC, it folded after about 7 months.

    in reply to: Clipping coupons #1312713
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Huju…………….
    I absolutely understood the original post/questions. Just giving Joseph a taste of his own. My answer, unlike many of his, is factually correct.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1312077
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Lesschumras
    I posted that I met and spoke to some of the protesters while the events were fresh in their minds. This did not mean that I only spoke to protesters. I also spoke to University officials/staff. local law enforcement and citizens. The National Guard was not permitted to speak at that time.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1312076
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Lesschumras
    My judgment is not warped by the loss of a relative. I was anti-Viet Nam War from about 1965. I have been anti-Gun as long as I can remember (probably from the age of 5 or 6 when I saw someone shot dead in a store holdup.
    You have no idea whether those protesting were those with ‘parents wealthy enough to pay college tuition and thus be deferred’
    FIFTY PER CENT of those killed by the National Guard were FEMALE and NOT subject to the draft and did not hold student deferments.

    I was in university at this time. My parents did NOT pay for my tuition. It was paid for by my labor and loans, signed for and paid for by me.

    Your idea that National Guardsmen came from Poor families is NOT necessarily so…Prime Example: former President George W Bush who avoided Viet Nam while in the Texas Air National Guard…nice WASP Millionaire parents.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1311826
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    DovidBT….
    It doesn’t matter why they VOLUNTEERED, they VOLUNTEERED. Being drafted was not a certainty. There were deferments (ask our country’s leader). I went through a year of eligibility not knowing if they’d get to my number in the draft lottery. I took that chance, I didn’t volunteer for the National Guard.

    I knew plenty of young men who volunteered for National Guard as a way to pay for college. Two weeks service in the summer and one weekend a month and college was paid for. Most didn’t get called up to put down college protests and shoot fellow citizens.

    In 1970 I was 18…prime draft material…how old were you? History books don’t really convey the feeling in the USA regarding the war in Viet Nam or Nixon’s incursions into Cambodia (which was the reason for the protest at Kent State).

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1311659
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Joseph
    Still won’t admit you were wrong when confronted with facts?
    June 1 and 2 in town rioting and burning
    June 4th slaughter of students on campus.
    The 2 passersby who were killed were not ignoring an order to disperse, they weren’t part of the mob.

    Remember, National Guard Troops are VOLUNTEERS, not draftees. They willingly join and take pay for a job that may put them in direct line of fire. This is quite different than the hundreds of thousands of young American males who were drafted and sent to fight/die in Viet Nam at that time.

    You and I will never agree on this matter, BUT I will call you out if you post ‘alternative facts’

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @iacisrmma
    As long as the publicly owned colleges and universities can’t accommodate all qualified students seeking admission, I have no problem with this credit being applied to private universities.

    As an example, youngest CTL daughter did a BSRN before planning to go to Law School. In the State of CT there are only 4 public universities that offer the degree and they admit only 40 students each per year. There are 5 private universities in CT that also offer the degree, admitting about 400 students per year. It is in the public interest to have Registered Nurses to meet health needs, so I have no problem with the tax credit.
    BTW, the CTL family does not avail themselves of this credit, so I am not biased in my opinion.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1311561
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Joseph…………
    get your history straight
    The incidents you cite occurred in the Town off Kent off Campus) on May 1 and 2. The National Guard slaughtered 4 and wounded nine on campus on June 4.
    2 of those slaughtered by the National Guard were not protesters, but just students crossing the campus.
    The other 2 did not throw beer bottles at police cars or break down storefronts (there were no stores on campus where they were murdered. they were not throwing rocks at firemen or policemen extinguishing a fire.
    Yes, Jeffrey Miller threw something, he tossed back a tear gas canister in the direction from which it originated.
    Not all protesters are rioters.

    I’ve been to the site of the confrontation withing days of the killing, I’ve met and spoken with some of the protesters when this event was fresh in their minds.

    Our government did lots of terrible things using the National Guard during the 1950s, 60s and 70s dating to the Arkansas National Guard denying Black students entry to Central High School in Little Rock(50s) Governor Wallace in Georgia using the National Guard to keep Black students out of the University of Alabama (60s) and Governor Rhodes having the National Guard murder students at Kent State (70s).

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1311528
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    My reply to Joseph’s post regarding the murder of students at Kent State was not published..blocked by the moderators.

    I take personal offense at the calling of the students ‘bums’ who ‘deserved to be shot’
    On Independence Day we celebrate our country and the freedom and rights afforded us.

    The First Amendment to the US Constitution (the one that proclaims freedom of religion) also proclaims our Rights to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly, something that was taking place on public land. Governor Rhodes acting through the Ohio National Guard sought to deny the protesters those rights.

    Why am I so personally upset? Jeffrey Miller, of New York, shot dead by the Ohio National Guard, while exercising those First Amendment Rights was my cousin.
    He is remembered and mourned to this day.

    in reply to: Clipping coupons #1311527
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    I used to, but way back in 1983 the Treasury Department issued regulations that all new bond issues had to be Registered. No more Bearer Bonds with Coupons to clip and deposit for interest payments.. Since bonds typically had a life not exceeding 30 years, I clipped my last coupons back in 2012.

    in reply to: shuold i work at a bookstore #1310511
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    shuold i work at a bookstore

    Not unless you learn to spell, fiction is arranged alphabetically by author’s last name

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Ubibiquitin

    Public Schools HAVE to accommodate ALL residents who wish to enroll. During the baby boom and again during the white flight to the suburbs in the late 1960s many public schools went on double sessions. This made much better use of the buildings than having them sit empty from 2:30 PM on.

    As for having to supply kosher food to students..NO it is not a requirement. No student is forced to eat school lunch in public school, nor is forbidden to bring lunch from home (subject to restrictions such as peanut butter). The largest city in , Bridgeport, serves free lunch to all students. They do not serve any pork products, not because of Jewish students, but a growing Muslim immigrant population.

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    mammele……………..
    giving a free college education by a state is NOT the same thing as Tax Credits which the poster wrote.

    My parents were born in NYC back in 1920. They both went to public college (CCNY and Hunter) for the cost of a subway ride. Even the textbooks were free….all paid for by the taxpayers of NYC. The free City University education disappeared in the 1970s when NY State had to bail out a failing NYC. The Financial Review Control Board was instituted and CUNY forced to charge tuition at SUNY rates.

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @NevilleChaimBerlin
    ” frum yidden shouldn’t advocate for all of us having to spend thousands more per year just to satisfy a multiple century old document written by goyim (the constitution).”

    On this Independence Day your comment is particularly offensive, and smacks of bigotry.
    If you don’t choose to uphold the Constitution, the door is open and you are free to leave the USA, this is not Czarist Russia and you don’t need to bribe your way across the border in the dead of night.

    Any individual is free NOT to avail themselves of publicly supplied institutions, but not free to avoid the cost of maintaining them.
    I don’t use any of the public swimming pools in my town, I’m not entitled to a tax break for using my own. I do use the public libraries and parks. The public health nurse at the town senior center has been very helpful with my MIL.

    Some states have specific school taxes. When I owned a cabin in the Catskills, I got a property tax bill from the town and a separate school tax bill from the county. All of the cabins in the development were strictly for summer use. No one lived there in the winter no water, heat, paved/plowed roads…but we paid school tax. Here in CT, the cost of your town school system is included in your town property tax bill. Society as a whole depends on a well educated populace and we have a duty to fund the schools.

    I don’t know your age and whether you ever attended a public school. I went to day school, but in my high school years, I attended public high school from 7 AM until noon and Yeshiva High School from 12:30PM until 6 PM. There were state required courses that I got in Public High School not offered in the Yeshiva High School. This included 4 hours of Physical Education per week including swimming instruction, higher levels of math and science, music and art, shop (woodworking, plumbing, electrical) which has been invaluable as a homeowner,
    You as a citizen have a vote in determining education expenditures, You are not prohibited from getting involved in politics and having a say in setting tax rates and policies. If you choose to isolate yourself from the greater community to live in, then you are bound by the rules set by the majority without a chance to affect change,

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    iacisrmma… I am not aware of any tax credit for attending university. Are you asking about tax advantages for repayment of student loans for a college education?

    If this is the case, until such time that the public colleges and universities have enough slots to accommodate all students seeking higher education, I believe the tax relief should e available to all students/families.

    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Those of us who pay lots of tax and tuition don’t necessarily believe:
    1. in school vouchers
    2. That you should get even more social service dollars because you choose to pay tuition for your children

    This is not a theocracy. I personally don’t believe that tax dollars should subsidize private education.

    I am an elected town official. I have to wrestle with the budget to make sure PUBLIC institutions run smoothly with the available tax dollars. I am not in favor of those tax dollars being cut so you can collect more freebies from the government.

    If you choose to live chutz l’aretz and want government providing, healthcare, housing assistance, utility subsidies, food purchasing assistance (BTW…Food Stamps is NOT the current program, it is called SNAP) then move to a Socialist country such as Sweden.

    I WORK very hard for my money and I resent the constant hands out attitude expressed by those who make a choice to live on the dole instead of working full time, providing for your family and learning after work hours.

    The social support network is supposed to be for temporary setbacks, not permanent subsidies for your lifestyle. Your mother only had to carry you for nine , the American taxpayers should not be forced to carry you for years.

    BTW>>>>I am a Democrat and Social Liberal, BUT I am a FISCAL CONSERVATIVE.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1309745
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    DY……..it keeps the Redcoats from quartering soldiers in Meno’s home

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1309046
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Thanks, Meno

    Decades ago, we decided that we would much rather have a large home and facilities to be able to host the entire extended family for Pesach, summer holidays, chasunahs, etc. than new cars every couple of years, expensive trips, lawn care and snow removal and work around the house done by paid professionals.

    My late father taught me how to do carpentry, plumbing and electrical. Mrs. CTL’s grandfather was a painter who taught her to wield a brush.

    Nothing gives greater pleasure than to host/house the entire family for Pesach. Last year we married off a daughter in our gardens, and our final daughter will wed here I”H this August

    in reply to: Nonprofit grocery stores #1308912
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    When I was growing up in New Haven, there was a grocery called the Food Co-op. It survived for about 3 decades. It was a co-operative (like some apartment buildings) owned by the shareholders. It required all members to work x hours per month. It was not open to non-members. Food was sold at cost plus 3 percent which was enough to cover utilities, taxes, loan payments for the cost of fixtures, etc.
    It was not aimed to the Jewish community, but the residents of the west side of the city. It carried mostly packaged items.
    It eventually closed when the building was sold for development.

    in reply to: 4th of you know what! #1308646
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    We live in a small New England town. There are enough Jews for a frum/orthodox shul and a Chabad presence on the far side of town.
    10 AM on the 4th there is a live reading of the Declaration of Independence at Town Hall. We’ll attend with many of the town’s residents Jew and Gentile alike.
    We don’t shop on July 4th. I grew up in the retail business and we believed it is one of those family holidays when stores should be closed and employees off to enjoy the day with their families.

    About 20 relatives are here at the compound from Brooklyn and NJ. It was a great Shabbos and the 4th will be full of planned sports and activities along with swimming in our pool, BBQ for lunch and supper. My eldest grandson will be delivering Divrei Torah at the meals. Our American flag will be proudly displayed on the flagpole on our front lawn.

    It is the first time since last summer that we have hosted some of these relatives and we look forward to it most years.
    After the 4th we get into high gear for our last single daughter’s wedding, which I”H will occur at our home right after the three weeks. So, with all the strong young men here, this morning after minyan and breakfast, we emptied three guest rooms and painted them. After supper we’ll put everything back. Mrs. CTL has made a long list of things to accomplish and I have no problem putting our relative/guests to work.

    in reply to: Oriental and Persian rugs #1308365
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    In the 1980s people started removing wall to wall carpet that had become the rage in the 1950s to 1970s and restoring hardwood floors. This made the house seem colder in winter. SO, area rugs became popular again.
    We currently use about 6 “Oriental” rugs in our home that had belonged to my grandparents (all of these were purchased before WWI and had spent decades rolled up in my parents’ cedar closet).

    Many of our friends have seen our antique family rugs and expressed regret that their family heirlooms had been disposed of while out of style, The only friends of ours who have such pieces were those whose parents/grandparents, etc. were renters, not homeowners. They tended to uses rugs, as installing wall to wall carpet merely improved the landlord’s premises and could not be taken with you when moving.

    in reply to: Synthetic engine oil is better #1308281
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Red…this was confirmed with the chief mechanic at Jaguar. Having driven Jags for more than 45 years I can tell you that they are different from typical US/Japanese/German cars.
    I have copies of the Jaguar service bulletins that say if you add more than 2 quarts standard oil to the synthetic you must flush the system and change the filters, also the bulletin that says you can run synthetic blend oil.
    Back in 2004 that Jag was about $50K. It’s still running strong, driven by my youngest daughter.
    I’ll continue to follow Jaguar’s service advice.
    Retirement is around the corner and the next Jag I buy may be my last new car purchase…I’ll continue to follow their advice. We’ve been keeping the cars an average of 20 years, with the exception of Mrs. CTL’s original 1971 V12 E Type Convertible which we still drive each summer, 46 years of trouble free use.

    in reply to: Synthetic engine oil is better #1307608
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    If you use synthetic oil make sure to carry a spare quart or two in your trunk.
    In 2004 I flew to Nashville to drive back a car I bought for my then college age daughter. The dealer sent it out for an oil change to one of the national chains and they put in full synthetic oil. Unfortunately they put in 5 quarts, not the 7.5 required for this model.
    Driving back on the Blue Ridge parkway in a small Virginia town the oil light went on. The only gas/convenience store did not stock synthetic oil. I had to put in 4 quarts of regular 5W30 brand name oil. When I hit the first medium size city with a dealer for that car, I stopped for service. Because I had mixed regular oil and fully synthetic I had to have the entire oil system flushed and a new filter. It was not cheap.

    I had the car filled with a synthetic blend per the service manager’s recommendations. We run all of out vehicles on the blend with no performance issues. I know if I get stuck needing oil late at night or in the middle of nowhere I can mix regular oil withouy causing damage or having to flush the system.

    in reply to: Government programs #1307159
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Why should the fact the programs are government sponsored and not private make a difference.
    Lying is lying.
    Many forms have notices of the penalties for false statements printed on the form.

    in reply to: Why isn’t there a word for your grown up kids? #1307160
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    There is no single word for this category of child in the English language.

    In court papers, we family law attorneys use the term: ADULT OFFSPRING

    in reply to: Dead men give no hashgachos #1306212
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Dead men give no hasgachos>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    But their widows or children have been known to sell their certification stickers long after the man’s death.

    For years after his death the widow and children of a certain rabbi peddled his stickers for candy products.
    I was an owner of a kosher deli/restaurant in the late 1970s that sold the product in retail packaging. The widow called a month before Pesach offering to sell me the stickers to affix to my current stock for the bargain price of $1 per sticker.
    I reported it to our supervising rabbi and he told me he was aware of her retirement funding scheme. I removed the product from sale and never carried it again.

    Edited

    in reply to: Yeshiva tuition vs catholic schools #1305092
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Joseph……………..
    I highly doubt that most Jews you know are in shul seven days per week. Maybe most adult Jewish males you know are in shul seven days per week. Most children and women are NOT in shul every day.

    I may attend minyan every day, unlike many it is NOT always in shul. There are enough adult males here at the CTL compound for Pesach and summer vacations that we often daven here (we have our own sifrei torah). At my age it is not unusual to be a shiva minyan at least once per week.
    My wife and daughters only attended shul on Shabbos and Yuntif.

    in reply to: Yeshiva tuition vs catholic schools #1305103
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Here in the Diocese of Bridgeport, tuition drops by $500 each additional child in the family attending Catholic school. Base tuition from K-8 is $7150. High school is $18.000 so there is a major drop off in enrollment and many attend public high school.

    in reply to: Yeshiva tuition vs catholic schools #1305106
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Lay teachers in our local diocese parochial schools are paid an average of $50,000 with 10 years experience plus health insurance in the Diocese plan. Unlike Yeshivos/day schools they do not get ‘free’ tuition for their children/grandchildren, they get between $500-1000 extra scholarship per child per year.

    in reply to: Yeshiva tuition vs catholic schools #1305140
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Joseph….
    Ushers and deacons tally the collections each Sunday after each mass. These days, most congregants don’t put cash in the envelops, they put checks, for tax purposes, and are easily identified. The parishes send parishioners a set of envelopes for each month labeled with the type of collection. They are discretely numbered (like response cards for a simcha) and easy to track. If a family is giving less than they used to give, it might bring a call.visit from the parish priest. Not to berate them for less money, but to inquire about their well being and if they might need help. One of our secretaries at the law office told me she and her husband received such a visit about two years ago when they cut back on weekly contributions. They explained to the priest that they now had 2 children in college and that was taking their discretionary funds. The priest suggested several Catholic scholarships the kids could apply for to ease the burden.

Viewing 50 posts - 2,101 through 2,150 (of 3,285 total)