en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME
edit:
April 19th, @05:01PM
| reply to diehardspeed
Re: When I Dumped Comcast!
$45/month savings is a lot... and you're supporting your local community. Comcast is supporting investors.
Lets see - here in Los Angeles.
Unbundled services:
Local + LD (AT&T): ~$48 /month
DirecTv Plus: $55/month (3 tuners)
Internet Dsl Extreme: $32.19/month
Total Including taxes: $135.19
Comcast:
Vonage ($25 + taxes)
Digital Classic Plus: $59.95 /month (1 tuner) + taxes / fees
Comcast HSI: $42.95 / month + $3/month rental + taxes / fees
Total NOT including taxes: $127.90/month
Installation charges: TV: $29.99, HSI $9.95
And that's using Vonage for VoIP, as Comcr@p doesn't have it here yet. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
moderated:
April 19th, @11:31PM
| said by en102  :$45/month savings is a lot... and you're supporting your local community. Comcast is supporting investors. Care to elaborate on that statement? If you are going to make such a statement, you should really do your homework.
Comcast is one of the largest charitable providers in the communities they server over almost all other corporations in their areas.
Comcast supports their local communities directly both finacially and by employee contributions. When you purchase comcast cable, you are in fact supporting your community.
So don't come off with that comcast doesn't support it's community B.S.
Now, tell me how you are supporting your community by using UTOPIA? |
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G_Poobah
join:2004-01-17
Schenectady, NY
| Ha.. haha.. hahahaha.. hahahahahahaha...
"Among our Big Four, Comcast Corp. is the most generous, giving more than 4 percent of its operating profit, mostly in free ad time for public-service announcements. Take Comcast's $66 million in free ads, Moore said. "It's not uncommon for cable and broadcasting companies to give $100 million in PSA's [public-service ads]," she said. "I'm surprised Comcast doesn't give more, frankly."
Hahahahaha.. FREE AD Time? That's not charity, thats unsold ads that they write off. Comcast comes up with their own value for the unused ad time (the highest legally allowed), and then uses it for local notices that don't even ask for it. I ran into that exact situation at the local cable board meeting, and it was quite fun to watch the comcast shill squirm in the seat. He finally admitted that they seldom, if ever, donate anything OTHER THAN free ad time. When questioned even more, he admitted that the free ads are only run when the spot has not been sold. (i.e. 3:00 AM on channel 2). Comcast contributed jack squat to our community.
"Most companies give about two-thirds of their charitable contributions in the form of cash grants, said Giving USA, a foundation that does research and educates the public about philanthropy. Comcast gives less than 5% in the form of cash grants."
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Flabby? pastey-skinned? riddled with phlebitis? Then you've got a good Republican body! So compare your lives to mine, and then kill yourself. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| There may be exceptions to the rules.. But, in the systems I am familiar with, comcast gives actual cash grants to actual charities.
Additionally, in the systems I've worked in, they were one of the largest donaters to toys for tots, as well as the food banks throug the collection of new toys and canned food, in lue of installation fees.
I can personally vouch for 7 semi loads of food we donated on year and the same in toys for tots... That's just an example of some of the things they do.
The ad time? Won't really touch that.. if you ask me, the amount of good those free ads and PSA do is minimal. I call those breaks bathroom time and run to the kitchen time.. OR, flip to another channel.. that is if I am not too busy fast forwarding through the comercials anyway since I DVR most of my television.
If you ask me, that ad and PSA time bs is just that.. BS anyway. |
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wev567
join:2006-02-25
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to fiberguy
How is contributions from their employees considered giving from Comcast? |
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kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
 ·Packet8
| reply to fiberguy
said by fiberguy :said by en102 :$45/month savings is a lot... and you're supporting your local community. Comcast is supporting investors. Care to elaborate on that statement? If you are going to make such a statement, you should really do your homework. Comcast is one of the largest charitable providers in the communities they server over almost all other corporations in their areas. Comcast supports their local communities directly both finacially and by employee contributions. When you purchase comcast cable, you are in fact supporting your community. So don't come off with that comcast doesn't support it's community B.S. Now, tell me how you are supporting your community by using UTOPIA? WHat a truckload of crap... employee contribution counted as Comcast contribution etc 
Loook, since we know you work for cable company, you viciously spread their marketing crap at every single opportunity, why don't you just change your nick to "cableguy"?
I mean we know all these things anyway but it'd be far more straightforward... |
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shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR
| reply to fiberguy
you said that the donations were collected which means people in the community paid for the items or employees brought the items in. So I can not consider that a donation at all. Yes you say in lue of install fees but that goes into the catagory of PSA's being donated. Granted it is a worthy cause and I like that they waived install fees. But when I was cable I don't remember the fees for install being anything in the first place. Large corporations tend to have to give of a certain amount of money or assets to charites to reduce the taxes that they pay which in effect raises the profits that are retained. So that kinda goes against being charitable. It is mearly diverting tax money to another source to maximize the bottom line. |
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Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
| It's not to raise profit.. It's to raise cash flow. Usually they do this by using an accelerated method of depreciation for tax purposes, and then the slowest depreciation allowed by FASB for their SEC reporting. I'm sure media companies LOVE that they can "donate" all their unused ad time for tax writeoffs at peak rates.
If only we could "donate" grass clippings, and raw sewage to charity. No-one would have to pay taxes.  |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Levittown, PA | reply to fiberguy
I vote fiberguy is a Comcast Astroturfer!
All in favor, reply!  |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to shoan
Re: When I Dumped Comcast!
said by shoan :you said that the donations were collected which means people in the community paid for the items or employees brought the items in. So I can not consider that a donation at all. Uh, what planet do you live on? Organizations that organize collections or charitable contributions, be it their own employees that participate, are still able to say they gave as a whole because it was them that did the drive. So, yes. I guess you are one that says that companies that support the United Way don't really do anything either, right? even though they lock you in a room and let the UW ambush their employees for money...
Yes you say in lue of install fees but that goes into the catagory of PSA's being donated. Granted it is a worthy cause and I like that they waived install fees. But when I was cable I don't remember the fees for install being anything in the first place. This isn't about you dude. The example that I am talking about very much was a giving up of the $42.00 install fee. I do not say that giving up the install is the same as the PSA situation. That drive took the money out of the company bank account for an entire 30 days for each and every installation. Add that up for evey customer installed, serviced by a tech, or change of service and that money adds up. The company did not have the benefit of the cash in their account giving it up for a toy to give to the marines, or the food to the food bank.
How can you say it's the same as a PSA? That's rediculous. Drives are done to insite community spirit! The company could right out a check donation and write it off just as easily as collecting toys or food. When you ask people to open up for charity, many will tend to do good in other places as well.
I am glad you aren't running any charitable orgs becaues you don't understand how it works.
You remind me of that cartoon charactor on Hanna Barbara.. you know the one "We'll never make it!" or "It'll never worrrrrk"..
Large corporations tend to have to give of a certain amount of money or assets to charites to reduce the taxes that they pay which in effect raises the profits that are retained. So that kinda goes against being charitable. It is mearly diverting tax money to another source to maximize the bottom line. Diverting tax money to another source.... ? Do you have any understanding how and why there is a tax write off for charitable donations in the first place? or are you just blowing smoke because of some other reason?
The government encourages people to donate and give chaitable contributions in their own way or in their own communities because it's beleived that people can do a better job than the government when it comes directing charitable contributions. In lue of giving money to chairty, you can write off a PORTION of that donation on your taxes. THe more people that give to causes, the theory is the less that government should have to. SO yea, it really is a diversaion - but it's supposed to be.
The only thing I can say about your post is this - you don't see any corporate involvement in charity as anything other than a "something in it for them"... you know, people that head or run businesses also do have the desire to be charitable too.
I own a business and I give large donations each year in both cash and my time. I guess I am ingenuine. Don't get me started dude.. I've been VERY much a charitable person all my life and always will be. I give ALOT of my time and money each and every year. I can almost bet that you don't lift a finger at-all based on your nay-say attitude here because a true chartiable person recognizes charity when they see it... you don't. Any help, that is not connected to corruption, is charity. I hardly consider anything that was mentioned above as being corrupt. |
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backness
join:2005-07-08
K2P OW2
·Rogers Hi-Speed
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| Re: When I Dumped Comcast!
said by fiberguy :F*CK off Kamm! So I guess the united way, red cross, any church that asks it's members of congregation to donate, well, those groups shouldn't get credit either, right? Are you comparing Comcast to the Red Cross? |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Read the post again, because I know what you are trying to do here and it won't work.
Red Cross asks their employees to give.
The United way asks their employees give.
Churches ask their congreagation to give.
Employers IN GENERAL and not just Comcast, asks their employees to give.
What's in common here? They all ask their own employees and members to give and the organization claims credit for it.
The redcross asks the general people to give. It's complete fund raising. A company that gives up a service fee in lue of a charitable donation is fund raising. Do you not understand why a corporation gives a donation to another group that is raising money? Let's say there is a local group putting on an event and gets $10,000 from target. Do you think that $10K goes right to the event's recipients? Not all directly. That donation from target would go to the general fund for that event and it can be used to pay for expenses to put on the event so that it can also raise money. If they don't use it all, which many try not to use as much corporate donations as possible, then it is a direct benefit when possible as well.
If you can't read and pay attention to my entire post, don't bother with your little snippet trying to make me look like the bad guy here.
If ANYONE here has a problem with a corporation giving direct chartable aid, goods, or money to any charitable organization, and considers it a scam, a way of getting out of taxes, conspiracy, or what ever, you should be ashamed of yourself.
I have given up much personal time and cash out of pocket since I was 18 years of age to charity every year. It sickens me to listen to you guys sit back and bash any entity that provides charitable donations to those in needs.
I'd suggest you put up or shut up about what you don't know about. |
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shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR
| reply to fiberguy
All I am saying is that if they are wanting to be charitble then give from the final bottom line not sacrifice taking in profits to say they donated. Do as you say you have done given your own personal money. When I do donate I donate directly not through any middle person, since all it does is dilute what was given. I aplaude you for giving of your own time and money but that is the key there you gave your OWN money. If comcast at the end of fiscal year stepped up and said we made 10 bil and we are giving 50 mil in charity and left it at that then fine no problems here but don't do it to have a tax write off in fact turn down the tax write off. Charity is something you do to help someone else and it taints it when you give so that you have this other side benifit the only thing you should take away from charity is the feeling of having done somethign good for others not hey look atmy tax write off. |
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backness
join:2005-07-08
K2P OW2
·Rogers Hi-Speed
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to fiberguy
Ok... but what about the fact that the red cross is a charitable organization... and comcast is a cable company?
do some reading...
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cross
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast
If you still think you can compare a FOR PROFIT CABLE COMPANY with the RED CROSS.. then i have nothing further to say |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| You have nothing further to say.
I don't need your wiki links and I don't need your lesson. YOU, however, need to learn to read and understand and stop being so quick to look for something wrong in my post. Why the heck are you so damn focused on what the organization is? My post focuses on the charitbale act of giving.
I don't like talking to those people with closed minds. So yea.. you have nothing further to say. You need a hobby. |
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backness
join:2005-07-08
K2P OW2
·Rogers Hi-Speed
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| well let me get it straight...
your position is that any organization that gives any kind of charity is equal?
why use such a silly comparison? your logic is flawed...
you state that charity comes from the people... not the organization which is true. However, you are fundamentally stating that human charity is the result of humans giving.
I would argue that it is not the organization that incites peoples need to give, rather it is an element of the human spirit.
If the tax advantages for profit companies disappeared, do you honestly believe they would still do it? I know for a fact the red cross will still be giving to people whether or not the American government decides to give a tax break.
My argument is that to compare an organization who's sole function is charity to a cable company is silly. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
edit:
April 22nd, @06:04PM
| Your argument was to pick out one point and focus on it inestead of the whole message. Sorry, I don't play that way.. That's how politicians and talking point machiens like to work.. not me.
Do I agree if the tax break was gone that companies would still do it? ABSOLUTELY! Many would! It's good P.R. as well... and good P.R. is more than just advertising.. it shows to those that spend money with that company that they do care about the communities they service. I think you are putting WAY TOO MUCH conspiracy behind the spirit of giving. And, in the end, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THERE WAS A TAX DEDUCTION OUT OF IT! THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO WORK THIS WAY! THEY WANT PEOPLE TO GIVE IN THEIR OWN WAY SO THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO IT ALL! Geez! Really.. I am beginning to think that if you were in need and you got a hand out offered to help you, you'd do your back ground to see how the money got to you.
Charity is charity.. when you get over this whole tax break issue that you have, you might see more clearly. Your government and system is not the same as ours most likely... either that, or you just don't get it and place high demands on the money you get.
Tell you this.. let's take St. Judes hopistal as a complete example.. and if you have any points about St. Jude, PICK ANOTHER.. IT DOENS"T MATTER AND I WON'T DISCUSS ST. JUDE ISSUES... the issue is, do you REALLY THINK that St. Jude would care why the donating company made that 100K donation? Think they REALLY care? I think they would be greatfull to get thet 100K to help several kids in need.. or to be able to keep their doors open longer to serve more. Even Toys For Tots and the food banks are the same way. I think the marines are happy to know that children have a gift to open on Christmas to know they can grow up as a child WITH a childhood (no matter how plastic the holiday has become). And the food banks.. think they really care about the intent of the corporation that gave them food to feed needy families?
I am REALLY guessing that you have never done anything charitable as is WORKED in a charity organization. You don't CARE where the donations come from or if that money was tax deductable as long as it wasn't corrupted money. THEY KNOW about tax breaks because they issue the receipts and forms so the doner CAN get the tax break! Geez!
Your whole point is that if someone gave and got a tax break that it's not really charity. Got a news flash for you.. (being you are joining in a topic based on U.S. ways) you do know that charitable contributions (in how we are talking here to a 501(c)3 org) are tax deductable. Right? So I guess any individule giving and taking that tax break fits in your model of being ingenious.. right?
Have a nice day. |
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