Do you live near amish? If so what do you think about their exemptions ex; no taxes paid in their ordinance , they wont let you take photographs of them , but they sell them in stores owned by what the call us ( english ) Im from northwest pennsylvania so theyre everywhere here. for another example. My aunt sold her home to a neighboring amish family , this family was told not to use the electric and heat in the house to remove all luxuries, the dad didnt listen and used the gas fireplace , the home burned down to the ground , he told everyone that he lost his wife and 11 kid's , the community (english) did all kind of fundraisers and raised him close to 150,000.00 = sad thing is he was LYING his family was safe and sound in dover deleware , this family couldnt be charged bc they arent responsible to hold ins for their home , they got away with it bc all money raised was a gift therefore he didnt steal it, also we have to carry ins on our cars but they do not on their buggys n horses
214356
No one's perfect, not even the amish. . . and lifestyle is a choice . . . and that lifestyle has much to be said for it. Don't critcize what you don't understand....just because you don't understand it.
50593
If htey gave you the house and you are paying the notes, do you have a ocntract with them?  Has it been transferred to your name?  These are things you need to check out.  Sounds like they still own the house, and if so I would take my 842.00 and go elsewhere to live or have to put up with controlling in-laws and a nosey sister-in-law.
49996
to "new": yes, you are cool. but would you please go back to your home and ask your grandfather why your forefathers left home, came to this country and stayed in this country? did they miss HOME? let's suppose you are not american indian and your grandfather still exists.
622203
I find the Amish and similar cultures fascinating.  To reject the most modern conveniences as sinful and wrong is an amazing way to express thier faith in God.  As I understand it (and I know I am way oversimplifying it), the less man-made, the closer it is to God's own creation.  Simple foods, simple trasportation, simple communication, simple way of life.\n\nThese folks don't exactly reject technology.  They resist the temptation to embrace a technology if it only makes life easier.  Survival is equally important to them, but massive power generators, fast cars and televisions don't particularly make the  rest of us better survivors.  It's not that they won't take a train or a plane, but reject the idea that they have to travel far enough to have to do it.\n\nFascinating culture, but I wouln't want to live that way if I had a choice.  I like my conveniences.
279831
'They' are here in my house. Sure it wasn't bad when the one sock was always lost, that went to the dryer ghosts. \nWhen the car keys were not accounted for, that could be explained as temporary insanity, when the dinner was missing from the table I blamed the dog. There are many other 'missing' items that have never been accounted for....strange indeed.
181823
I think you have to have Amish parents, it's not the kind of religion that accepts converts. Besides, if you only knew just how much it costs to feed a horse....
640976
Very badly I live in Fla and some old folks don't here from family members for years you should be asshamed of your selves if this applies to you .When they die you don't even come down here you just want to know where all the money is . You even hire someone to have a yard sale to sell their stuff shame on you yea right you are busy. Sorry about the rant but maybe someones gram or gramps will get a call I hope you feel bad call them even if they live near by!!
20478
only if they made it clear at the beginning of the asking of donations that they intended to purchase school property. I'm hguessing they didn't because who would agree with that? I suggest calling the newspaper or television news. When someone shows up and starts asking them about this I am sure they will change their minds
453130
I heard a story once that the natives were asked if they owned this land and their reply was,  " how can you own the land, anymore than you can own the sky and the water? "  Just recently the USA stated that they did own the sky, we already know they have laid claim to the land and are stealing water as fast as they can fromt he Great Lakes.  But you don't think that the Native Americans are ever going to get the same deal that Israel gets do you?  They have money, they own New York and half of the state of California.   Anything they want from Washington they get, like the USA fighting their battles for them in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The claim that the Natives in both Canada and the USA are making may never be settled because the land they would give back to you is already owned by someone else.  Both governments in Canada and the uSA have bungled these land claims so badly that there is a greater chance of the state of Israel getting the land in question before you do.  To the victor goes the spoils of war, despite any treaties the government thinks you lost all those wars and the treaties are too long ago and too muddled up to know if they were ever paid or not.   The USA has entered into a Free Trade agreement with Canada over softwood lumber and the trade court has ruled in favour of Canada on every issue where money was taken by the USA in the form of a tariff or duty.  About 12 billion dollars in all over the last number of years.  The USA is supposed to pay back this amount to Canadian lumber companies.  So far they have not seen a nickel of that money and may never get it.  What Uncle Sam stands for is that he is not ever your Uncle but always someone else's.  Now I didn't say he was from Israel but the chances are he is.  When the Nazi's took billions of dollars from people in the second world war and put it in banks in Switzerland, the Jewish people filed law suits and got that money back about 5 years ago.  Wow is that like an open money machine or what?  Chances of you doing the same about land claims, forget about it.  Unless you become part of the state of Israel you are not in the same boat but good luck anyway.
315383
Well it's pretty simple but clearly you are just an ignorant ass. Let me ask you one question. Are you a Native American? \n\nThey are probably here for the same reasons your family came to be here persecution, hardships, a shot at giving themselves and their families a better life. Do you realize the chances and danger they face trying to get into our country? This should be a complement to all of us. We have such a wonderful country that people are willing to take incredible risks just to be here. Should we punish people for wanting a better life?\n\nI will also say I am a car salesman. Let me tell you I'm all for them getting Social Security cards. Most of the Hispanic people (I'm assuming this is what you are targeting) I have met in through the business work very hard and long hours so they can provide for their family. Most have at least Tax ID's so that means we are collecting tax's from them so why not allow them the rights and freedoms we enjoy. It's a shame that I cannot sell them vehicles because they do not have SS cards. Also I have several banks that will only loan money to Hispanic people. Do you know why? They do so because the Hispanic community has a much better rate of paying their bills unlike most of the "Americans".\n\nI have one final question for you. If we didn't allow anyone into our country how would that benefit you?
457155
Yes I do a lady in my hometown won and I was glad for her at first because she runs Guardian Angels where she burys (sp??) baby's that were abandoned and died well the freakin money went to her head cause she was giving out scholarships and that was great but she never paid them 5 kids that went to college thought they were getting a 5000 scholarship and she never paid leaving these kids to make up the balance ( my cousin one of them) and she has a super big house 12 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms each bedroom has a big 72" tv and its only her and her husband!!!! It just sounds like a waste to me. Her husband was my school councilor.
178462
Given the fact that I have worked as a manager over some illegals, the social security numbers they have are valid, just stolen. They buy them mostly in Chicago along with birth certificate and identification. They usually claim about 12 exemptions on their taxes, that way no taxes are taken out and most of them do not try to file at the end of the year. A few of my hubby's close friends have filed even though they are illegals, but it was because their children had valid US social security numbers. They got a little back. Don't always just assume they don't have valid SSN, because like I said, most do they are just stolen and resold. Sometimes, I would have three or four of them using the same SSN and had to turn them away. Most DO NOT work under the table, as stated before. They work jobs most of us Americans don't want to do. My hubby is hispanic, but still believes they should pay taxes. I think it's ok they are here, they just need to pay taxes like the rest of us and not be allowed state insurance, food stamps, or TANF.
602747
They found you because of the tax records,  My hubby got the same letter  and has been out of the service since 1985. A lot of my friends who are still  with the military are afraid of identity theft, I am glad we all were notified about the missing files from the laptop from the guys house. Any why he had the files at home is a big problem which needs to be looked into.
195194
I know the owners of several tree farms that would gladly sell you their interests for next to nothing. I know noone who has ever made money in this business. Avoid it like the plague.\n\nThere are advantages for poeple who own land and want to decrease their taxes by claiming an agricultural exemption and people who have lots of land with existing trees. But don't plan on a Christmas Tree lot. You will be competing with the people that are not just selling trees as a stand alone business.
573423
Well written article.  \n\nHaving just sold a home in the town immediately north of Port Charlotte, I can tell you that the market there has gone flat.  We were able to sell because we put a realistic price on our house.  The 1/2 dozen others on OUR STREET that were for sale when we put ours on the market remain on the market today.\n\nThe woods across the street from our old house are being turned into homes that are selling for upwards of $500,000.  Mind you, the same builder was selling the same houses in another development 2 years ago for 1/3 of the price.  I wish the new owners luck in being able to afford homeowners & flood insurance.\n\nAll over the area in Sarasota & Manatee counties the market has gone flat.  Too many people trying to cash in on the post hurricane demand for existing homes.  Made everyone's property taxes go through the roof.\n\nWe moved out of Florida, to a part of the country where you can still afford to live.
262338
Ok....let's get one thing straight.  When my (and many others) ancestors came here long ago IT WASN"T ILLEGAL!!!  Most of them came here not for money or a better life but for life itself (jews, scots, irish).  They had people actually killing them, I mean gun to the head, knife to the heart.  And they came to this country and FOUGHT for this country, losing whole families along the way.  I live in the south and am a proud southerner (that does not mean racist), my family were poor dirt farmers from Tennessee who scraped by with what they could grow or what they could buy with the little money my father (who had to drop out of school at the age of 12 to get a job - only boy out of 11 children - and fought in Vietnam) made doing odd jobs.  Today we have laws in place to stop the over population of our country.  My husband is an immigrant who went through the proper channels.  Yes, it cost money that we didn't have but we STILL went through the proper channels.  They will let you in unless you have something to hide, all you have to do is fill out the paper work and wait.  I know that today time is money and one day can mean the life and death of someone you love but AMERICA is NOT to blame for the state of your home country.  I am all for immigration if it is done legally!  As far as I am concerned, whether you come from Mexico, China, England, France, or Tim-buck-too, if you come here illegally you should be prepared to face the repercussions of doing so.  Breaking the law is breaking the law, period.  No one is above it (with the exception of the Bosh family - or so they wish us to believe).
92239
People's personal blights, ie poverty or education, or not the responsibility of goverment. It is that person's choice where they are in life. In modern american society it seems that everyone wants to blame someone for the way they ended up, or make an excuse for why someone else is doing better than them. \n\nIt is a fact that some people will do nothing more than what is ABSOLUTELY nessacary for survival on that particular day. Some people will do more, and some will do everything they can to get better off than others. \n\nTo directly answer the poverty % quest... It all comes down to what the person doing the survey wants the number to be. A person living in per-say Montana with a small farm grwing there own food not really having a need for money is in poverty. But if you ask them they may say they are doing fine as all of their needs are met. A multi-millionaire that has no job (doesn't need it duh) and has no investment income (poor economic move) is considered in poverty by IRS standards. So it all comes down to what poverty number do you want to have?\n\nOn a side note, I fix up houses as a business. With the way the tax code is structured I can write off almost all of my income to business expenses. IRS paper work I made $9300 last year for a family of 3 (sole income earner). My actually net from the business for the year was $102,000+(not rubbing it in). I have been contacted multi times for Gov't assistance because we are POOR. LOL