Majority of voters support free college, eliminating student debt

[Micawber]

If they get free college I want my tuition back with interest at the legal rate for 30 years.

[cawacko]

You mention the teacher pensions a lot........ You know they work pretty cheap & pay out of their own pocket for things needed in the classroom, students lacking etc......... Part of taking that lower salary is that compensation later in life-that is the deal..

You have problem w/ teachers???

This is from the LA Times a couple of months ago about education spending in the state.

""School districts are being squeezed, too, by the rising costs of employee healthcare and pensions. Because those benefits are locally bargained with public employee unions, some argue it’s a problem of their own making. Nonetheless, the multibillion-dollar obligations are steadily growing. School districts have been required to begin paying more into the state teachers’ retirement fund to ensure its solvency. To ease that burden, Newsom’s K-12 budget proposes paying a portion of the local districts’ pension obligation.""

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-...512-story.html


This is just one paragraph in one article but there has been a lot written about this. Whether one agrees with it or not it's a reality that money earmarked for schools and classrooms is instead being used to cover teachers pensions. It's a very real issue.

I don't have issues with teachers. I have issues with the teachers unions. Unions are there for the best interest of the teachers, not the children. Bad teachers (like bad police officers) should be removed. Instead the unions make it almost impossible. That does not benefit students. And I'm not talking about firing teachers left and right on a whim but I'm talking about legitimate bad teachers. And teachers union fight change at every turn. Our education system has barely evolved in the past century although the world clearly has. But teacher unions (and the politicians they support) aren't willing to change with the times.

And ultimately it comes to what the goal of our education system? Is it about employment for adults or what's best for the kids?

[anatta]

You really cannot understand that that just indicates that the wealthy have all the fucking money?

that's why they are called rich

[Bill]

This is from the LA Times a couple of months ago about education spending in the state.

""School districts are being squeezed, too, by the rising costs of employee healthcare and pensions. Because those benefits are locally bargained with public employee unions, some argue it’s a problem of their own making. Nonetheless, the multibillion-dollar obligations are steadily growing. School districts have been required to begin paying more into the state teachers’ retirement fund to ensure its solvency. To ease that burden, Newsom’s K-12 budget proposes paying a portion of the local districts’ pension obligation.""

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-...512-story.html


This is just one paragraph in one article but there has been a lot written about this. Whether one agrees with it or not it's a reality that money earmarked for schools and classrooms is instead being used to cover teachers pensions. It's a very real issue.

I don't have issues with teachers. I have issues with the teachers unions. Unions are there for the best interest of the teachers, not the children. Bad teachers (like bad police officers) should be removed. Instead the unions make it almost impossible. That does not benefit students. And I'm not talking about firing teachers left and right on a whim but I'm talking about legitimate bad teachers. And teachers union fight change at every turn. Our education system has barely evolved in the past century although the world clearly has. But teacher unions (and the politicians they support) aren't willing to change with the times.

And ultimately it comes to what the goal of our education system? Is it about employment for adults or what's best for the kids?

& yet you attack the teachers compensation not the union leadership........



They told us in the early 90's the lotto would be pay for education, we'll never have to worry any more........

Teachers are the small fry here, you have much bigger fish to fry........

[cawacko]

& yet you attack the teachers compensation not the union leadership........



They told us in the early 90's the lotto would be pay for education, we'll never have to worry any more........

Teachers are the small fry here, you have much bigger fish to fry........

Me stating what others are reporting, that pension cost are eating away at money intended for the classroom, isn't me attacking teachers compensation. It's stating an economic reality.

I also stated my issue is with the teachers unions, not the individual teachers themselves. And I stated what my issue was. You and others are free to disagree. I don't take it as a personal attack. There's a reason there is a growing bi-partisan consensus on the need for change in our education system.

[Bill]

Me stating what others are reporting, that pension cost are eating away at money intended for the classroom, isn't me attacking teachers compensation. It's stating an economic reality.

I also stated my issue is with the teachers unions, not the individual teachers themselves. And I stated what my issue was. You and others are free to disagree. I don't take it as a personal attack. There's a reason there is a growing bi-partisan consensus on the need for change in our education system.

No, take it personal. .lol

There needs to be changes, & I am all for them, some radical changes like doing away w/ the current jim crow system, school districts up the ying yang simply duplicating the state & fed regs. Outrageous salaries for superintendents etc......

[Loving91390]

According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2017–2018 school year was $34,740 at private colleges, $9,970 for state residents at public colleges, and $25,620 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

[Flash]

“The top 25 percent of earners shoulder nearly 86 percent of the income tax load. Combined, the top 50 percent of earners are responsible for 97 percent income taxes collected. The other half of filers pay just 3 percent of all income taxes.”
National Taxpayer Union

The bottom 40% actually pays -106% of federal income taxes. It is negative because 1) they owe 0 federal income taxes; 2) most get Earned Income Tax Credits (up to about $5,000).

They owe no taxes plus get cash money (plus any additional benefits). That would provide a free year of community college which average $3,341 per year.

[Flash]

Hello Flash,



And do you have data indicating that people who take out student loans to study cosmetology default at a greater rate than others?

I did not say they defaulted but that they did not finish classes and/or do not actually practice cosmetology.

However, the private for-profit schools do default at a much higher rate and most cosmetology schools fall in that category--many of them fly-by-night operations. The Education Department just announced a policy for "Defrauded Students" because many close in the middle of the semester leaving the students with no classes or refunds.

[Flash]

dear fucking idiot
the time the republicans want to go back too is the 1950s
that time was created by FDRs policies in the 1940s
want me to show you those tax rates ?
fuck you very much

And those 91% tax rates in the 1950s raised about 16.8% revenue as a percent of GDP. Today much lower rates raise about 17% revenue as a percent of GDP. Why should we have confiscatory tax rates when they raise no more money than lower rates?

[cawacko]

And those 91% tax rates in the 1950s raised about 16.8% revenue as a percent of GDP. Today much lower rates raise about 17% revenue as a percent of GDP. Why should we have confiscatory tax rates when they raise no more money than lower rates?

Only a small number of households fell into that 91% marginal rate during the ‘50’s and it’s been documented about how people under reported income and all the available tax avoidance schemes of the day.

We have to look at more than just marginal rates alone because of all the write off allowances etc when comparing rates across decades. Your numbers tell an excellent story about what the rich/wealthy pay on a percentage basis as a percent of GDP.

And all you get in return for sharing this info is to be told to do an inhumane act to yourself.

[MAGA MAN]

lots of the rich & their corps don't either

He's a 'rat too...

[Flash]

most Trump rubes don't even go to college

and most don't pay taxers anyway, wonder why they give a fuck

Trump won the vote of white college graduates.

[Micawber]

Wow, an actual issue being discussed. Impossible. No free lunch. Sorry

[PoliTalker]

Hello Flash,

We already have taxpayer funded college. It is just not 100%. In some states tuition may pay for only 25% of the cost of the education.

Whatever we have is not enough. China is out-educating us. Our greedy way of turning education into a for-profit institution is not effective in keeping up with the rest of the world. We need to be smarter.