Charitable Donations

 I have a rather surprising amount of IRA money that I am committed to donate to qualified charities before the end of 2021.  Also surprising is how difficult it is to extract the information needed to make such donations.  I've several times attempted, unsuccessfully, donate to the Caldwell County Historic Commission.  The same with the organization that restored and maintains the Lytton Springs Park.  There is a historic black high school on the east side of Lockhart someone is trying to preserve.  I imagine that the Caldwell County animal shelter is qualified.  I don't have time, energy, or inclination to pursue donations to these difficult charities.  

So, to my readers, if any, I ask you to identify and approach donation candidates.  Encourage them to submit "donation proposals" to wmckemie4@gmail.com.  Plain text only, please.  They should have "qualified" status with the IRS.  Which means they have EIN numbers.  IRS issued "Employer Identification Number", I believe.   As I understand, cemetery associations and other small civic groups are qualified and have minimal annual IRS reporting requirements if annual budgets are below $50k.   Proposals should be short and very informal but include organization name, purpose, history, recent budgets, EIN, amount desired, and whatever else they want me to know.

10/24/2021

I see that I should have specified that all email messages should have a subject that includes the organization name.  I make that request now.

I expect an acknowledgement from check recipients shortly after receipt.  A PDF attachment or plain text content of email should contain the name of the recipient, address, amount, date, confirmation of tax exempt status.   I may later add some boiler plate that should be included. 

I've decided that I'd rather have confirmations in PDF form attached to a message to the above email address.

10/29/2021

I'm surprised that it is necessary, but I add a synopsis of the information expected of those applying:

1) Submit via email only

2) Submit only to the email address: wmckemie4@gmail.com

3) Include the name of the requesting organization in the Subject: field of all messages.

4) Include in the message the full name of the organization to appear on a check

5) Include the full mailing address where a donation should be sent 

6) If there is some upper limit on the donation due to IRS reporting, please state that amount.

7) Provide a EIN and assure me of the not taxable status of donations.

8) I will assume the "From:" address of messages can be used for future communication if/when/as needed.

9) Please send no attachments. No photos or documents.  Please use plain text messages only.  If you have photos or other you'd like me to see, send a URL which I can follow to the remote item.

Additional information may be interesting and informative but the above information is crucial.  

11/10/2021

I see it is necessary to encourage those who wish to point others to use this post to us a URL rather than pasting the current blog post contents.  The contents may change over time.  As these few lines indicate.  Here is a "direct to this post" link:

https://wmckemie.blogspot.com/2021/10/charitable-donations.html

Please copy and paste the above link instead of the entire  and current post.

1/16/2022

Finally finished with this project.  I will likely be doing it again on a smaller scale later in 2022.  If you are a potential recipient, keep this site monitored.  Donations for 2021 totaled about $400k.  For 2022, they will likely be less than $100k.

I had some notable failures from organizations that were "shoo ins"  who did not apply and, consequently, received no donations.  All were notified to the limit of my patience.

1) Caldwell County Historical Commission

2) Whoever is trying preserve the old black school house in east Lockhart.

3) Kimble County Historical Museum

4) The Historical EV Museum (in Kingman AZ)

5) The people behind the Branson Colorado community park

6) Sons of Confederate Veterans

Roth IRAs

 Over the years, I've developed a number of passions.  Most are like tilting at windmills and I think of them as "Quixotic".  Unlikely to ever bring about real change.  At least due to my personal efforts.

I was a very early fan of Ayn Rand and I credit her with shaping my views on economics and government.  Sports car racing was a passion for a long while, maybe 10-15 years.  Somewhere along in that period, I became aware of the damage done by tobacco and the idiocy of tobacco use.  That anti-smoking passion is ongoing.  http://austinfarm.us/homegrown/smoking.html

After a semi-satisfying career with a defense contractor, I developed a passion for truck farming.  An economic disaster but otherwise VERY satisfying.  After viewing Who Killed the Electric Car, about 2005, I developed a passion for EVs.  Note that 2005 was well after the events chronicled in the documentary; during the events I had zero interest.  Which I regret.   EVs and truck farming overlapped quite a bit but I eventually faded out of truck farming.  Then, came my passion for solar energy production and sales.  That is ongoing.  

I've posted this in other places but it is impossible to give it too much emphasis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_encumbrance_of_large_automotive_NiMH_batteries

The conclusion that major automakers, and especially GM, set back the progression to EVs by 10 years is inescapable.

OH! Another old passion: Travel in Mexico.  In the 1960s and 1970s, I/we would make at least one extended trip in Mexico per year.  Sometimes more.  All over.  Going to the Pacific coast in the winter was especially gratifying.  There are many 1970s Mexico photos  here: 

 http://austinfarm.us/homegrown/downloads/slides/all/index.html

Especially with the installation of many SuperChargers in Mexico, I wish Mexican travel were safer than it has been in recent decades.   I'll have to get Canada and Alaska more thoroughly explored before I return to Mexico.

But, on to the topic.  Before my wife died in 2012, we both had become aware of the value of Roth IRAs above Traditional IRAs.  But, our contributions were modest though we both contributed the maximum allowed to Traditional IRAs. Since her death, I have applied myself to converting from Traditional to Roth.  A rather painful process since tax must be paid on the conversions.  Over the years, I've become more and more convinced of the value as I made fortuitous investments in my Roth and "it grew like Topsy".   All the while, taxable investments and income became more and more onerous. 

The "Quixotic" aspects:  I don't believe I have ever influenced a smoker to become a non smoker.  That is despite cash incentives.  I've long advocated adoption of EVs.  Even though that adoption now seems a certainty, I don't feel that I have had a measurable effect.  I believe I have never convinced anyone that it is possible to cost effectively sell electric energy. It is the same with Roth IRAs.  I tout their value but fail to sway anyone I try to influence.

In discussions with friends about Roth's I get quite a few what I consider idiotic arguments.  "I would lose my favorable long term capital gains treatment".  "I would not be able to offset gains with losses".  "Losses would no longer be deductible".   EVEN "I WANT to pay tax.  The government has to get revenue somewhere.  The government knows better than I how money should be spent".

For those not familiar with Roth IRAs: Roth contributions are made with taxed dollars so there is no immediate tax benefit.   OTOH, Traditional IRA contributions reduce reportable income and therefore reduce the current tax bill.  BUT all Traditional IRA money is eventually taxed, including the growth.  The big advantage of Roth IRAs is that growth completely escapes taxation.  You pay tax going into a Roth but never pay any tax on any withdrawal.  With Traditional, all withdrawals are fully taxed.  Eventually, account owners are forced to make withdrawals which triggers tax payment.  With a Roth, account owners are never forced to make withdrawals and any withdrawals are never taxed.

One of the arguments for using Traditionals is that the taxing may be shifted from a life stage of high income tax rates to a stage of lower income tax rates.  Many times, just the opposite is true.  The BIG deterrent to converting existing Traditionals to Roths is the tax bill that is generated on the amount of the conversions; many refuse to take on the short term tax burden.  Thereby prolonging the tax pain.

 

Tesla/SpaceX/Musk

 I saw this PBS show the other day:

https://www.pbs.org/video/elon-musk-4r4s3a/

I've been astonished at the negativism I encounter about Musk.  I have to conclude that his accomplishments are not widely known.

1) Without Musk and Tesla we would be decades away from EV adoption.  Now, we are on the very verge despite the establishment resistance.  Recall GM's actions that resulted in a ten year delay of EV batteries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_encumbrance_of_large_automotive_NiMH_batteries

As documented by Who Killed the Electric Car:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F

In the absence of threat and example from Tesla the common automakers would continue to oppose and obstruct the movement to EV adoption.  Due to the market threat from Tesla, the common and threatened auto makers have started to "Talk the talk" but not "Walk the walk".  Amusingly, Ford recently stated a goal of producing 40% EVs within 10 years.  This, while several countries are approaching 40% EV market penetration now.

On top of that, the Biden administration fails to give credit to Tesla for EV accomplishments and to deny support to Tesla.

2) SpaceX has brought a revolution in rocketry.  SpaceX has reduced launch costs by an order of magnitude.   Those cost reductions make trips to the Moon and Mars possible in the near term.   StarLink is a VERY big deal but I will not go into that here.

https://www.starlink.com/

Looking for Mr Goodbar. Tesla grades driving.

Some background on Tesla's development of Full Self Driving software.  Several thousand Tesla owners that have purchased the FSD option have received "beta" software for testing.  It has not been known how the beta testers are selected.  A few months ago, Tesla announced that all FSD option purchasers would receive beta software if requested.  The released common software has been moribund for a year or so; very few substantive steps toward full self driving have been taken.  There have been many reports of wondrous improvements in the beta software.  Tesla has taken much flack for the common software not performing as well as expected.  Running into parked police cars, for instance.

The common software will follow planned routes only on freeways; it does pretty nicely negotiate freeway interchanges.   That is, the cars will not make turns at normal intersections.  To make such turns drivers must override or disengage autopilot. The beta software is reported to follow planned routes on most streets.  That is, go point to point over long distances with minimal driver intervention.

Tesla is now offering the highly sought after "beta" software to drivers that earn "high" grades through Tesla's observations on five driving parameters.  Many, including myself, seek the necessary high grades.  Scuttlebutt is that about 1000 cars per week will be given the software.

Last Monday, I made a painful trip to the Pond Springs Road service center in order to have my "your 12v battery needs to be replaced" error fixed.  After that fix, I was allowed to install the widely distributed software version that allows drivers to apply for the narrowly distributed "beta" version.  After that application, the grading of my driving begins.  All applicants are graded for a week or longer before distribution of the beta software begins.

Here are some results of my attempts to be a driver which Tesla deems satisfactory for beta testing.

There are five grading critera/parameters:

1) Forward Collision Warnings.  I have gotten these fairly frequently.  All seem to be false alarms with no obvious cause

2) Hard Braking

3) Aggressive Turning

4) Unsafe Following

5) Forced Autopilot Disengagements.  When a driver is regularly found to not be holding the steering wheel while autopilot is engaged, autopilot is disengaged until the car is stopped and put briefly in "park".

My daily scores have been:

1) Sept 28, grade 89 , 106 miles, dings for the first three parameters

2) Sept 29, grade 96. 294 miles, "unsafe following"

3) Sept 30, grade 100, 37 miles, no dings

4) Oct 1, grade 100, 84 miles, no dings

5) Oct 2, grade 93, 352 miles, "hard braking", "unsafe following"

I had my overall score up to 96 (from 89) after the first 4 days.  After the fifth day, it was 94.

Early on, I discovered that "hard braking" was scored when autopilot was allowed to brake the car approaching a stop sign or a stop light.  For days 2 through 4, I studiously disengaged autopilot as all stop signs/lights were approached.

I haven't been able to associate any events with the dings for "unsafe following".

I suspect that "aggressive turning" dings result from autopilot changing lanes and abruptly deciding to abort a lane change.

Oct 2, I drove all day including driving through heavy San Antonio traffic. Incidentally, my destination was the coffee shop that offers destination charging in Uvalde.  I found that that charge station would supply only 12 amps or about 3kw; it is of little use for traveling US90 toward Del Rio from San Antonio.   Tiring, I became inattentive to the need to drive mostly without autopilot engaged.  In places, I allowed autopilot to abruptly change lanes and brake heavily for flashing caution lights.  To bring my grade back up, I will use shorter trips in lighter traffic areas.

Sun, Oct 3, 2021

A reader offered this:

https://www.tesla.com/support/safety-score

Which contains the sentence: "Driving on Autopilot will not be included in Safety Score calculations, but the miles driven while on Autopilot are included in the total."   Which seems to directly contradict the behavior I've noted.

Today's drive:

6) Oct 3, grade 98, 155 miles.  Dinged for "aggressive turning" and "unsafe following".  Total score 93, a one point decline.  Without rhyme or reason.

Thur, Oct 7, 2021

This from a news story on the topic:

Elon Musk has posted a key update to Tesla’s FSD Beta 10.2 rollout, with the CEO stating that the new iteration of the company’s advanced driver-assist system is poised for release this coming Friday. Musk also noted that the program would be expanding to about 1,000 new Tesla owners who have registered a perfect 100 rating on their Safety Score. 

The CEO did note, however, that the rollout of FSD Beta 10.2 would be put on hold for several days to evaluate the expanded program. If the results of the FSD Beta 10.2 expansion prove successful, then Tesla would start to gradually roll out the advanced driver-assist system to owners who have posted a 99 rating on their Safety Score. Rollouts to owners with Safety Scores of 98 and below should follow. 

Alarmingly and discouragingly, with a grade of 95, it seems I will not receive the software in the near term.  My experience is that a grade of 100 is near impossible to achieve.  However, I have at least one credible report that another Tesla driver achieves 100 with very little effort or caution.  I am now suspecting some hardware difference in my car.