bailout bill, money for commuting, who's getting it?
02-05-09, 11:14 AM
#29
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02-05-09, 11:36 AM
#31
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It just feels like the wrong time to be making ANY waves at work. I get a strong feeling they are doing everything they can to avoid laying even more of us off. It is not so much out of fear as it is out of respect for the organzationand its employees during a very hard time.
02-05-09, 12:20 PM
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Hmm, your possibly unintended insult notwithstanting; as an American voter who is inclined to favor conservative family values, I also find it frustrating that I must chose between my conservative moral convictions and my more liberal economic and goverment beliefs. There is no middle ground here. I think most moral conservatives tend to vote along those lines regardless of whatever the economic and political consequences of that vote (in fact, I doubt most moral conservatives even give a rip about or are aware of anything else. Sadly, most of my friends who loudly proclaim themselves "conservative" really just mean that they support traditional family values and are largely ignorant of and apathetic toward most other political issues).
For me, it is not that simple. I believe it is just as big a sin to deny children healthcare as it is to permit abortion. So, how in the heck is a moral conservative who is economically and politically liberal supposed to vote? I suppose one just has to weigh the relevance of the respective issues and vote according to conscience.
For me, it is not that simple. I believe it is just as big a sin to deny children healthcare as it is to permit abortion. So, how in the heck is a moral conservative who is economically and politically liberal supposed to vote? I suppose one just has to weigh the relevance of the respective issues and vote according to conscience.
+1 for Sawtooth!
02-05-09, 12:39 PM
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I asked ... my state agency said it would look into it.
After six weeks, I got an update. Here's the good news: "We're still looking into it."
I think I can tell where this is headed.
After six weeks, I got an update. Here's the good news: "We're still looking into it."
I think I can tell where this is headed.
02-05-09, 12:51 PM
#34
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[quote=modernjess;8307614]I doubt many people or companies are going to bother. Just my opinion.
On the other hand I do believe it is an important albeit small foothold in the tax code. Federal recognition of bike commuting is a start, and the publicity is good.
Also anything that pisses off the as@h#*e conservatives as much as this does is a good thing
IAM A a!@#$%hole CONSERVATIVE AND I like the idea . Some of us conservatives ride bikes .
On the other hand I do believe it is an important albeit small foothold in the tax code. Federal recognition of bike commuting is a start, and the publicity is good.
Also anything that pisses off the as@h#*e conservatives as much as this does is a good thing
IAM A a!@#$%hole CONSERVATIVE AND I like the idea . Some of us conservatives ride bikes .
02-05-09, 12:53 PM
#35
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In the same manner, the deduction for companies who provide bus fare or public transportation tokens to their employees is $120 per month. The kicker is, you can't claim both, even if you ride your bike to or from the bus stop and back.
As many have noted, it sounds good when you read about it, but it doesn't really mean a lot to Joe Cyclist in terms of any extra $$.
02-05-09, 12:54 PM
#36
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In most cases State agencies don't pay taxes, so there's nothing they can deduct.
02-05-09, 01:11 PM
#37
What happened?
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I have to join the don't want or care crowd. Why you want to give tax dollars for something that can be cheap and simple to do and basically tax Americans to do it is beyond me. I guess those 'stimulus dollars' fell from Heaven too. I live a mile from Idaho where the laws don't even merit timely notification for many layoffs etc and they call it "right to work". It is a dream and blessing for me to be able to ride the bikes I truly love and there are many I know who cannot ride ANY.
Like it or not, there were stupid businesses, scam artists and the people who love them out there and somebody has to pay for sloth and stupidity. Some things have to fall apart and some will fall down.
That and OBAMA'S bill is not even passed, not even signed yet. You are all talking about some bill from last year and can anybody tell me which one much less if it passed.
This has Snopes.com written all over it. We already went over this on the Idaho Statesman boards I believe two or three months ago.
Like it or not, there were stupid businesses, scam artists and the people who love them out there and somebody has to pay for sloth and stupidity. Some things have to fall apart and some will fall down.
That and OBAMA'S bill is not even passed, not even signed yet. You are all talking about some bill from last year and can anybody tell me which one much less if it passed.
This has Snopes.com written all over it. We already went over this on the Idaho Statesman boards I believe two or three months ago.
02-05-09, 01:26 PM
#38
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+2 Sawtooth lives in Boise...HP, Micron have layoffs and shenanigan, local restaurants and shops are dying like flies plus a few chain stores. Unemployment is getting to be so bad it's silly no laughing and the governor ordered statewide rollbacks, including education.
Here in nearby Ontario, Oregon we are working to keep our small businesses in gear but the otherwise halfway recovered downtown is still seeing lots of turnover making it seem as though it's more of an effort to keep the landlords paying the loans than a business initiative.
We have no sales tax but if gasoline goes back over $2/gallon and stays that's probably a moot point. They have Wally Worlds too.
Here in nearby Ontario, Oregon we are working to keep our small businesses in gear but the otherwise halfway recovered downtown is still seeing lots of turnover making it seem as though it's more of an effort to keep the landlords paying the loans than a business initiative.
We have no sales tax but if gasoline goes back over $2/gallon and stays that's probably a moot point. They have Wally Worlds too.
02-05-09, 01:37 PM
#40
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As a Native American I say this country was founded based on <censored> 
I jest.. well except that I am part Native American.. Can we get back to bashing the bike bill and how silly it is.. Or how great it is or bike bike bike... look a pretty bike
I jest.. well except that I am part Native American.. Can we get back to bashing the bike bill and how silly it is.. Or how great it is or bike bike bike... look a pretty bike
02-05-09, 02:17 PM
#41
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I'm a contractor. They gave us all a 10% pay cut in October. Asking for this would cause an amount of laughter so damaging that the walls of our lab would fall in on all of us. So I don't think I'll put anyone's life at risk just yet. I'll
keep riding my bike and the bus without accepting anything for it. Tax break, credit, thank yous, and so on.
keep riding my bike and the bus without accepting anything for it. Tax break, credit, thank yous, and so on.
02-05-09, 02:19 PM
#42
L T X B O M P F A N S R
02-05-09, 02:23 PM
#43
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02-05-09, 02:24 PM
#44
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The consulting firm that I work for agreed to "reimburse me $20/month for bike commuting". I just need to submit an expense statement each month to do it.
The only problem is, I think they are taking this as giving me a really really really small raise. They don't seem interested in dealing with the tax issues associate with this, even though it would probably help them out (slightly). They're a smaller firm of about 120 people, and I'm the only one who bike commutes more than 60% of the time, especially during the winter.
Should I take the money even if it's not going to be counted in the company's taxes? I'd like to be counted so that our legislators know that someone is taking advantage of this. Should I push the issue and try to get them to do the work to include it in their tax preparation? Any suggestions?
The only problem is, I think they are taking this as giving me a really really really small raise. They don't seem interested in dealing with the tax issues associate with this, even though it would probably help them out (slightly). They're a smaller firm of about 120 people, and I'm the only one who bike commutes more than 60% of the time, especially during the winter.
Should I take the money even if it's not going to be counted in the company's taxes? I'd like to be counted so that our legislators know that someone is taking advantage of this. Should I push the issue and try to get them to do the work to include it in their tax preparation? Any suggestions?
02-05-09, 02:28 PM
#45
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I am liking this thread. "Stimulating" in multiple ways 
And you can add SUPERVALU to that list of companies, Rollfast.
And you can add SUPERVALU to that list of companies, Rollfast.
02-05-09, 02:34 PM
#46
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Should I take the money even if it's not going to be counted in the company's taxes? I'd like to be counted so that our legislators know that someone is taking advantage of this. Should I push the issue and try to get them to do the work to include it in their tax preparation? Any suggestions?
02-06-09, 12:06 AM
#47
----
I'm a contractor. They gave us all a 10% pay cut in October. Asking for this would cause an amount of laughter so damaging that the walls of our lab would fall in on all of us. So I don't think I'll put anyone's life at risk just yet. I'll
keep riding my bike and the bus without accepting anything for it. Tax break, credit, thank yous, and so on.
keep riding my bike and the bus without accepting anything for it. Tax break, credit, thank yous, and so on.
I have no problem with the public transit credit but if there's anything that's laughable it's that they pay out more than $2000 per year for employees to drive to work! I have no problem taking the 5 minutes to request my $240 for the year from any employer stupid enough to shell out that much cash for driving.
And to those who don't see it as all that much money- for 5 minutes of paperwork I'll take $240 I would otherwise not have.
02-06-09, 12:35 AM
#48
Senior Member
Hmm, your possibly unintended insult notwithstanting; as an American voter who is inclined to favor conservative family values, I also find it frustrating that I must chose between my conservative moral convictions and my more liberal economic and goverment beliefs. There is no middle ground here. I think most moral conservatives tend to vote along those lines regardless of whatever the economic and political consequences of that vote (in fact, I doubt most moral conservatives even give a rip about or are aware of anything else. Sadly, most of my friends who loudly proclaim themselves "conservative" really just mean that they support traditional family values and are largely ignorant of and apathetic toward most other political issues).
For me, it is not that simple. I believe it is just as big a sin to deny children healthcare as it is to permit abortion. So, how in the heck is a moral conservative who is economically and politically liberal supposed to vote? I suppose one just has to weigh the relevance of the respective issues and vote according to conscience.
For me, it is not that simple. I believe it is just as big a sin to deny children healthcare as it is to permit abortion. So, how in the heck is a moral conservative who is economically and politically liberal supposed to vote? I suppose one just has to weigh the relevance of the respective issues and vote according to conscience.
02-06-09, 08:33 AM
#49
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My HR checked into it. She discovered it only counts for businesses that are already doing mass transit money.
Which rules us out. And since I'm the only one who commutes by bike, there won't be any changes soon.
Which rules us out. And since I'm the only one who commutes by bike, there won't be any changes soon.
02-06-09, 11:31 PM
#50
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I work for the state and my HR department lady just looked at me funny when I asked. I'd gladly take $20/month but I'm not going to push too hard about it. $20 buys a pretty decent steak too.