Today, I went to do the tax. title and tags bit with the state of Florida. They want $429.00 to license it. I don’t know when I have been so shocked. I cannot believe this state is ROBBING its citizens to the tune of over $400.00 in taxes and fees to make a car street legal. This is, forgive the expression, highway robbery. The state legislature is made up of nothing short of thieves, who are stealing from the citizens of Florida, robbing us. 

I cannot believe that these politicians–which is the dirtiest word in any language, and a politian is a lower form of scum than any drug addict or criminal of any kind–have pushed through legislation making this possible. This must be changed and changed retroactively.

Can you tell I’m upset?

I don’t know what other states charge, I’ve only gone through this in Florida (previously, less than $100.00) and Illinois (also well under $100 when last I licensed a vehicle there) and the same in Oregon. To raise the fees and taxes to over $400.00 is… I just don’t have words. This power may even need to be taken from states, owning a car must not be allowed to become a get rich quick scheme for states.

Listening to all the talking head talk about Apple’s newest release, the iPad, you would think they were all completely precognative. From Leo Laporte to Alex Lindsey to David Pogue and on they are all saying they nailed it. Sadly, I remember clearly what they have all been saying and they were all wrong. When you come right down to it, the iPad is a jumbo sized iPod Touch and NOTHING more. It has no camera, it has no phone, it does have some custom versions of the iWork applications, but really, all that is different, at least so far as the released information is that this is a jumbo iPod Touch. 

That said, I can really use a jumbo iPod Touch! I can barely wait the 60 days for this to come out, I will buy the most basic one, and then about thirty days later, I will buy the most advanced one with the 3g cellular modem and 64g of memory. The first one will become a gift to a friend, whose birthday is right about then. Since I develop for the iPhone/iPod Touch, this is a business expense for me and is something as important to me as is a roof, a car, etc.. its how I keep a roof and car and etc. This will also be ,y carry about with me replacement for my laptop which will now be my full time at home desktop machine. Very exciting and I see a lot of possible income in my future from this new device.

Well, at long last, I am back in the world of the mobile and, what is more important to me, the safe. I have a new car and my new car is named Jambo Jumbo or Hello Biggun (Jambo is Swahili for Hello, jumbo is just anothfr word for big!) It’s Jambo for short. 

Jambo is a 1999 Ford Windstar Minivan/SUV. It’s got 178K miles and I bought it for $200 needing the front breaks completely reworked. Completely? New rotors, calipers, hoses and speed sensor. This job, along with 4 new used tires that are street legal come to a grand total, with the purchase price and tax, title and tags, of $748.32. It is the 3.8 liter model, with the sliding passenger side door 4 door (3 front door, sliding door and rear hatch) model instead of the 5 door model pictured here, but it is the same color as the one in this image.

As for it’s overall condition: The engine and transmission is in excellent condition, the interior is clean showing a bit of wear in the rear cargo area only. The exterior of the car has some cosmetic damage, pain wearing on the roof (Florida sun) and the front left light array needs new plastic lenses and the bumper below it is cracked. The rear bumper has minor crushes on both rear corners, very odd, and very minor. Biggest problems besides the now repaired brakes? Someone tried to steal the car at some point and tried to pry off the key tumbler on the steering column, all they managed was make the real key hard to turn, so you have to play with it some times to turn the engine on or off. The passenger door window does not work, but there’s a new motor for it in the car, just needs to be installed, which I can do myself. The front end damage tripped the air bags, so the car needs 2 new airbags. That’s it.

Power door locks, power windows, ice cold AC, AM/FM radio with AUX Jack for my iPhone/iPod, power steering and breaks, 4 captains chairs and a rear bench, seats 7, all the middle and rear seats can be removed. THIS would have been the vehicle to have been homeless and living in. Of course I get this car now when I don’t need to live in it. And hopefully I will not need to live in it.

So, join me in welcoming Jambo Jumbo to my life! With no ability to walk, I spent $320.00 on cab fares going to and from the grocery store during the last 6 weeks while I’ve been without a car. The bus line is too far for me to walk to. What a waste. Once again, all my savings are gone, between the car, the taxes etc. and the costs of not having a car, all my savings are again gone. So, right now, I still have a job, still have a roof over my head, but I have a whopping $48.00 in money to my name. Th one and only thing I cannot do, it seems, is save money. I can live, but not save. Very frightening. I think a post on that will be forthcoming. But at least I have a car again.