Market Watch

[two_bit_score]

So that just means that user fees and sales taxes will increase if there are no property taxes. There is no magic bullet.

The 'magic bullet' is to CUT spending.

Don't take it personally, I recall that you are a government employee, but people in government just seem to think that spending Cannot Be Cut. But it can. They just don't WANT it cut.

And justifiably some agencies operate very close to the belt. Some even take in much more than they spend and if they were allocated more they could actually do better at recovering money. Those are rare cases.

We, the taxpayers, never really hold government programs accountable for results like we should. Yeah, I know we have Sunset and we have sharp eyes on the budget. Too often those sharp eyes are looking for more money and ways to keep from cutting spending.

But going back to your analogy about just increasing user fees and sales tax. That is exactly where it should be placed.

 

[rScotty]

Homepage - Texas Bullion Depository

The Texas Bullion Depository, Texas' first ever state-administered precious metals bullion depository for storage of your precious metals.

www.texasbulliondepository.gov

What I'm struggling with is how does keeping gold somewhere else make sense?
Isn't having ot secure and handy the reason why people want gold in the first place?

 

[two_bit_score]

What I'm struggling with is how does keeping gold somewhere else make sense?
Isn't having ot secure and handy the reason why people want gold in the first place?

I can keep all the gold I own in a paper sack and still have room for a quart of malt liquor. LOL

But there is a big demand for gold storage. This is from the State Comptrollers website: The Texas Bullion Depository

"In summer 2018, Texas began operating the nation’s only state-run bullion depository, a highly secure, government-backed storage facility comparable to the U.S. Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, which holds federal gold reserves. Now the Texas Bullion Depository (TxBD), which experienced a surge of deposits during the earlier phases of the global coronavirus pandemic, aims to provide its services to a wider range of clientele and make lasting impacts that extend well beyond the Texas border."

 

[goeduck]

The 'magic bullet' is to CUT spending.

Don't take it personally, I recall that you are a government employee, but people in government just seem to think that spending Cannot Be Cut. But it can. They just don't WANT it cut.

And justifiably some agencies operate very close to the belt. Some even take in much more than they spend and if they were allocated more they could actually do better at recovering money. Those are rare cases.

We, the taxpayers, never really hold government programs accountable for results like we should. Yeah, I know we have Sunset and we have sharp eyes on the budget. Too often those sharp eyes are looking for more money and ways to keep from cutting spending.

Amen.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

They had to be very gullible first to accept that kind of education.

 

[Tomtint]

Naw neither one of those two tried to pull off an insurrection.

Really....Russia Russia Russia thinks they did

 

[Hay Dude]

200 unarmed older people being egged-on by an agent provocateur couldn’t commit an insurrection if they tried 365/24/7.

 

[Hay Dude]

A very gullible electorate.

Very much so. Just look around next time you are in a crowded area. All you see is gullible fools.

 

[jyoutz]

The 'magic bullet' is to CUT spending.

Don't take it personally, I recall that you are a government employee, but people in government just seem to think that spending Cannot Be Cut. But it can. They just don't WANT it cut.

And justifiably some agencies operate very close to the belt. Some even take in much more than they spend and if they were allocated more they could actually do better at recovering money. Those are rare cases.

We, the taxpayers, never really hold government programs accountable for results like we should. Yeah, I know we have Sunset and we have sharp eyes on the budget. Too often those sharp eyes are looking for more money and ways to keep from cutting spending.

But going back to your analogy about just increasing user fees and sales tax. That is exactly where it should be placed.

Absolutely some spending can be cut, but you are talking about funding state and local government. Texas has no income tax, so property, sales tax, and user fees fund all your local services like schools, police, fire, roads, ect… Cuts in those services are what people use daily and they are hard choices. Funding those things with sales taxes and user fees alone would indicate that buying anything in Texas would be very expensive.

 

[Hay Dude]

What I'm struggling with is how does keeping gold somewhere else make sense?
Isn't having ot secure and handy the reason why people want gold in the first place?

Don’t struggle, I’ll make it easy for you.
Gold can be a short, medium or long term play. Whatever the owner wants.
Not everyone lives somewhere where gold can be secure. I am lucky enough to have a pretty good safe and secure home. But what if I lived in one of our amazing, but now crime-ridden cities?

Having it stored in a secure facility until retirement age is reached or until it is needed Is an option. Remember, we are talking about a gold IRA, not a non-IRA investment.
I can have my IRA metals overnighted to me by calling or emailing them. Just that simple. I also have non-IRA precious metals at my home which I can cash in by driving 5 miles into Wilmington and they will hand me a check or cash.

See, there’s no struggling necessary.

 

[D&D]

Does your state separate the property valuation and the tax rate? IOW, does the local Appraisal district place an appraisal value on each property in the county which the local tax entities then set a RATE for their tax levy? Do property owners have the right to contest or appeal the valuations placed on their property by the local appraisal district?

Yes, the state tax rate is capped and the county gets to add their portion to that. Fees go on top.Evaluations are not capped. We have a right to challenge appraisals, the process is extremely slow. I started the process almost 3 years ago, finally got an appeal hearing scheduled.

 

[ultrarunner]

The 'magic bullet' is to CUT spending.

Don't take it personally, I recall that you are a government employee, but people in government just seem to think that spending Cannot Be Cut. But it can. They just don't WANT it cut.

And justifiably some agencies operate very close to the belt. Some even take in much more than they spend and if they were allocated more they could actually do better at recovering money. Those are rare cases.

We, the taxpayers, never really hold government programs accountable for results like we should. Yeah, I know we have Sunset and we have sharp eyes on the budget. Too often those sharp eyes are looking for more money and ways to keep from cutting spending.

But going back to your analogy about just increasing user fees and sales tax. That is exactly where it should be placed.

And when there is a cut the first thing here is spread the pain... parking lots are closed... the ocean is closed, etc... in the name of public safety.

Last time the parking lots closed on the Pacific Ocean it was not able to collect trash... volunteers stepped up but quickly quashed...

How about a sign saying pick up your own trash?

I think user fees if necessary are the way to go... it's just some of the heaviest users get a free ride.

Like EMT services...

 

[D&D]

The 'magic bullet' is to CUT spending.

Maybe closer to home, cut the desires. Does every person need a car(truck, van, w/e). Do you really need new heavy equipment just based on age? Does that fire truck really need to be replaced or just overhauled? Do you really need to replace patrol cars with AWD SUV’s?
The local sheriffs office has 2 distinct policies that are tax dollar wasters. They have cars available for the cadets to use and deputies are allowed to take cars home even when out of county/state. IMO, when those vehicles leave this jurisdiction, they have lost all benefit to the county residents.

 

[D&D]

And when there is a cut the first thing here is spread the pain... parking lots are closed... the ocean is closed, etc... in the name of public safety.

Last time the parking lots closed on the Pacific Ocean it was not able to collect trash... volunteers stepped up but quickly quashed...

How about a sign saying pick up your own trash?

I think user fees if necessary are the way to go... it's just some of the heaviest users get a free ride.

Like EMT services...

The children, it’s always for the children’s safety, education, future

 

[ultrarunner]

Maybe closer to home, cut the desires. Does every person need a car(truck, van, w/e). Do you really need new heavy equipment just based on age? Does that fire truck really need to be replaced or just overhauled? Do you really need to replace patrol cars with AWD SUV’s?
The local sheriffs office has 2 distinct policies that are tax dollar wasters. They have cars available for the cadets to use and deputies are allowed to take cars home even when out of county/state. IMO, when those vehicles leave this jurisdiction, they have lost all benefit to the county residents.

A lot is mandates with underlying being emissions... no choice but to replace the fleet or buy battery landscape tools... it's the law... oh right, we made the law...

 

[D&D]

A lot is mandates with underlying being emissions... no choice but to replace the fleet or buy battery landscape tools... it's the law... oh right, we made the law...

Yep, we are our own worst enemy

 

[jyoutz]

A lot is mandates with underlying being emissions... no choice but to replace the fleet or buy battery landscape tools... it's the law... oh right, we made the law...

Police are using SUVs now because car manufacturers have quit making large sedans suitable for police use.

 

[ultrarunner]

A protected tree fell across the footbridge across the creek used by elementary students to reach school.

The cost to remove the tree was enormous... the cost to remove the footbridge is hundreds of thousands... the cost to replace is in the millions...

Standards of changed as well as required mitigation for creekside work, etc...

At least it's a bargain compared the bicycle drawbridge in a nearby city...

 

[newbury]

As many of you already know, my thread 'New Tractor Sales Are Declining' was shut down by the moderators due to political comments that were made so I restarted the thread under a different name titled, 'New Tractor Sales Are In The Tank' which was moved to the Front Porch.

The old thread can be found here: New Tractor Sales Are Declining

The new thread can be found here: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/new-tractor-sales-are-in-the-tank.466661/

Both of these threads are market watch threads to inform buyers and sellers what is going on in the tractor market at any given time. I welcome and encourage all of you to participate in the discussion as the more reports we get on what's happening out there across the country the more all of us can be informed as consumers about the current state of the tractor market.

Best Regards,
CVF

So why don't both these threads get shutdown now since there is hardly any talk about the state of the tractor market?

 

[rScotty]

Like a lot of folks, we have friends with full time paycheck jobs spending so much energy working that they never seem to have time to make their money work for them.

One is a service tech at a local car dealership. He isn't dumb, and that's a stable job - although one with a limited upside. All he ever seems to talk about is money this and money that. Money and buying things seems to consume him.

Near as I can tell, he has never worked for himself, has saved nothing, always been in debt, and understands next to nothing about money or economics - yet he is convinced that it is the government that is responsible for all his financial problems.

Maybe so,
rScotty