Ex-CTLawyer

Law enforcement officer is a terrible term to use when referring to police.
In the USA it includes:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agents
Bureau of Diplomatic Security special agents
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and United States Border Patrol agents
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents
Federal air marshals
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents
Federal Flight Deck Officers
Dept of Treasury Federal Reserve Police officers
U.S. Dept of Treasury Secret Service special agents and uniformed officers
Dept. of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Rangers
Dept. of Interior Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement officers
Dept. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents
DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers
Dept. of Interior National Park Service (park rangers and forest rangers)
Dept. of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons corrections officers
Dept. of Homeland Service Transportation Security Administration US Marshals and Deputy Marshals
U.S. Coast Guard officers, warrant officers, and petty officers
United States Postal Service postal inspectors
Federal Bureau of Prisons officers
United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police
United States military police, including the Military Police Corps, Air Force Security Forces, Navy master-at-arms, Marine Corps Police, provost marshal officers, and United States Department of Defense police

Traditionally, police were known as PEACE OFFICERS, charged with upholding, preserving the PEACE.

Among the government positions I have held in my adult life is JUSTICE OF THE PEACE. I don’t deal with criminal matters in this role, but in earlier times petty crimes were adjudicated by JPs.

So, LEO is a MODERN term for peace officers, Liberals are not changing the definition when they want police referred to as Peace Officers. Police are charged with maintaining the peace. That cannot be said of a ‘meter maid’ who is a sworn Law Enforcement Officer, charged with enforcing local statutes regarding parking.

The OP is worked up about nothing

@Always
eliminating how many children you can deduct is useless to senior citizens with grown children
Raising the standard deduction helped lower middle class, more than upper middle class. It didn’t do me much good.

What has happened is that many of us have formed or are forming LLCs to own each piece of property to get around the tax changes. But we could not do this retroactively. The tax change affected tax years already underway.

Now I won’t bear legal expense to form LLCs, just filing fees, but it can be costly for others.

I would much prefer a flat tax. Everyone pays a set percentage of income, no deductions. I also would like inheritance tax thresholds lowered, too much is exempt since the Reagan years.

@Catchyourself

You are not subsidizing me.
I live in a state that sends more dollars to Washington in taxes than it receives back.
I paid full boat for my childrens’ educations and the same is said for my grandchildren (paid by my children).
I also pay far more than tuition to keep institutions such as the one who employs you alive.
I don’t complain about paying taxes. I pointed out the first year the Trump limitation on state tax deductions came into effect that it reduced $25,000 a year in disposable money that I gave to Tzedaka. It’s not about my lifestyle. My home is paid for, it has been greatly expanded over the decades with most labor done by myself and family, yes I can build, paint, plumb, do electrical. We grow food in the compound and chose to add houses to keep the family near.
I am self employed all my life, so no pension, just Social Security paying back what I paid in and continue to pay in as I work past retirement age.
I drive a 2004 Luxury car I bought new then and will probably drive it 20 years and pass it down to a grandchild. Remembering, Billig iz Tyrere…..I buy the best I can and it lasts.
We don’t buy prepared food or eat in restaurants with any frequency.
We haven’t taken a vacation in more than 10 years, the entire clan moves in with us for the summer using our facilities, no multi-thousand dollar camp fees.
After 5 generations in America we do have some accumulated wealth. We don’t make landlords rich, but instead bought homes at young ages and have added property to our portfolio. That said we charge fair rents and don’t increase every year. I’d rather have a good tenant stay decades and make a small amount, than change tenants every couple of years and make a lot of money.

That said, no one is subsidizing my lifestyle. I take my own garbage to the curb and pay for pickup, I shovel my own snow and cut my own lawn. I don’t object to my tax dollars supporting public schools, libraries, hospitals, police, fire, transportation whether I use them or not.
I do object to the Trump tax breaks for billionaires and corporations who pay no US Tax.
I object to Trump paying $750 in US income tax in 2017 and Paying $15,000 in income tax to Panama the same year….that’s not a blue state versus red state issue

@Coffeeaddict
It is not yet 90 days since Trump is out of office, hardly a long time

Lots to blame him for that Biden cannot change quickly, or at all
Start with the inept Postmaster General and bad mail system. Biden can’t fire the PG
Terrible (IMHO) appointees to the Federal Bench who serve for long period of time, and I am not talking about the Supreme Court
A local piece of garbage Trump appointed Judge, Kari Dooley, just gave the Bridgeport Police Chief only a year and a day in Club Fed and the Personnel Director who rigged the test so he could get the job only 4 months. Republicans Tough on Law and Order/ Not for white privileged political hacks.

The list goes on, especially as I am about to file taxes and am limited to a $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, a direct Republican/Trump attack on all of us who live in blue states

Mrs. CTL leases, I don’t. She wants a new car every three years and always under 100% warranty.
This past year she hasn’t driven due to Covid (only out of the house twice in a year for vaccines). So, my car has sat and I have put the mileage on her car. Otherwise we would be gifting the leasing company 15,000 miles of nonuse.
Right now used cars are super expensive. Very few new car sales this past year, chip shortages affecting production, so a lease may be a better deal than buying a late model car. Once supply catches up with demand, used car values may tank 30%/

@CommonSaychel
I just read your comment about keeping discussions short when they cost $300-500 per hour.

I currently have a female divorce client (not Jewish) who has been very talkative running up a large bill at a fee in excess of the numbers you posted. It is not unusual for upset clients to attempt to use their divorce lawyers as therapists, but this was really extreme.
Yesterday, she was sitting with her mother in the waiting room before our appointment. My granddaughter was at the reception desk and overheard the client’s mother telling her: ‘remember to bend CTL’s ear, your husband is stuck paying the lawyer according to your prenup, this will leave less money for him.’
My granddaughter shot me an email with the info before showing the client in. I attended to our business in 30 minutes. When the client attempted to stretch, I told her that she should hire a therapist, but she would not be running up my bill to harm her spouse. If she didn’t she could find a new attorney. She seemed shocked that I wasn’t interested in a bigger fee. I explained that I would not help her perpetrate a fraud. She shut her mouth and left, but stopped at the desk to make another appointment to sign papers next week.

I only use disposable masks, so it’s not an issue.
Chances are I wont be leaving the compound, so probably wont have to wear a mask anyway. We have had our vaccinations already. No outsiders coming in who haven’t been here for months. Food orders already delivered with the exception of fresh milk coming right before the holiday and that will be left on the curb/contactless delivery

@always
Common Saychel and I actually agree on many things when politics, politicians and secular government is not involved

@AviK
Since this has already existed for approximately 2,000 years with Christians praying to pictures and statues of Yushke, I don’t think the figure of the generic Jew constitutes a problem.

@UJM
Therapy costs money, many therapists accept insurance. In this age of Covid most sessions are by phone and the co-pay has been waived by the insurance companies.

Here in CT one cannot get a court granted divorce unless the couple has had/counseling/therapy. In fact the court will provide counselors at no additional cost beyond the filing fee for those who don’t have insurance or cannot afford the counseling. Since those seeking divorce must provide the court with full financial disclosures (under penalty of perjury, including jail time) it is easy for the court to determine if free counseling should be offered.

@twisted
I agree completely about local, and as noted above, we generally bake our own matzo each year.
Mrs. CTL grew up in a family that owned a bakery and our oven for matzo was a gift from her family when we bought this home decades ago.
Until Covid, our Rav was always here for the baking and we hosted all the children from the shul each year on a Sunday for matzo baking. I know that Chabad and other groups set up such an experience using shul kitchens, but the children come away with matzo that is not Pesachdik. What they baked here could be used for their family Seder.

This year we are baking for the family, the Rav is coming and will bake for his family as well (we both get our second vaccination tomorrow morning). But we’ll not have others in the compound this year.

@Always
The NYT article dealt in the aggregate a loss of less than 2% overall.

If you read the article at axios dot com (we cannot post links here) you will find that TWENTY PER CENT of the states had loss of tax revenues between 5.6 and 40% in 2020 compared to 2019.

These 10 mostly red states, with Alaska suffering the largest percentage loss, will benefit most from the government aid provisions in the stimulus bill…and their Congressional delegations all voted no.
You won’t see Rick Santilus returning Florida’s share to Washington

Contrary to opinions expressed here, many states did not collect full expected taxes in 2020. Not only are income withholding tax receipts down as people lost employment (2020 tax returns are not due yet, so we don’t know actual income tax receipts), BUT sales tax, meal tax, hotel tax and entertainment tax are all way off as people hunkered down during the pandemic.

Here, in CT, homeowners were allowed to defer property tax payments, which affects municipalities. Those local governments also benefit from the stimulus package.

B”H, Mrs. CTL and I don’t qualify for the checks, but we have tenants who are behind on rent who will receive the checks and may pay some back rent.

@Common
You post a lie,
President Biden had 10 Republican Senators into the White House to discuss/negotiate the bill. They weren’t interested in what 70+ percent of the American People wanted.

Those 10 are 20% of the Republican Senators…………..
All are afraid of the trouble Trump may cause come reelection time

@Common
Thanks for sharing information that I already know.
JetBlue service to Florida from White Plains has existed for years.
It is of no use to me as it is all coach class service, although my grandchildren have used it when they would fly to visit us in Florida during the winter breaks.

Years ago, when JetBlue started this service, they did not have use of the airbridges from gate to plane. Passengers had to walk outdoors in winter weather and up a long switchback ramp while carrying their oversized cabin baggage and young children. Not a pleasant experience…said my eldest and his wife who had to negotiate that with their two toddlers in a snowstorm. That said, I bought their shares at the height of the pandemic last spring (as I did with most American airlines, and industrials, as I had faith in a recovery) and they have more than doubled in value.
Thus, I am happy when their revenues rise, I just don’t fly them.

@Always
My flying time on business is working time. Coach class on a budget airline does not have the space and quiet conducive to my work. If I stay over in Florida it is in my own home, the client does not get a bill for food or lodging.
This is NOT bragging, as you surmise, but the reality of a law practice taking place in 4 states. Back in the good old days circa 1970, there were tables in First Class and you could sit two facing two and conduct business, or really spread out your work. No laptop computers then.
As I wind down my activity in my practice with generation 2 assuming more of the duties, I fly less and less, which suits me fine. Covid precluded our spending last or this winter in Florida as we had all the extended family in the compound since last March. I”H next winter we’ll be able to spend in Florida where the weather will benefit Mrs. CTL’s health.

@nisht
READ MY PODSTR before tearing it apart falsely.
I was specific about Republicans in our very Roman Catholic Town.
As an attorney who has practiced local family law for more than 40 years, I am in our town’s probate court regularly. I see all the adoptions recorded, because the local probate court issues the new birth certificates with the adoptive parents info. In fact about 15 years ago I served 2 terms as Probate Court Judge.
Small town, 12,000 registered Republicans, I’m active in politics and have up to date voter lists, easy for my to verify whose adopting and it isn’t white Republicans.
Amy the judge is not local to Fairfield County Connecticut. I don’t care for many of her decisions on the Federal bench but approve of her adopting children. She lives her life according to her beliefs, I don’t want to live my life according to her beliefs

@RebEliezer
We also have 2 converted from birth adopted children (plus 5 Mrs. CTL birthed).

Our big mouth local Republican acquaintances who are anti-abortion and anti-birth control (we live in a very Roman Catholic town..our Democratic Town Committee opposes these issues in the party platform) don/’t adopt. If 100K fertility treatments don’t work they remain childless, but they won’t take a non-white or non-pedigreed child into their families.
In fact 80% of adoptions processes by Catholic Family Services in our area are to Jewish adoptive parents.

@ujm
The US Congress hasn’t passed a budget in years. The government functions on continuing resolutions. Trump even let the government shut down a number of times.

So the Republicans don’t vote to fund the social programs in their proposed budgets every year.

BTW>>>>spending bills originate in the House, not the Senate, so for the past couple of years the proposed budgets that have not been passed are not ‘their’ (Republican).

@Yaakov doe
They erected a golden statue of Stalin in Prague, it was urinating ion the Czech people. It was torn down.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
To quote two nice Jewish Boys (Simon and Garfunkel)
and the people came and prayed to the neon G-d they made…………………….

How I wish Trump would finally be silent

@Common You have no Saychel

NP RADIO…one cannot watch Radio, so don’t say I do the impossible.

@Catchyourself
Sorry, I’ve never heard of Michael Che.
A quick Google search shows him to be a stand up comedian, not a talk radio host

@Gadolhadorah
At these hospital owned practices (in this case Yale) the doctors have no say in how the office runs, they are merely employees. My primary care physician has told us he cannot stand the office help and is forbidden to tell they what to do, how to do their jobs, etc.
He hates the system, I have more than once offered to set him up in private practice, rent free for the first five years in a building I bought that was medical offices. He told me that he was afraid of going in his own, as the insurance company search engines for ‘find a doctor’ show all the hospital owned practices first.
In the past 5 years every single one of our doctors has sold their practices to either Yale or Hartford Health. Mrs, CTL wanted to change her doctor to one affiliated with a small suburban hospital but was told he does not have admitting privileges in the New Haven and Bridgeport which are all owned by Yale or Hartford Health.

@The Shady Chareidi

Always so sure, always so wrong.

Cruz had not booked this trip in advance, the evidence has shown it was last minute. (per his wife’s text messages among other sources).
His children has an unexpected school break because of the 2weather/power/water issues. He tried/lied claiming an excuse to take them and deliver them to Cancun and come right back, despite reservations for returning days later.
Certainly, mama Cruz could have taken the girls to Cancun without his assistance, they are not babies.
Rafael Cruz, just another Hispanic fleeing America because of ICE. As a Canadian he surely could have handled snow and cold weather…born and raised in Calgary.

@Commonsaychel

I agree with you completely with the proviso that the individual yeshivos MUST be in compliance with local health department requirements.