Political Discussion
- Thread starter David A.
- Start date
The cost of rental cars has gone up insanely over the last year.
Prior to covid you could rent a car in Hawaii for as low as $5 a day from national rental agencies. Today prices start around $300 a day.
In Florida prices start around $500 a day, and that is if you are lucky enough to find an available rental car. Florida has been almost continuously sold out of rental cars due to being one of the few places in the country allow travelers and having warmer weather. Spring break is now to blame as well for the lack of available. But not for the high prices, as we are seeing the staggering high prices of rentals across the country. In many cases the cost of renting a car for a day is equal to or greater than 1 months car payment for a car you own or lease.
This really has an impact on the poor, who can't afford to own a car and lives within the city. They rely on being able to rent a car to leave the city. Now they likely can not afford to do this.
Prior to covid you could rent a car in Hawaii for as low as $5 a day from national rental agencies. Today prices start around $300 a day.
In Florida prices start around $500 a day, and that is if you are lucky enough to find an available rental car. Florida has been almost continuously sold out of rental cars due to being one of the few places in the country allow travelers and having warmer weather. Spring break is now to blame as well for the lack of available. But not for the high prices, as we are seeing the staggering high prices of rentals across the country. In many cases the cost of renting a car for a day is equal to or greater than 1 months car payment for a car you own or lease.
This really has an impact on the poor, who can't afford to own a car and lives within the city. They rely on being able to rent a car to leave the city. Now they likely can not afford to do this.
Max Sterling
Well-Known Member
I haven't rented a car for a few years, but I remember it being pretty damn economical. Those Florida prices are insane. I would rent in Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami proper to avoid "Miami" prices, but damn. $500 a day? Are you sure that's not $500 a week?
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Couple things here. I am not saying that a $5 a day rental in HI doesn’t exist but that would have been an absolute phenomenal deal for something like a sub compact. I haven’t had to deal with rentals on a regular basis recently but my previous role I was responsible for setting up rentals for customers regularly and even with our contracted rate we were usually 3 to 5 times that amount for a per date rate. I don’t know what the rates are currently but no doubt they have increased. Another factor is the rising rates (besides increased demand) may have to do with the new car shortage going onright now (which goes back to PC Processor plants not producing enough due to initial cancellations and Covid plant shutdowns). $200 a day does seem like quite a bit though. The bigger issue with the poor having issues renting cars, in my experience; has to do with rental companies requiring a credit/debit card as collateral. Many poor do not have credit/debit cards.
also, I just looked locally...
Which is high compared to what it was about 5 or 6 years ago (you used to be able to rent an economy car for <$20) but it’s not crazy either.
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Yup, $500 a day.
$300 a day for a Kia Rio. Why rental cars prices have gone insane
Here's what you need to know if you're planning on a spring break trip to Orlando next week: Renting a car — if you can find one — could cost you at least $300 a day. That's possibly more than you'll spend for air fare, hotel rooms or tickets to theme parks.
www.cnn.com
Also, I guess the $5 a day rates were last March during Covid according to the article I just dug up on CNN
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
I would say at $500 a day you be better off buying a hoopty off of Craigslist for $500 while your on vacation and abandoning it at the airport when you leave.
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The Georgia House of Representatives have passed sweeping voter reform / voter restrictions.
Republicans in 43 states have no introduced more than 250 bills nation wide to restrict access to voting.
Republicans are concerned about voter security and making sure elections are secure. While Democrats focus is on everyone has the right to vote.
I think that sums it all up there. It's not security they are concerned about. It's that "not everyone should be able to vote". They are trying to restrict the vote of people who have different views and values than them to ensure their advantage in the polls.
Republicans in 43 states have no introduced more than 250 bills nation wide to restrict access to voting.
Republicans are concerned about voter security and making sure elections are secure. While Democrats focus is on everyone has the right to vote.
I think that sums it all up there. It's not security they are concerned about. It's that "not everyone should be able to vote". They are trying to restrict the vote of people who have different views and values than them to ensure their advantage in the polls.
Max Sterling
Well-Known Member
I freaking hate our healthcare system.
I had some annual labs done.
My EBO lists them out as provider Billed $634.00. The Plan Discount is $-383.95.
My EBO lists amount applied to deductible as $250.05.
However, the bill that came for the labs was for $310.05. Where is $310.05 coming from and is there anything I can do about that? Shouldn't my bill be only what the insurance company says I owe? Where is the additional $60 coming from?
I tried calling the medical group and they told me that's what my account balance is. That's what I owe and I can't negotiate the balance. All they can do is set up a repayment plan for me if I can't pay it by the due date, but noted that I would pay more by doing that.
I had some annual labs done.
My EBO lists them out as provider Billed $634.00. The Plan Discount is $-383.95.
My EBO lists amount applied to deductible as $250.05.
However, the bill that came for the labs was for $310.05. Where is $310.05 coming from and is there anything I can do about that? Shouldn't my bill be only what the insurance company says I owe? Where is the additional $60 coming from?
I tried calling the medical group and they told me that's what my account balance is. That's what I owe and I can't negotiate the balance. All they can do is set up a repayment plan for me if I can't pay it by the due date, but noted that I would pay more by doing that.
Have you called your insurance company?
To me, this seems like process lag time. It looks like your insurance company hasn't finished processing all the claims for this visit yet.
The statement and bill are back from January. Logging in and looking at my EBO's online there still is nothing new. I can try calling them, but being 2 months later I would suspect they have processed them all by now.
I've got it figured out, and I'm pissed.
The EBO I got was for the date range of 9/02/20 through 1/13/21. I had gotten the EBO before I got the bill. The bill is actually dated 2/27/21. It only shows the account balance of what I owe.
I made an account with the healthcare group to view my account status online and pay bills. I did not have one before, I just paid the bills and was done with it.
The first bill I got they claimed was my third notice. On the online portal there were bills from 12/27/20 and 1/27/21 that I never received via snail mail. The insurance processed the claim back in December. The extra $60 is in late fees.
I wasn't expecting late fees because the bill I got said please pay by 3/27/21 and I was just getting to that now.
Edit: Apparently I'm paperless by default even though I didn't set up an online portal. So that explains why I never got the snail mail bills.
The EBO I got was for the date range of 9/02/20 through 1/13/21. I had gotten the EBO before I got the bill. The bill is actually dated 2/27/21. It only shows the account balance of what I owe.
I made an account with the healthcare group to view my account status online and pay bills. I did not have one before, I just paid the bills and was done with it.
The first bill I got they claimed was my third notice. On the online portal there were bills from 12/27/20 and 1/27/21 that I never received via snail mail. The insurance processed the claim back in December. The extra $60 is in late fees.
I wasn't expecting late fees because the bill I got said please pay by 3/27/21 and I was just getting to that now.
Edit: Apparently I'm paperless by default even though I didn't set up an online portal. So that explains why I never got the snail mail bills.
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Oh geez, how annoying.
To make things confusing, my doctors office is part of one medical group, which is part of a larger medical group. The larger medical group which I had no idea I was part of has the online portal.
More toilet paper shortages ahead. The more I read the more I realize that we are going to experience a lot of issues with the supply side of our economy. For months, economists have been debating what sort of pent up demand is out there given that people have been "locked up for a year" (I guess they didn't talk to any essential workers). However, I'm in the camp of economist that see the supply side shortages as a much bigger problem that could really transform our economic landscape. I don't think there is as much pent up demand as some economists believe. I think they fail to take into account the rise in food prices and exactly how many people were negatively effected by Covid-19.
But now experts say a brand new toilet paper shortfall could be on the horizon due to the lack of availability of shipping containers and space on cargo ships.
Suzano SA CEO Walter Schalka, whose firm produces the wood pulp that’s key to manufacturing bath tissue, told Bloomberg shipping problems threaten to delay his company’s shipments from South America and could ultimately leave store shelves tissue-less once again.
The shipping container shortage problem has been playing out for months due to high demand from China and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.
thehill.com
But now experts say a brand new toilet paper shortfall could be on the horizon due to the lack of availability of shipping containers and space on cargo ships.
Suzano SA CEO Walter Schalka, whose firm produces the wood pulp that’s key to manufacturing bath tissue, told Bloomberg shipping problems threaten to delay his company’s shipments from South America and could ultimately leave store shelves tissue-less once again.
The shipping container shortage problem has been playing out for months due to high demand from China and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.
Expert predicts toilet paper shortages will happen again
High demand for shipping containers could clog the supply chain.
thehill.com
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
More toilet paper shortages ahead. The more I read the more I realize that we are going to experience a lot of issues with the supply side of our economy. For months, economists have been debating what sort of pent up demand is out there given that people have been "locked up for a year" (I guess they didn't talk to any essential workers). However, I'm in the camp of economist that see the supply side shortages as a much bigger problem that could really transform our economic landscape. I don't think there is as much pent up demand as some economists believe. I think they fail to take into account the rise in food prices and exactly how many people were negatively effected by Covid-19.
But now experts say a brand new toilet paper shortfall could be on the horizon due to the lack of availability of shipping containers and space on cargo ships.
Suzano SA CEO Walter Schalka, whose firm produces the wood pulp that’s key to manufacturing bath tissue, told Bloomberg shipping problems threaten to delay his company’s shipments from South America and could ultimately leave store shelves tissue-less once again.
The shipping container shortage problem has been playing out for months due to high demand from China and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.
Expert predicts toilet paper shortages will happen again
High demand for shipping containers could clog the supply chain.
Government bidets!
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
Bidet/Harris 2020 stickers
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
I want one of those premium Toto ones
Chucktshoes
Well-Known Member
To give credit where it is due, NYC did something of value and I must commend them for it.
New York is now the first city in the country to end qualified immunity. The measure was passed as part of a package of police reform bills.
New York City Ends Qualified Immunity For Police Officers, Becoming 1st In Nation To Do So
New York is now the first city in the country to end qualified immunity. The measure was passed as part of a package of police reform bills.
New York City Ends Qualified Immunity For Police Officers, Becoming 1st In Nation To Do So
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