By JULIA LAKEY
April is the month for filing taxes and planning your use for your rebate. It’s an amazing opportunity that has set me to dreaming of far-flung possibilities to heal the planet and further social justice.
If we acted to make our home more energy-efficient, a new refrigerator or washing machine would give the biggest return. Of course, the cost would exceed the rebate, but the rebate gets the purchase underway. Another way to extend the rebate is to buy a returned and reconditioned appliance from the Sears Appliance Outlet store. It’s located at 5401 6th Ave. just east of Pearl St. in Tacoma, where the appliances have a warranty with a reduced price.
How about making a choice that doubles your rebate? If you purchase an energy-efficient washing machine, water heater or insulation, Puget Sound Energy will give a rebate from $100 to $1,600. Details are at its Web site at www.pse.com.
Besides a front-loading washing machine, other water-wise choices, such as installing low-flow shower heads, will also reap a rebate for Water District 19 customers. So some savvy Islanders could use their tax rebate and receive two additional rebates. With the monthly savings from energy-efficient appliances, a family can join or add to PSE’s Green Energy program to purchase renewable energy starting at $4 per month. We don’t need to wait for governments to negotiate a new energy policy: We can go green in our personal choices.
We can act individually, or we can pool our rebates. The Vashon Maury Island Community Council, Rotary, Kiwanis or other groups could set up a rebate account with designated purposes to benefit. Any group of us could band together and use our rebate for the Vashon Island Growers Association, VIPP, our schools, a church or a community project.
Another way an individual could use the $600 is to decide how many places to “plant seeds.” Perhaps 10 or more groups could receive a portion of the rebate. This gifting would be fun to plan with children also. Starting with a list of things we give thanks for or feel hopeful about is a way to find groups to benefit.
Grateful for shelter? Give to Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith on Homelessness or our local Vashon HouseHold, where volunteers and sweat equity develop homes for those who otherwise would not be able to own their own place. An entire house could be built with rebate funds if enough Vashon families designated that. We could create “the 2008 rebate home” entirely funded by Islanders.
Grateful for food? Give to the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank, Second Harvest or our Wednesday Night Dinner Program.
Grateful for open space? Give to the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, People for Puget Sound, Save our Wild Salmon, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society or another deserving group.
We could give to the least among us — those most vulnerable. The poorest in every society will be the most vulnerable to climate change. Episcopal Relief and Development has Gifts for Life online, with opportunities to give animals and agricultural products, devices to produce and maintain clean water and ways to prevent disease. World Vision also has online donations for school equipment, soccer balls and goats.
The organization Practical Action has items available for impoverished people at www.practicalpresents.org. It will send fuel-efficient stoves or a clever portable food preservation system called the zeer pot. One lidded earthenware pot is placed inside another with moist sand for insulation. The stove or the pot costs under $30. These items would be sent to families in Sudan, where so many have been uprooted by war. All these charitable organizations can process donations from Americans who use their credit cards for purchases.
OK, so that rebate is strong bait for a personal purchase in clothing or gadgets. Soon advertisements will be gearing up with enticements. If you splurge on yourself and then stand back and look at your shelves and closets, will you even notice the rebate item among the plenty?
The stated purpose of the rebates is to boost the American economy, but since we have not financed the war costs and only incurred debt, we haven’t taken care of the underlying problem. Our national efforts need to be financed with current taxes rather than burdening our children and grandchildren. Even President Bush has said Americans can make additional payments: A war supporter can send the rebate back to the U.S. Treasury.
If a family pays down a looming debt or puts part or the entire rebate into savings, that accomplishes good also. Being thrifty is like building good soil with natural amendments and mulch: The payback keeps growing. Topsoil blowing away and Americans’ current trend of negative savings are not sustainable.
The rebate is just another opportunity to use a resource in our life and bless others. Everything here is on loan to us. As the joke goes, when a wealthy person died, neighbors asked, “Did he leave much?” “Yeah, everything!”
What will you bless with your rebate?
— Julia Lakey facilitates a monthly Care for Creation group.
