AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Fight Bush - Buy your gas at Citgo?

The progressive website commondreams.org has a campaign "Buy your gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!" What's that all about? The argument is that our foreign policy has been geared more to the interests of big oil companies and less to the needs of people. The main beneficiaries have been the ruling parties of Saudi Arabia & the like.

Now here's what I didn't know: Citgo is 100% owned by the Venezuelan government. According to commondream.org, by buying at Citgo, you keep your petroleum dollars here in the western hemisphere at least.


Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!

I googled to check if what they said was true, that Venezuela owned Citgo. Yep, it checks out, BUT according to Forbes.com, Venezuela is planning on selling its US refining operations within two years. (http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/02/01/ap1797688.html.





COMING SOON - THE BANKRUPTCY DIVORCE

The interconnections between bankruptcy law and divorce law have always made my head spin. Financial problems are a big cause of divorce, and divorce is a big cause of financial problems.

I was reading about the new law (which has become known as BARF for Bankruptcy Abuse Reform Fiasco) issue of NCLC Reports. as you know, most of our UAW members make over the average income for their families. If so, to determine what if anything you have to pay to creditors, you need to go through a complex means test.

In Truckland, how many of our clients have vehicles with ownership costs (that's not just payments, that's total ownership costs) below $475 for the first car and $338 for the second? That's it, that's the allowed transportation expense.

Now, here's the biggie that I think could lead to a small but significant number of bankruptcy planned divorces: Education expenses.

IV) In addition, the debtorÂ?s monthly expenses may
include the actual expenses for each dependent child less
than 18 years of age, not to exceed $1,500 per year per
child, to attend a private or public elementary or sec-
ondary school if the debtor provides documentation of such
expenses and a detailed explanation of why such expenses
are reasonable and necessary, and why such expenses are
not already accounted for in the National Standards,
Local Standards, or Other Necessary Expenses . . .

(Section 707(b)(2)(A)(ii)(IV))

How many private schools have tuition etc. of less than $1,500? Note, also this is elementary or secondary school only and IF the child is UNDER 18. If you have an 18 year old high school seniro, sorry Charlie. Pay money towards Junior's college expenses? Not when Citibank has its hand out.

On the other hand, court ordered child support and alimony claims are deducted as priority claims, so if you are ORDERED to pay 1/3 or 1/2 of Junior's college, you get to deduct it. sectionn 707(b)(2)(A)(IV).

Now, let's look at the spouse's income: Income of a non-filing spouse is considered in determining whether you are over the local mean and for the amount you need to pay for your debts. You can exclude the income of the spouse if you are legally separated, you live apart, and if you verify that you haven't separated just for the purposes of disassociating your income.

If you are divorced - what the ex-spouse does with his/her income is her business.

The bottom line: the "family-friendly" law that the God-fearing,heterosexuall Republicans rammed through gives couples lots of reasons to split up, and not much reason to keep a marriage together.