Mainecoons Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Clearly we need to double property taxes again and then we'll get the same services we had 7 years ago? Won't we? Harry, ya just need more faith in government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted March 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 why limit it to government? The propane people, PEMEX, CFE, the grocery store, the pharmacy, the plumber, the carpenter,Peter Pananderia, etc. Should all gouge us because it is in pesos and is still less than up north? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Excellent point, Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Well, Pemex and CFE are government and we do have the "gringo pricing" around here. Propane prices are set by government too. However, I have a great plumber who doesn't gouge and please don't pick on Peter, he's very good at fattening me up! We're going OT here but I have taken RV's advice and shopped for some stuff in Chapala and the price is almost always better there. For example, I recently needed a whole bunch of Tonal paint and the hardware store across from the bus station there could supply it for 10 percent less than in Ajijic. If you want to go to the trouble, I'm told the Tianquis in Chapala is more price friendly as well. We just don't eat enough these days to justify the time and the trip. Remember, when gas was pushing $5 in the U.S. Pemex kept the price lower and pretty stable here. I dealt with CFE by going solar and making my house a great deal more energy efficient. I'm spending a whole lot less on utilities here than I did in Albuquerque. Other than that, what I notice whenever I go NOB and go into a grocery store there is how shocking some of the prices are. I've got a great reference for a carpenter if you need one. IMHO government locally is by far the "worst buy" in the last few years. I didn't feel that way until the last two administrations but I do now. I wish Hector luck in getting us a better and fairer administration. Ajijic isn't the only village that is being used as a cash cow and given few services in return. As you noted, all the delegados are being ignored by this administration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 The examples I see of "gouging" are not restricted to gringos. I used to chuckle over at Casita de Moljcates, because they had an English and a Spanish side of their menu. The molcajetes were cheaper on the Spanish side. (Not any more.) So if you cared to flip over, you would see the better price. I never tried to order "English version, please"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBearII Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Harry, do you think that IF the upcoming elections for mayor in Chapala produce a winner of the same party as our local delegado Hector, that this might be of help in getting monies directed toward needed items in Ajijic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semalu Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Has anyone with Shaw TV seen that ad for VW Passat? This is advertising for Canada (the pure?) for those unfamiliar with what Shaw TV is. The ad: Two young girls sit at a lemonade stand, they have a card that notes they are selling a glass for $0.25. As soon as the two girls see the Passat they look at each other with sly little smiles and turn the card around and the same glass of lemonade is sold for $1.00. They are really rather sweet. The VW pitch? Iif you drive a Passat people will think you are rich. The unintended pitch? If you appear to be rich prepare to be gouged. I guess its time to take off the rose coloured glasses and admit this isn't a Mexican problem, it seems that sort of stuff goes on everywhere. Now I don't know about you but wherever I have lived in the world it was common practice to shop around for the best price. Soem sell for more, some sell for less. It has always been buyer beware. Why should that be different here? Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Good point and example. Gouging the tourists is hardly unique to this area. Fortunately, those of us who live here have a lot of options and this board continues to be a very good place to find out where to go for stuff and services without getting taken. We probably ought to get back on topic now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Yesterday I was speaking to a prominent mexican artist. He told me 68% of Chapala's income comes from Ajijic and what do we get for it? My point - the mexican community is angry too. If only we would get together, we could force whatever Chapala administration to pay attention to this village. Without that there is no hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Harry, said prominent Mexican needs to get together with the other prominent Mexicans and citizen expat and put some serious effort and money into getting a Presidente elected who will treat Ajijic and the rest of the villages outside of Chapala fairly. As long as Chapala gets to win all the elections, the rest of us are going to get the shaft. You can petition until hell freezes over but they could care less. Chapala can be defeated but only if all the other towns get together and get behind a single candidate and fund his campaign adequately. Unfortunately, non citizen expats can't be involved in either campaigns or funding so it has to come primarily from the Mexican community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex45920 Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 I'm trying to follow the math on this thread...and it ain't easy. According to Mainecoons' research, 46 percent of Chapala's income comes from either the state or the feds. According to Harry's friend, 68 percent of Chapala's income comes from Ajijic. Pulling figures out of thin air like this really isn't helping to clarify anything here. In addition, let me point out that it is incorrect say that the Chapala plaza project has been completed while the Ajijic plaza has not. The Chapala plaza has not been completed. The walkways to the east and the south from the fountain have yet to be repaved. Consequently, the street vendors are literally out in the street while they await the completion of the plaza project, causing considerable inconvenience for both the local population and those who drive into Chapala in order to conduct business or shopping but cannot find a parking place. If you want to see what a neglected community actually looks like, take a look at Tepehua. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 That's a good question Alex. I took Harry's number to mean 68 percent of what they are collecting locally. Harry? One would hope the outside contribution would be used throughout the community in a balanced way. I don't see that. Agree with your comment about Tepehua. Just another example of how bad this municipal government is. It squanders money on statues in the lake while it fails on the most basic level to deliver the services it is being paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Yes, I believe he meant 68% of the tax revenues. The volunteers at tepehua have done such a wonderful job that tepehua has opportunities not available to other parts of the municipality, i.e. dental clinic, medical clinic, food program, womens' health program, work training for mothers, child care, community center, etc. These wonderful opportunities need to be extended to others in the municipality. I know efforts are under way to do just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 The statue in the lake was a grant to attract tourists and an opportunity to skim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex45920 Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Does anyone know the total yearly budget for the municipality of Chapala? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyB Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hotels pay 3% tax on room revenue, that is hotels taut are actually registered with tourism, which isn't many. Hotel taxes should be considerable as well. Thanks Harry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaChula Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 How about all the people who rent out houses and pay no taxes on that income? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanMexicali Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 How about all the people who rent out houses and pay no taxes on that income? The rent reciepts cannot be deducted as an expense unless they have been generated by a SAT electronic factura that is registered with SAT as an income property and the owner/renter pays the 16% IVA tax monthly plus some income tax. If the reciept is hand written/self printed no deduction on the renter´s income tax is allowed as of Jan. 1st. 2014. It is obligatory for ANY landlord to do this whether the renter can or needs to use the rent as a deduction as in operating a business from the rental. If the landlord doesn´t pay themselves or collect from the renter and then pay the IVA tax he or she is breaking the law. Unregistered rentals are now not allowed and penalties are able to be levied as per the 2013 tax reform law in Mexico. Also now SAT can access anyone´s or any business´ bank account/s without any problem legally. Your bank account now is available to SAT at their whim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanMexicali Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 So what about all the property owners who collect rents locally but the renter pays a bank in the USA? Can/does SAT access THOSE bank accounts? No. The law is for Mexican banks compliance with SAT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryS Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 With all of the pissin and moaning I don't things will change with the next admistration. You made your bed and now you have to sleep in it. I have been coming down here since the early seventies and living here since the mid 1990's. I have heard all of the promises before concerning roads,coruption and education. I have seen little improvement except for the expensive toll roads. The schools still suck and the police, politicians are still corrupt. I thought I saw some movment for change when those students disapeared but that is dying off. With the Mexican price of oil going down I believe taxes will be going up. They have to make up for the loss of that income. So the middle class will have to pay for that because the the rich won't be paying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Mexican law says you have the right to pay in pesos at the daily "official" rate. A contract that is legal can be made in any currency but the right to pay in pesos is enshrined in Mexican law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex45920 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Still trying to get a handle on the math here. Since no one could answer a simple question about how much the yearly budget is for the municipality of Chapala, I looked it up. Turns out the yearly budget is something in the range of 200 million pesos. According to Harry, Ajijic contributes something in the range of 30 million, or about 15 percent of the total. It just doesn't sound to me like Ajijic is being shorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 The yearly budget would include funds from the state and fed wouldn't it? It all depends on what exactly you are asking and what basis you are using for the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex45920 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Facts is facts, Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Let's don't get snarky Upfront. Alex asked a good question here. Alex, a couple of things occur to me and Harry, maybe Hector could give us some helpful answers here. First, is the contribution over and above Chapala's direct collections ear marked in any way? Secondly, do you have the equivalent number for Chapala? That's a lot of money, I sure don't see much evidence of it in the municipality other than all those photo ops in Chapala Mr. Huerta has attended recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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