We should all hire the tax folks over at GE

This time of year, hurrying to gather all the necessary information in order to pay our taxes is enough to (borrowing my mother’s favorite expression) “try the patience of a saint.” This chore, which Val formerly handled, is not only time consuming, it is also emotionally upsetting.

As I come face to face with where all the money went, I can be heard to mutter aloud in a decidedly unsaintly manner. To add insult to injury, The New York Times had a front page article about General Electric, which this year, despite record American profits, is paying no American taxes at all. In fact, they have a tax benefit coming of 3.2 billion.

Now, I think I have a pretty sharp accountant to whom I pay a goodly sum to do the tax paperwork, but obviously, he is not in the same class as the GE bunch who number former government officials, some of whom wrote the tax codes. GE’s tax department has been called, “the world’s best tax law firm.”

General Electric has fiercely lobbied for tax breaks and innovative accounting so it can concentrate its profits offshore.

Much of my tax advice is from books with encouraging titles like, “If I’m So Smart, Where Did My Money Go?” and “Personal Finance for Dummies.” Reading them, I belatedly learn that we have done a lot of things wrong. For instance, we didn’t set aside 25 percent of our income toward these golden years. Somehow, we frittered our income away on feeding, clothing, entertaining and educating three children.

We moved many times, and although I always picked up various jobs along the way, I was never employed long enough to establish pension rights. On the plus side, I did put some money in a 401(k), never took my Social Security until I was 65 and have continued adding to it since I am still working, well past the anticipated age for gainful employment.

One big mistake most of us have made, along with many so-called “money experts,” is miscalculating the rate of inflation. Who could have foreseen that I now spend as much at the supermarket to feed Val and myself as I formerly spent for a family of five? Even the cost of feeding and caring for our two cats has increased. In an effort to save, I’ve been hoisting the 25-pound litter bags into the car, exhausting myself and threatening the cats with having to tote their own litter home if they misbehave and miss the kitty box.

One of my help books advises that you can compensate for higher prices by cutting back and making substitutions: for example, driving a less-expensive car or eating fewer restaurant meals. My Toyota already has more than 130,000 miles on it, and when I look at expenditures, it isn’t a few restaurant meals that are worrisome; it is the real estate taxes, the heating bills, medical expenses and the price of gas. And as the same book concludes, “Some cutting back reduces your standard of living, and you can only cut out so much.”

Medicare and VA benefits are sure a blessing, although some knuckleheads in Congress are determined to balance the budget by cutting health care for seniors, so that’s a slippery slope for the future. I can, at least, skip all the information on “estate planning and trusts for the children.” Our kids are already alerted to the fact that Mom and Dad are spending their inheritance now on such wildly extravagant items as a roof over our graying heads and three squares a day.

Next year, I must remember to ask the accountant if I can move our residence “offshore” somewhere and let GE make up the tax differential.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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News from Japan rekindles memory of a kindness from long ago

Ordinarily, I would be celebrating and writing about the first days of spring. But my mind’s eye is too occupied with the scenes of devastation in Japan.

The pictures I have been seeing in the newspapers, on the Internet and on television are heartbreakingly familiar; years ago, we lived near the affected area in a small village called Tokai Mura. Val was working for a New York engineering company that, in conjunction with Tokyo Electric Power, was building one of Japan’s first nuclear power plants. Fortunately, that particular plant was located farther south and was unaffected by the tsunami, but the power plants now in trouble were also designed by Val’s company.

Our family has always been divided on the issue of nuclear power. My husband feels unless we want to be forever dependent on foreign oil and all that that dependence implies, nuclear power is the answer and can be completely safe.

Our daughter, whose first job after college was with Greenpeace, has been and still is, adamantly opposed. I have stayed out of the argument, not because I am afraid of making my opinion known, but because I honestly see the merits of both sides.

What I have learned, however, whether the subject is mining, drilling for oil, nuclear energy, bank failures or food safety, is you can’t expect companies or individuals to follow the wisest, safest and most altruistic procedures.

Governments must put regulations in place and strictly enforce them. Now, in addition to the devastation and loss of life created by the earthquake and the tsunami, residents in many areas fear the effects of radiation. The elderly remember all too vividly the aftereffects of the atom bomb.

The Japanese are a stoic, resilient people, raised from their earliest years to not question authority and to put the good of the group before individual desires. However, this calamity and the government’s lack of direction and transparency has them concerned.

I spoke recently with my longtime friend, Nobuko, who lives in Yokohama, and she mentioned that in addition to the scary aftershocks, gas, food supplies and power outages are making life difficult. Foreigners living in Tokyo have left for Osaka and Kyoto or for home. As is so often the case in disasters of any kind, the ones most affected are the poor and the elderly. The small villages where the power plants were located housed farmers and fishermen; many are elderly pensioners.

I still miss the rolling green of the countryside, the unique pine and bamboo ... their green color contrasting with the red tile roofs and white stucco facade of the simple houses. I remember small, weathered gray fishing boats putting out to sea, and the deeply wrinkled faces of the men in their thigh-high rubber boots.

Of course, I also remember the standoffish, almost hostile attitude of some, but our years in Japan took place not long after the war, and the Japanese have never tolerated “gaigin” or foreigners, well. There were others, like my lifelong friend Nobu, or the grocery boy, Tarusan, whose affection and feelings toward our two small sons was so apparent that despite his lack of any English, came to live with us and became a cherished part of our family.

Of all the many memories of the four years lived in Japan, the one that now haunts me the most and makes me feel guilty that all I can offer is to donate money is this: Our small home in Tokai lost most of the roof during a typhoon and we quickly evacuated to a nearby but substantially built inn.

Returning the following day to start to salvage what we could from the resulting mess of waterlogged and muddy possessions, we were greeted by the sight of a large group of local townspeople waiting in front of our little house. Many of these simple people had never had contact with and still disliked Americans, but they had heard that a neighbor was in trouble and so they were there to help.

I can think of very few other life experiences that have ever affected me as much as the sight of that group gathered in front of our home.

Contact Branford resident Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net, or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

LEND A HAND

For Americans wishing to extend a helping hand, donations can be sent to: The Japan Society, 333 East 47th St., New York 10017, Attention: Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

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Spring can be such a moving time for some

Spring officially starts today, and while a young man’s fancy may turn to thoughts of love, homeowners who are contemplating a move start to think about how to make their home and property as appealing as possible before putting it on the market.

According to Maureen Campbell, president of Pearce Plus, a program to help seniors in transition, the first step is to get some expert advice. She feels that none of us can view our own home objectively any more than we do the attributes of our own children.

An experienced Realtor (not a friend who happens to be in real estate) can suggest many ways to make your home stand out in today’s competitive marketplace and will also do a broker market analysis as to the prospective selling price, all at no cost to you.

One of the first areas of concern is the home’s “curb appeal.” For the same reason women take special pains with how they look on that first date, your house must be appealing from the outside in order to get a date with a buyer.

Often, this will mean shrubbery will need to be trimmed or eliminated, perhaps colorful flowers added to window boxes or a planter by the front door.

Windows need to be bright and sparkling, with no heavy shades or curtains making the house seem gloomy. The walkway should be repaired and inviting, and the house itself freshly painted or power washed.

Once inside, your home must hold a buyer’s interest. It needs to be as free of personal clutter as possible, so that prospective buyers can imagine themselves and their possessions living in your home. You may use that empty bedroom as a “hobby room,” but many buyers are unable to envision the room as a study or baby’s room if your old sewing machine, piles of papers and unfinished scrapbooks or fabric and yarn collection are filling the space.

In the rest of the house, clear away papers and magazines and arrange furniture so buyers have easy pathways to walk and so the rooms look more spacious. Place an afghan over the arm of an easy chair and turn on a reading lamp to create a cozy feeling and show the comfort the house can offer.

In some cases, Pearce Plus will even suggest a “home stager.” These specialists rearrange your furniture or rent furnishings to create an atmosphere that brings out the best features of the home. If your move is designed to simplify your life, get some help in deciding what to keep and what to get rid of and say goodbye to all but actual necessities.

The March issue of Oprah magazine is full of good advice on getting rid of clutter, including a list of where to donate many household items. Closets need to be neat and organized. Invest in some pretty hangers, sachet and shelf-liner paper and store out-of-season or seldom-used clothes.

Kitchens are a big selling point for many buyers. Your counters need to be free of jars, utensils, mementos and yesterday’s milk carton. Even if your kitchen isn’t new, everything should sparkle. Be especially alert to odors from cooking, damp areas or from pets. Nothing makes a buyer leave more quickly than unpleasant smells.

Most important, get help. A reliable cleaning service or handyman can accomplish things you should not attempt yourself.

Although I am a big advocate of simplifying life as we age, for those of you who already have homes that are age appropriate or for others who can’t bear to part with the old homestead, the Guilford Library is holding the Shoreline Elder Care Alliance’s “So You Want to Stay in Your Own Home” exhibit and panel today from 1:30 to 3:30. For you other “movers and shakers,” if you would like a helpful, “Getting Ready to Move” booklet, call Pearce Senior Services at 203-795-2640.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day to a dear friend

My background is French-German on my father’s side, and Russian-English inherited from my mother’s side of the family. Not a drop of Irish blood, and yet I could as soon forget St. Patrick’s Day as I could my own birthday, because I have a dear friend, Katie Dougherty, who is as Irish as Irish can be, and whose friendship means a great deal to me.

The unusual fact about our friendship is that it has endured for more than 20 years, although we have not seen one another in all that time, and our friendship was forged during the only period we have ever been together, which was exactly 10 days in Italy. Since that time, Kay has lived in Iowa and more recently in Minnesota, while I, of course, have remained in Connecticut. Because Val and I moved so often during his working years, I do have some old friends living in far-flung places, but those friendships were formed during a few years when there was a close connection. I have no other friend of such long duration that I knew for such a brief period.

I met Kay during a tour of Italy. A sudden business emergency kept Val at home, but I was unwilling to cancel my first trip to Italy, and was therefore, traveling alone. Kay was with her friend, Angela, with whom she often traveled, when on a bus tour her jovial voice boomed out, “Hey, does anyone know the score for the Iowa game?” Since the University of Iowa is my alma mater, I had to yell back, “I don’t know the score, but are you from Iowa?” As is sometimes the case when you are in unfamiliar surroundings, any connection to home assumes an out-of-proportion importance, and that may be why Angela, and especially Kay, instantly “adopted” me.

We became an inseparable threesome for the remainder of the trip, and fortunately we discovered we had many similar interests. We all delighted so much in the Uffizi Museum in Florence, we very nearly were locked in at closing time. We had found our way into a “restricted” area and were so fascinated with the contents, we almost didn’t hear the closing bells until doors began to clang shut.

Another day in Rome, I introduced them to a restaurant I had read about, and we were all thrilled with the elegant atmosphere and the solicitous waiters, who kept bringing small tidbits of different foods for us to sample. Our delight was short-lived when the bill arrived and we learned those were not samples, but expensive appetizers. We had to pool all our cash to pay the bill, and I can still recall Katie’s barely suppressed fits of laughter as we tried to look nonchalant while digging for every last coin under the now-suspicious eye of the maitre d’.

Kay came to my rescue in Venice, when coming out of a church in the early evening, I was bewitched by my first sight of the Grand Canal at dusk and fell flat on my face on the cobblestones.

Some years later, when my daughter, Marianne, attended the University of Iowa, Kay and Angela traveled to see her and took her to lunch. Angela has since died, but Kay sent me photos of Angela’s daughter and has also kept me informed of her own family’s weddings, births and special events.

Kay rarely travels anymore, and I have never had any desire to visit Minnesota, but we stay in touch with letters and phone calls, and it always gladdens my heart to hear Kay’s lilting Irish voice at the other end of the wire. I shall always be grateful to Kay for extending a warm, welcoming hand to a lone traveler and for remaining close during all the passing years.

For Kay, and for all my readers (Irish or otherwise), a happy St. Patrick’s Day, and for luck, an Irish blessing:

May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets always hold a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Contact Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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