Are places like Harvard or UVA just hedge funds masquerading as universities? Take Harvard, where $40.9 billion is under active management in its endowment, and it buys things like vineyard water rights.
The school to prison pipeline has been surpassed by the school to debtor’s prison parkway. High schools have failed inner-city and rural kids so now they kick education down the road to the colleges and tell every kid they must attend college. The brainwashing starts in grade school. Calling them “public” schools is the real propaganda. They are government schools.
Yes, we are told that college is necessary for success, and if you can’t afford it, well we have these things called ‘student loans’ backed by the US government. In essence, the biggest predatory lender is the US government.
Progressive Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders seek to gain power and buy votes by addressing symptoms, not root causes of problems. Making college “free” would make it even more expensive.
The problem with college debt is that colleges are “selling” educations that are more expensive than they are worth. If people received jobs that validated the costs of those educations, they’d be able to pay it back with no issue.
Students and their parents are not understanding return on investment of education and taking out far too much debt versus the product’s worth.
This is made worse by the government being willing to lend with no direct criteria (for example, loaning more for an engineering degree vs. a Gender Studies degree).
Forgiving college debt on the tax payer’s dime does not address these problems and shirks personal responsibility, transferring it to other people. If there should be any responsibility transfer, it is to the colleges.
Let the colleges forgive the loans, since they sold ones that didn’t generate an ROI.
Next, and more importantly, get the government out of the lending game, make colleges have skin in the game, increase education and transparency on ROI of education debt and debt in general and allow loans to be tied to relevant factors (GPAs, degrees, etc.).
It’s not just college though, the same goes for healthcare. We need to address the cost of healthcare, not just try to make it “free”, which we know will ultimately bloat costs and decrease quality.
Example: What are the costs for the following procedures on average?
Lasik surgery, breast augmentation, and knee replacement.
Lasik-less than $2k an eye, breastwork is $3700 (less than $2k a boob),
but knee replacement is averaging $49,500 per knee (around $100k for both knees).
Knees are covered by health insurance but boob jobs aren’t. It’s a competition. Allowing for competition, transparency and having the recipient pay brings costs down.
The left is good at pointing fingers, but they are not addressing the root causes of problems to find solutions. We have to stop throwing money at symptoms.
Warren knows this, and Grifter Bernie doesn’t care to understand it- it’s not part of his game.
This is not just a Democrat problem. The Republicans are just as bad. They have not been able to put a simple healthcare plan forward that could pass Congress in 15 years, during which time they have whined about the ACA like little children.
When it is all said and done, we need free-market solutions. Competition and transparency bring prices down and quality up.
About the Author
So, people with chronic life threatening medical conditions who can’t afford treatment just die under this approach? People with cancer, people who need brain surgery, etc?
Sorin, before you lefties DEMANDED that Goobermint be involved in EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of our lives, those surgeries were taken care of by Catholic Charity Hospitals, local charities, local civic groups(Masons, Elks, etc…) and or other VOLUNTARY associations.
Furthermore, it has been ILLEGAL to refuse care at US hospitals since the late 70’s. ILLEGAL.
But thanks to non-thinkers like yourself, now we have Goobermint involved and they do SUCH A GOOD JOB.
But you just keep on hating. You have learned that very well, suckling at the demon breast of the Democrat party demon.
I see, so those with chronic conditions must hope that someone will take care of them. Hospitals must only provide emergency care, not care for people with chronic conditions. Oh, and then they will send you the bill. In my case it was $6000 10 years ago when I stuck my finger in the table saw. I was at the ER for 3 hours. Thanks for the clarification.
And if you were indigent, you’d pay NOTHING.
Be glad you had the ability to be billed. According to your side, it means you won life’s lottery, not worked hard to earn enough to pay your own way.
And it’s not called hope it is called ‘community’. We USED to have it before you lefty’s divided us with your pernicious hyphen.
BTW? Use the saw on wood, not your fingers. Stick WOOD into it, not fingers.
Well, more and more Americans seem to be fed up with this system. Where a small injury puts the average American in debt for years. Where a major health issue will destroy you financially just with the cost of treatment. So, hopefully, you’ll be in minority soon.
Cheers
I presume you refer to Elizabeth Warren’s ‘research’ on bankruptcies and medical costs.
Errrp, sorry, I worked for the US bankruptcy court, and on EW’s request to my Clerk, I pulled the 3 cases that had a majority of the debt related to medical care, and her team tossed those 3 and used any ANY petition that had ANY medical debt and called that a medical bankruptcy.
Have $300K in credit card debt and a $50 medical bill? Medical bankruptcy.
Total bunkum. That the left slurped up like mothers milk. Anytjhing that makes America look bad, you all jump on it.
How sad.
TWANLOC.
To qualify for loan forgiveness you must work for a public agency AND you have to pay for at least 10 years before it is even considered. My loan will most likely be paid off before I could ever qualify.
You want a simple health care solution before you drain the swamp ? Not possible. Until lobbyists are no longer allowed to write legislation; until they are outlawed, you will not see any change in the status quo. Drain the swamp. Skin all the alligators and sell their pelts. Create laws to keep them from migrating back into town. THEN you can have a chance to create a free marketplace.
“I presume you refer to Elizabeth Warren’s ‘research’ on bankruptcies and medical costs.”
Not really. I based by statements on my own experiences. While having arguably good health insurance from my employer, without any serious health issues, just a few tests, my cost for the last couple of years was probably about $6000 a year. 3000 in my share of premiums and about 3000 in copays and deductibles. I can’t imagine how someone on minimum wage who maybe has a couple of kids manages. I can see how a single incident could easily put someone in the hole.
Anyway, happy new year.
Note: Medicaid?