#Public Adjuster Fees Pennsylvania | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

securecheck360 · 5 years

Text

Top State and Local Tax Policies of 2020

To state that 2018 and 2019 were “big years” in state tax policy would be an incredible modest representation of the truth. With a significant upgrade of government individual and corporate annual expense frameworks in December 2017, trailed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s South Dakota v. Wayfair decision impacting inter-state sales tax collections the following June, states have spent the past two years reacting to major federal policy changes, in addition to enacting many of their state-specific reforms.

While many state responses to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and the Wayfair decision has already taken effect several additional policy changes, whether reactions to federal law or otherwise, are slated to take effect as we ring in the new year on January 1, 2020. Altogether, 34 states have major tax changes taking effect at the start of the new calendar year.

KEY FINDINGS

Ø Thirty-four states have major tax changes taking effect on 1st January 2020.

Ø Arkansas, Tennessee and Massachusetts will each see reductions in their individual income tax rates.

Ø Five states (Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio) will see notable changes to their individual income tax bases.

Ø Corporate income, capital stock, franchise, or similar taxes on businesses or financial institutions will decrease or be eliminated in six states (Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Mississippi) but will increase in two states (New Jersey and Washington).

Ø Oregon will implement a new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT), which is a modified gross receipts tax (GRT).

Ø Florida is the lone state with a general sales tax rate change (a reduction).

Ø Five states will see changes to their estate taxes. Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and New York will see increases in their estate tax exemptions (taxpayer-friendly provisions), while Hawaii’s estate tax will become more burdensome.

Ø Two states (Illinois and Louisiana) will implement new excise taxes on cannabis products.

Ø Three states (Maine, Nevada, and New Hampshire) will begin applying excise taxes to vapor products.

Ø Four states (Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) will begin requiring marketplace facilitators to collect sales taxes.

Ø Three states (Arizona, Georgia, and Washington) will modify the economic nexus threshold in their remote sales tax collection requirements.

Ø Two states (Hawaii and Pennsylvania) will begin using Wayfair-like standards to determine economic nexus for income tax purposes.

Ø Two states (Connecticut and Virginia) will see notable changes to their sales tax base. (Connecticut’s sales tax base will broaden to additional consumer goods and services, while Virginia’s base will become narrower).

Ø Six states (Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Tennessee) will see various changes to their corporate income tax base or appointment formulas.

Ø Various road user taxes and fees will change in Kansas and Nevada.

The Individual and Corporate Income Tax Rate Changes Effective January 1, 2020

State

Top Rate (2019)

Number of Brackets(2019)

Top Rate (2020)

Number of Brackets (2020)

Individual Income Tax

Arkansas

6% (middle-income earners); 6.9% (high-income earners)

6 (middle-income earners); 6 (high-income earners)

5.9% (middle-income earners); 6.6% (high-income earners)

6 )Middle-income earners);

4 (high-income earners)

Tennessee

2% (investment income only)

Single rate tax

1% (investment income only)

Single rate tax

Massachusetts

5.05%

Single-rate tax

5.00%

Single-rate tax

Corporate Income Tax

Florida

4.458%

Single-rate tax

4.458%

Single rate tax

Missouri

6.25%

Single rate tax

4.0%

Single rate tax

New Jersey

11.5% (including a 9% base rate and a 2.5% surcharge)

10.5% (including a 9 % base rate and a 1.5% surcharge)

Note: The corporate income and franchise tax rates in Florida were set to revert to the 2018 rate of 5.5%, but the legislation was enacted extending the 2019 rates to 2020 and 2021. Source: State statutes.

Arizona: Arizona adopted an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) conformity bill, House Bill 2757, in May 2019, which also included adjustments to the state’s Wayfair response. While several of this law’s provisions were retroactive and have already taken effect, a change in the safe harbor for small remote sellers will take effect on January 1, 2020. Specifically, the de minimis exemption for remote sellers will drop from $200,000 to $150,000. Remote sellers exceeding this amount in direct sales into Arizona for the current or previous calendar year are required to collect the transaction privilege tax (TPT), Arizona’s unique sales tax. This safe harbor is scheduled to drop even further, to $100,000, in 2021.

Arkansas: Arkansas recently enacted a series of tax reforms that will continue phasing in the new-year. Arkansas is unique among states in that it has three entirely different individual income tax rate schedules depending on total taxable income. As the taxpayer’s income rises, they not only face higher marginal rates but also shift into an entirely different rate schedule. In the new-year, Arkansas individual income tax rates schedule for high earners, which currently has six marginal income brackets, will be consolidated into four brackets, and the top marginal rate will drop from 6.9 to 6.6 percent. In 2021, this top rate will be reduced even further, to 5.9 percent. For those subject to the middle rate schedule, the top rate will decrease from 6.0 to 5.9 percent this January. On the corporate tax front, the net operating loss (NOL) carryforward period will increase from five to eight years in 2020 and to 10 years in 2021.

Arkansas Individual Income Tax Rates (2020)

Total Income Under $22,200

Total Income Between $22,200 and $79,300

Total Income Above $79,300

Income Bracket

Tax Rate

Income Bracket

Tax Rate

Income Bracket

Tax Rate

$0-$4,499

0.0%

$0-$4,499

0.75%

$0-$4,000

2.0%

$4,500-$8,899

2.0%

$4500-$8,899

2.50%

$4,001-$8,000

4.0%

$8,900-$13,399

3.0%

$8,900-$13,399

3.50%

$8,001- $79,300

5.9%

$13,400-$22,199

3.4%

$13,400-$22,199

4.50%

$79,301+

6.6%

$22,200-$37,199

5.00%

$37,200-$79,300

5.90

Note: The exact brackets will change slightly due to Arkansas’ policy inflation-adjusting its brackets annually.

Source: Act 182, Arkansas 2019.

Connecticut: Connecticut’s budget for fiscal years 2020-21, which Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed into law in June, includes several tax changes that will take effect on January 1st. One such change is that Connecticut will no longer levy a Business Entity Tax (BET). Previously, owners of S corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), and partnerships paid this tax every other year in the amount of $250. Further, effective January 1st, additional select services will be included in Connecticut’s sales tax base, including parking garages, meters, and related parking services: interior design services; dry cleaning and laundry services (excluding coin-operated laundry services).

Florida: In March 2018, legislation was enacted in Florida to trigger corporate income and franchise tax rate reductions for the 2019 tax year if Florida 2019 tax collections exceeded adjusted forecasted collections by at least 7%. In June 2019, legislation was enacted to extend the trigger to also be available in tax years 2020 and 2021. As a result, in September, the Department of Revenue announced that the corporate income and franchise tax rates would indeed be reduced, from 5.5 to 4.458 percent, retroactive to January 1, 2019, and effective for tax years 2020 and 2021. Further reductions for 2020 and 2021 are possible depending on actual collections for those years. Moreover, effective 1st January, the commercial lease tax, a special sales tax remitted by commercial real estate owners but paid by their tenants, will drop from 5.7 to 5.5 percent.

Georgia: House Bill 182, signed into law in April 2019, reduced Georgia’s de Minimis exemption for small remote sellers from $250,000 to $100,000, effective 1st January 2020.

Hawaii: As of the first of the year, Hawaii will require marketplace facilitators to collect and remit its General Excise Tax (the state sales tax) when those marketplace facilitators have $100,000 or more in income sourced to Hawaii or at least 200 transactions in the state. Hawaii also becomes the first state to align its income tax economic standards with its Wayfair safe harbor. Senate Bill 495, enacted in July 2019, requires income tax filing for any individual, estate, or business with 200 or more transactions or more than $100,000 in sales into Hawaii. Also, Act 3, signed into law in April, created a new estate tax bracket, taxing estates valued above $10 million at a rate of 20 percent. This new rate applies to decedents dying in 2020.

Illinois: Illinois has several tax changes taking effect in January, including a marketplace facilitator sales tax collection law, a marijuana excise tax, a parking excise tax, and the phase-out of the franchise tax. As of the first of the year, marketplace facilitators will be required to collect Illinois sales tax when those facilitators have $100,000 or more in sales or at least 200 transactions in the state. Public Act 101-0027, signed into law in June, creates a legal market for recreational marijuana and imposes various excise taxes. These taxes include a 7 percent tax on wholesale sales made to dispensaries, as well as retail excise taxes of 10 percent, 20 percent, or 25 percent depending on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content or product type. A local option tax of up to 3% will not take effect until July 2020. The new excise tax on parking services will be paid by drivers for the privilege of parking in a designated space, garage, or another area. The tax will be imposed at a rate of 6 percent of the purchase price for hourly, daily, or weekly parking spaces and 9 percent of the purchase price of parking on a monthly or annual basis. Finally, Illinois franchise tax, which has historically been imposed on C corporations doing business in Illinois, will be phased out between 2020 and 2023. In 2020, the first $30 in franchise tax liability will be exempted, and by 2024, no tax will be owed.

Indiana: Indiana’s financial institution’s tax rate will fall from 6.25 to 6.0 percent in 2020 under a phase-down that will reduce the rate to 4.9 percent by 2023. The state’s corporate income tax rates are on a similar phasedown schedule, but rates change each July, not in January.

Iowa: As of January 1st, Iowa will fully conform to federal expensing provisions under IRC section 179, while conforming to the federal repeal of the deferral of gain or loss for the like-kind exchange of property. Iowa will also begin conforming to the IRC on a rolling basis.

Kansas: In 2020, several Kansas individual income tax provisions will become more generous. Currently, Kansas offers five itemized deductions that are linked to the itemized deductions available under the federal code. While Kansas’ deduction for charitable contributions is already on par with the federal provision, other itemized deductions, including for qualified medical and dental expenses, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, and qualified residential interest and mortgage insurance premiums, were offered at a set percentage of the federal provisions. In 2020, these deductions will be offered at parity with federal provisions. Also, Kansas child and dependent care credit will be offered at 25% of the federal amount, up from 18.75 percent. Moreover, starting in January, hybrid and electric vehicles will be subject to annual license fees of $50 and $100, respectively.

Kentucky: House Bill 354, which was signed into law in March, specifies that certain businesses need not file a tangible personal property (TPP) tax return for TPP valued at $1,000 or less.

Louisiana: Act 247, signed into law in June, applies a 3 percent excise tax to the retail sale of cannabidiol (CBD) products.

Maine: As of January 1st, Maine’s earned income tax credit (EITC) will increase from 5 to 12 percent of the amount available under federal law, with a few additional modifications. On January 2nd rather than the 1st, Maine’s new vapor tax will take effect, levied at 43% of the whole price.

Maryland: Maryland is currently phasing in a new single sales factor apportionment formula for most corporate income. In 2020, the sales factor will be weighted more heavily than in 2019. The phase-in will be completed by the tax year 2022.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts single-rate individual income tax will decline from 5.05 to 5.0 percent, due to the state meeting revenue targets outlined in a tax trigger law that was passed in 2000. The state did, however, adopt a payroll tax, imposed in addition to the income tax, within the past year.

Michigan: In December, Michigan adopted a package of bills codifying preexisting remote sales tax collection regulations, including a de minimis exemption of $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions, as well as establishing sales tax collection requirements for marketplace facilitators. The marketplace facilitator law takes effect at the beginning of the year.

Minnesota: Legislation enacted in 2017 phased in an increase in the estate tax exemption, which will reach $3 million for 2020 and beyond.

Mississippi: Mississippi’s phase-down of its franchise tax, which began in 2018, will continue through 2028. In 2020, the rate will drop to 2.0 mills, down from 2.25 mills in 2019.

Missouri: Several of Missouri’s recent reforms will take effect on January 1st. Senate Bill 884, enacted in June 2018, reduces the corporate income tax rate from 6.25 to 4.0 percent starting in 2020. This change was partially paid for by requiring most corporations (except for specified industries) to use single sales factor appointment and market-based sourcing of service income, where, previously, they could select the more favorable of single sales factor or evenly weighted three-factor apportionment. Separately, Senate Bill 769, which was signed into law in July 2018, requires the franchise tax levied on financial institutions to be reduced by the same percentage as the corporate income tax. As a result, the franchise tax rate will be 4.48 percent instead of 7.0 percent moving forward.

Montana: Senate Bill 338, signed into law in May 2019, will increase Montana’s lodging sales tax from 3 to 4 percent on January 1st. This 4 percent lodging sales tax will be applied in addition to the existing 4 percent lodging facility use tax, bringing total lodging taxes to 8 percent.

Nevada: Senate Bill 48, signed into law in May 2019, authorizes counties to impose local diesel taxes of up to 5 cents per gallon, which may be levied starting on January 1st. In addition, a new fee for electric vehicle licenses will take effect, with an initial fee of $125 and a renewal fee of $80. Revenue will be dedicated to the State Highway Fund. Finally, Senate Bill 263, enacted in June 2019, imposes a 30 percent excise tax on the wholesale price of vapor products.

New Hampshire: In New Hampshire, vapor products will also be subject to excise taxes come January. “Closed cartridge” devices will be taxed at a rate of 30 cents per milliliter of liquid containing nicotine, and “open system” products will be taxed at 8 percent of the wholesale sales price of the container of liquid containing nicotine. Moreover, IRC conformity legislation enacted in September 2019 conforms to New Hampshire to the TCJA’s net interest limitation and includes 50 percent of global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) in the corporate tax base. House Bill 620, also adopted this past year, modifies the taxation of insurance premiums. Specifically, this legislation establishes a graduated fee schedule for insurance premium taxes (except for surplus lines policies, which will be taxed at a flat rate).

New Jersey: Assembly Bill 4202, enacted in July 2018, established an additional tax rate for taxpayers paying the Corporation Business Tax with taxable New Jersey net income above $1 million. This rate was set at 2.5 percent for 2018 and 2019 but partially sunset to 1.5 percent for 2020 and 2021, bringing the top rate from 11.5 to 10.5 percent, still higher than the 9 percent ordinary top marginal rate.

New Mexico: In April 2019, a large package of corporate tax changes (House Bill 6) was adopted. While different provisions carry different effective dates, as of January 1st, New Mexico will require mandatory worldwide combined reporting for unitary groups unless the group makes a water’s edge combined or consolidated group election under the federal code, in which case they can make such an election for New Mexico taxation purposes but must do so far at least seven years in a row.

New York: New York’s FY 2020 budget, signed into law in April 2019, includes an increase in the estate tax’s basic exclusion amount, raising it from $5.74 million to $5.85 million for 2020.

North Carolina: Senate Bill 557, enacted in November 2019, includes several tax changes. As of January 2020, the standard deduction will increase by 7.5 percent for all filing statuses, and market-based sourcing will be used to apportion income for purposes of calculating corporate income and franchise tax liability.

Ohio: Under its individual income tax system, Ohio applies different rates to business and non-business income. Currently, Ohio’s business income deduction (BID) allows pass-through business owners to deduct up to $250,000 in business income before applying the 3 percent tax rate such income. But under House Bill 166, Ohio’s biennial budget for FY’s 2020-21, attorneys and lobbyists will no longer be eligible for this favored treatment.

Oregon: House Bill 3427, signed into law in May 2019, created a new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT), making Oregon one of only two states (joining Delaware) to impose both corporate income tax and a gross receipts tax (GRT). Oregon’s CAT will apply to all business entities that have Oregon income above $1 million, and it will be imposed at a rate of 0.57 percent of Oregon’s gross receipts above $1 million, plus $250.

Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a bulletin in September 2019 establishing the Commonwealth’s new post- Wayfair remote sales tax threshold as the economic nexus thresholds for corporate tax purposes as well. As a result, starting in 2020, Pennsylvania will require businesses to file a Pennsylvania Corporate Net Income Tax (CNIT) return if they have $500,000 in gross receipts sourced to Pennsylvania, even if the business has no physical presence in the state. Previously, Pennsylvania was one of the few states to limit its corporate tax to businesses that established physical presence.

Tennessee: Tennessee’s Hall Tax which applies to investment income but not to wage income, will continue to phase out, with the rate dropping from 2 to 1 percent for 2020. Starting in 2021, Tennessee will be among the states with no individual income tax. In addition, Senate Bill 2119, signed into law in May 2018, decouples from the net interest limitation under IRC section 163(j), effective in January.

Utah: Just this month, the Utah legislature adopted a comprehensive tax reforms package that the governor has said he will sign. While the law will not be formally enacted until mid-February, the income tax rate changes will be retroactive to January 1st, 2020. The state flat individual and corporate income tax rates will both be reduced from 4.95 to 4.66 percent, and in April, the sales tax base will be broadened to select new goods and services.

Vermont: In June 2019, House Bill 541 was enacted, which phases in an increase to Vermont’s estate tax exemption. For 2020, the exemption will increase to $4.25 million, up from $2.75 million in 2019.

Virginia: House Bill 2540 and Senate Bill 1715, signed into law in March 2019, modify the classification of feminine hygiene products and diapers such that they will be taxed at a reduced state sales tax rate of 1.5 percent instead of the general state sales tax rate of 4.3 percent (the 1 percent local option sales tax rate will also apply, bringing the total tax rate on such products to 2.5 percent). Until now, only unprepared foods have been subject to the preferential state sales tax rate.

Washington: Substitute House Bill 2167, signed into law in May 2019, imposes an additional 1.2 percent business and occupation (B&O) tax on financial institutions that are members of a consolidated group having at least $1 billion in annual net income. In addition, Senate Bill 5581, signed into law in March 2019, modifies the state economic nexus statute to drop the 200 transactions threshold. Moving forward, remote sellers will only be required to collect the state sales tax if they have over $100,000 in sales into Washington, instead of the lesser of $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions.

Wisconsin: 2019 Wisconsin Act 10, enacted in July 2019, will take effect on January 1st. This new law requires a marketplace facilitator to meet the state economic nexus threshold of over $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions into Wisconsin.

Conclusion: This year was a significant one for state tax policy, and the wide range of changes taking effect January 1st 2020, reflects the scope and intensity of that activity. With states continuing to grapple with the taxation of international income, collections obligations for remote sellers and marketplace facilitators, and the potential new tax regimes for marijuana, vapor products, and sports betting (no tax changes for the latter taking effect yet on January 1st , 2020).

#tax #taxnews #taxseason #securecheck360 #state

2 notes · View notes

stephenhnatpublicadjuster · 3 years

Photo

How Much Does A Public Adjuster Cost?

What does it cost if you hire a Public Adjuster for a commercial or residential property insurance claim in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia or Maryland? You may be wondering how much it will cost to hire a public adjuster. What fees will you have to pay? How is the overall cost calculated? Stephen Hnat and Associates has provided a list of how the fees are structured below:

How Public Adjusters Fees are Structured – What You Need To Know

First, how every public adjuster charges is different. Sometimes states regulate how public adjusters can charge. You may want to reach out to your state Department of Insurance to see if there is any regulation on how a public adjuster can charge. Typically, there are three ways that a public adjuster can charge, which are contingency fees, flat rate and hourly.

Contingency Fee – By far this is the most common way that a Public Adjuster charges. The Public Adjuster charges a percentage fee based on their results, typically they charge 5% to 15% of the money they are able to recover for you. If they do not get a recovery fee, you do not owe the Public Adjuster anything.

Hourly Rate – This is not a typical way a Public Adjuster Charges, because it is hard to predict how many hours a claim will take to get resolved. Even if it appears to be simple and straightforward, once a claim is opened or reopened a lot can be discovered about a claim. The rate can vary based on type of loss, location of the loss, the type of policy covering the loss or the Public Adjusters' experience.

Flat Fee – Again this is not a typical way that a Public Adjuster, but in certain types claims it might be used. An example might be a very large loss where the claim is straight forward.

Need A Residential Or Commercial Public Adjuster In Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia or Maryland? We’re Here To Help!

As experienced commercial and residential public adjusters, the team at Stephen Hnat & Associates can help you get the help you need to maximize payout, expedite restoration, and reduce frustration. Contact us now to get started.

(412) 276-5555

https://getinsuranceclaimhelp.com/

#houseinsuranceclaim

#houseclaim

#publicadjuster

#publicinsuranceadjuster

#propertydamageclaim

0 notes

wineanddinosaur · 3 years

Text

VinePair Podcast: Wine Has a Bad Language Problem

This week on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam Teeter, Zach Geballe, and Joanna Sciarrino discuss how the language of wine tasting notes has created a gatekeeping effect in the industry. After listing what they have been drinking recently — including a Pennsylvania Nebbiolo — our hosts dive into a discussion about the pretension of many wine descriptors.

That conversation leads into the hosts’ opinions about how wine tasting notes often alienate people who are just getting into wine. This particular Eurocentric language creates a barrier for entry into wine, which can be intimidating to some and a turn-off for others. Instead, Geballe, Sciarrino, and Teeter believe that professionals should take a step back and allow consumers to make their own decisions about wine.

If you have any thoughts on wine language, please send your ideas to [email protected].

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Adam Teeter: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I’m Adam Teeter.

Joanna Sciarrino: I’m Joanna Sciarrino.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” Zach and Joanna, how were your holiday weekends? What’s going on?

J: Do you want to take it, Zach?

Z: Oh sure.

A: He never misses a chance to be called on first.

Z: Well, I just follow the lead. Anyway, my weekend was nice. We had a pretty low-key fourth. We had a few of my cousins over for what my wife, who is from Wisconsin, refers to as “cooking out.” I refer to it as grilling. Whatever, it’s cool. It was pretty casual. The Fourth of July is a rough night for my dog, which is unfortunate, but he did OK. It was nice that my wife had a four-day weekend, which is cool. Yesterday, she said, “We gotta go back to work.” That just means her office. Still, it’s an adjustment for all of us. But it was nice to drink a lot of rosé over the weekend. It was warm, sunny, and just good weather for rosé. We also had some chilled reds from northern Italy. It was lovely. Joanna, what did you do?

J: Nice. So our Fourth of July was also very low-key. We just hung out at home and on our roof for a little bit. We also grabbed dinner at a local restaurant. We also had some rosé and had some more Tip Top Proper Cocktails, which I love. I really like them. I also had a really good, Oaxaca Old Fashioned.

A: Very cool, so my Fourth of July was good and also not good. On the good front, I had some really delicious wine. My wife is from Lancaster, Pa., and we brought some really cool wines with us. Keith, who is VinePair’s tastings director, and his wife Gina came along, and we had a bottle of Biondi Santi that was incredible. We also actually had a really great wine that’s made in Pennsylvania. It’s called Vox Vineti. He was a big wine lover from Manhattan, moved to Pennsylvania, found this amazing piece of property, and is making Nebbiolo and things like that, which was awesome. On the not-so-good front, I wasn’t sure I was going to talk about this, but I think I need to. That night of the Fourth of July, we were playing with fireworks in the front yard with the whole neighborhood. This guy across the street came out and yelled f*****g Jews at us and it wasn’t the first time that I have experienced anti-Semitism in my life, but it was pretty jarring. It reminded me of the two times recently I have experienced it in our industry. Once, an Amarone producer told me, without knowing I was Jewish, that the reason his Amarone prices were falling was that the Jews control the markets. Another time when I was in Chile, a wine producer said to me that the reason Chile is known for cheap wine is because of the Jews. I thought about that and thought this is completely unacceptable. The fact that this person felt it was OK to yell at us, and he had no clue that we were Jewish. Besides the fact that my in-laws are, but they’re not outwardly looking Jewish at all, meaning that they’re not religious. They don’t wear any head coverings, etc. He still chose to yell that at us anyway. Keith and Gina, obviously, are not Jewish. Then, the fact that these two producers have said these things to me prior to Covid as a “we know the truth,” right? I felt that I needed to say something because it’s completely unacceptable and absolutely ridiculous. We’re talking about all these other times where we want to root out all the huge issues in our drinking culture, whether it’s sexism, racism, xenophobia, etc. I believe that when this happened to me, I had not spoken up in the past. In both those situations, I didn’t say anything. This weekend made me regret that. I wanted to protect the publicist, who apologized for the winemaker who said it. I wanted to look the other way. At this point, I’m not going to protect those people anymore. Actually, the publicist who wanted to protect that winemaker, I’m pretty disappointed, still has that winery as a client, which is not cool. Anyways, not to take us down a weird path, but it was just something that I’ve been thinking about since it happened on Sunday. It weirdly ended my Fourth of July weekend, and it needed to be somewhat brought up because we all have to talk about these things or they’re just not going to go away.

J: I’m really sorry that happened to you. That sucks.

A: It was nuts.

J: It’s really disgusting.

Z: Adam, I think you and I have talked off-air about this before, but I, too, have been subjected to anti-Semitism. I have also been present when those things have been said when someone doesn’t necessarily know that I’m Jewish, and it’s awkward. It’s both offensive and awkward. For me, it’s often been hardest with “jokes,” where you think, “Do I want to be that person who makes a big deal about this?” One time in particular, I came very close to saying something, and I regret not doing it. I also think it’s one of those things where sometimes, you make a decision where the person telling the joke that’s inappropriate is frankly, someone who passed away within the next year and was quite old. Then, is this really worth getting into? I don’t know what it is. You end up in this place where you just recognize it. It also reminds you that this thinking, these beliefs, whether it is anti-Semitism or bigotry of all other kinds, it is there. Frankly, I’ve thought in my life that when someone says something in that vein, I know where they stand. They never say anything and they’re just thinking it real hard, you know where you’re at with that person. When they open their mouths and say something like that, now I know this is how you feel about me, women, or people of color. Obviously, this happens in a lot of ways and I know that many of our listeners have been present or victim to this, so it’s obviously not just anti-Semitism. For you and me, Adam, we’ve experienced it personally.

A: Yeah, exactly. I would assume a lot of our listeners have experienced this in another form, whether it’s sexism, racism, etc., and it’s just not appropriate. It’s not OK. If you are listening, and this happened to you, it can be really scary to say something in the moment, right? You don’t want to say something. I think whether you address it later or you talk to people who are involved, it is important if you believe you can. I think it’s important for people who represent these people. If you have a client, I understand that’s revenue, but if you have a client that is doing these things or is saying these things, it’s a reflection on you if you continue to work with them, and in this regard when it was the winemaker from Italy, “Oh, he’s just their export manager. He’s just one of the brothers.” He’s the export manager?! Come on, that means he deals with people publicly all the time and that reflects on that winery. You shouldn’t be working with them anymore, regardless of what fees they pay. Again, we have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, over the past five years, there’s been an acceptance of saying these things again. Hopefully, we’re moving away from that, but there definitely seems to still be a large number of people who are very emboldened to say very hateful things to people — whether they know or don’t know those people are part of those groups. It’s not cool. It’s just not cool. Anyways, I will change the subject so we don’t only talk about this for the rest of the episode and get into a different one which is also equally, I think, about acceptance and trying to make things more inclusive to all people. Zach, I’ll let you jump into our topic for today.

Z: Yeah, so this started as a thought in my head that that’s been getting more concrete over the last couple of years, and it’s come from a lot of teaching and working with the public on wine in particular. Unfortunately, the wine industry — and I think you see this spilling out into beer and spirits, too — there is this emphasis on really specific almost comical tasting notes as well as European-centric, too. What I mean by this is if you go look at the tasting notes for a wine and it says “late season blackberry compote and spring sandalwood,” that is the type of language that I think all of us in one way or another roll our eyes at in a sense. It also has this really pernicious effect, which in my opinion, at least, it really gives casual wine drinkers and people who work in the trade, this sense that every wine is a test, and all of us fail. One, picking out all of those tasting notes is often being pulled out of someone’s ass, to be completely honest. You’ve got to write a paragraph about wine if you’re a reviewer or if you’re the person creating the shelf talkers for the winery or for the distributor. You’ve got to say something, and there’s only so many ways to describe wine. There are only so many flavors and aromas. There are a lot of them, but in the end, how many different ways can you say blackberry? Again, it creates this idea that these flavors, these aromas, are not just present in the wine, but distinguishable for everyone. If you drink this one, you should get these notes. That’s the perception that the industry gives off. It is not true and also serves to alienate people. I was just pouring at a public event the other day, and people asked, “What should I be getting in this wine?” I mean, just drink it. You can tell me what you think, but this isn’t a test. I don’t have a scoresheet here. I’m not looking to grade how good of a wine drinker you are. I’m really disinterested in that entirely. Again, this idea that every wine is a test for people is the one that I really want to see go away. Joanna, since you’re someone who is newer to wine, I would love to know from you if this rings true. Is something that you have experienced?

J: Yeah, that’s a good question. My initial thought when I’m tasting wine is what I taste, versus what I think I’m supposed to taste. Seeing something that says “marionberry,” maybe I can pick up some berry qualities or berry on the palate. I’m not necessarily looking to those descriptors to inform how it tastes for me. If I can taste a wine and then identify something that’s been written, great. But I also understand what you’re saying, Zach. I think for people, especially people who are trying to educate themselves about wine, people who are attending classes, I understand this desire to be able to taste what a professional says you should taste. I also see where that’s problematic because that leaves it to your own palate and what you’ve tasted. If you haven’t tasted a marionberry, which I don’t actually think I have, then you’re excluded from that experience, right?

A: Well, when you see these tasting notes, do you find them to be intimidating? I’ve definitely heard that from people who are getting into wine that’s what has always intimidated them to begin with. Or do you just think that they’re pointless?

J: Actually, what I find more intimidating in some of these other descriptors. I don’t know what a chewy wine is. What is a crunchy wine? I don’t know what that is, so that’s when I feel stupid.

A: No, I agree. An issue with wine is that it’s created this language for itself over years and years of writing about it. People collect it and make it, which is great, but it does then create a barrier to entry. The only challenge that I would posit, which is something that I think Zach and I have talked about before, is that I think a lot of people lose in wine like that barrier. That barrier to entry means that not everyone can enter the luxury market. I mean, think about it this way. If you’re talking about handbags…

Z: Adam’s favorite comparison!

A: I haven’t talked about this in the past?!

Z: Yes, you have.

A: No, I haven’t.

Z: Oh, yes, you have.

A: Whatever, so not everyone’s allowed to buy a Birkin bag. You have to walk into Hermès and you have to ask a certain way. Then, they have to size you up and then they’ll let you buy a Birkin. It’s an elite club. When you have the Birkin, you are known as someone who was able to buy a Birkin. I think in a lot of ways, the way we talk about wine is, are you in the know, or are you not? I’m going to say things in a way such as, are you going to appreciate this wine, or are you just buying it because it’s expensive? I had a similar experience recently where I went out to dinner with some people and we went to a very nice restaurant in Manhattan, Le Bernardin. I ordered a bottle of wine, and the wine came to the table. It was from an area of Burgundy that is not known for having the best Pinot Noirs, but if you’re on this specific spot in this area, you actually might as well be in one of the best areas of Burgundy for Pinot. The two people that I was with love wine, but don’t know a lot about or don’t speak the language. They asked, “Hey, can you tell us what wine?” The server just went off this laundry list of all these random descriptors and said what I said, but almost making them think that the wine was a diamond in the rough, but in a really weird way that totally overwhelmed them. All they were looking for him to say is “Oh, the producer is this person. They’re really known for making whatever and the wines f*cking delicious.” That’s all they were looking for. When he left, they were saying it was like he was testing them and did they understand what he’s saying? That’s what I’ve always wondered with wine: Is it both? First of all, to become really versed in wine, you are almost forced to learn all these descriptors and all these ways to talk about it because you want to be able to have these conversations with other people in the know. So it’s a way to challenge people, but then it’s also this barrier for a lot of people. Joanna, as you were saying before we started recording, it also doesn’t take into account the experiences of so many people who are currently coming into wine who have different aroma experiences, have different cuisine experiences than this traditional, very much French, Eurocentric way that we have always talked about wine.

Z: I think you make a good point, Adam, about a segment of the wine industry reveling in some sense in the way that the language creates a barrier to entry. Tasting notes like I’ve described are ubiquitous. You see them on $7 bottles of wine as much as you see them on $700 bottles of wine. It’s not just a high-end problem. I think it’s an all-of-wine problem. To me, it comes back to a fundamental issue that we have in the industry. If we want to talk about wine in a way that is accessible to people but also not the opposite. Sometimes, when it’s just like, “This wine is good,” I find that to be a little bit “eh, fine.” I think there is a middle ground to find and it’s maybe a middle ground of accepting that most people, given their life experience, may not be able to distinguish between blackberry, marionberry, loganberry, and boysenberry, but they probably have had berries before. They have some sense of that. Maybe they can’t tell you the difference between all these different pears but they’ve had a pear before. It’s about simplifying the language. Will there be a little bit of nuance lost? Yes, but I honestly think that a lot of those nuances are in the eye of the beholder in the first place. One person’s ripe pear is another person’s tart pear. It’s very hard to objectively discern these things, in my opinion. At the same time, to talk about other parts of the wine experience and the impact of the wine on us that often doesn’t get mentioned in tasting notes. They get talked about some in professional circles, and they’re adjacent to the things you both recoiled against — chewy and crunchy — but they are more about the texture of the wine. One of the reasons why I think it’s so important to talk about texture when it comes to wine and anything that we drink is because for so many of us, the things that we like and don’t like, have a lot more to do with texture than flavor. Yes, some flavors are off-putting, but I see this because I have a child, and I’m seeing him learn what he does and doesn’t like. It’s so much more about the texture of a thing than the flavor of a thing because flavors are malleable. We can learn to appreciate new flavors but if you don’t like mushy things, you’re never going to like a banana. It doesn’t matter what the banana tastes like, the texture of the thing is the problem. Wine, too, has lots of different textures that have to do with the ripeness of the grapes, the level of alcohol, residual sugar, the tannins — all these things and more. Yet, that element of wine is not mentioned, or it’s given an opaque term such as crunchy or chewy. I could sit here and try to explain to you what those things mean, but the point is we could talk a lot more interesting notes in descriptions of wine. I think it would be good for everyone in the industry to talk much more about the actual physical sensations of having the wine and waste a lot less time talking about ephemeral and very hard to define aromas and flavors. A wine that’s high in tannin is going to have the exact same physiological impact on everyone who drinks it because it’s just a physical and chemical reaction in your mouth. It’s not based on a memory. If you didn’t have red currants when you were a kid, and you don’t know what the f**k a red currant tastes like, it might as well be gibberish. Everyone can recognize, if they pay attention to it — part of it is paying attention to, of course — what their physical tactile senses are telling them. We have to be willing to talk about those things. I find them fascinating and interesting in how wine affects us in the same way that it’s interesting to talk about how alcohol affects us. And how over the course of an evening all the things we experience will be in some way affected by that. I don’t know, I get why the florid prose seems to sell bottles or sounds good or give someone something to do, but I just don’t think it does anyone any real good.

J: I also find that those types of descriptors — the more objective ones that perhaps more people experience — also feel intimidating. Almost as intimidating as saying something tastes like a rare fruit you’ve never had.

A: I agree with Joanna.

Z: I’m wondering if reading or hearing someone say it without any explanation is more alienating. I mean, someone can say this wine tastes like an anjou pear and you maybe not have had that, or I don’t remember how that is different from other pears, but you know it tastes like a pear, so you feel OK. And talking about a wine that is rich, oily, or wine that is really lean and linear. We need to learn what it means to have those wines, but I do think that there’s real value. Again, maybe this isn’t for every last person who drinks wine. Nothing is, but for people who want to learn a little more, I do think there’s real value in focusing or thinking about these more objective, chemically and physiologically derived experiences with wine than just emphasizing flavor. I think it is similar to the difference between al dente pasta and overcooked pasta. It’s the same thing, but our experience eating it is different, even though the noodles are the same either way.

A: If you want to talk about descriptors, good for you. That is, if you want to get more into wine, but I think the problem that we encounter all the time that we need to try to rectify is when you are someone who is selling wine or you are someone talking about wine to people who love wine but aren’t as geeky or learning, just say it’s f*cking good. I think that’s something that beer does much better than wine, and I think spirits do in a way, too. Also, don’t judge people for words they use because you think you know better than them. Again, a publication we will not name wrote a whole takedown of the word “smooth” recently. It’s not the people’s fault who used that word? Don’t be a f*cking prick. I get that you don’t like that word, but that word exists in so many other beverages. Oh, this whiskey is really smooth. Oh, this New England IPA is really smooth and fluffy. Of course people are going to apply it to wine, so get over it and try to understand why they like that.

Z: Many wineries have sold their wine based on the notion that it’s smooth. That was the selling point for a lot of California Merlot for a long time. It’s smooth, and with red blends, same thing.

A: Again, that’s where I question: Do you really want to make money? Do you really want to get other people into these beverages? Do you want to get them excited? If you did, you would amend your language and you would become more accessible. If you don’t, then you won’t. Don’t be upset at the companies that have decided they’re going to figure it out and do it. Don’t shake your fist at the sky and say, “Well, they’re big wine.” Well, they figured it out. They’re bringing more people into wine in general, and there’s something that’s awesome about that. I think we’d be much better off starting with, “The wine is really delicious. It’s super refreshing.” People know what refreshing is, right? When you talk about wine, say, “This is a very refreshing white wine. It might remind you of lemonade.” Most people know what lemonade tastes like. Or, “This is a great red wine with the steak that I see that you ordered.” Things like that, I think, are much better. The reason that gosh, now, a decade or more ago, someone like Gary Vaynerchuk had such success was he just was willing to say that these tasted like banana runts or this tasted like Juicy Fruit. I don’t think that there were more people in America who knew what Juicy Fruit tastes like. I don’t really remember what Juicy Fruit tastes like. I was not allowed to have a lot of candy growing up. I think they thought, oh, my gosh, he’s breaking the mold using candy and other things as opposed to Anjou pear, which I love that that’s what we’re using right now in this conversation. Anyways, it was just refreshing to people that he wasn’t scared to say it tasted like something else. At the end of the day, what’s so cool about wine is that wine tastes like what you remember so it’s all based on flavors you’ve had before. When you walk up to a consumer who’s getting into wine and say you’re going to have X, Y and Z, and they don’t taste those things, you just make them feel stupid. I don’t understand why there has to be such one-upmanship of what is good and what isn’t. For example, there was another thing that happened to me this last weekend.

Z: This was quite a weekend, my goodness.

A: I think it’s interesting because this goes back to what you guys are talking about. Keith and I went to this amazing producer, Vox Vineti. We had his Nebbiolo, which was really, really good, but it tastes much leaner, less tannic, and all that stuff. I posted it on Instagram and I had a few somms who slipped into my DMs, some of whom I’m not actually friends with, who just happened to follow me. They said there’s no way. Well, that is what my palate told me. Trust my palate or don’t, why are you arguing with me? That is exactly what my palate said it tasted like to me based on the fair amount I had because I like that style of wine. What’s the fight? Why does it matter? I posted that not trying to say that Pennsylvania is going to be the next source of the best Nebbiolo in the world. I didn’t say any of that. That’s the problem with wine that we need to get over. Don’t tell the consumers it tastes like strawberries, let them tell you what they think it tastes like. “I think it tastes good.” Awesome. Then, that’s how it tastes. “I think this tastes like boysenberry.” Sweet, I don’t know what boysenberry is, but good for you. ‘This reminds me of the red wine I used to drink with my grandmother.” Dope. “This is from Virginia, but it tastes like Bordeaux.” Awesome. People should just get to have their own experiences with wine and everyone else should shut the f**k up.

Z: Well, I think there’s also one last piece of this. There is this unfortunate belief that there are right wines and wrong wines, again, coming back to this notion of it not being a test. I found this a lot as a sommelier, so often with tables, they do want to be essentially told what you said, Adam: “This is really good f*cking wine.” I always train my servers and say that my job as the wine director is to make sure that all the wine is good. The point is you’re not going to ever get to the wine that you recommend to them as the right wine and all the other wines are the wrong wine. Well-made wine is well-made wine. If people like the broad-strokes style that it’s in, they’re probably going to like it. Yes, some people might be more particular than others. This is true in all things. However, at some point you get yourself, guests, and consumers in this headspace where they’re worried about being wrong or worried about making mistakes. That’s when they choose something else. They either step away or they go back to the same thing they always bought or ordered. It’s a language problem. It’s a marketing problem. It’s an attitudinal problem, for sure. It’s unfortunate because it’s pretty widely spread, but it’s also exciting to me because I think it is an area where you get people coming into wine from other places, from other backgrounds, other experiences where you do see people who don’t need this framing. They don’t need to play within this established benchmark and established lexicon that exists around wine in a very Eurocentric way. I think it’s super exciting to see people breaking out of that framework and using the verbiage that makes sense to them. That is connected to their life experiences, their sense memories, and the foods they eat. That’s fantastic, and I may or may not connect with all of it. It may not be in my lived experience, but wine and the wine industry would be all the richer for more of that and less of the same old shit that’s been written for the last 50, 60, 70 years.

A: Totally. I completely agree.

J: Yeah, and one last thing. Some of my favorite wine experiences that I’ve had are when I’ve been in a restaurant and expressed to a sommelier the types of flavors or wines that I like. Then, they would bring me something that they think I would like.

A: I agree. That’s how it should always be, right? I’ve had a wine recently that’s one of the trendy wines out of California right now. I don’t really love oak, so I didn’t really love this wine. Yet, a lot of people do right now, and that’s OK. Even with critics, the reason certain critics took off in the past and still have followings is they have palates that other people like. There’s a lot of other people in wine that don’t agree with those people’s palates and that’s also OK. We shouldn’t just make wine for one person’s palate. That was a huge mistake when everyone followed Parker, and we’re now correcting that. It’s OK if some wineries make that style of wine and his palate likes that style of wine and there’s a lot of people that like that style of wine. That’s OK. I just think that there’s so much variety in the world of beverages that we can all find things that are delicious. At the end of the day, it’s just as you said, Zach. It’s the job of the person selling that wine to just ensure that the person knows that it’s really good.

J: I think the more language we can use to describe wine, the better.

Z: Exactly.

A: I agree. Well, guys, this has been a great conversation, as always. I won’t be with you next week. You’re going to miss me so much.

Z: I also do want to hear, listeners, if you have thoughts on this. We love to get your feedback on anything, but particularly this topic in which we are trying to push the conversation forward in how we talk about and think about things like wine. Please email us at [email protected]. It’s really exciting to hear from you all, whether you agree or disagree, whether you think Adam’s Pennsylvania Nebbiolo is crap. Let us know.

A: Hey, hey, hey.

Z: Well, slide into his DMs for that, I guess. I’m sure it’s good. I would love to try it. I’m just saying.

A: I had some bottles.

Z: Oh, excellent.

A: I mean you are going to have such not a good conversation without me next week, but I hope it is at least a B-level conversation.

Z: We’ll see what we can do.

A: Talk to you guys later.

J: All right, bye.

Z: Sounds great.

Thanks so much for listening to the “VinePair Podcast.” If you love this show as much as we love making it, then please give us a rating or review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever it is you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show.

Now for the credits. VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and in Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe. He does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair co-founder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tastings director, who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who is instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening, and we’ll see you again.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Wine Has a Bad Language Problem appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-has-bad-language-problem/

0 notes

crestviewpas-blog · 2 years

Photo

Millions of dollars have been recovered for clients in New Jersey by Crestview Public Adjusters. Leave managing your personal insurance claims to the professionals. Crestview recovers MORE money while experiencing LESS stress. Let the professionals at Crestview Public Adjusters in New Jersey optimise your covered insurance claims while protecting your most valuable asset.

#Public Adjusters Nj #Public Adjuster Fees Pennsylvania #Public Adjusters In South Jersey #New Jersey Public Adjuster

0 notes

johnboothus · 3 years

Text

VinePair Podcast: Wine Has a Bad Language Problem

If you have any thoughts on wine language, please send your ideas to [email protected].

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Adam Teeter: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I’m Adam Teeter.

Joanna Sciarrino: I’m Joanna Sciarrino.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” Zach and Joanna, how were your holiday weekends? What’s going on?

J: Do you want to take it, Zach?

Z: Oh sure.

A: He never misses a chance to be called on first.

J: I’m really sorry that happened to you. That sucks.

A: It was nuts.

J: It’s really disgusting.

Z: Adam’s favorite comparison!

A: I haven’t talked about this in the past?!

Z: Yes, you have.

A: No, I haven’t.

Z: Oh, yes, you have.

A: I agree with Joanna.

Z: This was quite a weekend, my goodness.

A: Totally. I completely agree.

J: I think the more language we can use to describe wine, the better.

Z: Exactly.

A: I agree. Well, guys, this has been a great conversation, as always. I won’t be with you next week. You’re going to miss me so much.

A: Hey, hey, hey.

Z: Well, slide into his DMs for that, I guess. I’m sure it’s good. I would love to try it. I’m just saying.

A: I had some bottles.

Z: Oh, excellent.

A: I mean you are going to have such not a good conversation without me next week, but I hope it is at least a B-level conversation.

Z: We’ll see what we can do.

A: Talk to you guys later.

J: All right, bye.

Z: Sounds great.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Wine Has a Bad Language Problem appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-has-bad-language-problem/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/vinepair-podcast-wine-has-a-bad-language-problem

0 notes

beatricetate89-blog · 4 years

Text

meemic auto insurance michigan

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :insurancebestrates.top

meemic auto insurance michigan

meemic auto insurance michigan and he s just a good kid, too. He got his license michigan s own to pay the license to be and also got a car insurance and all kinds of other stuff on he s a good driver and has driving experience fine; his license is just fine, he has to be charged a fee to renew his driving record. I have no more life insurance to do things that we would care about the least much, even though if we had it because our mom s an agent but that we re not insured. I live in Ohio and I have a really good husband. He was involved in car accident. He was in a . He said they would issue, I told, he s been in it and he s been driving, he s been doing it, the next insurance, I was concerned about him, I was concerned about her and not this woman being here. I guess she s a very old thing she never got registered to insurance and didn t need a license from our first. meemic auto insurance michigan mb/o= I had to drop my license. I was in the hospital. Is my policy canceled. I want to buy my own insurance This is a complete review. Read what you are probably already aware of, how does your car insurance go ? Is my car insured? What if I got hit by someone who does not have car insurance? All that I want, is this what it will do to me. My quote for what I want is different than I get a quote for a different vehicle than I would pay for a different car. I want to know what will be the best coverage and costs for the future. This is not a question you really feel you should answer to understand what will be best for you if you get a car of the same name. Let’s see for sure, I have to ask will you insure my new car with the same insurance I had with my old car or would you cancel it if I get hit by one other. meemic auto insurance michigan is a little more affordable than we have seen with some other carriers. With the lowest prices for state minimums, a couple of points per dollar, you can expect to pay slightly less for a company with a bit more coverage. This is to add to the value of the insurance. We re seeing a change in auto insurance rates through the middle of the year. A little bit of auto insurance for a new driver might save a few dollars each month. While there is a trend in accidents, it is only rising at a rate of 12 percent and at a similar frequency across all age groups. We know that when it comes to auto insurance, it depends. Most young people just start driving, but insurance companies are going to want to see them in about six months. That may save a few dollars on car insurance, and if you don t have the cheapest rates in the area, you may have your back. Some companies will look at a vehicle accident in a year or so and adjust premiums..

Meemic Insurance Company Overview

Meemic Insurance Company Overview Secured with SHA-256 Encryption Many auto insurance companies consider your driving record as a potential rating factor when calculating your quote. With those data in mind, you still might feel less comfortable getting an auto insurance quote you ve paid for. The good news? Not if you re in an accident, which is just as true. The law for insurance is clear that if you have a good driving record, it doesn t matter what law in your hometown says. No matter where your record is, be sure to look into buying policies and keeping a proper driving record on all your vehicles. According to Michigan state law, you can t keep a “good” driving record of the same identity, type of vehicle, and value. You can t take out a policy so don’t drive it in public, and you can t be sued for.

FAQ: Meemic Insurance

FAQ: Meemic Insurance Agency, is an independent insurance agency in western Pennsylvania. We’re dedicated to educating our customers on the difference between an insurance policy and an agent’s advice on how best to protect their family. We’ll provide unbiased advice and ensure you get the coverage you need for your family. Insurance products are underwritten by Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, Mid-Century Insurance Company, Civic Property and Casualty Company, Exact Property and Casualty Company, Neighborhood Spirit Property and Casualty Company, Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Company, Mid-Century Insurance Company, Mid-Century Insurance Company of Texas, Mid-Century Insurance Company of Texas and Western National Insurance Company. We’ve partnered with our customers to provide their family with the best auto insurance rates and policies. Whether you need coverage for a newer car or want to begin your own policy.

Meemic Insurance Reviews And Ratings

Meemic Insurance Reviews And Ratings Review Platform Share This: As far as its life insurance reviews go, it’s an awesome company and a really solid option for your life insurance and coverage needs. However, at the end of the day, the fact that you have to renew and renew it and you lose it. There are a lot of different reasons for not renewing your policy. For example, you don’t have anything in the past. You’re applying for a new policy, and there’s a life insurance company out there that’s not going to give you a discount. You’re paying for a better insurance, especially for a life insurance policy. In this article, we have provided an overview of New World Life Insurance Co. and its products, their history, the most popular products, and their ratings. New Life Insurance, also known more as N.L.S.E. is a type of life.

Meemic Insurance Coverage

Meemic Insurance Coverage - We believe that everyone can find affordable car insurance rates, regardless of state of residence. For the most part, however, those without cars are far less likely to have a claim. As a result, it may often appear as if it is difficult to take out a car insurance policy for your car. As a result, getting insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies to be sure you are in the best possible position to meet your insurance needs is critical to making sure you have a perfect driving record for your family as well as avoid being labeled as a high risk driver. While many states provide liability coverage on a car insurance policy, the minimum coverage requires you to pay for all damages and injuries to others. In some states, drivers can even be fined if they cause a collision. A common situation in which a driver’s insurance can provide coverage is if they hit another vehicle and total the vehicle. In those circumstances, the policy will only carry limited coverage while a collision is involved..

More On Insurance:

More On Insurance: If you were to need a medical bill today, or need hospital care today, you’re going to be dealing with your favorite charities, or charities that help to support others for the everyday. There are many organizations, such as the , that offer financial assistance to victims of the recent hurricanes, floods, and natural disasters. Some even offer scholarships and a salary for those victims who don’t have enough money to meet their goal of becoming independent. Other entities may offer financial assistance for your victims as well. For example, there is a that will provide financial assistance to your victims who are struggling to make their payments for medical treatment. When someone in your family takes a job as an RN, you are working as a paid administrative assistant, as you were when you started the job, and as a RN you’re also contributing to your employees’ expenses. There is a that is an insurance company that will help the family of a victim, and there are also a.

How Much Does Meemic Insurance Cost?

How Much Does Meemic Insurance Cost? As a layman, your insurance agent may try to save you from the pain of figuring out how much your insurance will cost you. But, unfortunately the same may not help you save that much. For the most part, you need to calculate the exact amount you’ll pay for insurance by. I recently found, for example, what you owe insurance for my young daughter’s future father — that’s a $8,000 /yr insurance fee. Why? Insurance is a form of financial responsibility. Insurance is a tool you can use to help manage the logistics of your life. You decide what kind of insurance you want, and then you’re free to choose the amount of insurance that’s right for you. For example, I can put $1,500 in my new car insurance policy. If the current insurance I have for that is $1,500, then that means that I paid $2,500 to insure it. If.

Our Verdict On Meemic Insurance Company

Our Verdict On Meemic Insurance Company is one of the most competitive insurance providers in the industry. They are very smart and they have strong ratings based upon financial strength and customer satisfaction ratings. I had my car destroyed by an uninsured motorist in Spring Creek, IL. I was able to get reimbursement for the insurance deductible, which was very low compared to other insurance companies I have dealt with over the years. The car was totaled and I paid out $1,900 to repair the rest of the cost minus the deductible. Since I have a small $2,100 deductible, I chose to go with a lesser priced carrier because better coverage doesn’t have to be included because of high deductible. The only way for a reasonable rate for them is to do some comparison quotes when you have a car to test prices from other companies. If you have a car to insure and you haven’t been in a car accident within a year or two you may be better off getting your own auto insurance company on your own. The other.

If you’re a teacher or educator, Meemic may be able to help you save on car insurance.

If you’re a teacher or educator, Meemic may be able to help you save on car insurance. Our insurance brokers are ready to help you save on your premium. Call for a FREE quote on your insurance today! Are you wondering how affordable will car insurance be for your next car? Our insurance advisors will help you find out. We know how important it is to take care of your car when possible and to make sure you’re covered, no matter what scenario that’s causing you extreme distress for it. That’s why we offer all of our car insurance discounts with plenty of ways to save, and keep you covered. Can you imagine it? We can. Can you imagine getting the car cover? And when it comes to saving on your car insurance quote? Call us now for a FREE car insurance quote and find the best deal on auto insurance to get you on the road with confidence. We only sell insurance products and to save you money. Otherwise ask. Can you hear me in here. My question is, can you give me the car and what happens.

0 notes

deniscollins · 4 years

Text

Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic, With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’

Costs have soared as colleges have spent millions on testing, tracing and quarantining students, only to face outbreaks. More than 214,000 cases this year at college campuses, with at least 75 deaths, mostly among adults last spring, but also including some students more recently. If you were a university president, which of the two strategies would you emphasize to balance budgets: (1) layoff faculty, or (2) eliminate the lowest enrollment programs? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Ohio Wesleyan University is eliminating 18 majors. The University of Florida’s trustees this month took the first steps toward letting the school furlough faculty. The University of California, Berkeley, has paused admissions to its Ph.D. programs in anthropology, sociology and art history.

As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion, with even Harvard University, despite its $41.9 billion endowment, reporting a $10 million deficit that has prompted belt tightening.

Though many colleges imposed stopgap measures such as hiring freezes and early retirements to save money in the spring, the persistence of the economic downturn is taking a devastating financial toll, pushing many to lay off or furlough employees, delay graduate admissions and even cut or consolidate core programs like liberal arts departments.

The University of South Florida announced this month that its college of education would become a graduate school only, phasing out undergraduate education degrees to help close a $6.8 million budget gap. In Ohio, the University of Akron, citing the coronavirus, successfully invoked a clause in its collective-bargaining agreement in September to supersede tenure rules and lay off 97 unionized faculty members.

“We haven’t seen a budget crisis like this in a generation,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall University associate professor of higher education who has been tracking the administrative response to the pandemic. “There’s nothing off-limits at this point.”

Even before the pandemic, colleges and universities were grappling with a growing financial crisis, brought on by years of shrinking state support, declining enrollment, and student concerns with skyrocketing tuition and burdensome debt. Now the coronavirus has amplified the financial trouble systemwide, though elite, well-endowed colleges seem sure to weather it with far less pain.

“We have been in aggressive recession management for 12 years — probably more than 12 years,” Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, told his board of governors this month as they voted to forge ahead with a proposal to merge a half-dozen small schools into two academic entities.

Once linchpins of social mobility in the state’s working-class coal towns, the 14 campuses in Pennsylvania’s system have lost roughly a fifth of their enrollment over the past decade. The proposal, long underway but made more urgent by pandemic losses, would merge Clarion, California, and Edinboro universities into one unit and Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities into another to serve a region whose demographics have changed.

Such pressures have reached critical mass throughout the country in the months since the pandemic hit. State governments from Washington to Connecticut, tightening their own belts, have told public universities to expect steep cuts in appropriations. Students and families, facing skyrocketing unemployment, have balked at the prospect of paying full fare for largely online instruction, opting instead for gap years or less expensive schools closer to home.

Costs have also soared as colleges have spent millions on testing, tracing and quarantining students, only to face outbreaks. A New York Times database has confirmed more than 214,000 cases this year at college campuses, with at least 75 deaths, mostly among adults last spring, but also including some students more recently.

Freshman enrollment is down more than 16 percent from last year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has reported — part of a 4 percent overall drop in undergraduate enrollment that is taking tuition revenue down with it.

In a letter to Congress last week, the American Council on Education and other higher education organizations estimated that the virus would cost institutions more than $120 billion in increased student aid, lost housing fees, forgone sports revenue, public health measures, learning technology and other adjustments.

And because donations to all but the heftiest endowments limit those funds to specific uses, most colleges cannot freely dip into them as emergency reserves. Harvard has the largest endowment in the nation, but its pandemic losses turned a $300 million-plus surplus in 2019 into a $10 million operating loss in 2020, according to an annual report posted last week, forcing the university to freeze hiring, slash capital spending and cut senior managers’ pay.

That has meant months of cutbacks, including abolishing athletic programs, deferring campus construction and laying off administrative staff and cafeteria workers. Scores of graduate programs, including some at elite research universities such as Harvard, Princeton and U.C. Berkeley, have temporarily stopped taking new Ph.D. students — the result of financial aid budgets strained by current doctoral candidates whose research is taking more time because of the pandemic.

A Chronicle of Higher Education database tracking the budgetary triage has documented more than 100 such suspended programs, from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts and Sciences, which will not take new school-funded doctoral students next fall, to Rice University, which paused admissions to all five of the Ph.D. programs in its school of humanities.

Most of the suspensions are in social sciences and humanities programs where the universities — rather than outside funders such as corporations, foundations and the federal government — typically underwrite the multiyear financial aid packages offered to doctoral students. University officials say the suspensions are necessary to ensure their strapped budgets can continue supporting students already in Ph.D. pipelines.

But Suzanne T. Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, noted that interrupting that pipeline could also have a lingering impact on the higher education work force, diverting promising students from low-income households, for example, or discouraging candidates who might bring much needed diversity to faculty rosters.

As it is, the pandemic has had an outsize impact on less affluent students: A survey of 292 private, nonprofit schools released this month by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities reported a nearly 8 percent decrease in enrollment among students who receive federal Pell Grants.

“A couple years off is not necessarily the end of the world and may even be a wise thing,” Ms. Ortega said. “But if our universities don’t remain in touch with those students, and connect with them, and encourage them to keep thinking about grad school, we could have our own lost generation of students who get busy with other things and then don’t fulfill their dreams.”

As schools exhaust the possibilities of trims around the margins, what is left, administrators say, is payroll, typically the largest line item in higher education. Since February, when the coronavirus hit, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that colleges and universities have shed more than 300,000 mostly nonfaculty jobs.

“Some of these institutions have redone their budgets three, four, five times,” said Jim Hundrieser, vice president for consulting and business development at the National Association of College and University Business Officers, a professional organization for finance officers in higher education.

“As this next chapter unfolds, what’s left is just staffing. For most, this will be the toughest round.”

In central New York, Ithaca College’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, La Jerne T. Cornish, said “there is no joy” as the school accelerated plans to cut 131 full-time faculty jobs, a result of declining enrollment exacerbated by the pandemic. Ms. Cornish said the school had already furloughed 167 nonfaculty staff members and offered early retirement to 30 faculty members to address an $8 million shortfall.

But, Ms. Cornish said, further action was needed to bring the payroll into line with enrollment declines.

Ohio Wesleyan’s president, Rock Jones, told students in a recent email that the university would eliminate or phase out majors in comparative literature, urban studies, journalism and 15 other subjects. The move, he wrote, would merge religion and philosophy into one department and lump Black studies and women’s studies into a single “critical identity studies” program, but also will save about $4 million and limit faculty layoffs to one tenured post.

The school’s plan followed a yearlong faculty-led review, but Mr. Kelchen, the higher education professor, said such consolidations often can allow institutions to downsize despite faculty job protections as well as encourage people in positions deemed redundant to take early retirement.

“Even if the faculty can stay on,” he said, “they’ll get reassigned, maybe to teach in another department or do administrative work.”

Other schools are laying the groundwork now for cuts they expect later. Trustees at the University of Florida took the first step in September to allow faculty furloughs to help close a projected $49 million shortfall from the coronavirus. Steve Orlando, a university spokesman, said the next step — a formal furlough policy — is expected to come to the board this year.

Daniel Meisenzahl, a spokesman for the University of Hawaii, said the 10-campus system had embarked on an exhaustive fiscal review in which “every single unit” was being examined, including an array of bachelors’ programs and university centers for public policy and conflict resolution. The system is facing a projected 13 percent decline in revenue and a net loss of nearly $67 million in operating income.

Mr. Kelchen said that the coronavirus had worked its way into the core of the nation’s academic machinery, and that the damage would likely be lasting.

“These cuts are going to continue long past the pandemic,” he said.

#Colleges #Pandemic

0 notes

highschoolessayprompts832 · 4 years

Video

youtube

college paper

About me

Electoral College

Electoral College During the Joint Session, Members of Congress could object to particular person electoral votes or to state returns as an entire. An objection must be declared in writing and signed by at least one Representative and one Senator. In truth, public assist for a nationwide popular vote runs slightly larger than the national average in most of the small states. The reason could also be that small states are the most deprived group of states under the current system (as discussed in section 9.4.1). Tara Ross, an opponent of the National Popular Vote plan, has criticized the compact on the grounds that “eleven colluding states” may, in the event that they acted in concert, impose a nationwide well-liked vote on the nation. Early on, the Conventioneers adopted this view – on June 2, the conference voted to have the legislature elect the president. Pennsylvania Delegate and future Supreme Court Justice James Wilson, the leading proponent of the popular election of the president, first proposed a prototype of the Electoral College, which was rejected 8-2. Speaker of the House Henry Clay, who had are available in fourth within the presidential race and hated Jackson, suddenly had tremendous affect over the election results. The Kentuckian forged an alliance between electors in Ohio and New England to be able to hand the White House to Adams, who later appointed Clay as his secretary of state. The so-known as “corrupt discount” haunted Adams’ presidency and allowed Jackson to successfully market himself as the common man’s champion against an elitist, corrupt system. Andrew Jackson in 1824 ; Samuel Tilden in 1876 (to Rutherford B. Hayes); Grover Cleveland in 1888 ; Al Gore in 2000 (to George W. Bush); Hillary Clinton in 2016 (to Donald J. Trump). Since 1887, three U.S.C. 15 units the strategy for objections to electoral votes. As a end in these disproportionate allocations of votes toward smaller states, the Electoral College has elected the minority candidate 5 instances in US history . If you reside in a small state, you might discover this to be to your benefit. However, for those living in massive states, and for many who support the precept of 1-individual, one-vote, this is decidedly a FAIL. The filtering that the EC would supply was expected to ensure that a charlatan elected by well-liked vote can be screened out by the more discerning members of the EC. Congress then accredited, and the states ratified, the twelfth Amendment in time for the 1804 election. Congress may easily have included, within the amendment, a requirement that the dimensions of the U.S. First, it's far easier to amend or repeal state laws than to amend or repeal a constitutional amendment if some adjustment turns into advisable. It is inconsistent for opponents of the National Popular Vote compact to argue that nationwide election of the President will usher in numerous antagonistic consequences, however that the change should be carried out in a fashion that isn't simply amended or repealed. Under the National Popular Vote plan, states would retain their exclusive and plenary energy to choose the strategy of awarding their electoral votes, together with the choice to make other adjustments sooner or later. The Electoral College affords voters in less populous states much more say in determining the Chief Executive than voters in bigger states. After the 2010 census, California was awarded 55 electors, based mostly on a population of 37,253,956. The state of Wyoming was awarded 3 electors based on a population of 563,626. So every voter in Wyoming has more than three.6 occasions as a lot affect on the result of the Presidential election as their counterparts in California. The EC would overrule the misguided will of the folks in order to shield us from our baser instincts. And of course, the folks would at all times acknowledge the wisdom of this process, and willingly accept the judgment of the EC. Second, the 1800 presidential election led to a big reexamination of the process of electing the President. In the case of an objection, the Joint Session recesses and every chamber considers the objection individually in a session which cannot final greater than two hours with every Member talking for no more than 5 minutes. After each home votes on whether or to not accept the objection, the Joint Session reconvenes and each chambers disclose their selections. If they comply with the objection, the votes in query are not counted. If either chamber doesn't agree with the objection, the votes are counted. On Dec. 19, 2016, Colorado elector Micheal Baca, in T-shirt second from left, solid his electoral ballot for John Kasich, although Hillary Clinton had won his state’s in style vote. “Old Hickory” won the White House in 1828, and in his first annual message to Congress he recommended eliminating the Electoral College. Though not formally a contingent election, in 1876, South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana submitted certificates of elections for each candidates. A bipartisan fee of Representatives, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices, reviewed the ballots and awarded all three state’s electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio, who gained the presidency by a single electoral vote. Five occasions a candidate has gained the favored vote and misplaced the election.

0 notes

scpie · 4 years

Text

How Andrew Carnegie Found Success in the Face of Failure

August 16, 2020 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The chances are that when you think of successful entrepreneurs, Andrew Carnegie isn’t one of the first to come to mind. While his name still marks some of New York City’s most famous landmarks, we don’t often think of him in the same way as today’s mega-wealthy sports stars, tech innovators, and public figures.

Yet Carnegie’s name has gone down as one of the most well-known in American business. He was one of the most prosperous entrepreneurs of the 19th century, and his hard work and success set the tone for enterprise for years to come.

As with many of the most successful people, however, Andrew Carnegie didn’t get to where he was without hardship. Before he became one of the world’s wealthiest men (with a net worth at the height of his career of $310 billion, adjusting for inflation) and one of the most important philanthropists of his time, Andrew Carnegie faced tremendous struggles. Let’s take a look at some of these struggles — and, more importantly, how he overcame them.

An immigrant who escape poverty in Scotland

Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland on November 25, 1835. His family lived in a typical weaver’s cottage: it had only one main room (shared between the Carnegies and the neighboring weaver’s family) that served as the bedroom, living room, and dining room.

Related: How Andrew Carnegie Went From $1.20 a Week to $309 Billion … Then Gave It All Away

Struggling to make ends meet during a great economic downturn, the Carnegies borrowed money from Andrew’s uncle, which they used to immigrate to the United States. While they hoped to find a more prosperous life, the Carnegies’ hardships continued in the U.S., as Andrew’s father struggled to sell his goods to uninterested dealers.

He never lost hope when he was earning $1.20 per week

In 1848, Andrew Carnegie began his first job as a bobbin boy at a cotton mill. Here, he worked for 12 hours each day, six days a week, earning a starting wage of $1.20 per week (roughly $39, adjusting for inflation).

In 1849, however, Carnegie’s hard work first began to pay off. Working as a telegraph messenger boy in the Ohio Telegraph Company’s Pittsburgh office, he proved himself a diligent employee, and within a year, he was promoted to operator.

He dodged the draft by hiring someone to go in his place

In 1864, Andrew Carnegie was drafted by the Army into the U.S. Civil War. Instead of serving, however, he paid another man $850 to report for duty in his place.

Though this may seem dishonest today, it was a common practice at the time. In fact, what Carnegie did was completely legal: the Conscription Act (passed by Congress in the previous year) made specific exemptions for those conscripted on payment of a “commutation” fee.

Related: 11 Great Quotes on Money From Andrew Carnegie’s ‘The Gospel of Wealth’

Had Andrew Carnegie reported to war, the entire course of history may have been different, as the steel industry played such a major role in the development of the United States’ economy and infrastructure.

He risked his home to start investing

While working at the Ohio Telegraph Company, 14-year-old Andrew Carnegie caught the attention of Pennsylvania Railroad Company superintendent Thomas Scott. Carnegie quickly rose through the company’s ranks, eventually replacing Scott as superintendent of the Pittsburgh division.

Rather than being bitter, Scott decided to help Carnegie start his investment career. When Scott informed him of the impending sale of 10 shares in the Adams Express Company, Carnegie took no time in deliberating what to do. Risking everything they had, his mother Margaret mortgaged their home to obtain the $500 needed to buy the shares.

The bold move paid off: the dividends started coming in quickly, eventually helping Carnegie fund a series of other investments (including the Keystone Bridge Company and Union Iron Mills, to name a few). Thanks to his hard work, risk-taking spirit, and the success of his investments, Carnegie worked his way up from that $1.20 a week to $50,000 a year by the age of 30.

Carnegie used the funds from his investments to found the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. Thanks to revolutionary production methods (and the fact that he owned everything he needed throughout each step of the production process, Carnegie was able to dominate the industry and acquire his massive wealth. Nearly a decade later in 1901, he sold Carnegie Steel to banker John Pierpont (J.P) Morgan for $480 million.

He believed in giving back to the world

In 1889, Carnegie published an essay, “The Gospel of the Wealth,” in the North American Review. In this work, he asserted that the rich have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that promote the welfare and happiness of the common man.” Were anyone to doubt the meaning of this, Carnegie went on to proclaim: “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

By the time of his death, Carnegie had donated $445 million of his $475 million personal fortune to charities and philanthropic endeavors. He helped fund more than 2,500 public libraries around the world and created numerous trusts (charitable foundations) that have established many organizations still in operation today, including Carnegie Music Hall and Carnegie-Mellon University.

No matter the obstacle, you can overcome it

Carnegie’s rags to riches story epitomizes the American Dream. His dedication and hard work prove that no matter where you begin in life, you can achieve success.

Related: A Modernized Version of Andrew Carnegie’s ‘The Gospel of Wealth’

Not everyone will become one of the richest people in the world or go down in history for their contributions to society—and that’s okay. What’s important is that you cannot let disadvantage or hardship prevent you from working as hard as you can towards your goals. As was the case with Andrew Carnegie, it is not your circumstances but what you make of them that dictate your path in life.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-andrew-carnegie-found-success-in-the-face-of-failure/

0 notes

laurelkrugerr · 4 years

Text

How Andrew Carnegie Found Success in the Face of Failure

August 16, 2020 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

An immigrant who escape poverty in Scotland

Related: How Andrew Carnegie Went From $1.20 a Week to $309 Billion … Then Gave It All Away

He never lost hope when he was earning $1.20 per week

He dodged the draft by hiring someone to go in his place

In 1864, Andrew Carnegie was drafted by the Army into the U.S. Civil War. Instead of serving, however, he paid another man $850 to report for duty in his place.

Related: 11 Great Quotes on Money From Andrew Carnegie’s ‘The Gospel of Wealth’

He risked his home to start investing

He believed in giving back to the world

No matter the obstacle, you can overcome it

Carnegie’s rags to riches story epitomizes the American Dream. His dedication and hard work prove that no matter where you begin in life, you can achieve success.

Related: A Modernized Version of Andrew Carnegie’s ‘The Gospel of Wealth’

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-andrew-carnegie-found-success-in-the-face-of-failure/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/08/how-andrew-carnegie-found-success-in.html

0 notes

mtairyartgarage-blog · 4 years

Photo

Spring Classes @ MAAG: Photoshop For Artists, Rain Barrels, Creating Your Own Comics, Drawing & More!

Looking for a way to beat those winter doldrums? Well, here at the Mt. Airy Art Garage, we’ve got the perfect solution and we’re busting loose for Spring. MAAG will offer an array of studio classes for both children and adults, which include quilting, drawing, painting Rain Barrels, plein air painting, and more.

Regardless of your desire, our accomplished teachers are bound to cultivate your creativity. Whether a novice or experienced student, you’ll find a welcoming and supportive environment where creativity can rule.

Plus, with classes being oh so affordable, now’s the time to register! Until then, browse through the quilting class below, and stay tuned as we publish more classes. They’ll be here soon! Find what you like? You can enroll online with the button displayed under each class description.

Come to MAAG and indulge your creativity! Claim your inner artist now!

COURSES

Ribbon Quilts: Color and Fabric Fusion | Sarah Bond

2 Classes – Saturday March 22 & Saturday April 26

2 pm to 6 pm

Class Fee $65

This is a workshop style class. Using solid fabrics as a starter, students will explore the power of strip piecing and experimentation with color gradations, size gradations and alternations of solid fabrics with other fabrics. Working with solids is a great way to really experiment with color without the interference of textures or patterns. We will incorporate some patterned fabric as the class progresses. Students can use their own ideas or instructor’s “recipes” for fabric constructions. Those constructions will then be cut and assembled into quilt tops. The title of the course refers to the ribbons of light and color that can be achieved with this technique.

Students should bring basic sewing supplies, their sewing machine in good working order, and a variety of fabrics to work with. A detailed materials list will be sent to you upon enrollment.

This exercise in color play will translate into quilts of a variety of sizes and patterns and styles.

Plein Aire Landscape Workshop and Artists Gallery Talk|J. Jordan Klinefelter

Saturday, May 17 and Saturday, May 31

10 am – 2 pm

Each Session: $30

In celebration of “Earth Day, Every Day,” MAAG is showcasing the work of landscape painter J. Jordan Klinefelter, an award-winning graduate of the The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Ms. Klinefelter will speak to her exhibition and then outdoors to the creek! Adults, 17 and up. What better way to spend a glorious Spring day!

Photoshop Elements for Artists| Mike Zaikowski

Sunday, June 1

1 pm – 4 pm

Class Fee: $35

Join Mike Zaikowski of Profiles fine art printmaking studio for a live demonstration of a straightforward method for artists to prep their files for juried shows. Mike will begin by discussing the basic tools of Photoshop Elements and will demonstrate step-by-step how to import a digital file into Photoshop, adjust color, sharpen and crop an image, and save the adjusted file within any given size and format specifications.

A workbook will be provided for each participant and there will be time for questions and answers during the presentation and at the end. There will also be samples for review.

Discover Drawing|Robert Finch

8 Sundays, June 8 – July 27

2 pm – 5 pm

Class Fee: $250 for all 8 classes. Once registered, we will notify you of materials you will need.

The Mt. Airy Art Garage presents an outstanding opportunity for artists who are interested in improving their ability to draw effectively in a personal and expressive manner. Your skill has always been there, some aspects of which are lying beneath the surface. Now is the time to realize your natural gifts and bring them to the fore. Robert Finch, a modern day master of the art of drawing, will act as the catalyst in your personal journey of discovery. We will work from both the human figure and still life arrangements while unraveling the traditions in drawing.Drawings by Robert Finch are in many public and private collections. Including the Potsdam Museum in New York, and, in Philadelphia, the Free Library and the Pennsylvania Law School.

Students 16 and older are welcome. Open to all levels.

Design and Create Your Own Rain Barrels For Spring|Arleen Olshan

3 Saturday Sessions, June 7 – 21

Noon till 3 pm

Class Fee: $150 includes up to 2 participants & all materials fees. Please bring your rain barrel.

With winter finally behind us, now is a great time to day dream about the beautiful greenery that surrounds us in the Germantown corridor. With the expertise of MAAGs Rain Barrel Project teachers behind you and leading the way, you will plan and create unique, sustainable works of art for your home and community.

We will draw our designs, prepare the barrels with primer, paint and finish our designs together, and seal them for the warm season ahead.

For our neighbors who have participated in the Water Dept./ECA classes, bring your barrels to the Garage. Don’t have your free rain barrels yet? Easy! MAAG is partnering with GRinCH and the Water Dept. to host the May 17 Rain Barrel presentation at the Mt. Airy Art Garage. SIGN UP HERE and register directly on the Water Department’s website to save your space. You will have your barrel delivered in plenty of time to take the class.

Both adults and children are invited to participate. Children, ages 8 and up, must be accompanied by a parent. Cost of the class includes up to two students per barrel.

Creating Your Own Comics|Ellen Marcus

6 Wednesdays, June 11 through July 23 (no class July 16)

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Class Fee: $120 for the series + $10 materials fee

Comic books are pages of illustrated panels that are placed together to tell a story. They became popular in America with the first publication in 1933, and have since grown in popularity for people of all ages. This class is instructed by an illustrator and animator with over 10 years of experience in the world of commercial animation and comics. You don’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to learn about basic elements of comic book creation on paper and produce your own comic book at the end of class (space is limited to 15 students).

Want to know more about the class? Download the syllabus.

#2014

0 notes

salmonfact78-blog · 5 years

Text

Councilman Mark Squilla moves to block supervised injection site

Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla introduced a bill that could prevent the nation’s first supervised injection site from opening at the Kensington location secured by project backers.

Squilla on Thursday in City Council put forward a remapping that would rezone the planned location on the 1800 block of Hilton Street near the Allegheny Avenue stop of the Market-Frankford line to ban anything other than single-family housing from being built there.

If the bill becomes law, Safehouse, the nonprofit founded to open the supervised injection site, would need a variance from the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to move forward. The new hurdle throws the future of the current plan into doubt.

Traditionally, other Councilmembers do not oppose zoning legislation introduced by a district representative, so if Squilla continues to push the bill forward it will likely pass. Once the variance request reaches the ZBA, city law requires a community meeting before the hearing. The ZBA hearing itself allows for public comment. Opponents have turned out in full force at similar public hearings about the proposed facility.

Meanwhile, the ZBA is helmed by former Councilman Frank DiCicco, who used to hold Squilla’s seat. While the zoning board typically approves requests for zoning variances, they also have a reputation for being capricious and can be responsive to community concerns, particularly when a project is perceived to threaten property values.

Safehouse board member and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said last week that the proposed space would be leased to the organization for a nominal fee.

When informed of Rendell’s statements last week, Squilla said the Hilton Street location was “news to me.”

Apparently, it was bad news.

“All we are doing is trying to be fair to the surrounding community,” said Squilla. “RSA-5 will enable the community to have input whatever the city or a developer plans to do there.”

The bill he introduced Thursday is extremely limited in scope and appears to be concerned solely with blocking the safe injection site. It simply remaps the 1800 block of Hilton Street from CMX-3, which is a relatively high-density commercial-residential, mixed-use zoning category, to the single-family row house category of RSA-5.

Safehouse vice-president Ronda Goldfein called the bill “confusing.”

“I’m a little confused, because if you look at that block there are no single-family homes there so I can’t really speak to what’s accomplished,” she said. “But I’m not a zoning lawyer.”

Safehouse looked at numerous locations before picking Hilton Street property. They chose the site because of its proximity to the El, which many people in addiction rely on to travel to Kensington, the epicenter of the city’s opioid crisis. Aging commercial buildings and parking currently occupy the block.

Goldfein has said in the past that they chose the site precisely because it is in a commercial area, with no homes nearby. The organization eventually plans to open more locations in the city.

The bill Squilla introduced leads to something called “spot zoning,” and it is technically illegal although sometimes still used to facilitate land deals — or kill them.

Squilla said that Safehouse’s plans for Hilton Street inspired him to look at the site’s zoning. But he equivocated when asked if his bill was specifically meant to stop the safe injection site. “I don’t see how you get a use permit for something that is illegal no matter what its zoned,” Squilla said.

Neighbors have expressed reservations about the Hilton Street site, which is near the heart of the city’s opioid crisis. Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez’s district covers many of the neighborhoods most heavily affected by the epidemic, but her steadfast opposition to the safe injection site inspired a search for a location outside her district.

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/03/29/councilman-mark-squilla-moves-to-block-supervised-injection-site

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

0 notes

dailynewswebsite · 4 years

Text

Votes cast in November will shape Congress through 2030

A small sliver of a congressional district in Pennsylvania crossed 4 counties, on a map that was dominated to be a partisan gerrymandering plan. AP Picture/Keith Srakocic

When voters forged their ballots in November, they received’t simply determine who will likely be president in 2021 – they may even have a voice in figuring out the partisan make-up of Congress till 2030. Following every census, which occurs each 10 years, states are required to regulate their congressional district boundaries to maintain district populations equal.

District boundaries can profoundly form election outcomes – most notably when they’re drawn in ways in which profit one political occasion or the opposite.

Within the 2011 redistricting after the 2010 census, for instance, Pennsylvania’s Republican-led legislature drew up districts that considerably deprived Democrats. Within the state’s 2012 congressional elections, Democrats received a majority of the votes, however Republicans received two-thirds of the state’s 18 seats in Congress. Our analysis has discovered that equally biased redistricting – known as partisan gerrymandering – is widespread throughout the nation.

Most states give the ability to attract new boundaries to their legislatures. So when voters in November decide among the many candidates for state legislatures, they’re selecting the individuals who will make the brand new electoral maps. Which means the 2020 election will probably have an effect on the steadiness of energy and the diploma of partisan battle within the Home of Representatives for the subsequent decade.

Legislators usually draw biased strains

In drawing new boundaries, state legislators normally have only a few constraints. The U.S. Structure requires that every congressional district ought to symbolize a roughly equal variety of individuals – besides in states with too few individuals to have a number of districts – Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. All of them get at the least one consultant in Congress.

However apart from that, state lawmakers make their very own guidelines. So it’s not shocking that congressional district strains are likely to unfairly benefit the occasion whose members are a majority of the group drawing the strains.

Within the seven small, single-district states and the District of Columbia, this isn’t an issue as a result of the state boundaries are additionally these of the congressional district. In 5 others – Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island – there are solely sufficient individuals to warrant two congressional districts, making it statistically inconceivable to control district boundaries to benefit one occasion.

However of the remaining 38 states, our evaluation discovered that 22 created gerrymandered districts that benefited one occasion or the opposite. Different political scientists have come to related conclusions after their very own analyses. That is true regardless of the pure, nongerrymandered tendency for like-minded individuals, particularly Democrats, to reside close to one another.

A Pennsylvania civics instructor factors at new and outdated congressional district maps in his state following a 2018 courtroom determination. AP Picture/Keith Srakocic

Many of the partisan gerrymandering created after the 2010 census benefited the Republican Celebration. That’s as a result of Republicans received management of many state legislatures within the 2010 elections, after which delivered congressional districts of their favor.

The bias from partisan gerrymandering was so excessive after the 2010 spherical of redistricting, significantly in seven states – Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and Florida – that the 2012 elections produced a Home of Representatives managed by the Republican Celebration though Democratic congressional candidates received extra votes nationwide.

The 2020 state legislative elections will likely be equally decisive of who will management the redistricting course of, and what congressional elections will appear like for the subsequent decade.

Reforming the method

There are efforts to repair the redistricting course of. In 2019, the Supreme Courtroom successfully barred federal courts from contemplating whether or not partisan gerrymanders are constitutional, so reformers should look elsewhere for an answer.

Reform actions are working to take management of district boundaries out of the fingers of legislators.

A number of states have pioneered methods to attract their congressional boundaries extra pretty. In New York, as an illustration, there’s a fee that may advise lawmakers on potential maps that keep away from partisan benefits. In Arizona and California, impartial commissions have full management over the district boundaries.

In New Jersey and Hawaii, commissions made up of politicians and political appointees draw the boundaries. And in three states – Connecticut, Indiana and Ohio – the legislature will get a primary try to attract the boundaries, however should relinquish energy to an impartial fee if lawmakers can’t agree.

Two individuals focus on a element of a district map at a 2011 assembly of Arizona’s nonpartisan redistricting fee. AP Picture/Ross D. Franklin

In some states, residents have created impartial redistricting commissions by widespread referendum – by means of poll propositions or initiatives – when legislators didn’t wish to strip themselves of this key energy. Colorado, Michigan and Utah all did this in 2018. Voters in Virginia will likely be given an choice within the 2020 election handy redistricting authority over to an impartial fee.

Our analysis and others’ has discovered that commissions of all sorts have a tendency to supply maps which might be much less biased than legislative ones. Nevertheless, redistricting reforms in some states are actually dealing with a backlash from state lawmakers who’re trying to reclaim energy over the redistricting course of by means of laws, lawsuits or poll measures of their very own.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

In presidential election years, the general public is clearly centered on the race for the White Home, however the choices voters make in state legislative races have an effect on the partisan composition of Congress for years to come back. With out adjustments in who attracts district strains, the U.S. is more likely to enter one other decade during which congressional elections are formed not by on a regular basis voters however by those that maintain the ability.

The authors don’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that might profit from this text, and have disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/votes-cast-in-november-will-shape-congress-through-2030/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

0 notes