The 2020 Presidential Election Primary Thread

[creekster]

Jeff is too young to be a boomer. He is not part of my generalization

Incorrect. He is, I believe, almost exactly my age and, if so, we are the tail end of the boomer generation.

ANd your generalization is overwrought and incorrect.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Jeff is too young to be a boomer. He is not part of my generalization

But I'm in the sweet spot (1952) of that generalization. I agree there are millions who rail against socialism while sucking at the government teat in so many ways, but it's absurd to lay this all at the feet of Boomers alone. One example of many: because we both held down jobs and had scholarships throughout undergrad and grad schools, my wife and I never borrowed a nickel to fund our educations, and would have taken time off to earn more if we needed it, rather than borrow. But many who came after us (this generalization thing is kind of fun...) took advantage of easy loan money, racked up irresponsibly high amounts of debt with the effect of jacking up tuition rates everywhere, and now come groveling to those of us who were less profligate, expecting us to pay off their loans for them.

We should slowly push out the SS retirement age (I haven't started taking yet, so yeah, I'll wait a little longer), raise the cap, but not the percentage, on contributions, provide means testing to reduce, but not eliminate, benefits for the more responsible savers among us, and problem solved.

[YOhio]

at the boomers on here clapping back.

[YOhio]

But I'm in the sweet spot (1952) of that generalization. I agree there are millions who rail against socialism while sucking at the government teat in so many ways, but it's absurd to lay this all at the feet of Boomers alone. One example of many: because we both held down jobs and had scholarships throughout undergrad and grad schools, my wife and I never borrowed a nickel to fund our educations, and would have taken time off to earn more if we needed it, rather than borrow. But many who came after us (this generalization thing is kind of fun...) took advantage of easy loan money, racked up irresponsibly high amounts of debt with the effect of jacking up tuition rates everywhere, and now come groveling to those of us who were less profligate, expecting us to pay off their loans for them.

We should slowly push out the SS retirement age (I haven't started taking yet, so yeah, I'll wait a little longer), raise the cap, but not the percentage, on contributions, provide means testing to reduce, but not eliminate, benefits for the more responsible savers among us, and problem solved.

[YOhio]

Incorrect. He is, I believe, almost exactly my age and, if so, we are the tail end of the boomer generation.

ANd your generalization is overwrought and incorrect.

[Moliere]

Well said. Fix the disease, not the symptoms.

No, no, no...throw big chunks of money at it

[creekster]

I gladly accept this stereotype.

"It's the boomers, its the boomers! Whhaaaaa. I had no choice but to go into debt because boomers!" Whatever.

Now get off my damn grass.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hey YO, can I get an animated gif?

[YOhio]

Hey YO, can I get an animated gif?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Sweet. Thanks.

[creekster]

I love this gif. It looks like a disney animatronic mannequin gone haywire.

That's what you get with Russian software, I guess.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Junior was such a great character.

[Moliere]

Who will be the next democratic candidate to out flank the field on the left? I’m thinking it might be Beto when he announces his platform of forgiving all credit card debt to people making under $100k per year.

[Donuthole]

But I'm in the sweet spot (1952) of that generalization. I agree there are millions who rail against socialism while sucking at the government teat in so many ways, but it's absurd to lay this all at the feet of Boomers alone. One example of many: because we both held down jobs and had scholarships throughout undergrad and grad schools, my wife and I never borrowed a nickel to fund our educations, and would have taken time off to earn more if we needed it, rather than borrow. But many who came after us (this generalization thing is kind of fun...) took advantage of easy loan money, racked up irresponsibly high amounts of debt with the effect of jacking up tuition rates everywhere, and now come groveling to those of us who were less profligate, expecting us to pay off their loans for them.

We should slowly push out the SS retirement age (I haven't started taking yet, so yeah, I'll wait a little longer), raise the cap, but not the percentage, on contributions, provide means testing to reduce, but not eliminate, benefits for the more responsible savers among us, and problem solved.

I'm not in favor of wiping out loans. That said, I'll make a small counterpoint to yours. In 1973 (I'll just pick that year because it's the year BYU Law School first opened its doors) the median family income in the US was approximately $57,000. Average resident tuition at a public law school was roughly $3,500, or about 6% of the median family income. In 2013, those numbers adjust to $25,000 for tuition and $65,000 for income. In other words, one year of law school tuition was about 38% of the median family income in 2013.

So don't put your shoulder out trying to pat yourself on the back, as perhaps you benefited from more than just your own fiscal responsibility.

[snowcat]

I'm not in favor of wiping out loans. That said, I'll make a small counterpoint to yours. In 1973 (I'll just pick that year because it's the year BYU Law School first opened its doors) the median family income in the US was approximately $57,000. Average resident tuition at a public law school was roughly $3,500, or about 6% of the median family income. In 2013, those numbers adjust to $25,000 for tuition and $65,000 for income. In other words, one year of law school tuition was about 38% of the median family income in 2013.

So don't put your shoulder out trying to pat yourself on the back, as perhaps you benefited from more than just your own fiscal responsibility.

Where did you get that number? That seems very high.