Just My Opinion

Now I, like many folks, have never understood how the powers in control price gasoline, heating oil, and such.  Seems like it is based mostly on whatever the market will bear, and woe to the consumer.  And we the consumers have learned to accept floating prices, pumping our own gas, paying with cash only, and even washing our own windshields.  And we can have 2 fuel stations (remember when they were known as Service Stations?) on opposite street corners with a price difference of .30 per gallon, and both will do a booming business.  Who cares about price?

I saw another good example of this on a recent trip from Central NY to the Tug Hill.  I did some running around up there, so needed to get a refill to make it back to Baldwinsville.  Not surprisingly, the mart in Barnes Corners was at $2.74.  They feed on snowmobilers, ATVers, and campers, and have a bit of a monopoly there.  I passed them up.  At Adams Center, next to Rt 81, they also were at $2.75-they cater to the unwary traveler who forgot to fill up at Watertown or the 1000 Islands.  I decided to move on down the road.

At Adams, just 4 miles further South, I found the highest price yet, $2.79.  No way I pay-still have a gallon or so left.  Finally, at Sandy Creek, I relented and pulled off and found a station-only $2.69 here.  I bought the least amount I thought would get me home.  Note that it is .10 per gallon less 20 miles down the road.  Delivery costs?

So much for that, but to my surprise, when I exited the expressway at Cicero, another 25 miles or so down the interstate, all the stations had gas for $2.49!  That is a .30 difference from Adams, or aabout 12%.  Make any sense at all?  Delivery costs?  Greed?  Supply and demand?  Who cares?  Of course there a number of retailers in Cicero, and competition of course, but I would like to know.  Wouldn’t you?

Tags: fuel, gas, gas prices, lowville, ripoff, sales, selling, Tug Hill, unhappy buyers

As more and more of us start feeling the aftershocks of President Bush’s Economic Development Plan, many people who have never been unemployed find themselves turning to their unemployment benefits to help pay the bills and stay afloat financially for a while longer.  Just hang on and hope things will improve.

Many of you who are facing unemployment for the first time should be aware that these unemployment checks, small as they are, are fully taxable for federal, and perhaps state, income taxes.  Yes, even though you may still be out of work come next april, even though your benefits may have run out, even though your income may have run out, your friendly IRS will still be looking for a portion of that income.  Just a little extra “kick in the teeth” for those who are already down.  If you have not had taxes withheld from your weekly checks, or set aside some money to cover these taxes, be prepared to pay.

Of course, the IRS can be understanding, and willing to arrange for installment payments or other terms, but if you no longer have an income, this could still be a problem.  Be Prepared!

Tags: economy, financial woes, income tax, tax advice, tax preparation, taxes, unemployed, unemployment

Like our medical insurance, it is not often we get to see our auto insurance in action, and yes, we like it that way. As New York requires most of us to insure our vehicles, we tend to randomly choose an insurer- there is not really much difference pricewise or coveragewise among the majors.  Go with a broker you like, or go with the lovable little lizard or gerbil or whatever who does their ads. We pay our mandatory premiums, which seem to increase every year whether we have a claim or not, and hope we won’t be arbitrarily cancelled.

Recently, I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to experience the auto insurance system, with no injuries involved.  Interesting.  My daughter’s Honda was struck and destroyed by a hit & run driver on an Albany street.  Fortunately, she was not in the car.  Also, fortunately, the kamikaze driver left his license plate among the debris, as he rushed to the hospital, and the police found him quickly and deservedly issued him a book of citations.

Strangely enough, the police would not release their accident report for 5-6 days, but once we obtained the insurance information, both our insurance company (Allstate), and the other driver’s (Progressive) were very co-operative and helpful, and, our car being totally demolished, we received a fair and just settlement in just a few days.  By that time, we had found a good replacement car, so all ended well. The system does work, albeit with much duplication of effort.

Having been heavily involved in this process, I could, and will, offer up a couple of suggestions to reduce the paperwork.  Other than the initial police report, we were required to search out online and file a complete accident report to the DMV (within 10 days),  as well as 2 written reports and a couple of verbal reports with each of the insurance companies.  Enough already with the duplication!  I cannot imagine what it would be like for a driver who suffered injuries in an accident.

Rather than making the innocent victim complete multiple accident reports to every authority involved, it would make more sense to me, in this highly technological age, for the police department involved to complete one report with all the necessary information, then file it online, with a copy to the Motor Vehicle Department, at the same time making all that information available to all insurance companies concerned.  Unlike myself, with my limited experience with accidents, a professional police report prepared by professionals would provide the DMV and insurance companies with all the required details of who, what, when, where, how, and possibly even why.  Instantly.  No fuss, no hassle.  Would it be that difficult to co-ordinate and disseminate all that information in an organized manner?

To add to the comedy, two weeks after everything was settled, we received a letter from our insurance company, informing us that they were diligently trying to find a salvage buyer for our damaged vehicle (which they never had), which should not take more than 60 to 90 days, after which they would send us prompt payment, unless, of course, we were partly at fault!  Hello?  One would think they would at least be in communication within their own organization.  And all this will surely generate another premium increase, even though Allstate incurred no more expense than the cost of a couple of stamps.  It is great to see a system in action, but it could use some work.  But that’s Just My Opinion.

Tags: accident claim, Add new tag, auto accident, duplication, frustration, insurance, paperwork

Here is a quick tip for those folks who, like me, use a PC but are not really technologically proficient.  A couple of weeks ago, I lost my CD drive – just disappeared from my computer like it was never there.  I could insert a CD, close and open the little door, but nothing happened.  No software, no drivers, no CD-ROM.  No music, no CD photos, no new software installation.  Hmmmmm.  I did not look forward to dealing with the usual array of Dell and Microsoft Third-World Tech Persons, but what to do?  Tried loading new drivers – would not work.  Computer said everything was ok.

Fortunately, my tech-proficient daughter was coming to visit, so I saved it for her.  She did some online research, and quickly isolated the culprit.  Seems that a while back I received an email with video attachment from a “friend”, and when I tried to play it, something called ITunes, from Apple no less, offered to download their software, which would enhance my computer’s music, video, movie, DVD experience.  I went for it.  Right!

But apparently, Apple’s programmers decided that if you had ITunes to download their movies, music, etc, (for a price, by the way), your computer had no need for those old, obsolete CD’s.  Delete.  Delete.  Delete.  Possibly there was an option box for me to uncheck during the download, but I missed it.  So, I was faced with a choice of ITunes or my CD drive.  Bye, Apple. I won’t be downloading any $.99 music, and I can play my own.  And that’s Just My Opinion.

Tags: Apple, CD, computers, Dell, downloads, foolish, ITunes, movies, music, virusi