Graduates with $200,000 degrees now considered "very poor"

[gerryb]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57374889-503544/occupy-protestors-kicked-out-of-cpac/

WASHINGTON -- During Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's much-anticipated speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), "Occupy" protestors conducted a silent protest that erupted into a chanting match between protestors and conservative conference attendees.

In an overflow room next door to the main ballroom broadcasting Romney's speech, about two dozen protestors stood in front of the monitors attempting to block the view, according to two conference attendees in the room.

Two college students from New Jersey, Matt Bowe and Kevin Spiley, gave Hotsheet the play-by-play.

"They weren't tall enough to block the screen, but it was still annoying," Spiley said.

The crowd started to yell at the protestors, who covered their mouths with tape and wore shirts that read, "If money is speech, poverty is silence." Bowe said people started to shout the protestors down by saying, "'You smell, get a job' -- you know, the usual stuff."

Hotsheet witnessed the protestors being escorted through the maze of conference rooms, down an escalator, through a hotel bar and out the side doors of the sprawling hotel.

By that time, the "Occupy" protestors had torn the tape off their mouths and loudly chanted, "We are the 99 percent." The group of protesters were college students from different parts of the nation who said Romney's policies would only benefit the nation's elites.

"Romney says 'I'm not concerned about the very poor,' and I'm here to say he should care, I'm one of them," said Joe Gallant, a recent graduate of George Mason University. "I'm working two jobs and still can't make it."

As the protesters were escorted out, conference participants shouted back, "We pay your rent," and moved into the hotel lobby and perimeter hotel bars chanting, "Get a job."

The Occupy movement has not received much attention at CPAC, but both radio host Laura Ingraham and commentator Ann Coulter made jokes about it.

Ingraham opened her speech with with a jab at the group. Referring to about 100 protestors outside the hotel hosting the conservative conference, she said, "You might not have seen them, but you smell them."

[tbone717]

"Romney says 'I'm not concerned about the very poor,' and I'm here to say he should care, I'm one of them," said Joe Gallant, a recent graduate of George Mason University. "I'm working two jobs and still can't make it."

Yeah I don't buy the "I'm working two jobs and can't make it" stuff. It is all relative to your desires in life. I think the problem we have in this country today is that people want all the luxuries and complain when they can't afford those because of the income they make.

[gerryb]

Yeah I don't buy the "I'm working two jobs and can't make it" stuff. It is all relative to your desires in life. I think the problem we have in this country today is that people want all the luxuries and complain when they can't afford those because of the income they make.

I'm assuming he is living in a $2,500+ studio apartment or shared townhouse in DC. GWU in DC is an expensive area. It's a basic human right to be a hipster and live in a trendy area, though.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

Folks. You have to be ready this year. Ron Paul did say that Student Loans/Debt will be the next bubble to burst.

[tbone717]

Folks. You have to be ready this year. Ron Paul did say that Student Loans/Debt will be the next bubble to burst.

Over generalizing here, but we have tons of college age kids in this country that borrowed money to go to school, didn't hold a job for the entire four years they were in and then graduate with degrees in Art History or Philosophy and then they wonder why they can't find a job. I blame our high schools and the parents for this, because someone needed to slap these kids around and tell them that they can't earn a living with those types of degrees.

I know a guy, mid 20's, has a Masters Degree in Communications. You know what he does 40 hours a week? He answers phones at the cable company.

[dannno]

The group of protesters were college students from different parts of the nation who said Romney's policies would only benefit the nation's elites.

Well that is certainly true.

It's funny how much more I can relate to these OWS protesters than the stupid people saying that they smell and to get a job. Maybe if half their income wasn't confiscated they would have more opportunities available to them.

[onlyrp]

Yeah I don't buy the "I'm working two jobs and can't make it" stuff. It is all relative to your desires in life. I think the problem we have in this country today is that people want all the luxuries and complain when they can't afford those because of the income they make.

I agree. That person must have pets, kids, a divorce and some other illness expense. I've always gotten by working half a job, and now working 2 jobs to save money for the future. I give up lots of luxury that people consider essential, but I get one luxury they wish they had : debt free.

[onlyrp]

Well that is certainly true.

It's funny how much more I can relate to these OWS protesters than the stupid people saying that they smell and to get a job. Maybe if half their income wasn't confiscated they would have more opportunities available to them.

half of their income isn't confiscated, especially if they're making less than $30,000. did you get that from Aaron Russo's discredited film?

[dannno]

Yeah I don't buy the "I'm working two jobs and can't make it" stuff. It is all relative to your desires in life. I think the problem we have in this country today is that people want all the luxuries and complain when they can't afford those because of the income they make.

They can't afford things because a lot of it is confiscated through taxes and through the inflation tax.

It isn't their fault they grew up in a big government system with public schools that brainwashed them into believing in big govt. At least they are smart enough to identify the criminals who run the system.

[dannno]

half of their income isn't confiscated, especially if they're making less than $30,000. did you get that from Aaron Russo's discredited film?

Do you know what the inflation tax is?

Do you know what sales tax is?

You know how much they make? Under 30k? Oh fuck me, only 45% of what they make is confiscated... I'm soooooo sorryyyy...

What the fuck difference does it make when about half your shit gets taken what the exact percentage is?

[onlyrp]

Over generalizing here, but we have tons of college age kids in this country that borrowed money to go to school, didn't hold a job for the entire four years they were in and then graduate with degrees in Art History or Philosophy and then they wonder why they can't find a job. I blame our high schools and the parents for this, because someone needed to slap these kids around and tell them that they can't earn a living with those types of degrees.

I know a guy, mid 20's, has a Masters Degree in Communications. You know what he does 40 hours a week? He answers phones at the cable company.

I blame our liberal tolernace system for brainwashing people into believing that all people, all beliefs, all degrees are equal. And we're not allowed to judge people because they have a worthless degree, luckily, reality does that enough. What better and more fair way to tell people to stop getting useless degrees than to financially torture their immediate preceeding peers?

How else do we enforce and encourage responsibility if we don't make some suffer through debt and financial hardship, and bankruptcy, eviction, foreclosure?

[onlyrp]

Do you know what the inflation tax is?
Do you know what sales tax is?
You know how much they make? Under 30k? Oh fuck me, only 45% of what they make is confiscated... I'm soooooo sorryyyy...
What the fuck difference does it make when about half your shit gets taken what the exact percentage is?

I know what inflation tax is.
I know what sales tax is, neither of these make your income suddenly lose half its value.
How about you get some actual numbers before yelling out "what the fuck difference does it make"?

How about you give me an example of a person who has a job but is robbed half his income, and we'll see if he's actually otherwise perfect, such that he can blame being robbed and taxed?

And no, I don't know how much they make, let's get examples for $30,000, then another for $50,000. We'll see if you can make your point.

[rjl]

half of their income isn't confiscated, especially if they're making less than $30,000. did you get that from Aaron Russo's discredited film?

To be fair, there is hardly a transaction to be made in this country that isn't taxed.

[onlyrp]

To be fair, there is hardly a transaction to be made in this country that isn't taxed.

that is not "your income" when you buy something. You can choose not to spend and what do you think happens when you excercise that power? PRICES DROP.

[rjl]

I know what inflation tax is.
I know what sales tax is, neither of these make your income suddenly lose half its value.
How about you get some actual numbers before yelling out "what the fuck difference does it make"?

How about you give me an example of a person who has a job but is robbed half his income, and we'll see if he's actually otherwise perfect, such that he can blame being robbed and taxed?

And no, I don't know how much they make, let's get examples for $30,000, then another for $50,000. We'll see if you can make your point.

What does "otherwise perfect" mean in this statement?

[onlyrp]

What does "otherwise perfect" mean in this statement?

they did everything right within their power, that they can justly blame either taxation or whatever they are blaming.

If they have their own mistakes, habits and otherwise poor choices, they cannot.

[rjl]

that is not "your income" when you buy something. You can choose not to spend and what do you think happens when you excercise that power? PRICES DROP.

Uh, my income is used to pay for things. Some things have to be bought or I guess I could just be homeless and have zero modern conveniences. We're talking taxes, not prices. Supply and demand doesn't really apply.

[rjl]

they did everything right within their power, that they can justly blame either taxation or whatever they are blaming.

If they have their own mistakes, habits and otherwise poor choices, they cannot.

What are you talking about? "Everything right" according to whom?

[awake]

All I can say is Greece. The welfare state: deliverance unto poverty.

So if I blow 200,000 in a half cocked investment, can I get a bailout?


At this point just help yourself to whatever you can get...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKhaT-pXHHc

[onlyrp]

Uh, my income is used to pay for things. Some things have to be bought or I guess I could just be homeless and have zero modern conveniences. We're talking taxes, not prices. Supply and demand doesn't really apply.

i disagree, supply and demand matter a lot.

There's varying degrees of homelessness, and not all modern conveniences have to be sacrificed.

Why don't you actually run some numbers and we'll see what you're talking about. I'd love to be wrong!

Start from the top, what is your pre-tax, then post tax income, and what are you expenses for living?

[onlyrp]

What are you talking about? "Everything right" according to whom?

according to the fact there are alternatives, according to the past when people didn't have such expenses, if you are going to blame somebody, you better show you did everything you could.

Otherwise, why not gamble away your money and blame you didn't have enough to gamble? Says who that's not an acceptable way to spend money? If you're gonna go down this "who are you to judge game", you might as well burn your money and blame me, right?

[otherone]

"If money is speech, poverty is silence."

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
I'm mildly surprised that members of a grassroots movement chooses to focus on calling poor people stupid and lazy rather than keying in on the larger message.

[rjl]

i disagree, supply and demand matter a lot.

There's varying degrees of homelessness, and not all modern conveniences have to be sacrificed.

Why don't you actually run some numbers and we'll see what you're talking about. I'd love to be wrong!

Start from the top, what is your pre-tax, then post tax income, and what are you expenses for living?

Varying degrees of homelessness? Is that anything like being half-pregnant?

[onlyrp]

Varying degrees of homelessness? Is that anything like being half-pregnant?

I never heard half pregnant, but this is what i meant.

Some people consider not having their own home free from parents to be "homeless" as they are not paying to live on their own independently.
Some people truly cannot afford rent, but get by OK if they have a trailer or big car.
Some manage to find either shared shelter, or crash at a friend's house, this is technically homeless, but not out on the street.
Still worse, are those who have nothing, and sleep outdoors, or in boxes.
So there are varying ways of being homeless, or varying consequences of the same problem of homeless. Sorry if I misphrased it.

[NidStyles]

supply and demand matter a lot.


This is just not true. Supply and Demand doesn't effect the price of electricity, food and water, or fuel. All of that is set through cost versus profit ratios and heavily regulated to prevent shortages or abundances from fluctuating the prices. Electricity is regulated by the EPA and the Department of the Interior. Food is regulated but Federal law to maintain stability in price. Water is essential the same as food. Fuel, the only determining marker for that price is the Futures market, and every prior fluctuation before it hit's the pump is already priced in.

The largest influences on the cost of all of these are inflation and taxation.

[onlyrp]

This is just not true. Supply and Demand doesn't effect the price of electricity, food and water, or fuel. All of that is set through cost versus profit ratios and heavily regulated to prevent shortages or abundances from fluctuating the prices. Electricity is regulated by the EPA and the Department of the Interior. Food is regulated but Federal law to maintain stability in price. Water is essential the same as food. Fuel, the only determining marker for that price is the Futures market, and every prior fluctuation before it hit's the pump is already priced in.

The largest influences on the cost of all of these are inflation and taxation.

I don't know what planet you live on, but it does. A lot.

This is why cost of living varies by location, some places have either more supply or less demand or easier access to utilities, and those places cost less to live, UNTIL POPULATION GROWS THERE.

Fuel, or specifically, gasoline, is HIGHLY dependent on demand, though not directly from the consumer pump. Either way, utilities, gasoline, food altogether make up less than rent or mortgage, if not less than half of it. I dare you tell me that cost of rent and mortgage is not supply vs. demand dependant.

Even inflation is a supply/demand factor, inflation means dollars increase, and the value of dollars decrease, and therefore prices go up. Inflation doesn't happen unless people are given or loaned more money, which is increase of supply of money, and increase of demand of goods, both lead to higher prices. Taxation too is a money supply influence, which is in turn, a supply and demand influence on commodities