Cappiello at the Notch
I got an email from GOP Congressional candidate Dave Cappiello today. He's planning on visiting the Notch on Sunday morning (8:15 - 9:30am)... no word yet on when Chris Murphy will be stopping by. Fortunately, in just the past few weeks I've seen both of them in town and asked them each about my #1 concern...
What are we/you going to do about America's unfunded long-term liabilities (social security & medicare)?
Thankfully they both gave me an honest answer...basically saying... it'll be tough, but we (America) need to tackle the problem.
As for pressing them for details... I'm assuming that there will be massive compromises by everyone if any sort of real reform is to be adopted. I just hope real reform is undertaken, while ensuring the social pact that exists today is not disrupted in any serious way for people who depend on the programs.
And on one more political note... the Cheshire GOPs annual spaghetti supper fundraiser is next Friday, March 14 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Tim White
4 comments:
Tim,
Any news on federal subsidy for residential solar power. I looked into purchasing a solar panel farm for my home and I was told that the federal government only had a $2000 tax write off on "green energy" spending. That's not a lot when the cost of the system that I was interested in was going to cost me around $90,000.00.
The state would give back nothing and the only grant money available was from our local utility company. Does this make any sense? If the state and federal governments were truly interested in conserving energy and insisting that we look towards alternatives they should put up or shut up.
I was told that a bill was voted on by the Senate recently that would have covered the first 30% of the cost of my project but it failed to pass by 1 vote. None of the current senators running for King of this country had the time or interest to show up for the vote.
Very displeased,
Mike Rocci
Mike... see the links (save $ / energy) in the left column.
I think this program
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=CT10F&state=CT&CurrentPageID=1&RE=1&EE=1
offers a 50% grant up to $46,500 on residential... and as you mentioned, there's a fed income tax credit up to $2,000 or 10% (whichever is lower).
So if you reduce the $90,000 to say $10,000, the total cost would be $4,000 (directly out of your pocket). And $10,000 could get you one PV... which would certainly cover some of your electric costs... probably giving you a payback of ten years or so.
One other benefit is that "solar" is exempt and will not be added to the value of your house thus saving local taxes. Check it out it's in the Town Charter... of all the places.
7:23 Solar is exempt. I'm unaware of the Charter rule, but a few years ago I saw West Haven passed a property tax exemption for solar. So I got to thinking that Cheshire should consider an exemption... and I asked the tax assessor about it. However, he told me that solar is excluded from property values. Therefore, an exemption would have had no dollar value... though from the perspective of increasing awareness about PVs (solar), I thought it could have had a benefit.
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