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Basically humans are selfish. If the truth be told many have the “I’m going to die anyways so what does it matter” attitude. Again a lack of personal development.
Personal development is selfish… That is you dedicate time to yourself to raise your awareness that life is not a dream, so your actiuons matter. Then when you have self defined, choosen your values, most likely you begin to see that real meaning is in things outside your self and actions become to a degree selfless…
With more selflessness (from proper amount of selfishness) we live for things outside us and therefore are less likly to compromise our self definition.
The less self definition is compromised the more self value occurs.
The key is dedicating enough time to creat a self definition. Most people dont.
I find it ironic that Scott’s latest post (Mission Statement) is something that evolves from having a self definition. Without a self definition you have no idea what your true intentions are and without that you do not know what your mission is.
Take time to be with yourself and consider what is important to you. Then keep what works for you, discard the rest and build on your new self definition. It like a second birth. You become more than a physical being – you become human.
David, I find it disturbing that you are grateful for not having children. It is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all – Although at times I do understand your feelings. I hope for you it was one of those times.
So Scott ol buddy, when do I get my answer regarding closing costs… I have been a good litlle contributor so don’t I get a pat on the head?
Scott,
I’ve looked at the site and the unit your speaking of, unfortunately I don’t read enough Spanish yet to understand the information. I’ve also searched on-line and have only discovered that the Solray unit is made in India. This type of system is something that we would be interested when we move to Costa Rica soon. I’ve emailed the distributor and will post back if there is English info on that unit. Thanks for the heads up.
ArtAlfred,
Who is your utility company? I sell electric and natural gas in New York and many other states, so I know a fair amount about the public utilities.
Peg, It is NYS electric and gas, in upstate NY. But it is the government, not the utility that gets the tax surcharge. In essence it’s the same thing. You don’t want the surcharge, so you don’t get the solar panels. The utility still benefits.
Alfred,
I deal with NYSEG, and all the other NY utilities, What I can’t understand is if the state of NY has credits for solar on your state income tax, how can they turn around and charge you a sur charge on the same thing. There is something really wrong with that, and should definately be challenged. Maybe a call or letter to the Public Service Commision. Better yet get it in the newspaper, or get some kind of consumer advocate group involved. It’s like you have a two-headed state government there, the right brain doesn’t know what the left brain is doing. Good luck!
So it’s not just the Costa Rican electricity company that doesn’t know what the bloody hell they are doing then?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comBeats me too. I hope I did not confuse anyone, but the surcharge is on the town taxes on your home. I guess writing them off gives you a little help every year but it cannot make up for the fact you are charged the two grand annually to begin with. I’m just assuming the solar panel state credit is a one time credit on your taxes.
This law was still in effect less than a year ago when my neighbor called the town about it. The odd thing is it is a $2000 flat fee tax. It apparently does not matter how large the system or how much energy you generate.
Like I said before, maybe if enough people want to install these systems, the law will be challenged. I can’t see how in this day and age it still flies.Scott,
Nope, ICE ain’t the only electric company that has great wisdom. I live in Kern county (in California) at the southern end of the San Joaquin valley, our prevailing wind comes right down this valley pilling the smog up right around Bakersfield. In their infinite wisdom they built 6 new power plants (natural gas) in Kern county right around Bakersfield. Again in their infinite wisdom the air pollution went up so they went after the farmers, fining them for causing the increase in air pollution. Now for the final bit of wisdom, the power is not for Kern county, we have enough, but we get the air pollution. We live in the foothills east of Bakersfield above the air pollution but it gets higher everyday, that’s part of the reason we are leaving this mess as soon as possible and coming to Costa Rica.
ArtAha!, Alfred. You’ve left out an important fact ’til now. You’re not being surcharged by your utility, you’ve made a capital improvement to your home and your real estate taxing authority is increasing your valuation.
Michigan dealt with this problem directly back in the 1980s. The law there that provides for the state income tax credit for solar applicatons specifically provides for a real estate tax exemption for those invesments. New York just missed the mark.
David, You have been in Costa Rica quite awhile now building homes etc…I like the guest house by the way, the high ceilings and simple roof. How are you transitioning both you and Marcia?
First things first . . . At 4:30pm this afternoon, A.M Costa Rica reported that ICE has announced that the rolling blackouts are over effective immediately. Apparently the water level in one or more reservoirs is/are up and the lights are back on (more or less for good).
Now . . . Lotus, I think Marcia and I are transitioning very well. While there is much here to get used to, many places to figure out how to find, etc, we have become very, very comfortable.
We’ve been here since September of 2005. In that time, we’ve had a number of conversations about where we might settle if something caused us to return to the U.S. Know what? We can’t think of anyplace we would want to live and which we could hope to afford.
Since we arrived, I’ve worn long pants exactly once (to visit Poas). Other than when I walk in the morning, I live in sandals. We have made good friends among the Costa Rican community in our little barrio of el Cajon. And I have yet to shovel snow. We find the health care excellent, the food good and wholesome, and the traffic tolerable, even when we go to San Jose. Our experience building two houses has not been entirely to our liking but neither was building the two we built in the U.S.
In brief, we are confident that we have made the right move and cannot imagine returning to the U.S.
Oh! And my beard is turning dark again.
Good to hear this, perhaps the next time we’re in Costa Rica Cheryl and I will swing by and say Hola!
David,
Congratulation on a spirited transition. There are the sayers and then there are the doers. Obviouly you fit the later catagory.
Felicidades
David, If this is a capital improvement to the home, how come the tax is $2000 uniformly for any house it is put on? Regardless of the price paid for the system. It is a tax being used as a deterent. It is the NYSEG (power company’s) deal with the legislature that brought this about. Remember some other people’s posts about government…”I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” OOOOhhhhhhhh Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!
About the notice of the reservoirs being full now so the rolling blackouts can be eliminated. I read, and I’m sure many others did, the amount of rainfall in the past few days was under an inch and not even in the areas that would feed the reservoir. I think some one from the ICE, or the government, has been pulling your pierna(leg).
Alfred, with regard to ICE’s announcement about the end of the blackouts, all I can say is that I read it on the Internet, so you know it has to be right. (I wasn’t actually there . . .)
As to the solar system on your house, I certainly don’t know all the intricacies of your taxing authority’s valuation system, but if your tax bill went up unexpectedly, and by a standard amount, because you added the solar collector, then one of two things must have occurred. Either you were hit with a standard additional assessment for the solar system or else your taxes went up (due either to a new valuation of the property or an increase in the taxation rate itself) despite the capital improvement represented by that system. It is hardly unheard of for tax assessors to add a standard assessment to all or certain properties irrespective of valuation.
What I do know is that the property taxation system common in the U.S. is far from an exact science. What’s more, assessors are often not terribly professional, and like many of the rest of you, they can be lazy. It’s not a surprise to hear that they’re assessing every solar energy collection system at the same valuation whether that is at their own whim or whether it is provided for by law. That sort of flim-flam is only one of many wierdnesses in the property tax system which is why I have long advocated its abandonment.
Don’t overlook, too, the fact that different amounts invested in a property can result in equal additions to value just as equal investments may result in different additions to that value. You might, for example, spend $50,000 putting a new Wood Mode kitchen with granite countertops in your house. I might get a better deal on exactly the same upgrade to my home and only spend $40,000. But the increase in value to our two homes would be the same.
I’m a retired civil servant and can attest to the fact, too, that you have the quote only half right. The entire quote is:
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you. This won’t take long or cost much.”
Among the knowledgeable, this is known as the world’s biggest lie.
Lotus, we’d love to meet you.
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