Con_Alma;1477450 wrote:I have one daughter in college. She is not at home. Yes, I have agreed to fund her education so long as she maintains certain levels of performance.

I'm not suggesting you plant potatoes but if you can't afford to east you certainly cant afford to go to school.

Do you realize that in a lot of cases what you're saying is that the person who can't afford to eat now when going to school and therefore shouldn't go to school on your reasoning...the other choice is to barely afford to eat into perpetuity.

Manhattan Buckeye;1477453 wrote:So, what happens if she doesn't maintain that level of performance? Not eat, or drop out, or something else?

Are you even remotely aware that the majority of parents can't afford to pay full costs for school? What year were you born? Are you a boomer or not, because you sound like the boomerist of boomers.

He claims he is not a boomer, but he sounds like one. I went ahead and labeled him a boomer.

sleeper;1477430 wrote:What choices to graduating high school seniors have?

A lot of kids that aren't college material should be going to trade school, instead.

But for some reason we've attached a stigma to the skilled trades as 2nd rate, eventhough a lot of them do as well or better than college educated folk.

gut;1477510 wrote:A lot of kids that aren't college material should be going to trade school, instead.

But for some reason we've attached a stigma to the skilled trades as 2nd rate, eventhough a lot of them do as well or better than college educated folk.

Trade school isn't free either.

Manhattan Buckeye;1477453 wrote:So, what happens if she doesn't maintain that level of performance? Not eat, or drop out, or something else?

Are you even remotely aware that the majority of parents can't afford to pay full costs for school? What year were you born? Are you a boomer or not, because you sound like the boomerist of boomers.

If she doesn't maintain her grades she will have to make some decisions on what to do with her life. She is welcome to continue to live at home. I don't know if she will drop out. That's her decision. Possibly something else, yes. It's up to her.

I am completely aware that most parents can't afford to pay the full cost of a collegiate education. That's exactly my point. There are people taking out loans for things they can't afford to pay back.

I do not believe I am a baby boomer. I was born after 1964.

BoatShoes;1477464 wrote:Do you realize that in a lot of cases what you're saying is that the person who can't afford to eat now when going to school and therefore shouldn't go to school on your reasoning...the other choice is to barely afford to eat into perpetuity.

If what others are saying is that being able to eat is predicated on the economy then no matter the route chosen, being able to eat is dependent on others. I don't subscribe to that dependent theory.

I am suggesting people can afford to eat but they may not be able to afford going to college if they are taking loans out to be able to eat while they are there.

sleeper;1477452 wrote:Please go give a speech to your local high school seniors on this topic. Tell them to not go to college and get a job as a meat cutting apprentice. That will go over well I'm sure.

I wouldn't tell anyone not to go to college. I would tell them they are taking a risk if they are going to seek a loan for basic living expenses. That risk may be significant.

sleeper;1477512 wrote:Trade school isn't free either.

The cost of college, especially non-local, aren't remotely comparable. Plus trade school grads are employable and have earning power.

I am not endorsing the current state of affairs as it relates to the economics of secondary education. I am simply acknowledging it. I think that sleeper and manhattan probably agree that there are a lot of people that cant afford to go to college. The reason I think you both agree is because I think you have each mentioned the massive amounts of student loans that may be at risk for default. Isn't that an indication that it was unaffordable?

I've been gone for a few days, but after reading thru a lot of this stuff, I'm convinced that X's Y's and millenials are completely clueless when it comes to economic cycles. They really do have an entitlement mentality, because they have never known anything but the 20 year run of prosperity they enjoyed growing up. If you think all of this is 'new' and the fault of the baby boomers alone, you really just need to go back and review history. Our difficulties today are not a generational issue, but a political issue that multiple generations share the blame for. It would be so easy for boomers to blame their parents....for Viet Nam that killed 50,000, the arab oil embargo that tripled gasoline prices, unemployment that raged from 8 to over 10%, while stagflation ate away at purchasing power. So you think paying for college and having a hard time trying to find a job out of school is new? ...listen to Billy Joel ...Allentown ...circa 1982. I was 28 at the time trying to buy a starter house( that's a 'fixer upper') because we couldn't afford the 14% interest rate. We didn't qualify, even with my professional degree. Finally, a year later we bought a house 'distressed ' at 12.875% Yeah, it sucked...it was all my daddy's fault right?

Quit your whining and deal with it. but most of all, tell the rest of your buddies to quit pushing the voting buttons that have led to it.

I can't wait to tell boomers when they are eating woal and corn for their golden years to "quit whining". I CANNOT WAIT. LOL

Bet you didn't inherit $17T+ debt (and counting) from the previous generations...

Everyone's going to share in the pain. Boomers aren't going to get a pass, nor should they.

^^^you got that right. National debt increased from $8T to 16T in 6 years. All the debt in history was doubled in that short period. I posted the voting patterns.
See who is responsible!

HitsRus;1477626 wrote:^^^you got that right. National debt increased from $8T to 16T in 6 years. All the debt in history was doubled in that short period. I posted the voting patterns.
See who is responsible!

Right because those under 18 and those unborn have voted. LOL

More than 50% of the voters are under 50...20% under 30...and they have supported those that have doubled the debt in landslide numbers.

HitsRus;1477764 wrote:More than 50% of the voters are under 50...20% under 30...and they have supported those that have doubled the debt in landslide numbers.

But they were not alone, and they certainly had more than enough help from the 30-50 range (and even some above that).

sleeper;1477652 wrote:Right because those under 18 and those unborn have voted. LOL

Eh, I'm betting it's happened. It was fraudulent, if so, but I bet it's happened.

HitsRus;1477619 wrote:I've been gone for a few days, but after reading thru a lot of this stuff, I'm convinced that X's Y's and millenials are completely clueless when it comes to economic cycles. They really do have an entitlement mentality, because they have never known anything but the 20 year run of prosperity they enjoyed growing up. If you think all of this is 'new' and the fault of the baby boomers alone, you really just need to go back and review history. Our difficulties today are not a generational issue, but a political issue that multiple generations share the blame for. It would be so easy for boomers to blame their parents....for Viet Nam that killed 50,000, the arab oil embargo that tripled gasoline prices, unemployment that raged from 8 to over 10%, while stagflation ate away at purchasing power. So you think paying for college and having a hard time trying to find a job out of school is new? ...listen to Billy Joel ...Allentown ...circa 1982. I was 28 at the time trying to buy a starter house( that's a 'fixer upper') because we couldn't afford the 14% interest rate. We didn't qualify, even with my professional degree. Finally, a year later we bought a house 'distressed ' at 12.875% Yeah, it sucked...it was all my daddy's fault right?

Quit your whining and deal with it. but most of all, tell the rest of your buddies to quit pushing the voting buttons that have led to it.

Quite true.

For those Gen X & Y'ers who keep pointing at the deficit and pinning that on the Boomers keep in mind that during WWII the nation's deficit was also quite high due to the gigantic cost of the war effort and we were still paying for FDR's Raw Deal programs.

Then, of course, we roar through the turbulent 60's where guys like LBJ thought we could spend billions on his Guns & Butter policies to finance the wildly expensive war in Vietnam, drop worthless billions on the so-called "War on Poverty", and also even more billions to beat the Soviets to the moon.

Today's economic woes are bad without a doubt but in general they're nothing new.

As HitsRus points out these are cyclical political issues; not generational issues.

Boomers are just as guilty of placing blame on the Greatest Generation. I used to get into heated arguments with my dad back when I was in my 20's because it was next to impossible to get financed for a new home and when we did it was at double-digit interest rates. I bought my first house at 10.4% interest and thought I was doing well. Now if you pay higher than 5% the Whiner Gens howl.

Gas prices are high but how about dealing with the gas lines of the late 70's, stagflation, etc.? The Whiner Gens have never dealt with these issues yet put on the gigantic Chicken Little routine as if "woe is me" is a new phenomenon.

The eeeeeevil Boomers lived through similar crap and so will the Whiner Gens. 30 years from now the Early Millennial Gens will point the finger of blame at the Whiner Gens too.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"30 years from now the Early Millennial Gens will point the finger of blame at the Whiner Gens too."

You're assuming that this country will exist in its current state 30 years from now. I'm not optimistic. We'll either have to monetize our debt or default.

HitsRus;1477619 wrote:... I'm convinced that X's Y's and millenials are completely clueless when it comes to economic cycles. They really do have an entitlement mentality, because they have never known anything but the 20 year run of prosperity they enjoyed growing up. ...

I am a Gen X-er. I don't believe I am entitled to anything but the right to pursue economic security.

You're assuming that this country will exist in its current state 30 years from now. I'm not optimistic. We'll either have to monetize our debt or default.

I share your concern, I just think it's wrong headed and disingenuous to 'blame' it on the boomers and make it a generational 'war', when it is really a political issue and a responsibilty that voters of all age groups share in.. If the debt of future generations is a concern (and it is!)...then it should be noted that the only group in Washington working to limit government size and spending is the tea party branch of the Republican party. The largest demographic of support for them are 'boomer' males.

I am a Gen X-er. I don't believe I am entitled to anything but the right to pursue economic security.

:thumbup:....that is why it is wrong to make broad generalizations about 'generations' as the OP has continually done. If it seems I have done so in some of these posts, it was only to refute/repel his misplaced insinuations.

HitsRus;1477831 wrote:...
:thumbup:....that is why it is wrong to make broad generalizations about 'generations' as the OP has continually done. If it seems I have done so in some of these posts, it was only to refute/repel his misplaced insinuations.

The economy owes me nothing....not even a job. It certainly doesn't owe some kid who couldn't afford a college education a certain level of a paying career so he can pay back his student loan.

Con_Alma;1477845 wrote:The economy owes me nothing....not even a job. It certainly doesn't owe some kid who couldn't afford a college education a certain level of a paying career so he can pay back his student loan.

It doesn't owe you SS or Medicare either. :thumbup:

sleeper;1477884 wrote:It doesn't owe you SS or Medicare either. :thumbup:

I'll be fine. You can have it.

Con_Alma;1477887 wrote:I'll be fine. You can have it.

I won't have a choice. It'll be gone before I'm 45.