There is a single steadfast rule for being alive right now, and it is: Do not bet against the dumbest possible outcome. The frenzied midterm second-guessing among Democrats appears to be intensifying. You can find the stories everywhere: Democrats fear they’ve failed to counter GOP cultural attacks. That they’ve fumbled the politics of immigration. That they’re unlikely to pass major new legislation to campaign on. That labor’s decline has put key races in peril. That they’ve failed to address widespread economic anxieties.
I hate it when you write seriously adverse stuff like this and are correct.
I'd take a $25,000 cap and resetting the time clock to eliminate late fees and penalties if it was done yesterday but, as you've said, Mr. Biden isn't a "get it done yesterday" sort of guy and may follow his instincts into a '24 loss.
You are right on, TC. I was schooled in California about the time you were. UCLA was virtually tuition free….and along came Ronnie who HATED students because they saw him for the fraud, second rate actor and wannabe fascist he was. $69 a quarter became $109 became $200 something became $thousands. Thank goodness I was a paid TA, had federally financed jobs on campus and Hollywood connections. EVERYBODY I know in grad school now or recently is crushed under a shit pile of debt. “Well it was their choice.” Really? They had no choice…not if the folks couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the freight. Not if they grew up poor. Not if they wanted so badly to improve their chances! Give ‘‘em a break, Joe: you ain’t no Ronnie Ray gun!
Christmas, two in a row - you are having a good day. This is so true, and here is what the magnificent Senator Dr. Warren (as Charlie P. calls her) gets that the critics do not get, and Biden and his minions do not get either..... 70% of the US GDP is the consumer economy - people buying stuff to live their lives and hopefully make them better. The students being economically crushed by large debt that cannot be discharged even in bankruptcy are not, and CANNOT, participate in this consumer economy, which then reduces the economic strength of the country for all of us..... Her idea, which you have so well presented here, would free up a significant part of the population to allow them to enter the economy and give it the boost we need to move it to the next level. These are folks often living with their parents because with the debt load they cannot afford housing. They are purchasing only necessities - they are not buying houses, cars, not going on vacation, not investing in businesses, not doing much of anything to support the real economy in the US, the 70% of what makes us the largest consumer economy on the globe..... Doing this would lead to an economic boost that could whip the Dems to victory in 2024 and beyond!
Don’t bet against the dumbest possible outcome. I have thought this thing about school boards for years. Let’s pick out the STUPIDEST way to do something and go with that. Stop with trying to get the R’s on board. It will not happen. We want government to work; they want to break government. Do what will help people. Let deficit reduction go for the time being. Education loans take longer to pay off than mortgages for lots of folks. If R’s thought it would help them, they’d forgive student debt in a heartbeat.
"Literally, the only reason I have left to support this guy and his party is - the Republican Threat to Everything Good and Decent."
I am with you TC. Fascism is a powerful force in the gop - which has become the party of HUGE lies in contrast to the dems fiddling about most of the time trying to polish their bona fides as progressives, centrists, or whatever. As far as I can tell anyone with any brains at all must still run against the former guy and his crowd of copy cats. There is way too much attention to polls instead of attention to the one party that has no platform other than regaining the reins of power at whatever cost. Ukraine had better win this thing before November or all bets are off. The gop is Marine Le Pen writ large except too many are unable to connect the dots and see the picture that emerges from the white canvas. And I do wish that Biden would get smart. He's an old, old man and he thinks like an old man who is stuck in his own worldview which today doesn't mean anything at all when you've got shape-shifters all over in gop leadership. On the student debt issue: not only should there be a $50,000 reduction (perhaps generally but perhaps also means tested - although that won't pass fast enough) but while there are no payments being made there should be NO INTEREST charged on outstanding balances. I got my degrees with state scholarships and I went into Music to begin with! The fact is once education was seen as one more area ripe for privatization the banks and lending institutions could make a bundle and salaries for the guys at the top of university systems began making money on a level with many CEO's. My son joined the Navy in order to go to medical school. No debt for school, a debt to the Navy and the nation which he has fulfilled. But these public policy decisions in favor of big business have never been good for anyone but big business and their shareholders. President Biden needs to forget about Delaware and all the rank robbery going on through that state with all the financial institutions. Make the big decision for God's sake, man.
The biggest problem in my kids' experience with school loans is interest rates. When first established, the rate was low, less than 1%, and doable. But then they rose above mortgage rates. In 2005 government loan rates were reduced from 4% to 1%, but non-government loans to my knowledge are not under that restriction, and I've seen rates of 6%, when mortgage rates were 2%. And that's only 1 issue. $omething must be done about all of them.
well, I managed to earn up to an MA without having to pay more than thirty-some bucks a year for student fees. the other school I attended cost a few bucks. a few...I'm remembering that the unfinished PhD cost close to nothing and the MSW, after all the state funding, etc. was about two thousand bucks a year. the friends I had who went the ivy league route managed tuition (less than $3500 bucks a year for tuition at Harvard with the dorm and food plan coming it at less than a thousand bucks more) without needing a loan. like a fool, I wanted a little spending money, so I borrowed a few thousand bucks for the MSW, and hated writing every check for the ten years it took me to pay the loan off...god knows how much it actually ended up costing me in interest. but that was for a few thousand bucks. I absolutely in no way can even begin to IMAGINE what it would feel like to owe a student loan amount of, say, $50,000. I can't. what strikes me as REALLY weird is the extent to which people start going bananas whenever anyone mentions free college, as if never happened here and is somehow an impossibility...what could possibly make better sense, strictly from an economic perspective.
That's 2 today Tom, seriously thought provoking epistles. At this point who gives a flying fuck what the repugnantins think, even if you could in good conscience call what they do thinking, they left the constructive dialog a long time ago, AWOL, MIA, call it what you want they don't matter when it comes to what our President should do to help this nation. $50,000 is a lot of money and would be a huge help to a lot of people who see that sack of Benjamins as a very big helping hand, I have found that when you give someone a helping hand, just because you can, a good deal of gratitude is created, a classic example of that is happening daily in the Ukraine. I think the President should go big and create a lot of gratitude, that's exactly what the slime balls have been doing for decades with their obscene tax cuts for those among us that need them the least, their gratitude took and takes the form of very large campaign donations. Too fucking chee! They are going to be on their back foot with the televised House Committee report and the fact that they are married to the insipid imbecile, if the Democrats can't find a way to message this I fear for our country.
This was so good I tweeted it to @POTUS with a command for SOMEONE to READ IT. I hope someone does. Perhaps if others also tweeted it to him, SOMEONE on duty might actually read it and "get" it.
I hate it when you write seriously adverse stuff like this and are correct.
I'd take a $25,000 cap and resetting the time clock to eliminate late fees and penalties if it was done yesterday but, as you've said, Mr. Biden isn't a "get it done yesterday" sort of guy and may follow his instincts into a '24 loss.
I hate writing it as much as you hate reading it. :-)
Thank you for pointing out the truth! We may not like it, but that makes it nonetheless true.
You are right on, TC. I was schooled in California about the time you were. UCLA was virtually tuition free….and along came Ronnie who HATED students because they saw him for the fraud, second rate actor and wannabe fascist he was. $69 a quarter became $109 became $200 something became $thousands. Thank goodness I was a paid TA, had federally financed jobs on campus and Hollywood connections. EVERYBODY I know in grad school now or recently is crushed under a shit pile of debt. “Well it was their choice.” Really? They had no choice…not if the folks couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the freight. Not if they grew up poor. Not if they wanted so badly to improve their chances! Give ‘‘em a break, Joe: you ain’t no Ronnie Ray gun!
Christmas, two in a row - you are having a good day. This is so true, and here is what the magnificent Senator Dr. Warren (as Charlie P. calls her) gets that the critics do not get, and Biden and his minions do not get either..... 70% of the US GDP is the consumer economy - people buying stuff to live their lives and hopefully make them better. The students being economically crushed by large debt that cannot be discharged even in bankruptcy are not, and CANNOT, participate in this consumer economy, which then reduces the economic strength of the country for all of us..... Her idea, which you have so well presented here, would free up a significant part of the population to allow them to enter the economy and give it the boost we need to move it to the next level. These are folks often living with their parents because with the debt load they cannot afford housing. They are purchasing only necessities - they are not buying houses, cars, not going on vacation, not investing in businesses, not doing much of anything to support the real economy in the US, the 70% of what makes us the largest consumer economy on the globe..... Doing this would lead to an economic boost that could whip the Dems to victory in 2024 and beyond!
Don’t bet against the dumbest possible outcome. I have thought this thing about school boards for years. Let’s pick out the STUPIDEST way to do something and go with that. Stop with trying to get the R’s on board. It will not happen. We want government to work; they want to break government. Do what will help people. Let deficit reduction go for the time being. Education loans take longer to pay off than mortgages for lots of folks. If R’s thought it would help them, they’d forgive student debt in a heartbeat.
"Literally, the only reason I have left to support this guy and his party is - the Republican Threat to Everything Good and Decent."
I am with you TC. Fascism is a powerful force in the gop - which has become the party of HUGE lies in contrast to the dems fiddling about most of the time trying to polish their bona fides as progressives, centrists, or whatever. As far as I can tell anyone with any brains at all must still run against the former guy and his crowd of copy cats. There is way too much attention to polls instead of attention to the one party that has no platform other than regaining the reins of power at whatever cost. Ukraine had better win this thing before November or all bets are off. The gop is Marine Le Pen writ large except too many are unable to connect the dots and see the picture that emerges from the white canvas. And I do wish that Biden would get smart. He's an old, old man and he thinks like an old man who is stuck in his own worldview which today doesn't mean anything at all when you've got shape-shifters all over in gop leadership. On the student debt issue: not only should there be a $50,000 reduction (perhaps generally but perhaps also means tested - although that won't pass fast enough) but while there are no payments being made there should be NO INTEREST charged on outstanding balances. I got my degrees with state scholarships and I went into Music to begin with! The fact is once education was seen as one more area ripe for privatization the banks and lending institutions could make a bundle and salaries for the guys at the top of university systems began making money on a level with many CEO's. My son joined the Navy in order to go to medical school. No debt for school, a debt to the Navy and the nation which he has fulfilled. But these public policy decisions in favor of big business have never been good for anyone but big business and their shareholders. President Biden needs to forget about Delaware and all the rank robbery going on through that state with all the financial institutions. Make the big decision for God's sake, man.
The biggest problem in my kids' experience with school loans is interest rates. When first established, the rate was low, less than 1%, and doable. But then they rose above mortgage rates. In 2005 government loan rates were reduced from 4% to 1%, but non-government loans to my knowledge are not under that restriction, and I've seen rates of 6%, when mortgage rates were 2%. And that's only 1 issue. $omething must be done about all of them.
https://lendedu.com/blog/history-of-student-loans
well, I managed to earn up to an MA without having to pay more than thirty-some bucks a year for student fees. the other school I attended cost a few bucks. a few...I'm remembering that the unfinished PhD cost close to nothing and the MSW, after all the state funding, etc. was about two thousand bucks a year. the friends I had who went the ivy league route managed tuition (less than $3500 bucks a year for tuition at Harvard with the dorm and food plan coming it at less than a thousand bucks more) without needing a loan. like a fool, I wanted a little spending money, so I borrowed a few thousand bucks for the MSW, and hated writing every check for the ten years it took me to pay the loan off...god knows how much it actually ended up costing me in interest. but that was for a few thousand bucks. I absolutely in no way can even begin to IMAGINE what it would feel like to owe a student loan amount of, say, $50,000. I can't. what strikes me as REALLY weird is the extent to which people start going bananas whenever anyone mentions free college, as if never happened here and is somehow an impossibility...what could possibly make better sense, strictly from an economic perspective.
Am starting to be a serious fan. You should worry. 🤣 Next, you get an invitation to CPAC. Just kidding.
That's 2 today Tom, seriously thought provoking epistles. At this point who gives a flying fuck what the repugnantins think, even if you could in good conscience call what they do thinking, they left the constructive dialog a long time ago, AWOL, MIA, call it what you want they don't matter when it comes to what our President should do to help this nation. $50,000 is a lot of money and would be a huge help to a lot of people who see that sack of Benjamins as a very big helping hand, I have found that when you give someone a helping hand, just because you can, a good deal of gratitude is created, a classic example of that is happening daily in the Ukraine. I think the President should go big and create a lot of gratitude, that's exactly what the slime balls have been doing for decades with their obscene tax cuts for those among us that need them the least, their gratitude took and takes the form of very large campaign donations. Too fucking chee! They are going to be on their back foot with the televised House Committee report and the fact that they are married to the insipid imbecile, if the Democrats can't find a way to message this I fear for our country.
This was so good I tweeted it to @POTUS with a command for SOMEONE to READ IT. I hope someone does. Perhaps if others also tweeted it to him, SOMEONE on duty might actually read it and "get" it.