Would you consider Boston the "most intellectual" city on the East Coast?! (lawyers, college)

[timberline742]

This is not something I think or care about.

[metalmancpa]

To judge any city as intellectual just doesn't make sense. I've lived in Boston my entire life. I think the election showed (or at least reflected) that the educated liberal base resides in the bigger cities around the country. But is Boston intellectual? No more so than any other major city IMO. Just because a lot of great hospitals are in Boston doesn't make it the smartest place as an example.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Hahahahahahahaah...

Indirectly, it may be. True! Intellectuals are everywhere, but folks in DC act like they have the smartest people on the planet in that little ass district.

Well does it really matter about the size of DC? You must have this conversation with residents or that was your experience living there I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by timberline742

They were smart to get jobs IN federal agencies.


We need all the brains in these agencies we can get, which is difficult with the onerous hiring practices and low pay.

Disagreed utterly and completely on all accounts, especially the "low pay" part.

Here, from a "friendly" source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/moneyt...b_8855508.html

Ridiculous this is being defended.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by turf3

Certainly the place where people are the most obsessed with how smart they are, where they went to college, and what kinds of credentials they have.

If I were never again to hear "when I was at Harvard" or "one of my colleagues at MIT" it would be none too soon, I tell you.

Sometimes I want to throw in "when I was at Scottsdale Community College" or "one of my colleagues at Billy's Package Store" but I am not sure I could carry it off successfully.

I feel this. It's remarkable how predictable conversations in this area can be.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Disagreed utterly and completely on all accounts, especially the "low pay" part.

Here, from a "friendly" source: Federal Employees Earn 50% More Than The Private Workforce | HuffPost

Ridiculous this is being defended.

That's from a far right anti government "think tank", they don't compare apples (education levels, within fields, and the same experience to each other) try again. Saying they earn more when you have a immigration attorney with 20 years experience compared to a pool that includes retail workers at a best buy is ridiculous. It's not "being defended" because your premise is completely false. For instance, about 25% of the private sector has a college degree, its about 50% in public service. That's just a start.

Pretty much everyone that goes from private sector into public sector work takes a significant pay cut.

And when they go from public sector to private, they receive a pay increase. I left government twice because I couldn't afford to stay, although I'm a huge believer in public service. I received a 33% and a 50% jump, and as good or better benefits, each time. Several people I know doubled or more their salaries. Lots more would love to go into public service, but can't absorb the gigantic pay cuts and poor prospects of increases (plus no bonuses, etc).


At places like the Harvard Kennedy School, the problem with getting graduates into public service, which most wanted to do, was they couldn't afford the low salaries. This is rather well documented by schools of public administration. Government pays a fraction of a consulting firms, etc. Add to that the burdensome hiring practices, and you keep the best candidates out of public service , to the detriment of our country.

[the resident09]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Hahahahahahahaah...

Indirectly, it may be. True! Intellectuals are everywhere, but folks in DC act like they have the smartest people on the planet in that little ass district.

Washington DC and it's surrounding metro area is the most educated place in the country with regards to it's residents. I don't understand where the vitriol comes from. This shouldn't be that hard to stomach it's just plain and simple.

Top 10 Most Educated Large Metros w/ Most Bachelor's degrees or higher:

1. Washington DC 49.3%
2. San Jose, CA 47.5%
3. San Francisco, CA 45.9%
4. Boston, MA 45.2%
5. Raleigh, NC 43.4%
6. Austin, TX 41.5%
7. Denver, CO 40.8%
8. Minneapolis, MN 40.0
9. Seattle, WA 39.4
10. New York, NY 37.9

Source: US Census Bureau.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.5693ee0ec524

[stanley-88888888]

i have to find my previous post but somewhere on city-data it has a stat on the most ph.d's/masters/bachelors/hs graduates per capita is in cambridge.

something like 25 % of the population in the metro are students. degrees are like place mats in the area.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by timberline742

That's from a far right anti government "think tank", they don't compare apples (education levels, within fields, and the same experience to each other) try again. Saying they earn more when you have a immigration attorney with 20 years experience compared to a pool that includes retail workers at a best buy is ridiculous. It's not "being defended" because your premise is completely false. For instance, about 25% of the private sector has a college degree, its about 50% in public service. That's just a start.

Pretty much everyone that goes from private sector into public sector work takes a significant pay cut.

And when they go from public sector to private, they receive a pay increase. I left government twice because I couldn't afford to stay, although I'm a huge believer in public service. I received a 33% and a 50% jump, and as good or better benefits, each time. Several people I know doubled or more their salaries. Lots more would love to go into public service, but can't absorb the gigantic pay cuts and poor prospects of increases (plus no bonuses, etc).


At places like the Harvard Kennedy School, the problem with getting graduates into public service, which most wanted to do, was they couldn't afford the low salaries. This is rather well documented by schools of public administration. Government pays a fraction of a consulting firms, etc. Add to that the burdensome hiring practices, and you keep the best candidates out of public service , to the detriment of our country.

Private upside is larger because of profit motive, ie you can make more money if you're elite at your trade. There is no such thing as an elite fed employee. They cannot be objectively measured (how much to pay them, how well they perform, etc). Federal employees will take an upper middle class lifestyle with very few real responsibilities over the potential to get wildly rich and have to be constantly working to maybe (but probably not) keep it. The highest of the private workers drives the averages way up. So you are actually way off. That study, for the flaws you point out, also works the other way. It would also include Mark Zuckerberg's salary in that total. Surprised you missed that.

I already know you are a big government guy, so we don't need to get into that discussion. But you make it sound like federal employees are poor. Not true. Don't really have anything else to add though. So take this for what it's worth to ya!

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by timberline742

This is not something I think or care about.

Agreed here though!