How I Would Fix Healthcare – Step 5A

This is a continuing series addressing the healthcare crisis in America and a possible alternative to (or in this case, possible explanation of) President Obama’s healthcare solution.

Step 5A – Institute a Public Option

The Obama administration has proposed a public option for health care. What is a public option? It would be a government run health insurance company which would offer health care coverage to those people who either cannot afford private coverage, or who have been denied coverage completely. Subscribers would pay into the plan, just as they pay into private healthcare insurance. Ideally, subscribers will pick their own doctors. When patients go to the doctor, the plan would most likely pick up part or all of the tab, just as with private insurance.

Florida’s public option insurance –

created by Republican leaders

There is currently a very similar program in place in the state of Florida, called Citizens Property Insurance Corp., a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation formed by the state of Florida, which primarily covers homeowners for potential wind damage from hurricanes. Subscribers pay about the same rate they would pay to a private insurance company, but pay into a large government pool instead of to private insurers. Until 2007, in order to qualify for Citizens Insurance, you must first have been denied coverage from a private insurance company. While covered by Citizens, the government has the right to shop your policy around to private insurers. If they can find a private company to take on your policy and not charge you substantially more than Citizens charges, your policy will automatically be switched. In addition, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty keeps an eye on private insurance companies, requiring them to justify rate hikes and show them the books when gouging is suspected.

A complex list of requirements, rules, and regulations on how Citizens is operated can be found on their website: www.citizensfla.com.

Florida first began to provide government run “public option” insurance to their citizens in 1970 under Republican Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr., when it was discovered that no one could qualify for a mortgage to buy a home in the Florida Keys because they could not get home insurance coverage. To boost the economy and help out the real estate industry, the Florida legislature formed the “Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association – the Florida Windstorm pool” to cover wind risk in the Florida Keys. It’s purpose is to "provide Florida citizens adequate wind and hail coverage, when it is not available in the insurance market place; and pay insured claims when losses occur.” The FWUA primarily covered vulnerable homes located along Florida’s coast. (source: www.floridadisaster.org)

On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew, a category 4 hurricane, made landfall in the United States and caused unimaginable devastation inland throughout south Florida and Louisiana, destroying over 125,000 homes and causing $27 billion in property damage (source: NOAA). As a result, 11 small insurance companies went bankrupt and could not pay out claims. Larger insurance companies stopped writing new policies. Once again, the real estate market was in danger of collapsing because no one could get a mortgage to buy a home without the promise of home insurance.

In December 1992, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, under the leadershop of Democratic Governor Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr., responded by forming the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association to provide residential property insurance coverage "for applicants who are in good faith entitled, but are unable, to procure insurance through the voluntary market." This new public insurance expanded homeowners insurance coverage throughout all of the state of Florida.

In 2002, the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association - the Florida Windstorm pool and the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association merged under one name, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (source: Sun Sentinel).

However, the home insurance industry was not truly reformed until current Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist took office in 2007 and reined in the out of control insurance rate hikes which had been unfairly hoisted upon Florida homeowners so that home insurance companies could make larger profits.

Republican participation

Florida’s Citizens Insurance is a wonderful model for a public option for health insurance, should the Federal government choose to go this direction.

Despite Florida Governor Crist’s highly public criticism of Barack Obama’s health care plan, I imagine that he would be happy to help formulate a similar healthcare plan based on his successes in Florida, if he is invited to the table. Crist, who has announced he is leaving the Governor’s office, will be running for a soon to be vacated Florida U.S. Senate seat in 2010. Crist has appointed his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to temporarily fill the shoes of Florida Republican U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, who is stepping down. In addition, perhaps former Governor Claude Kirk and his son-in-law, Ander Crenshaw, a Florida legislator in the House of Representatives, might be instrumental in helping to engineer a public option for healthcare insurance similar to what they created for home insurance.

Have to be denied affordable coverage to qualify

Health insurance companies don’t want the government to form their own “public option” health insurance company because they feel that their rates will be undercut and they will be out of business. Likewise, many Americans who currently have quality private health insurance through their work or retirement don’t want the government to get involved in selling insurance plans because they feel that their employer will pick this plan over a better private plan.

Originally, Citizens Insurance solved this problem by requiring that only home owners who were denied coverage from private sources and could get new, replacement coverage elsewhere could subscribe to Citizens Insurance.

In 2007, the requirement for participating in a Citizens home insurance plan, versus a private plan, was expanded to include homeowners who were being charged exorbitant rates for home owners insurance far and above what was necessary for an insurance company to recoup their losses.

The current requirement for being a Citizens Insurance customer states that if a homeowner can find private insurance costing no more than 15% more than that of a Citizens policy, the homeowner must switch to the private insurance company.

In other words, if you are currently charged $4000 per year for home insurance at Brand X insurance, but a Citizens policy is only $2000 per year, you qualify to purchase the Citizens policy instead of the private policy.

However, if Citizens finds that you can get a policy with Brand Z insurance for $2300 per year, they will automatically sell your policy to Brand Z and you will owe the extra $300.

By doing this, Citizens ensures that they are not competing with the private sector.

The goal is to move policies back to private insurance

Public insurance was formed to cover the uninsurable. However, the goal of Citizens is to find homeowners an affordable private insurance policy in the private sector. They call this process, “depopulating” (source: Annual Report 2008).

Currently, 14 private insurance companies participate in Citizen’s depopulation program. In this program, private insurance companies are allowed to take over existing policies currently written by Citizens.

Self-funded

Republicans don’t want the government to take on the enormous cost of running their own health insurance company because they believe it will raise taxes.

However, Citizens Insurance solves this problem by having subscribers fund the program by paying into a large pool, instead of relying on taxpayers. In fact, there is no income tax in the state of Florida.

Catastrophic Fund

In addition, a special catastrophic fund, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, or “Cat Fund,” was created in 1993 as a way to save additional money to pay for damages over and above what should regularly occur. All insurance companies, both public and private, pay into the pool and the money is not taxed. Money may not be withdrawn to pay claims except in the event of a catastrophic disaster.

The Cat Fund is invested in interest bearing accounts and the Florida Legislature pays for hurricane education and storm mitigation from interest earned on the fund.

Most coastal homeowners have both private insurance and Citizens Insurance

Today, most Florida coastal homeowners have their wind policy through Citizens, but have their fire and theft policies through other private insurers.

Currently, about $421 billion in property is covered by Citizens Insurance through over one million policies.

Applying a similar public option to healthcare

Just as a public option has supplemented home insurance, “public option” insurance can supplement health insurance.

If you have been denied insurance because you are considered too “high risk,” you may be eligible to buy “public option” coverage, instead.

Perhaps you can only afford private insurance to cover preventative maintenance or future conditions, not pre-existing ones. “Public option” coverage could be purchased to cover these medical costs.

Lots of questions on President Obama’s proposed “public option”

Because few details have been released on how a public option insurance plan will work, many of us have a lot of questions.

1. Who will be able to subscribe to the public option?

2. Will employees be able to opt out of their employer’s plan for a more affordable “public option” plan?

3. Will the plan compete directly with private insurance, or will the goal be to resell public policies and negotiate a better price for private coverage?

President Obama has suggested that by offering a public option, or government run insurance, this will create competition within the insurance industry by lowering premiums across the board. If a government plan is cheaper than a private plan, there will be no incentive to buy the private plan. In order to win back customers, the private plan will have to lower their premiums. However, this theory assumes that the private plan is gouging the customer and can afford to lower premiums.

Because a “public option” is government funded, it will have the advantage of being able to offer substantially lower rates than private insurance because it will not be run as a business, will not have overhead costs, and will not have to make money or even break even.

4. Will all rates be averaged, so that a person who is quite healthy would pay a higher rate than a person who is not?

If this is the case, there is a good chance that a person who is healthy will opt to buy the cheaper, private insurance, while a person who is considered “high risk,” will opt to buy the cheaper, public option insurance. The public option will end up being purchased by only those who are “high risk.” The costs will be high, and if the plan is not supplemented by other funds or taxpayer money, most people will not be able to afford even the “public option” premiums.

5. I assume that subscribers to the public option can pick their own doctors. Or will patients choose from a network or be appointed a physician, much as they are with many private insurance run HMOs?

6. Will the “public option” keep prices low by dictating how much the plan will cover in medical costs and prescriptions? Will doctors be forced to lower their costs? Or pharmacies be forced to cut prices for prescriptions? Will they be paid from a list of fees, much as car repair people are paid by a list of fees set by an auto insurer?

7. What about a person who cannot afford to buy even public option insurance? In the state of Florida, a person earning minimum wage at $7.25 per hour only brings home $1138.21 per month after Social Security and Medicare taxes are deducted. Any insurance policy over $50 per month is unaffordable. How will they get access to healthcare if their employer does not provide it?

How I Would Fix Healthcare

Step 1 – Employers must provide a minimum $300 health insurance policy allowance for each and every worker.

Step 2 – Insurance agencies may not take more than $40 per policy for profit and administrative costs.

Step 3 – Protect Health Insurance Surplus Coffers

Step 4 – Preventative Healthcare Maintenance Schedule

Step 5 – Improve Healthcare Access

A. Institute a “public option”;
B. Regulate rates with blind menu pricing; and/or
C. Provide free clinics and access to community health centers

Stay tuned for steps 6 and 7

Should Government Execs Give Up NBA Finals Tickets?

Skybox photo from Orlando Sentinel website. (Now I know why it sometimes rains popcorn!)

Thanks to an incredibly talented Magic Basketball team, committed season ticket holders such as myself have been blessed with “front row” seats to the NBA finals. The Super Bowl of professional basketball is happening right here in Orlando in our own backyard – and we don’t have to buy airfare or book hotel rooms. All I can say is, “I told you so…”

But, enough gloating…

As a special prize for footing the bill to build Amway Arena, Orange County and the City of Orlando each get their very own SkyBox. While Orange County officials have donated their finals tickets to charity, most City of Orlando officials are using theirs. The story first broke on ABC affiliate, WFTV Channel 9 on Tuesday, June 9, the date of Game 3, and was followed up with more information on June 10.

The controversy has caused City of Orlando officials to think twice about using their tickets. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer claims he’s passed his free Thursday night tickets on to someone else, but won’t say to whom. Orlando Commissioner Daisy Lynum, who originally would not respond to the query, says she always donates her seats to charity, but refuses to say which one. Another Orlando Commissioner, Sam Ings, said he does use the tickets and doesn’t find that to be a problem. Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal donated his two box tickets to Second Harvest who auctioned them off for $725. Other Orange County Commissioners claim to have also donated their tickets to charity, but no list has been released.

A December 1, 1995 court ethics decision (about reporting the receipt of a free ticket on your taxes) sheds light on numerous details about the government owned SkyBoxes:

• The City of Orlando paid for the construction of the arena and owns and operates it. (Wikipedia states that the arena was completed in 1989 at a cost of $98 million. Sponsors, formerly TD Waterhouse, and currently, Amway, pay roughly $1.5 million annually for naming rights).
  
  
• Orange County received the 16 annual Season Tickets Box Seats from the City of Orlando after allocating $50 million in funds toward the construction of Amway Arena.
  
  
• The County is free to distribute their 16 SkyBox tickets as they wish, occasionally distributing tickets to the Board of County Commissioners, Florida legislators, other municipality officials, other city employees, and family members.
  
  
• If you receive a free ticket, you must report the face value ($105.00 in 1995, much more today) on your taxes. (Is anyone tracking this?)
  

The whole situation has become a hugely embarrassing public debacle.

So, who’s right? Who’s wrong? What should be done with the tickets?

I actually don’t have a problem with City and County officials using SkyBox tickets.

SkyBoxes are just that – up high, in the sky. While some arenas place sponsor boxes between the lower and upper level (such as in the new Orlando Events Center due to be completed for the 2010-2011 NBA season), the 26 Amway Arena boxes are located above the “nosebleed” seats. According to the official NBA Orlando Magic website, suites retail at $3000 during the regular season, accommodate up to 16 fans (that’s $187.50 apiece, about double that for a playoff game), include programs and stat sheets, 2 parking passes, private restrooms, a private entrance, and allow fans to meet an unnamed Magic celebrity. It’s unclear if the City and County and other sponsorship boxes offer free food, which would raise the value of the tickets. Photos of the Florida Hospital/TG Lee Dairy SkyBox show what looks to be free snacks and beverages (see Orlando Sentinel). A listing for eight “Luxury Suite” NBA Finals Amway Arena tickets for $1,972 each on mycityrocks.com states that suites are “fully catered.” From other websites, I’ve gleaned that SkyBox tickets allow access to lounges, a wait staff to take special food orders so you don’t have to wait in line, and free autographed trading cards.

Except for the extra room to move around, free food, and wait service, there’s not much advantage in sitting way up there. I prefer my seats in the Ozone, where I can scream and holler and make a complete fool of myself with all the other raucous fans. Try doing the wave in a SkyBox.

Also, two free parking passes can be a curse. I bought reserved parking this year and it’s not that great. Sometimes, it takes me an hour to get out of the deck after a game.

So, what should be done with the tickets?

Why can’t my publicly elected official (and a spouse or significant other) use the seats? I appreciate the City and County funding the arena. Would it make you feel any differently if it were Republican Governor Charlie Crist or Democrat President Barack Obama using the box seats? I hold my elected officials in high esteem and am honored that they are coming to the games to join us in supporting our local team. Boxes also offer security.

I would rather have a government official use their own SkyBox ticket than give it to someone who donated or volunteered for their election campaign. Now, that would truly be a major faux pas – if not completely illegal.

I would also rather have another county or city employee, perhaps a sanitation worker who worked overtime; an underpaid teacher who has won an award in excellence; or a clerk who always comes in early or always stays late, use the tickets as a reward for good hard work.

If taxpayer money is the issue, then the tickets should be auctioned off and the money allocated to help fund County and City youth athletic programs, or even help fund the new Orlando Events Center.

Although donating to charity is a wonderful cause, how do you decide which charity is worthy? How is this fair? What about the charities who don’t get tickets?

These tickets belong to the government and to the people of Orlando and Orange County, not to the individual City and County officials. Whatever decision is made, it must be made so that it benefits all citizens equally. Since tickets belong to the public, a list of all of the recipients of the tickets and the reportable tax value must be made available to the public.

Use Intelligence to Rebuild and Help Flood Victims

Last year when I purchased my first home in Florida, I actually had to turn down an accepted offer I’d put on a home I wanted to buy because it was not insurable. Located on a slight hill in a flood-prone zone, the home was older and had a five foot crawl space so the actual home would be safe in the event of a flood. However, the home was built of wood and the inspector found too much termite damage which made it uninsurable.

Sure enough, this East Volusia home, built sometime in the 1930s, flooded last week during historically heavy May rains. However, due to the fact that the home had a crawl space, the first floor remained dry. (I can’t attest as to whether or not the roof leaked.)

The home I did buy, built in the 1950s of concrete block and also on a small rise, has a three foot crawl space and also did not flood. Only the attached garage, which is lower than the house, took in water. It’s a garage and nothing was damaged – no point even mentioning it to the insurance people. My neighbors who also live in historic homes, some with basements, all escaped damage to their first floor living spaces.

Meanwhile, over 1000 manufactured homes and homes built “slab on grade” must now be demolished. Slab on grade means that the concrete slab foundation is poured directly onto the ground and the home (or building) is constructed on top so that the first floor is only a few inches above the ground (if that). So, in the case of a flood, you have little protection except to pile sandbags around the door openings and perimeter of the home and hope for the best. Here in Florida, flooding occurs every year.

Governor Crist is counting on much needed flood relief from President Barack Obama’s administration to replace and rebuild the over 1000 homes which have been destroyed in cities bordering the east coast of central Florida. I hope Florida flood victims get this relief. However, we have to spend the money wisely.

First, there are numerous homes for sale in dry areas not prone to flooding. Listed on Realtor.com within the 32124 zip code in western Daytona Beach are 67 single family detached homes just waiting for new owners. In all of Daytona Beach, there are currently 997 single family detached homes for sale. In Ormond Beach, 1100 single family homes are for sale. Rather than rebuild in the same flood prone areas, flood victims should be educated to buy an already built home in a non-flood prone area of similar value to the one they are replacing. This will serve two purposes: provide for new homes while remedying the glut of homes for sale currently on the market.

Flood prone areas can be redesignated as parks and retention ponds and swales can be built in their place. You can never have too many parks.

Likewise, the government can issue coupons to flood victims to replace other items. This will help the nearly bankrupted furniture and appliance stores by buying already overstocked goods filling local Central Florida stores. Cars should be replaced with domestic Chrysler, GM, and Ford cars already on the lot. There's no sense making or building something new when the market itself is flooded with goods. It's a win win. The government will be helping not only the victims, but also struggling manufacturers and businesses.

Should someone need to rebuild in the same location, possibly to restore an historic home or replace a much needed business, school or church, the first floor of the building should be raised at least four feet above grade. This allows water to flood below the building while allowing enough room to repair plumbing and electric when necessary. One of the most popular designs in flood prone coastal areas is the "garage on the bottom" design where the first floor is raised eight feet above grade.

Why Florida Has No Money --Florida’s Unequal Tax System -- Part 1

Ranked as the fourth largest state by population of about 18 million people with a combined income of about $288 billion (See Source A at bottom), one would assume that the State of Florida would be rolling in tax dollars.

This is not the case as our Florida legislature convenes once again to attempt to scrounge up money to pay for essential services. Faced with a budget shortfall of $6.1 billion and unable to meet their planned $73.7 billion budget, the Florida legislature is considering proposing a higher tax on vehicles and cigarettes to bring in more revenue. (See Sun Sentinel article dated 4/17/09.)

So, what happened? Where did all the money go?

It’s simple, really. It was never collected. 

Florida taxes their residents lower than 44 of the 50 states and instead relies on sales tax, corporate income and excise tax, document stamps, and other sources to provide the revenue to run the government.

All individual tax is on property, not income. That's right, no income tax.

In 2006, Florida property was valued at $2.4 trillion and is taxed at 1.7% on average. Using these figures, a measly $40.80 billion should have been collected in 2006. (To wrap your head around it, think of it as $40.80 collected on $2,400).

But wait. It gets worse. Turns out that the $2.4 trillion wasn't completely taxed. Exemptions were applied. According to the Property Tax Administration's 2006-2007 report, “Due to various statutory exemptions and exclusions, the taxable value of Florida’s real property in 2006 was $1.79 trillion, resulting in more than $30.4 billion in property taxes levied by local governments and taxing authorities.” Somewhere, we lost $10.4 billion in taxes. That would have easily made up for our $6.1 billion tax revenue budget shortfall this year.

This may sound great to you. You might think, “Oh, I’m going to move to Florida and get away with paying less tax.” Florida does have more than its share of multi-millionaires who claim Florida as their legal residence for this very reason, including Mr. Anti-tax himself, Rush Limbaugh. (See Wiki.answers.com)

But really, luck really is what determines your tax rate. Nothing more, nothing less.

In Florida, the population is not equally taxed. Some residents pay a great deal more than others, and not because they earn more money or live in nicer homes.

How much you are taxed depends in part on what year you bought your home and applied for the "homestead" valuation cap and exemptions. My investment accountant back in Seattle calls this a "Yankee tax," since it unfairly burdens newcomers to Florida. I like to call it a "stick it to the new guy" tax. It also burdens first time home buyers, even those who have lived in the state of Florida for all of their lives.

What is "homesteading?" In 1995, the voters of Florida passed legislation called “Save Our Homes” which locked in tax rates for residents so that they wouldn’t be taxed out of their homes when property values soared. It sounded like a good idea, capping increases in values at a maximum of 3 percent each year. So, if you bought your home in 2000 for $100,000. You would get a $25,000 deduction off that value and only pay tax on $75,000. And, next year, the property assessor would only be able to increase the taxable value on your home to $103,000, which is 3% of the value, even if the amount you could sell your home for might go up to $120,000.

However, “Save Our Homes” didn’t take into account that some people don’t need saving. In fact, every couple I know over 70 has a pension which pays more than my husband and I make combined. My father has a six figure pension. My mother-in-law makes more than my husband (she is a retired first grade public school teacher), and my next door neighbor, a retired GE employee, makes enough to buy investment apartment rental properties in full on a regular basis (I can only guess that his pension is sky high). These people all began working in the late 1940s and 1950s after World War II when benefits and pay were at an all time high.

So, where does "luck" factor into the equation? Despite good intentions, no legislation has been able to pin down a property assessor's variations in valuing properties.

Example: The homes listed above are both in Orlando, on the same block of Corrine Drive and on the same lot size and type; with the same 3602 gross sq ft and 2488 sq ft of living space. Both were built in 2004. Both owners purchased and lived in their homes since June of 2004 and are homesteaded. (I do not know either owner and apologize for using them as guinea pigs.)

However, one house has an extra bathroom. Can you guess which one? Most people would assume that this owner pays slightly more tax. No, for some odd reason, the opposite is true. The owner of the 2.5 bath house pays about $700 extra in property tax.

A rational person might assume that perhaps the interiors of the homes are different and one is much more posh than the other. That may be, but property appraisers don't get to see the inside of a home. They evaluate their assessments on the outside appearance and tangible descriptions only.

Actually, even the assessor's office admits that the house at 3961 Corrine Drive with 3.5 bathrooms is valued higher at $380K than the house at 3881 Corrine Drive with only 2.5 bathrooms, which the assessor values for resale at $375K. Resale estimates are called "just values" or "just assessments."

So, why the higher tax? The difference occurs in a line item called "assessed value." This is the amount you pay tax on and it can vary like the wind can shift. For some odd reason, the house with 3.5 baths and a just value of $380K, is only taxed on $311K. For some odd reason, the house with 2.5 baths and a just value of $375K is taxed significantly more at $350K, about $40K higher than the other house. Why the difference? I have absolutely no idea!

This is just one of the many, many odd tax evaluations I hope to uncover over the next few months in this blog. Fortunately, property taxes are public information and the government is required to disclose this information to the public. I think it helps keep them honest.

The Florida Department of Revenue mission statement
“To serve citizens with respect, concern and professionalism;
To make complying with tax and child support laws easy and understandable;
To administer the laws fairly and consistently; and
To provide excellent service efficiently and at the lowest possible cost.”

The Property Tax Administration
2006-2007 Annual Report states:
 “The Property Tax Administration -- ensuring an equitable property tax system”

Source A: Income number based on 2007 census figures: In 2007, the population of Florida was about 18 million, living in about 6 million households. The average medium income was about $48,000 per household, which, when multiplied by 6 million, equals $288 billion total.)

Bugs are Swarming — Protect Cats from Bug Spray Exposure

It all started when my neighbor Bruce noticed that his cat was missing. About five years young, “Zebra,” named for his vivid dark gray and white tiger-stripes, was the neighborhood Tom cat, going from house to house to mark his territory while seeking out treats. We all knew the large, distinct-looking male cat who made his rounds every morning like clockwork. But no one had seen him, not even “our gang” of pre-teen kids who play in the vacant lots and skateboard the neighborhood streets. Bruce posted a “lost” notice at the local animal shelter, but heard nothing. Where was Zebra?

At about the same time, the bugs were beginning to reemerge after the colder weeks had passed. Although it was still February, the weather had turned balmy and the flowers were blooming, typical of Florida winters. One day, my neighbor Mary and I noticed a terrific swarm of ants between our two houses. We both attacked the ants with a vengeance.

Because she had it on hand, Mary chose to use fire ant bait as her weapon of choice, even though these ants were not fire ants, but Florida carpenter ants. Fire ant bait is flavored like meat in order to entice ants to take the bait back to their nest where the queen will eat it. If the queen dies, the whole colony will die. Mary broadcast the bait all over her yard, including the side yard between our two houses.

I chose to use bug spray to kill the swarm which was coming out of the cracks in my driveway and crawling up the side of my attached porch, presumably to move into some nice rotten wood in the flat roof. (Got to get that replaced, I know!) The ants were so numerous, they carpeted the concrete porch stairs, so I sprayed generously, coating the landing, each step and into all the cracks until they were dead, dead, dead.

I didn’t think too much about whether or not my own cat, Trixie, who is part Siamese, would be hurt by the spray which she would inevitably sit in while sunning herself, day after day, on the porch steps landing. I didn’t think about how Trixie would lick the dead ants and oily residue from her fur as she cleaned herself. Mary didn’t think too much about pets like Bruce’s cat, Zebra, and other animals that might eat the fire ant bait, which smelled like meat.

However, within a week, Bruce’s cat, Zebra, was missing.

About five days after I sprayed bug spray, My own cat, Trixie, was panting, had become quite lethargic, and was sleeping all day. The next day, Trixie stopped eating and drinking, but seemed to lick her lips unconsciously. However, she still was mobile and continued to sun herself on the porch steps, the ones I had sprayed.

ONE WEEK

A week after spraying bug spray, Trixie began to alternate between moods every few hours. In one “mood,” she began to have tremors and her eyes seemed large and black and gazed off into nowhere. If I touched her or moved her to her favorite sleeping spots, she would barely respond.

In another “mood,” she seemed groggy and did not recognize me nor her surroundings, but wandered furtively about the house looking for dark corners to hide in. If she felt she was not being watched, she would emerge to sleep in some sunny spot.

I Googled cat diseases and came across PetSide.com which helps animal caregivers diagnose their pet’s affliction. First, you pick your pet’s symptoms. Then, the Petside.com computer gives you a list of ailments that could possibly be causing them. I chose these symptoms from the provided list:

• lack of appetite (anorexia)

• abnormal behavior

• sluggishness (lethargy)

• trembling

• tremors

I’ve owned a number of cats nearly all my life, and I’m no stranger to many of their ailments, so I had an idea of what Trixie didn’t have. The illness came on suddenly and she went from happily playful to practically catatonic within a few short days. Most diseases come on slowly or show signs of infection. But Trixie was not vomiting and did not have diarrhea; had all her shots; had not eaten raw meat which can contain parasites; and had not eaten lilies, another cause of cat poisoning.

Hmmm. Pyrethrin / Pyrethroid Poisoning. What’s that?

I checked the label on my bug spray. Sure enough, there it was under active ingredients: “bifenthrin… 0.05%”

PYRETHRINS AND PYRETHROIDS

Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide. When sprayed on contact, pyrethrins and pyrethroids can stop ants and other creepy crawlies dead in their tracks by attacking their nervous system and paralyzing them.

Pyrethrins are manufactured from the seeds of daisy chrysanthemums, also known as mums, a popular flower which blooms in the fall. Pyrethroids are a very similar compound, but are manufactured chemically. Both pyrethrins and pyrethroids don’t cause cancer in humans, are the main ingredient in many professional liquid bug treatments and bug bombs, and are even used in flea dips and topical flea treatments for dogs. One would assume that since they are completely “organic,” they are harmless.
(See Integrated Pest Management, Texas A&M agricultural extension and Wikipedia on Pyrethrins.)

However, pyrethrins and pyrethroids are not safe for all mammals. A fact sheet published by the National Pesticide Information Center explains that while pyrethrins and pyrethroids are one of the least poisonous insecticides to humans, they can have adverse reactions to different species. “Rats exposed to pyrethrins exhibited difficulty or rapid breathing, incoordination, sprawling of limbs, tremors, aggression, sensitivity to external stimuli, twitching, and exhaustion.” Except for aggression, these were definitely Trixie’s symptoms.

Bifenthrin, the poison in the spray I used, is also insoluble in water and will last for up to 8 months before breaking down, according to Wikipedia. This makes it ideal as a barrier to keep bugs out. However, this longevity also makes it deadly to fish and, surprisingly, household cats. (See Wikipedia on Bifenthrin)

Petside.com suggested that I try to wash off any remaining bug spray residue with a bath of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Trixie was not happy, but agreed to the bath. I wrapped her in a hot towel out of the dryer to keep her warm and sat with her on the couch for a few hours watching TV, changing towels until she was completely dry.

Patiently, I waited a few more days to see if Trixie would improve. However, she seemed to have lost her ability to feel hunger or thirst, so she would not eat, but still moved her mouth in an odd way as if licking her lips. She shivered most of the time because her body could not regulate her temperature to warm her. If she sat in the sun, she overheated because her body could not cool her. I desperately enticed her to eat by giving her treats, such as salmon and even resorted to using an eye dropper to force feed her water and chicken broth. However, Trixie was wasting away and had retreated to her favorite sleeping box where I think she planned to die. I wondered if Trixie, now weakened, had finally succumbed to one of the many untreatable geriatric cat conditions which had taken my other beloved pet cats before her.

Trixie also began to experience “mood #3.” At times, she was alert, but it seemed as if all her senses hurt at once. The daylight was suddenly too bright and she preferred instead to crouch in her favorite cardboard box. Every noise frightened her: a phone ringing, a door closing, any sudden sound. Then, if I touched her, she winced and backed away as if my touch were painful. However, she failed to meow in protest since she seemed to have lost her voice.

It had now been two weeks and two days since Trixie had been exposed to bug spray and I decided to take her to the vet.

As expected, the vet could do little but confirm my suspicions that Trixie had most likely been poisoned by pyrethroids. Although her blood work was completely normal and indicated overall good health (which ruled out geriatric diseases), her body temperature in the cold vet office was only 99 degrees F, far below the normal 100 to 102 average for cats. She had also lost two pounds and was dehydrated, the only clinical signs evident of this type of poisoning. (I have since learned that you can also send away to have hair samples checked.)

My vet gave Trixie an IV to help rehydrate her, then put her on an appetite stimulant. This worked well and after a few days, she was eating regularly on her own again. All we could do was wait, keep her comfortable and warm indoors, and hope for the best. I made a bed for her in one of our sunnier windows and put her food and water up on the window seat with her. Twice a day, I moved her down to her litter box to see if she would use it, then moved her back again.

THREE WEEKS

It had now been three weeks since Trixie was exposed to bug spray, but she seemed no better. I gave up trying to pick her up, because she would now stiffen into a tight ball in extreme agony, then retreat under our bed. I finally agreed to let her stay there, curled up between two storage boxes. I shoved the water bowl and wet food bowl under our bed twice a day which she thankfully ate. (I put the bowl in a moat of water to discourage ants). I also moved the litter box into the bedroom and kept the door closed so she’d have peace and quiet.

Some of her skin (but not the hair) began to peel off in large pieces, perhaps where her skin made contact with the ant poison.

By three weeks and two days, she finally began to move around a bit again. However, she still seemed disoriented and confused and slept constantly, did not seem to recognize me as her owner, and was quite weak and stiff.

FOUR WEEKS

Four weeks and one day after exposure, Trixie finally had a good day. First, she seemed to recognize me. Although she hobbled, she walked on her own to the back door and meowed to go outside where I was doing some gardening. I watched her carefully as she curled up on a pile of dead grass and took a nap. However, the next day, she was stiff and weak and didn’t want to be touched.

FIVE WEEKS

It has now been five weeks since Trixie was exposed to pyrethroids in bug spray. The nerve poison has had devastating effects on my geriatric cat, but each day, I see small improvements. She still hobbles whenever she walks, arches her back stiffly, and sometimes collapses on top of her crumpled legs. Some days, she is as weak and as limp as a rag doll and cannot do much more than lift her head. However, she has moments of increased coordination when she is able to walk on her own to her sleeping box, food bowl, and litter box. She now lets me pet her, purrs, and can meow softly. Her eyes can now focus and adjust to light. She recognizes me as her owner and even sat on my husband’s lap. However, she still cannot jump or climb onto the couch and has moments of confusion. Two steps forward, one step back.

USE BORIC ACID INSIDE

I now only use boric acid powder to treat bugs I find inside my house. Boric acid is a naturally occurring compound of oxygen and the element boron and found in dried up salt lake beds. I buy boric acid in powder form (without the added sugar, which makes a clompy mess) and sprinkle it around the baseboards, behind the stove, fridge, under the sink, and into bug holes. Although boric acid works slowly, it will eradicate bugs inside your home and other dry environments where it dehydrates and eats away at a bugs exoskeleton (fortunate for us mammals, we have endoskeletons). If a bug eats boric acid, it will also disrupt its metabolism. Aside from costing much less than chemical pesticides, it is not very harmful to mammals, including cats. Boric acid is so safe for humans, it is applied to treat athletes foot, yeast infections, ear aches, and acne. Humans consume boron found naturally in fruits and vegetables as a part of a healthy diet. (See National Cotton Batting Institute and Wikipedia on boric acid)

ONLY USE ANT SPRAYS OUTSIDE

I admit that I still use household chemical ant sprays, but only outside, and only after putting the cats safely inside. Just yesterday, after a much needed rain, the Florida carpenter ants were back, swarming and climbing up the porch walls again. There really isn’t a faster way to kill the ants than spraying them with bug spray. When it’s dry and sunny outside again, I will scrub down the porch stairs with dish soap and hot water. This will hopefully remove the oily residue which the spray manufacturer advertises as “a long lasting insect barrier.”

BUY THE RIGHT KIND OF BAIT

Sadly, Bruce’s cat, Zebra, has still not been found. He probably ate poison ant bait, then crawled away and froze to death after the temperature plummeted into the forties at night since the nerve poison disrupts the bodies ability to regulate body temperature.

Some new fire ant baits contain Indoxacarb, a new type of nerve poison which is even more deadly to humans and mammals (as well as those terrible fire ants). If you use ant bait, be sure to know what kind of ants you’re trying to kill and if that type of bait will even work on them.  (EPA fact sheet on indoxacarb)

PROTECT CATS FROM BUG POISONS

The lesson here is obvious: Keep cats from getting into contact with bug sprays. If you hire a professional company to treat yearly for termites (and you should in Florida), ask what chemicals they use, look them up on a legitimate Web site (such as the EPA), and find out how long you should keep your cat away from them. See if the bug man can avoid spraying inside if possible. After the bug man has left, wash with soap the outdoor areas where your cat and other neighborhood cats like to sit or nap.

Even if you don’t have pets, please let your neighbors know if you plan to spray or put out bait, so they too, don’t lose their treasured family pets to a torturous fate.

Housing Stimulus Package Treats Symptoms, Not Cure

Although not completely unreasonable, Obama’s housing stimulus package won’t really solve the foreclosure crisis because it addresses the symptoms, not the root of the problem, which is continued predatory lending.

Last summer, my husband and I easily qualified for a loan in order to purchase a home in Florida. We were approved in part because houses are cheap here, and the monthly mortgage payments with insurance and taxes were estimated to be about one quarter of our combined income.

However, due to the large number of foreclosures in Florida, we also had to put up our other house as collateral. We had just moved from Washington State, and were keeping our old home in case things didn't work out and we wanted to move back.

This was my third home loan with Countrywide Home Loans. But, this time, I left the closing table feeling I’d been ripped off. My mortgage payment would be about $200 more per month than what I was quoted when I put the offer in to buy this particular house. The closing costs were also about $7,000 higher than originally quoted several months before when I was first looking into buying a home, in part because the required percentage of down payment was higher. The interest rate had also gone up over the three months I’d been looking.

“Walk away,” some might say. “Find a new lender.”

Too late. I’d lose the chance to buy the perfect house that had taken me months to find as well all my earnest money which I’d put down as a deposit on the house a month earlier.

One of the clever ways Countrywide was able to justify their miscalculation of my monthly payment was to blame it on property tax. It is true that it is difficult to calculate tax since it’s all up to the property appraiser to decide how much your home is worth after you buy your home. New tax levies are also hard to pin down. The mortgage company was off their property tax estimate by about $100 per month, $1200 per year.

The first time you buy a house in Florida, whether you’re a long term resident or have just moved from out of state, can be a real shocker. Property tax on “non-homesteaded” homes is extraordinarily high. A $250,000 home will cost a “virgin” home buyer about $6,000 in taxes per year depending on the county and city where you buy your home. That adds another $500 per month onto your mortgage payment. This can be particularly upsetting when you learn that other homeowners in your neighborhood are only paying $500 a year, not $500 a month, for basically the same house, but that’s another story.

Second, I was told at the 12th hour, literally while signing on the dotted line, that I would have to pay PMI, private mortgage insurance. Unlike home insurance, PMI does me absolutely no good. It basically gives the lender back their money I borrowed if I default on my loan. At an extra $130 per month, this greatly increased my monthly payments. I haven’t had to pay PMI since I bought my first house, many years ago, at a young age and with only a small down payment. This particular extra charge annoyed me because I chose to go with Countrywide over Wachovia because I was given the impression that I would not have to pay PMI if I got my loan through Countrywide. The representative explained that it was in the fine print.

Once again, I felt I’d been ripped off. However, what was done was done. I would move on and move into my new home, choosing to cut my losses rather than start over the house hunting process from scratch.

Last fall, a few months after buying my new Florida home, I decided to consolidate my two home loans into one to lower my payment and remove the PMI. Once again, I talked to several lenders. Once again, I picked Countrywide over another because my quoted monthly payments would be lower. However, after receiving the paperwork, I discovered that I had been misquoted my mortgage payment by about $200 per month. Once again, Countrywide blamed it on property tax. However, this time, there was no excuse. The respresentative had all the numbers in front of him: principal, interest, property tax rolls, and insurance bills. A fifth grader could have done better math.

In addition, while reviewing the cryptic paperwork, I discovered that I had been charged points to lower my interest rate from an ungodly 9% down to 7.5%. (The rates on the two loans I was consolidating were between 5% and 6%.) As a former reporter, I’m pretty good at taking accurate notes, and the Countrywide representative used the term “you qualify for a discount,” not “you are buying points.” I had no interest in “buying” down my interest rate. I feel I should qualify for a very low interest rate based on excellent credit and equity alone.

In addition, $10,000 in fees were added to the home loan. Before you assume that I must be borrowing some enormous amount of money or have low equity to be charged 9% interest and $10,000 in fees, I must explain. The amount I would be borrowing was actually LESS than the amount of the original loan on the Washington State house. Plus, I now had MORE equity because I had wisely paid down the WA State loan early.

Only because I had the misquoted payments in writing, was I able to back out of the loan with no penalty. The representative, who’s demeanor had seemed as rosy and pleasant as a sunny day in Florida, turned nasty and defensive when I called him on the carpet. I expected an apology and discounted fees. Instead, he was insulting. I guess he was upset that he would lose his hefty commission.

I told my story to a lawyer friend who’s currently representing a city government in Florida in litigation with a mortgage company. He explained that after Bush deregulated everything, there currently isn’t an agency who oversees lenders to make sure they don’t underestimate monthly mortgage payments. "Unfortunately, in your case," he said, "there’s no one to complain to who will be able to do anything."

Obama’s stimulus package includes financial help for individuals who may lose their homes because they can’t afford to pay their monthly mortgage payments. The plan allows them to refinance their homes at a lower value than what their homes were originally valued at, which results in lower payments. So, if you bought a $300,000 home and still owe $280,000 on it, but it’s now only worth $200,000, you can refinance your loan at $200,000, which results in lower payments. Taxpayers pay the difference, the $80,000 back to the bank. (Update on 2/26/09: Details of how this will actually work are unclear. One local Orlando banker predicts that banks would only receive $6,000 per loan, no matter how much is owed. This has not been confirmed by any reliable news source.)

Other than the obvious, that this plan is unfair to people who are scraping by, taking second jobs, and doing whatever they have to do to make payments on time, it also makes no sense to me. The root of the problem is that the buyer was approved for this loan in the first place. I have to assume that the buyer isn't in trouble because they were out buying a new car, clothes, vacations, and electronics or sending their kids to private schools instead of making loan payments. I also have to assume that the buyer didn't take out a home equity loan which artificially raised the value of their home. And, I have to assume that the banks approved a loan with payments higher than the buyer could realistically afford. Why were banks allowed to do this in the first place?

Who’s watching the lenders to make sure they don’t continue to take advantage of customers by roping them in with the promise of lower costs by misquoting their payments and fees, then surprising them when it comes time to close? Why aren’t fees standardized so that the costs will be about the same between lenders? Who’s watching the fine print? Who even understands the fine print?

To fix the mortgage industry, we must fix mortgage lending practices. Mortgage companies shouldn’t be able to boost interest rates in order to make a profit. If one person can get a 5% interest rate for a primary home loan, shouldn’t everyone?

Fees should be standardized so that a borrower can not only understand what they are paying, but also so that they are the same from lender to lender.

A higher fee for a person with poor credit, or a higher fee for making a “no-to-low” down payment, should also be standardized across the industry.

Rates and fees should also be locked in for one year at no extra charge, about the time it takes to find that perfect house to buy.

“This will ruin the free market economy. This is socialism!” banks will cry.

No, this is no different than any other major purchase in life. Car dealers have to list fees and prices on the sticker and can woo customers with free oil changes for life. It’s easy to back out of what looks like a bad deal: You don’t have to make a deposit before signing for the car; you aren't locked into a loan for 30 years; and you can easily go to a different dealer to find the same exact silver Chevrolet Cavalier since cars are mass produced. Even utility companies and insurance companies must go before the Florida Legislature to justify price hikes. Credit card lending terms are written on every statement. Why can't mortgage costs be standardized?

Rather than winning over home buying customers by promising lower interest rates, fees, or payments, home mortgage lenders can promise better customer service. Your bank where you have your checking account can offer you convenience in transferring payments between accounts. Independent lenders, such as Countrywide, can offer flexible payment schedules or lower late fees for late payments to woo customers, or maybe throw in a free gift card to Haynes furniture.

There should be no surprises.

Banks are not only to blame. Florida counties and cities need to commit to listing anticipated property tax on homes for sale so you know exactly how much you will have to pay, even before you put an offer in to buy a home.

PMI? What’s the point? What good did PMI do amidst all the foreclosures. That’s one extra fee that should be eliminated entirely.

In addition, the current structure of loans sets borrowers up for failure by amortizing payments. What does that mean? The first few payments you make don't pay off your loan. Instead, they are attributed to interest. In fact, over half of your mortgage payments pay interest for the first 18-1/2 years of a 30 year loan. Crazy? Huh? No wonder so many people owe more than their homes are worth. The only way to pay less interest is to make extra payments earlier than scheduled. Wouldn't it be great if instead of paying $900 towards interest and $100 towards the loan, you paid $300 towards interest and $700 towards the loan each month from day one? After one year, you'd already have paid off $8400!

Obama wants to give an $8,000 tax credit to first time home buyers to help with the cost of buying a home to offset these costs. Too bad it's too late for the rest of us. We were all first time home buyers at one time.

I would prefer that the housing stimulus money be spent on a government regulatory agency that will standardize home loan costs for everyone. That’s the only fair way to spend tax payer money. We are one country. We are one people. We all pay taxes in one way or another. Let’s all reap the benefits of “club membership” of this United States of America.

Two Feet in the End Zone, Player Sizes,and Other Superbowl Inequities

Each year as the annual Superbowl is held, I am reminded of all of the inequities of the game:

TV SIZE?

How can TV manufacturers be allowed to list their TV size by the longer diagonal measurement, round up, and count the plastic frame on top? Shouldn’t they be required to give actual viewing size in height and width?

3D GLASSES?

If an advertiser is going to broadcast their $3 million commercial spots in 3D, shouldn’t the cable company send every viewer at least one pair of 3D glasses by mail in advance? Our local Publix grocery store which was the distributor of the 3D glasses in our neighborhood said they were out of the glasses within minutes of receiving them, just two weeks before the game. Having no way to view these splend-ific commercials, I decided to leave the room when they aired (great time for a make-more-snacks break!) I have no idea what was even being advertised.

FOOD?

Speaking of Publix grocery stores: Why are they listed under the “FOOD” category on the blue traveler restaurant signs along I-4 in Orlando? What a disappointment for all those out-of-towners driving to and from Tampa for the game. Seriously, if a grocery store deli doesn’t have a place for diners to sit down; doesn’t serve their ready-to-eat deli food on plates with utensils; doesn’t sell ready to drink beverages; doesn’t have rest rooms, a dedicated cashier, and door directly into their eatery; how can they be classified as a restaurant? I certainly wouldn’t put them in the same category as Starbucks or Chick Filet! If the Florida State D.O.T. is going to expand the “FOOD” signs to include deli departments in grocery stores, they’re also going to have to include 7-11, who serves ready to eat hot dogs right out the front door.

CALLING ME NOW?

Friends do not call friends during the Superbowl. It’s one game a year, dear. Unless, of course, you’re expected to attend a party at their house and are calling to offer to pick up supplies and ask, “Can I pick up some beer? Chips? Salsa?”

But, seriously…

TWO FEET CATCHING, TWO FEET CARRYING

Perhaps it’s time to institute a “two feet over the goal line” rule for touchdowns, whether catching or carrying the ball into the end zone. Only five minutes into the game, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Justin Hartwig (62) meant well when he pulled fallen teammate Roethlisberger (7) over the goal line on top of Arizona Cardinal linebacker, Monty Beisel (52) in an effort to make a touchdown. However, it just didn’t seem right to get a touchdown that way. Although his knee didn’t technically appear to be down, referees reversed the touchdown after a Cardinal’s challenge.

In my opinion, players should run or walk both feet over the line for a touchdown to count. Players are already required to have two feet down in the end zone for a caught pass to count.

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER? THE SCARIER!

I believe it’s also time to institute weight and size restrictions in professional football. Coaches do their best to recruit the largest possible defensive players to increase their odds for wrestling smaller offensive players to the ground. Is this really an ideal situation? Football, after all, is a contact sport and players are frequently maimed for life. If we institute weight classes for wrestling and boxing, shouldn’t we do the same for American football? It pains me to watch such carnage. Are we no more civilized than the Romans?

The Thursday before the Superbowl, a fundraiser was held in Tampa to raise funds and awareness to help disabled retired NFL players cover costs for healthcare.  Brighthouse news reported: “Guys get knocked on their [butt] pretty regularly, and sometimes it hurts,” said former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka. “You're going to get injured, and sometimes those injuries have long-term effects.” 

The Brighthouse article continues to report the escalating violence of football: Most of the men said that modern football has become even more “vicious” than in years past.

Is it really fair to match the Cardinal’s Michael Adams at 181 lbs. against Steeler’s Max Starks who weighs 345 lbs.? Or the Steeler’s 185 lb. Nate Washington against the Cardinal’s Brandon Keith at 343 lbs.? No wonder professional football players are sometimes killed in the line of duty.

Sometimes it seems the bigger the players, the better the team. Even the Steeler’s offensive players seemed HUGE! I was impressed with the Cardinals offensive strategy to keep their smaller players from being injured: throw, catch, drop and roll… It was a bit like watching a circus performer training camp on how to correctly fall off an elephant.

The facts back up my theory. The Pittsburgh Steelers 65 active players average 254 lbs each (ESPN Pittsburgh roster). This year’s worst team in the league, the Detroit Lions, have 73 active players who average only 242 lbs. each. (ESPN Detroit roster)

The Steelers also had 65 active players compared to the Cardinal’s 56 active players for who average 251 lbs. each. (ESPN Arizona roster)

Whatever the excuse, it’s time we took a more civilized approach to our entertainment.

Walkin’ in a Winter Summerland

Church bells ring,
Are you snoozin’?
Yesterday,
You were boozin’.
It’s really alright,
You’ll be fine tonight,
Walkin’ in a winter summerland.

Gone away,
Are the Sunbirds.
Here today,
Are the snowbirds.
They make the long drive,
Down I-95,
Walking in a winter summerland.

On the beach, we can build sandcastles,
And pretend that these are our dream homes.
He’ll say, “Do you own them?”
We’ll say “No, man.”
We used to but, then the bank foreclosed.

Later on,
We’ll perspire,
As we grill,
By the fire.
It’s sixty at night,
And eighty by light,
Walkin’ in a winter summerland.

On the beach, we can build sandcastles,
And pretend that these are our old homes.
He’ll say, “Are you homestead?”
We’ll say “Yes, man.”
But we’ll still pay ten times the tax you owe.

See the snow, that’s been gustin’?
That’s roach powder, I’ve been dustin’.
The bugs are so grand,
As big as your hand,
Walkin’ in a winter summerland.

We’ll frolic and play,
The tropical way,
Walkin’ in a winter summerland.

Merry “Crist-mas” everybody!

Credit where credit's due: The lyrics above are a rewrite of "Winter Wonderland." Winter Wonderland was written in 1934 by composer Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard B. Smith.

Foreclosures helping landlords Rentals filling with families

I assumed that when the going price for homes dropped in Seattle, I would lose my tenants who’ve been renting my four-bedroom house for a little over a year. The husband has a good, high-paying job; passed our credit check with flying colors; and says he and his wife are interested in buying a home so that they can settle permanently in Seattle near their grandkids.

Instead, my tenant asked for a long term lease. He says he is tired of moving, likes the house he’s in, and wants stability. If he does buy, he wants the prices to drop even further. I’m not complaining – he’s a good tenant.

Similarly, the area where I currently live in Central Florida has also seen a boom in rentals. Because I live in a tourist area, many of my neighbors have subdivided their homes into apartments and rent rooms to seasonal workers during the height of the summer tourist season. When two of my neighbors recently lost tenants this fall, they expected a long wait to fill the vacancies since tourism related employment is down. Such was not the case. Even my neighbor on the corner who lives next to the noisier commercial buildings, put out a sign for a studio apartment last week and had it rented by the next weekend.

The main difference in renters is that where a single person has moved out, a family has moved in. The top floor of the house to my north is a converted apartment that was vacated by a single man who took advantage of lower home prices to buy a condo. It was quickly rented by a family of four: two brothers who work in construction, one of the brother’s girlfriends from Russia, and their new baby. The vacant one-bedroom apartment in the quadraplex to the south was also quickly filled by a girlfriend and boyfriend and their new baby, along with at least two other friends. (Just in case you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, I should mention that all of the above are white.)

Without being overly intrusive, I’ve wondered if the new renters used to own a house and were foreclosed upon, or found that they could no longer afford to each rent their own spaces. Normally, if you were to rent a place, you’d prefer to be alone. After sharing living quarters with friends all through college and sometimes many years after, there is no better statement to say you’d finally made it on your own than getting your very own apartment, or even better, buying your own condo or house.

In any case, I’m the winner here, along with my neighbors. Our neighborhood, once filled with sometimes questionable transient seasonal workers, is now filled with growing families, buzzing with laughing children, and smelling of grilled hamburgers (It was 80 degrees outside today). My neighbors have a further advantage because they qualify for Florida’s homestead property tax exemption by living in their homes (unlike apartment complexes), while making money by renting out a portion of them.

In the meantime, the newer developments sit empty with “For Sale” signs dotting the landscape. Neighborhoods are blighted with unkempt, overgrown lawns filled with weeds at foreclosed properties. City and Florida state tax coffers are drying up, since the banks won’t pay the property taxes after they kick out the would be owners.

Like Mr. Rogers said: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Obama right to change his mind

Within any organization, including the government, there are secrets kept hidden which are not revealed to anyone except to those who need to know them. 

Original diagram ©2008 Smart Spark – free to use with written permission only.

Pull out troops from Iraq within 16 months as promised on the campaign trail? Hopefully, but maybe not. The answer will be determined by what on-the-ground military commanders recommend.

Increase taxes in 2009 for individuals earning more than $250,000 per year as promised on the campaign trail? Perhaps that wouldn’t be prudent. Let’s just let them expire in 2010.

Private or public campaign financing? Daughters allowed to be interviewed by the media or kept out of the spotlight? Public schools or private? Tapping the national oil reserve to lower gas prices? News reports and internet blogs are filled with criticisms of Obama for changing his mind.

Why shouldn’t he change his mind?

Within any government, organization, company, and family there are secrets kept hidden which are not revealed to anyone except to those who need to know them. Although we the general public can guess what these secrets might be; and we the media can dig for facts via the freedom of information act; together, we can only come up with bits and pieces of truths at best. The burden of making the big decisions must lie with those who are most informed.

After being elected President of the United States, Obama became a member of an exclusive club, the club of the “need to know’s.” Beginning on November 6, 2008, two days after the national election, President Elect Obama began to receive official national daily security briefings from a CIA briefing team and from Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence. This was more information than Obama had received as a candidate.

In electing a president or other official, we are putting our trust in an individual to take this very detailed information and make informed decisions about how to best run our country. We must allow our elected officials to do their job.

Haven’t you ever changed your mind?

Perhaps you promised your 16-year old daughter she could go to the movies on Friday, then found out the boy who was taking her was over 21, so you changed your mind, retracting your promise. Perhaps you agreed to go on vacation with another couple to the Grand Canyon, but then found that they were taking their 85-pound German Shepherd with them in the car, so you decided not to go. Maybe you took a job and found out that it didn’t pay as much as you thought, so you quit. Promises only count when facts are presented truthfully and in full.

I recently agreed to purchase a house in Central Florida. I signed a contract, essentially promising to buy the house and paid a good faith deposit. The house was old, but had been renovated, and looked lovely. However, before sealing the deal, I hired an inspector to find out what condition the house was in. The inspector brought out a few gadgets: a moisture detector, which found rot hidden in the walls and an infrared camera which allowed him to see extensive termite infestation. The owner had assured me that the roof was brand new, but the inspector found that only one third was new, the rest was original to the house, and the new shingles were laid on rotten boards. The “new” appliances turned out to have been salvaged. The termite bond turned out to not be a bond at all, when you read the fine print. The property taxes had not been paid and over $9000 was due which would have fallen on the shoulders of the buyer.

I backed out of the deal quickly, running, not walking away. Legally, I was allowed to do this because the condition of the house was not presented truthfully. I lost my $400 inspection fee plus several weeks of time that I could have used to look at other houses. However, I was glad I changed my mind.

There is no sin in changing your mind, especially for the big stuff. I would rather have a leader who changes their mind after learning new facts, than have a leader who stubbornly plows forward just to keep a promise.

A Week of Republican Hand Holding

The face on the tiki tissue box at left, sold in many stores, looks eerily familiar.

Can I get you a tissue? Would you like a shoulder to cry on? Yes, I know, I know. You really don’t like the Democrats. Sigh…

It was this week that I discovered what sore losers Republicans are after losing the “big race,” the Presidential election. Come on, guys, get a grip! Everything’s going to be great! Relax. Just wait and see!

My father was the first grumbler to contact me, by emailing me that McCain and Palin were “lucky” to not win the election since the economy is in such horrific shambles. Hmmm. Sour grapes?

My friend, Selma, who works for me in Seattle, told me she was wearing the American Flag pinned upside down on a red sweatshirt. “It’s a sign of distress,” she said, “Because that’s what we’re in, a time of distress.” Poor Selma, Bless her heart!

My Cousin, Carla, who lives in hurricane ravaged New Orleans, sent me an article from the ultra conservative, Carolina Journal online, dated Nov. 4, about how the Democrats want to “spread the wealth,” by seizing private 401Ks and IRAs and roll them into the social security program. Gullible, you say? Since when did Democrats become Socialists? I consoled Carla – there’s no way this will happen.

I reminded Carla that I had just lost a substantial bit of money when the Bush administration seized Washington Mutual Bank, dissolved the stocks *poof!* and turned over the assets to JP Morgan Chase. Talk about socialization! Talk about spreading the wealth! “This is real,” I reminded her, not just an opinion, such as the doom and gloom in the article you sent me. (See the Nov. 9 Seattle Times.)

Since before the election, hundreds of fear mongering emails have circulated claiming that if Obama is elected, his administration will come into your house, take away your guns, rip the babies from your teenage daughter’s wombs, suck dry your bank account, dissolve the military, and make Islam this country’s national religion. All I can ask, is please consider the news source. Is it the New York Times where you heard this? How about the Washington Post? USA Today? A major metropolitan newspaper? Was it even a real newspaper? Or was it a blog, such as this one? Or an email? Or, God forbid, FOX News?

A “legitimate” news source will be part of the “mainstream media,” (MSM) and most likely be a contributing member to a newswire service, such as the Associated Press, which requires their reporters to be, “dedicated to the same standards – fairness, balance, and accuracy.” Before the election season, the newspaper where my husband works issued this reminder: “News staffers are encouraged to be involved in their communities to the extent that such activities don't create real or apparent conflicts or interest. Involvement in politics, demonstrations, and social causes that would create conflicts of interest or the appearance of such conflicts should be avoided. News staffers should avoid any public political activity, including contributions. They should not run for office, sign political petitions or campaign for any candidate or political cause.” This doesn’t mean that newspapers don’t sometimes print one-sided pieces. However, the difference is that these will appear on the opinion, humor, and editorial pages, not in the news sections.

So, who really wants to slander Obama? Who wants to spread false rumors about him so that people lose their trust in him, thereby reducing his potential power to change the status quo?

The rich and powerful, of course. The owners of FOX News, for one, who will have to pay higher taxes, assuming the new administration will have its way. Greed of money is the strongest motivator for political manipulation. I ask these movers and shakers, do you really need that extra 4.6% in taxes that you will have to pay under Obama’s tax plan? How much money do you really need to live on? Isn’t fixing our troubled nation more important?

I did some research and learned that a person earning, say one million dollars a year, will pay 39.6% in Federal income tax instead of the old rate of 35%. (Social Security will only be taxed up to $106,800 in 2009 according to Wikipedia’s segment on income tax).

Here’s a comparison:

Tax on $1,000,000 for 2008:
Social Security: 6.2% x $106,800 = $8,170
Medicare: 1.45% x $1,000,000 = $14,500
Federal Income Tax: 35% x $1,000,000 = $350,000

Total tax: $372,670 (without deductions)
Take home: $627,330

Tax on $1,000,000 for 2009:
Social Security: 6.2% x $106,800 = $8,170 (same)
Medicare: 1.45% x $1,000,000 = $14,500 (same)
Federal Income Tax: 39.6% x $1,000,000 = $396,000

Total tax: $418,670 (without deductions)
Take home: $581,330 

That’s still a lot of jelly beans! You should be so lucky. Federal income tax of 39.6% is really not that high. According to Wikipedia, as recently as 1981, a person earning $1,000,000 would have paid 70% in Federal Income tax, or $700,000 per year without deductions. In 1954, they would have paid 91% or $910,000 per year, without deductions.

Other than high income earners, the only other individual I know personally who might have a legitimate worry is my dear friend, Mirabella, who is the ultimate capitalist. She runs a novelty item manufacturing company where most of her products are made overseas in China, currently her cheapest option.

Due to policy changes under the Obama administration, Mirabella will be motivated to move her outsourcing to factories located here in the United States, maybe even to here in Florida where WKMG Local 6 news reported that 8,000 job applicants showed up for a job fair in Orlando on Wednesday, Nov. 12 where only 2500 candidates were expected, so many that some were turned away. At the time, the Workforce Central Florida website listed only 946 open positions. Moving your manufacturing back to the United States could be a good thing – it’s hard to sell products to people with no jobs.

Today, the U. S. Department of Labor issued a report that 43 percent of the over 200,000 jobs lost in the past month nationwide were due to – you guessed it – a decrease in business demand, a.k.a. no customers.

I understand why the Republicans are afraid. I was once a Republican myself. Although I did not vote for Bill Clinton in the 1992 election, and did not even like Bill Clinton at the time, my life benefited exponentially over the course of President Clinton’s administration. A couple of years after Clinton took office, things began to look up for me personally.  Jobs suddenly seemed much more plentiful; prices of food and goods more affordable; I was finally able to qualify to buy a house; and I received good healthcare. I changed my political affiliation to Democrat in 1994. I was a true convert.

So, my message to my dear Republican friends: Just relax. Everything will be okay. Changes will come, but they will be for the better. I promise!

Maybe, even for you, Mirabella…

Christian Coalition Bears False Witness

On November 1, I was fortunate enough to vote early, thanks in part to Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s executive decision to extend voting hours. Governor Crist might be happy to know that both my husband and I voted for more Republicans than Democrats.

While waiting in line (nearly 3 hours total), I was handed numerous pamphlets and information sheets by actual candidates and some volunteers, most of whom had set up camp in one spot and waited for the line to reach them. It was a wonderful experience. I got to meet many of the candidates themselves and listen to them present their points of view in person, something you can’t get from a TV ad or a newspaper article.

Unfortunately, all experiences were not pleasant.

I was handed a 2008 Christian Coalition voter guide by an older gentleman. I read the lines one by one in disgust, pointing out differences between presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain. “No, that’s not true,” I told the man, “This is misleading. Barack Obama IS in favor of Charter schools. And he’s NOT in favor of teaching sex education to kindergarteners!”

With each statement, the man nodded his head and said, “Thank you.” He was not interested in discussing the accuracy of his flyer.

“It’s not that I mind people feeling differently than I do,” I said loudly, “but to lie about the issues, that’s something else.”

“Thank you,” said the man.

“Most of your facts are wrong,” I said. “If you’re going to put this out, at least tell the truth,” I pointed out.

He still would not say a word.

“You call yourself a Christian. Thou shall not bear false witness,” I said.

Still the man wouldn’t budge.

Instead, a young boy heard me and assumed I was talking about him. He had just handed me a flyer himself about a Democratic candidate running for a local office. “What’s that? Bearing false witness?” he asked.

“It means lying about someone else,” I said, “In order to hurt them. It’s one of the Ten Commandments!”

“Oh,” said the boy. He was not happy with himself, why, I don’t know, but he put his flyers down. The female candidate who was running against the candidate the boy was promoting came up personally and thanked me. She said her opponent was breaking the law with his flyers by putting the Florida State seal on them and cited the actual code and penalty.

The line moved and I went forward, away from the older “Christian” man, but the female local candidate stuck like glue, telling me about her hopes for rebuilding the area, attracting businesses and bringing in more jobs. Her speech was so positive, others around us listened in, learning more about her dreams for our beautiful state.

The line had moved forward, but the older man was still back there, still handing out his false flyers, still sticking to it. I was so disgusted with him, so unhappy that he was spreading such lies and even more unhappy that others were buying it.

I am very conflicted on two counts. First, what the Christian Coalition is doing is heresy. By bearing false witness, they are breaking one of the Ten Commandments, one of the sacred laws both Jews and Christians must follow, which is stated in the Bible as being equally as bad as stealing, committing adultery, and worshiping other Gods. Perhaps the coalition feels the ends justify the means, for they consider the act of abortion as breaking the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Second, as a Christian myself, I am ashamed to be classified in the same category as these people who call themselves Christians. They are giving Christianity as a religion a very bad name. Jesus himself asks his followers to be loving, accepting, and empathetic of our fellow man, to be truthful and peaceful people who care for others.

Shame on you, Christian Coalition! Shame on you! Shame on you!

Four Grueling Days with an Obama Foe

My father was in a minor car accident a couple weeks ago, so I drove down to Clearwater, FL, mostly just to drive dad around, but also just to be there in case he took a turn for the worse. Mom had come down on vacation from NC, but had to go back to work. I ended up spending only four days with “dear old dad,” eager to leave and escape the intense “I hate Obama” atmosphere in the home.

There has never been any question of who my father would support in this election. Dad has always voted for the Republican Presidential candidate, mostly citing lower taxes as his reason. However, I did not count on dad’s anger, about an eight on a scale from one to ten, against the popular black Presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

Dad hates Democrats. However, he hates blacks even more. The source of his anger, which he claims stems from attending a black school in Philadelphia as a teenager, is most likely actually bred into him by the society in which he grew up. Dad was raised in the Depression and blacks were often the scapegoat for the bad economy, blamed for taking jobs meant for whites and blamed for committing the majority of crimes.

On a typical evening: Dad watches TV from his recliner, remote control in hand. Dad mutes every single Obama commercial, and instead, uses this opportunity to vent his extreme political feelings, yelling, “He’s an idiot!”

FOX news, the Republican controlled media, is the only acceptable news show. He used to watch ABC, but dad’s not interested in hearing what they have to say. Instead, FOX displays a very filtered and one-sided view of the world, ignoring important “real” news stories, and spending valuable air time covering local Republican rallies, showing McCain’s and Palin’s shining faces smiling at the crowds.

FOX news reports that actress/singer Jennifer Hudson’s family in Chicago was murdered, so dad says this is proof that blacks are violent. FOX news reports on a scuffle in a black neighborhood in Clearwater and dad says this is proof that blacks are stupid. FOX news reports that a Biden rally is causing traffic jams. What an inconvenience!

When FOX does show coverage of Obama, dad mutes the TV and won’t turn up the sound again until something comes on he wants to see, perhaps an update on fighting in Iraq. Mom and I watch the TV in silence, unable to do anything. Dad is in control.

When FOX shows the latest polls with Obama leading, dad changes the channel.

Obama buys a half hour prime airtime on Wednesday night, so Dad watches an old rerun of Law and Order on an independent TV channel. “He lies, he just lies,” says Dad.

Dad spends much of his time on the internet, exchanging secret racist jokes with other like-minded friends and family. He has nicknamed Barack Obama, “B.O.,” for “Body Odor,” since he says blacks stink.

Despite the numerous visits by very famous candidates and politicians to the Tampa Bay/Clearwater area, dad has no interest in attending any rallies. Nader comes to speak down the street, and I’d like to go, but dad isn’t even curious.

A few weeks ago, dad said he was eating in a restaurant in Clearwater when Obama unexpectedly showed up. Dad slipped out the door, eager to escape the popular fervor for a candidate he truly hates.

Dad isn’t a McCain supporter, either. He doesn’t like the man and voted for Mitt Romney in the primary. No, dad isn’t voting “for” anyone, but instead will be voting “against” the black candidate.

I assumed that dad’s racist anger was unique to his age group, the senior crowd raised to believe that blacks are a less evolved subset of the human race and are inferior to whites. However, a friend of mine told me that he has seen the same level of anger in much younger people, too.

I found the behavior shocking and embarrassing. How can this be my own father? How can he be so angry at such a wise and wonderful leader, Barack Obama? How can my dad, such an intelligent man, a former college professor and research scientist, be so unintelligent? Doesn’t he care that his taxes will be lower under Obama? Isn’t that what he’s always preached to me as his reason for voting Republican?

I “escaped” dad’s home on Friday, leaving several days earlier than originally planned. The kitchen was cleaner, dad was walking without crutches, and the refrigerator was fully stocked full of food. I feel bad that I won’t be there to drive my dad to the voting polls. Unlike him, I truly want him to have a voice and exercise his right to vote, even though I don’t agree with his political views. However, my mental health can’t take being around him right now.