Sad State of Affairs

[BLAZER PROPHET]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47872983/ns/business-real_estate/

Our twins have, collectively, $110,000 in college loans. One works full time as a library clerk making $11/hr and the other has been unemployed for over a year (he has a math & teaching degree). My son in law works full time but has had two pay cuts and he's down to about $9/hr.

This politics as usual, for both sides, has got to end. We need someone with real answers (and, please, no posts about Spaceman Ron Paul)- but that person doesn't seem to exist.

 

[Mediocre Man]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47872983/ns/business-real_estate/

Our twins have, collectively, $110,000 in college loans. One works full time as a library clerk making $11/hr and the other has been unemployed for over a year (he has a math & teaching degree). My son in law works full time but has had two pay cuts and he's down to about $9/hr.

This politics as usual, for both sides, has got to end. We need someone with real answers (and, please, no posts about Spaceman Ron Paul)- but that person doesn't seem to exist.

That sucks. Hopefully things turn around for everyone. My daughter will have loans also, and unless things change, all my other kids will too. We can help, but only on a month to month basis.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

That sucks. Hopefully things turn around for everyone. My daughter will have loans also, and unless things change, all my other kids will too. We can help, but only on a month to month basis.

We gave each kid about $2,000 per year. Normally we couldn't afford it, but we got a lot of it back in taxes.

 

[Mediocre Man]

We gave each kid about $2,000 per year. Normally we couldn't afford it, but we got a lot of it back in taxes.

We have saved, and done a decent job of it, but it's still not near enough. We played with the money too much before kids.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

We have saved, and done a decent job of it, but it's still not near enough. We played with the money too much before kids.

Nice you have something for them, though.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Nice you have something for them, though.

A little. It's tough because we live in an area that is very affluent. In fact the county we live in was #3 in the country a few years ago. That doesn't mean a lot, but when a lot of her friends are getting new cars for their birthday and already have their entire college paid for, it's tough. Feels like a bit of a failure

 

[Eastoff]

I think they should raise the minimum wage in the us. I think we've tried to help the economy grow from the top down for about 10 years now with all of these tax cuts. From what I understand the GDP has not significantly dipped. If more of the lower class have money to spend, that should drive up consumption. Consumption is what drives our economy, and creates the jobs. Businesses don't want to hire workers if they have nobody to buy their products.

 

[Natebishop3]

Im still in school but I just managed to snag a job outside my field that pays 16 an hour and will eventually have full benefits. Im holding on like a death grip and I will go to school part time if I have to.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

A little. It's tough because we live in an area that is very affluent. In fact the county we live in was #3 in the country a few years ago. That doesn't mean a lot, but when a lot of her friends are getting new cars for their birthday and already have their entire college paid for, it's tough. Feels like a bit of a failure

Paupers, you are.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I think they should raise the minimum wage in the us. I think we've tried to help the economy grow from the top down for about 10 years now with all of these tax cuts. From what I understand the GDP has not significantly dipped. If more of the lower class have money to spend, that should drive up consumption. Consumption is what drives our economy, and creates the jobs. Businesses don't want to hire workers if they have nobody to buy their products.

I think the minimum wage is fine at present, but should be carefully monitored. It's designed not to be a wage for "consumers", but just enough to survive on. And when it goes up, all prices in the economy pretty much go up, so to be on it and trying to expect those people receiving minimum wage to be consumers is like a tiger chasing its tail- it never catches up.

I don't know what the final solution is, but I do know that colleges that were doing fine with the money they were receiving 5 years ago are now charging 40% more (or so) and it fails the sniff test to me. It's sort of like they will charge as much as they can until kids can no longer get enough loans to make it though and that will be the equilibrium as opposed to simply working hard to keep costs and tuition as low as possible. In other words, greed for more money and more projects.

 

[Denny Crane]

Welcome to the new normal. Like it and want more? Obama/Biden '12

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Welcome to the new normal. Like it and want more? Obama/Biden '12

Sadly true.

But it would be similar with anyone else in there.

 

[MARIS61]

The minimum wage has been steadily mocked for over 40 years by the refusal of every administration to make honest adjustments to it to keep up with inflation. Congress has effectively embezzled from the citizens it "serves" by just sitting back and watching the redistribution of wealth.

To correct it now and restore the standard of living Americans had in the 60's would bring it to over $40 an hour. That gives you a rough idea of just how badly Real Americans have been raped by big business/big government. It's why our country has nearly collapsed financially, and why we have billionaires witth multiple super-yachts and submarines while children and the elderly die from lack of affordable medical care.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

The minimum wage has been steadily mocked for over 40 years by the refusal of every administration to make honest adjustments to it to keep up with inflation. Congress has effectively embezzled from the citizens it "serves" by just sitting back and watching the redistribution of wealth.

To correct it now and restore the standard of living Americans had in the 60's would bring it to over $40 an hour. That gives you a rough idea of just how badly Real Americans have been raped by big business/big government. It's why our country has nearly collapsed financially, and why we have billionaires witth multiple super-yachts and submarines while children and the elderly die from lack of affordable medical care.

That was an "interesting" post.

 

[blazerboy30]

The minimum wage has been steadily mocked for over 40 years by the refusal of every administration to make honest adjustments to it to keep up with inflation. Congress has effectively embezzled from the citizens it "serves" by just sitting back and watching the redistribution of wealth.

To correct it now and restore the standard of living Americans had in the 60's would bring it to over $40 an hour.

HAHA! $40 / hr is about $80k per year. You think a minimum wage worker should be able to buy 2 of your Lapine homes every year?

 

[blazerboy30]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47872983/ns/business-real_estate/

Our twins have, collectively, $110,000 in college loans. One works full time as a library clerk making $11/hr and the other has been unemployed for over a year (he has a math & teaching degree). My son in law works full time but has had two pay cuts and he's down to about $9/hr.

This politics as usual, for both sides, has got to end. We need someone with real answers (and, please, no posts about Spaceman Ron Paul)- but that person doesn't seem to exist.

Is that $111,000 in loans for public or private school? Which schools?

 

[MARIS61]

HAHA! $40 / hr is about $80k per year. You think a minimum wage worker should be able to buy 2 of your Lapine homes every year?

LOL. There are no "homes" available in La Pine for $40,000, but $80k a year is about what it now takes to attain the minimum standard of living working Americans had in the 60's.

 

[Denny Crane]

$80K is top 10% of all earners.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

HAHA! $40 / hr is about $80k per year. You think a minimum wage worker should be able to buy 2 of your Lapine homes every year?

Shit - under that standard, I'm barely making minimum wage? WTF?

I wish I could have a "minimum wage" earning job and get paid the same as I am now. Life would be grand.

 

[Eastoff]

hyperbole aside, inflation has far exceeded increase of minimum wage.

 

[blazerboy30]

hyperbole aside, inflation has far exceeded increase of minimum wage.

And the standard of living has far exceeded the increase in minimum wage as well. Do you have a point to your post?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

holy fuck, $9/$11 an hour? I made more than that when i was in college, and that was in the late 90s.

:MARIS61:

I make a lot, but I also spend alot. :MARIS61:

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Is that $111,000 in loans for public or private school? Which schools?

Private.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

hyperbole aside, inflation has far exceeded increase of minimum wage.

I don;t think that's the point. The point is that a person can, with difficulty, but can live off minimum wage. That's what matters.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I don't see how you can raise kids today making under $200k a year. its just insane!

 

[3RA1N1AC]

school is a joke, just have your kids start working in the mines when they are 8 years old, welcome to america

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I don't see how you can raise kids today making under $200k a year. its just insane!

$200K is a bit extreme, but I can imagine in some cities, you'd need some serious skrill to raise kids.

Of course, I don't intend to fully save every penny for my children's college education. If I planned to pay their entire way through college, shit would be tight (in a bad way).

I'll support some of that, but they have to help contribute and/or earn scholarships, or enjoy a nice community college education (at least for a couple of years). My parents helped me some with college, but that was with the caveat that I had to get solid grades, and then what they didn't pay, I had to take out loans/financial aid (which I'm paying now, though my parents pay part that even today, because we agreed if I graduated with a specific GPA, they'd help out). My biggest contribution (I can only hope) is that I met with a financial planner and set up some various accounts that will be of significant help to them in the future. Smartest thing I have ever done, I think. Sure, less money in my pocket today. But I have everything I really need (and I still have money to blow on frivilous stuff), and having less in my pocket now..... I will have to offer less support in the future because both of my children will have the accounts I set up for them.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

$200K is a bit extreme, but I can imagine in some cities, you'd need some serious skrill to raise kids.

Of course, I don't intend to fully save every penny for my children's college education. If I planned to pay their entire way through college, shit would be tight (in a bad way).

I'll support some of that, but they have to help contribute and/or earn scholarships, or enjoy a nice community college education (at least for a couple of years). My parents helped me some with college, but that was with the caveat that I had to get solid grades, and then what they didn't pay, I had to take out loans/financial aid (which I'm paying now, though my parents pay part that even today, because we agreed if I graduated with a specific GPA, they'd help out). My biggest contribution (I can only hope) is that I met with a financial planner and set up some various accounts that will be of significant help to them in the future. Smartest thing I have ever done, I think. Sure, less money in my pocket today. But I have everything I really need (and I still have money to blow on frivilous stuff), and having less in my pocket now..... I will have to offer less support in the future because both of my children will have the accounts I set up for them.

well, in LA a reasonable house in a safe neighborhood is over a million dollars. in Portland, yeah, you don't need that much you can get a nice house for $200k but not here. and unless you live in like a handful of school districts, you HAVE to send your kids to private school. the public schools here are horrendous.

 

[Eastoff]

And the standard of living has far exceeded the increase in minimum wage as well. Do you have a point to your post?

And the GDP per capita has grown as well. Are we just stating facts now? Are you ever a polite individual?

 

[blazerboy30]

Private.

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but if the loans have been racked up on private schools, why is it that something needs to change? Especially at the political level? Having your kids attend a private school is a choice you and your family made. And now that the bills are real is when it hits home that private college is extremely expensive? You live in Portland. What's wrong with attending OSU or UofO to get in-state tuition and applying for the many, many scholarships that go unused?