Jeff Miller wrote:
will he be fishing with us?

maybe on Sat and Sun, depends on where the travel plans take us.

btw, isn't it the truth that most salaried folks - esp. teachers -
get a refund
because they know they haven't the ability or discipline to save,
don't
make enough to save and pay expenses of living, and won't have the
funds
to pay the tax due on april 15, so they select all the withholding
possible...?

I think there's some merit to your thoughts along with an unrational
fear of the IRS. Back when I used to prepare tax returns for the
masses, I had several folks who thought that paying the taxman on 4/15
increased their chances for an audit. The IRS doesn't help with their
increased audit scrutiny on low income households getting the earned
income credit.

Most folks do not get bonuses and stock options, getting a big refund
is their chance to make a big purchase and pay cash for it, or to pay
off bills accumulated from Christmas and other area lead to it. Even if
they received no interest on the money. They can not fanthom the
difference between letting ones employer over with hold income tax
payments vis a vis having the employer send the money to a savings
account on a periodic basis.

If you're a share holder of H&R Block, it's a good deal for you.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
ups.com...

...Most folks do not get bonuses and stock options, getting a big refund
is their chance to make a big purchase and pay cash for it, or to pay
off bills accumulated from Christmas and other area lead to it. Even if
they received no interest on the money. They can not fanthom the
difference between letting ones employer over with hold income tax
payments vis a vis having the employer send the money to a savings
account on a periodic basis...

For many of us the difference between letting the feds hold it versus a bank
is inconseqential. At 1.25% or so, the yield on $500 is small enough that
even those of us with a connection to educational institutions can afford to
be blasé. :)

Wolfgang
who, nevertheless, balks at letting the *******s touch anything that isn't
due them.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 08:54:06 -0500, "Wolfgang"
wrote:


"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
oups.com...

...Most folks do not get bonuses and stock options, getting a big refund
is their chance to make a big purchase and pay cash for it, or to pay
off bills accumulated from Christmas and other area lead to it. Even if
they received no interest on the money. They can not fanthom the
difference between letting ones employer over with hold income tax
payments vis a vis having the employer send the money to a savings
account on a periodic basis...

For many of us the difference between letting the feds hold it versus a bank
is inconseqential. At 1.25% or so, the yield on $500 is small enough that
even those of us with a connection to educational institutions can afford to
be blasé. :)

Wolfgang
who, nevertheless, balks at letting the *******s touch anything that isn't
due them.

I like my withholding to be on the high side. We get about 2K back
from the feds. If I had the money put into a savings acount it would
probably earning a whopping $20 or so over the year. By getting the
money back in February I can cover the higher costs that go with
winter here in the Lower Great White North i.e. heating and property
taxes.

g.c.

Jonathan Cook wrote:
Kevin Vang wrote:


A great many of the students
have shockingly poor math skills


Hear, hear.

I recently read a news article that said far fewer foreign students from
places like India and China are coming to study in the US, evidently
because of the severe restrictions imposed after 9/11, among other
things. So, it's only going to get worse.

BTW, when a foreign student applies for a visa, he/she is required to
sign a form stating that he/she has no intention of staying in the US
after his/her education. How stupid is that?

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote:
Jonathan Cook wrote:
Kevin Vang wrote:
A great many of the students
have shockingly poor math skills

Hear, hear.

I recently read a news article that said far fewer foreign students from
places like India and China are coming to study in the US, evidently
because of the severe restrictions imposed after 9/11, among other
things. So, it's only going to get worse.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Why on earth should the US taxpayer pay for the post-graduate
education of foreign students ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
rw wrote:

Jonathan Cook wrote:

Kevin Vang wrote:

A great many of the students
have shockingly poor math skills


Hear, hear.


I recently read a news article that said far fewer foreign students
from places like India and China are coming to study in the US,
evidently because of the severe restrictions imposed after 9/11, among
other things. So, it's only going to get worse.


You say that like it's a bad thing.

Why on earth should the US taxpayer pay for the post-graduate
education of foreign students ?

What makes you think that US taxpayers are paying for post-graduate
education of foreign students?

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

In article ,
lid says...
rw wrote:
Jonathan Cook wrote:
Kevin Vang wrote:
A great many of the students
have shockingly poor math skills

Hear, hear.

I recently read a news article that said far fewer foreign students from
places like India and China are coming to study in the US, evidently
because of the severe restrictions imposed after 9/11, among other
things. So, it's only going to get worse.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Why on earth should the US taxpayer pay for the post-graduate
education of foreign students ?

1- They don't. Foreign students pay out of state rates.
2- Jobs go where the educated people are. American students are not
getting advanced degrees (especially in technical fields). The more
foreigners we can get to come here and stay here the more likely the
jobs will stay here.

Ideally we'd find a way to encourage American students to step up and
get those degrees, but the vast majority of American students they
get the Bachelors and get out.

It's tough to blame them either:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/pf/c...ies/index.htm?
cnn=yes

Making $50K/year starting with just a BS is mighty tempting.
- Ken

In article ,
lid says...
wrote:
lid says...
Why on earth should the US taxpayer pay for the post-graduate
education of foreign students ?

1- They don't. Foreign students pay out of state rates.

None of the grad students in engineering and the "hard sciences"
here at Illinois, foreign or domestic, *pay* anything at all.
They all have fellowships and subsidized "assistantships" that
actually pay *them* a small pittance.

"None" is a little too all enclusive. I've known plenty of grad
students not receiving the small pittance.

Neglecting that: The work done for Tuition waiver + small pittance
is always a net win for the university. Unless you want to be arguing
from the standpoint of university athletics net win, but
research/teaching assistantships net loss?

- Ken

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
wrote:

lid says...

Why on earth should the US taxpayer pay for the post-graduate
education of foreign students ?


1- They don't. Foreign students pay out of state rates.


None of the grad students in engineering and the "hard sciences"
here at Illinois, foreign or domestic, *pay* anything at all.
They all have fellowships and subsidized "assistantships" that
actually pay *them* a small pittance.

Now if those foreign students from India and China are coming
here to get graduate degrees in English Literature they may
actually have to *pay* something, but the vast majority of them
are sucking on Uncle Sugar's tit.

Even if you have a fellowship or an assistantship (working for slave
wages), you still pay tuition. The typical foreign graduate student I
knew when I was in grad school was subsidized by either his government
or his family or both.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.