The cost of living - COL.

Previously I stated the C.O.L.A. to 2.8%. There is now a very slim chance of 2.7%. I'm sure there will be all manner of finger pointing and gnashing of teeth, whichever is the number. My own personal Cost of living exceeds that percent. :(
 

Harry Le Hermit said:
Previously I stated the C.O.L.A. to 2.8%. There is now a very slim chance of 2.7%. I'm sure there will be all manner of finger pointing and gnashing of teeth, whichever is the number. My own personal Cost of living exceeds that percent. :(
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As does mine. Utilities and other recurring bills have increased far more than 3% over the past year. Same with nearly everything I purchase on a regular or occasional basis.
 
StarSong said:
As does mine. Utilities and other recurring bills have increased far more than 3% over the past year. Same with nearly everything I purchase on a regular or occasional basis.
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I haven't got all the September bills, but I would estimate my own cost of living has gone up 3.1% over last year. With the Headline CPI projected to be 3.0%~3.1% and CPI-W 2.7%~2.8%, there will be a lot of squabbling and squawking.

To use a phrase from the past... "it's transitory."
annual rate of inflation.jpg
 
MACKTEXAS said:
Some of this doesn't affect me directly, since my property taxes are frozen, but on several recent news broadcasts, reporters have been speaking with residents about rising property taxes and how those costs will be a deciding factor in whether or not they can afford to buy a home, even if interest rates drop. Many say they cannot afford a home, no matter how low interest goes, since the property taxes and insurance are rising faster than any interest they might save.

I do not understand the need for taxing authorities to increase property tax rates, when they are automatically collecting more taxes as home prices rise every year. Most homes where I live are selling for 3-4 times what they were 15 years ago, yet they always find a way to justify raising taxes for more and more money. [We are not a growing community that requires more law enforcement or city services. Our population has stayed the same for 20 years.]

And we're not seeing improvments from higher taxes. Most of us are dodging potholes, and we have old water lines that constantly break, and just get patched. A city truck stopped some days ago and dumped gravel in a big pothole in front of my house instead of a proper repair. Two red lights downtown have been out over a year and we have stop signs now instead because the city says they can't afford to fix the traffic signals.
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The county I live in has no stoplights and only stop signs (to save money of course). When I lived in Indiana, the big trend in towns around Indianapolis was roundabouts. Then again, saves money. Carmel Indiana has the most roundabouts than any other city in the US. They have 155 roundabouts. When I lived in that area, it was a pain. It seemed like every intersection was a roundabout.
 
Harry Le Hermit said:
Previously I stated the C.O.L.A. to 2.8%. There is now a very slim chance of 2.7%. I'm sure there will be all manner of finger pointing and gnashing of teeth, whichever is the number. My own personal Cost of living exceeds that percent. :(
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The last piece of data (September's CPI-W) used to determine next years COLA is scheduled to be released on October 15th. However with the government shut down that may be delayed.
 
TeePee said:
The county I live in has no stoplights and only stop signs (to save money of course). When I lived in Indiana, the big trend in towns around Indianapolis was roundabouts. Then again, saves money. Carmel Indiana has the most roundabouts than any other city in the US. They have 155 roundabouts. When I lived in that area, it was a pain. It seemed like every intersection was a roundabout.
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(Rotaries and roundabouts are the same thing.) To me, what makes driving fun is rotaries (also, hairpin turns). Otherwise, driving is boring and frustrating because I like looking at the stuff beside the road, which is not a safety plan.

Lately, I read that having rotaries is safer than traffic lights. Roundabouts
 
WheatenLover said:
(Rotaries and roundabouts are the same thing.) To me, what makes driving fun is rotaries (also, hairpin turns). Otherwise, driving is boring and frustrating because I like looking at the stuff beside the road, which is not a safety plan.

Lately, I read that having rotaries is safer than traffic lights. Roundabouts
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In the long run, they're probably safer as far as injuries go, but they're only as safe as the drivers. Some people don't yield before entering and dart right out there and others just sit there before entering holding up the flow. You almost have to guess what the other drivers are going to do. The four way roundabouts aren't terribly bad but where I live there are a couple that are shaped like an irregular rectangle with five or six entrances and exits. They can be confusing plus I'm not the worlds best driver.
 
TeePee said:
In the long run, they're probably safer as far as injuries go, but they're only as safe as the drivers. Some people don't yield before entering and dart right out there and others just sit there before entering holding up the flow. You almost have to guess what the other drivers are going to do. The four way roundabouts aren't terribly bad but where I live there are a couple that are shaped like an irregular rectangle with five or six entrances and exits. They can be confusing plus I'm not the worlds best driver.
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That's how they were in Boston - 2 lanes and multiple exits. I took to them like a duck to water, for no reason as I'd never seen one before. The whole thing just made perfect sense to me.

I think that some people were never taught to yield before entering a rotary; they just assume everyone will make way for them. Same with yield signs at expressway entrance ramps.
 

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