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Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Chattanooga, TN To Columbus, GA Bypassing Atlanta
The reason I want to avoid Atlanta is simple. I will arrive there around rush hour in the evening.
I have been thru Atlanta a number of times.......... some good, some bad. Once, while towing, I was involved with a four hour tie up on the Interstate.
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alfredmay
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01/29/12 09:01am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Chattanooga, TN To Columbus, GA Bypassing Atlanta
Thanks for the responses so far. I was looking carefully at the GA map and noted the following may be a more rural route with more Interstate travel but still bypassing Atlanta. I value your opinions... what do you think of this?
South on I-75 to exit #288 in GA
West on 113 / 61 thru Cartersville, GA
Follow SR 61 South to loop around Carrollton
Exit Carrollton Loop to US 27-A to Newman
I-85 South to Columbus
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alfredmay
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01/28/12 10:10am |
Roads and Routes
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Chattanooga, TN To Columbus, GA Bypassing Atlanta
This spring I will be headed to an Army reunion in Columbus, GA. I wish to get there without going thru Atlanta. My preferred route takes me by way of Chattanooga.
My question is what roads should I take after leaving TN? I do not mind back roads as long as they are not filled with traffic signals or traffic. The more rural they are, the better I like it. I will be driving a car and not using an RV for this trip.
Thanks,
Fred
A/1-506 Infantry
101st Airborne
Vietnam 70-71
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alfredmay
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01/27/12 12:42pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Discount membership advised for RGV?
Many Passport parks in the RGV do not accept the discount during Jan, Feb and March. Use the link for Passport provided by ronfisherman and then check the "notes" section for the parks in question. Here is the sectiom for Snow to Sun in Weslaco, TX
Snow To Sun Notes
Active 55+ gated RV community. P.A. discount is valid for 7 days. Reservations requested. P.A. discount is not valid January through March. P.A. discount cannot be combined with another discount or special offer. Subject to availability. Pet friendly with some restrictions. Credit cards accepted. *Rate based on 2 person occupancy, $3.00 for each additional person. Additional resort fee and Wi-Fi fee.
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alfredmay
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12/06/11 08:40am |
Snowbirds
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RE: EPDM Roof Problem?
Mine is like that and has been for 9 years. Not a problem...... just looks poor, but the roof does its job and keeps water out of the RV.
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alfredmay
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12/05/11 07:31am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: The Economics of Snowbirding
Owning my RV (after paying for it) is cheap. $125 for insurance and $24 to register it for a year. Using it is expensive, given camping fees and fuel costs.
However, I also own a mobile home in the RVG. I pay land rent, insurance, and property taxes on it. I also have to pay for fuel to get to my winter home. None of this comes cheap.
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alfredmay
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11/17/11 09:03am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Progresso
I have a winter home 15 miles from Progreso. Its real name is Nuevo Progreso, Mexico as there is a Progreso, Texas. Anyway, Progreso is the safest TX - MX border town. If you plan on going to MX...... this is where you should go. Park at a secured lot at the foot of the international bridge and walk into MX. The town starts just as the bridge ends.
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alfredmay
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11/07/11 07:27am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: coast guard requirements for the Colorado River ?
I would print the law for both states and carry with me. If stopped show the LEO the paperwork.
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alfredmay
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11/07/11 07:11am |
Snowbirds
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RE: No Water Pressure
If you have a water pressure regulator that may be the problem Most regulators are added to your hose to prevent high pressure from bursting the hose or trailer piping. Sometimes they just plug up.
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alfredmay
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11/03/11 07:30am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Bluegrass group in Donna, TX area
Sam,
Jams at Victoria Palms start in Early January and are one night a week from around 7 to 10 PM. They are held in the Cactus Club and around 10 to 15 pickers make up the group. The audience averages around 100. Last year they were held on Thursday night.
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alfredmay
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11/03/11 07:23am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Bluegrass group in Donna, TX area
If you are staying at Victoria Palms, you can play in their jam sessions. I believe you may even be able to do so if you are staying in another RV park. I know the leader of the "jam" and can ask if you want. VP is in Donna, TX
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alfredmay
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11/01/11 09:00am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
Good luck to all you Canadians on being able to spend more time in the USA, without being taxed on your Canadian sourced income. I hope it works out for you.
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alfredmay
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10/30/11 07:48am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
For those Canadians interested in this I suggest you write to the Office of Charles Shumer, US Senator from New York. Tell him you are a Canadian and express your concerns regarding taxation. Ask him about the intent of the bill and the possible pitfalls of (perhaps) having to pay US Federal income tax. Tell him that you are willing to pay what you consider to be fair in the way of sales and property taxes, but that any tax on Canadian income would surely defeat the purpose of this bill.
Contact Senator Shumer here http://schumer.senate.gov/
The bill you are referencing is the VISIT USA Act S.1746
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alfredmay
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10/28/11 03:56pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
The steps I used for passage of a bill are simplistic and do not cover all contingencies. However, the basics are there. What is more importantant than many people believe, is the public comment and the writing of the rules of administration of a new law.
If this bill passes, the IRS and many other agencies and entities, both public and private will be able to comment. YOU as a Canadian can comment. If the intent of the law is to entice Canadians into the USA and tax them on their world wide income, then that is exactly what the rules of implementation will do.
If the intent of the bill is to allow Canadians to stay in the USA for a longer period of time than now permitted, to spend more money here, then you can figure that others rules would probably be adjusted to permit this. The point is these other rules that will work against the intent of the new law have to be made known during the public comment portion. This will be the time that any IRS rules would be changed.
Prior to my retirement, I worked in administration for a major US University. I was involved in the public comment portion of some US laws. One of my written comments prompted a call from the top aassistant of a US Senator. I still remember part of the conversation. Him.... you mean X will happen if the rules are not specifically written to stop it? Me...yes sir. Him...... that was not the Senator's intent when he intoduced the bill. ME..... write the rules of adminstration with the following exceptions and changes. That was exactly what happened. The law was the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
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alfredmay
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10/28/11 08:21am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
Well I guess we are just going to have to see how this plays out. The following will happen:
1) The bill will pass or fail.
2) If passed and signed by the President it will become law.
3) If vetoed by the President it can be overridden by a very large majority in both houses of congress.
4) If passed and signed, or overridden....the period for public comment is opened. The government sends out letters to those departments and entities it feels will be affected by the law. There is then input from many people.
5) The rules to administer the new law are then written. Great care is taken to follow the intent of the original bill.
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alfredmay
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10/27/11 08:29am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
My understanding is you would file this form if you do not file 1040NR. This form would be changed for Canadians to the new number of days allowed in the USA. You might have to file a form....... but you pay no tax.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8840.pdf
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alfredmay
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10/26/11 10:23am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Drain the last bit of water out of a water heatrer...
I do what Raften does, only I use a paper towel twisted like a rope. It is not the one inch of water I worry about...... it will not burst the tank. What I worry about is corrosion at the the water line area. If you look at water heater tanks that fail, the "rot line" is in that spot right where the air and water meet.
I let the towel stay in the open tank for days..... until only air is left in the tank. Then I put the plug back in. Been doing this over 30 years and never had to replace a water heater tank.
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alfredmay
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10/25/11 10:08am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
My understanding is that if you meet the substantial presence test you are required to file a tax form (which is listed in the link I provided). However, as I stated in prior posts........ having to file a form and actually paying taxes are two different items. Again, the IRS states that income is generally taxed only on that income earned in the US. Where I have my second home in Texas might be called little Canada. There are more Canadians than Americans in my mobile home park. Some are just like crabbin cabin in that they file a tax form and pay no tax. Others do not even file. None that I know pay income tax in the US. Heck....... according to our latest figures, almost half of Americans pay no federal income tax. They must file, but their tax is zero or they qualify for an "earned income tax credit" which means the goverment gives them money.
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alfredmay
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10/25/11 09:53am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
Michelb,
Regarding payment of income taxes to the US IRS. Please look at the link provided. This is from the US Government IRS web site. Note the first sentence in the quoted passage below.
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=203094,00.html
"Nonresident aliens are generally subject to U.S. income tax only on their U.S. source income. They are subject to two different tax rates, one for effectively connected income, and one for fixed or determinable, annual, or periodic (FDAP) income. Effectively connected income (ECI) is earned in the U.S. from the operation of a business in the U.S. or is personal service income earned in the U.S. (such as wages or self-employment income). It is taxed for a nonresident at the same graduated rates as for a U.S. person. FDAP income is passive income such as interest, dividends, rents or royalties. This income is taxed at a flat 30% rate, unless a tax treaty specifies a lower rate.
Nonresident aliens must file and pay any tax due using Form 1040NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return or Form 1040NR-EZ, U.S. Income Tax Return for Certain Nonresident Aliens with No Dependents."
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alfredmay
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10/24/11 01:57pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Retiree US Visa's proposed
Michelb,
What is written by the author of the aricle you site is his opinion. Why don't we take a look at the intent of one of the two senators who is sponsoring this legislation. One Senator is Republican and one is a Democrat, so this bill stands a good chance of passing.
The link takes you to one of the sponsor's web sites. There is a lot included there........ includinng what the author of your article refers to which is the purchase of expensive property. However, there is a section that refers specifically to Canadians and includes rental property that I have pasted below.
http://lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=7d71bb4f-3752-4e86-af5f-85ecc9c0c142
Encourage Canadian Tourism to the United States: Under current law, without a visa, Canadian citizens are not permitted to remain in the United States for longer than 180 days. Many Canadians would remain in the United States for a longer period of time during periods where the weather is still cold if they had a legal ability to do so. In addition, Canadians who currently return to Canada after 180 days are unable to take day-trips across the border to northern-border-states in America. The VISIT-USA Act creates a new “Canadian retiree visa” (non-immigrant visa) that allows Canadians who are: (1) over age 50 (with derivative benefits to a spouse and minor children); (2) who can show that they own a residence in the United States or have purchased rental or hotel accommodations in the United States for the duration of their stay; and (3) are not otherwise inadmissible – to have a visa that lasts 240 days, and is renewable every 3 years
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alfredmay
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10/24/11 01:33pm |
Snowbirds
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