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Oh good grief, I am so tired of hearing this. I was broke too in my twenties. So were most people in every generation.
I wasn't too well off in my thirties either. And I had kids. Hump time! But things slowly got better and I became more prosperous over the years as I built a career.
Tis the nature of things.
My gosh, in my twenties, I bought a sofa for $5 (from someone selling it on the radio) and had one small TV propped up on a shelf made out of cinder blocks and piece of lumber. I don't even know where I got my bed - someone in the family - someone older than me with more money - upgraded and gave me their twenty year old mattress set from what I recall.
I was driving a car that was ten years old. Living in apartments. I remember that I literally didn't buy a soda for three years, because they were too expensive and were a luxury I just couldn't afford.
But I also worked 30 plus hours a week and paid for my own college so I didn't end up with student loans. This required a lot of hard work and sacrifice - hence the 20 year old mattress set on the floor and the $5 sofa.
Now I have all kinds of expendable income - thirty years later.
Hmm, let me summarize...
You lived your best years (while you were young) the way that even in 3rd would countries would be considered poverty - just to get some money when you are 50+.
You know, there is a saying: "if you didn't have a bike when you were a child, you can have a Mercedes when you grow up, but ... you still didn't have a bike".
Way to go for the "most rich" country in the world...
Last edited by kanonka; 06-20-2019 at 07:54 PM..
Reason: spelling
Yes, we whould probably be steering a few more people into plumbing, but they are only expected to grow from 480,000 jobs to 557,000 jobs by 2026.
There are 17 million college students. Yes, we should peel off a couple hundred thousand of them and send them toward plumbing, but the idea that is a solution for everyone is not accurate or helpful.
I think you got it right in your first sentence. I don't see anyone suggesting that all college students should be diverted into the trades. There certainly are trades desperately seeking candidates, especially on a regional basis, and certainly are college students who would make much better plumbers, electricians and mechanics than STEM graduates.
Perhaps instead of spending money on the latest i-phones, lottery tickets, cigarettes and booze, that "half of the population" could invest that money in the stock market and begin to receive some of that money going to shareholders.
Perhaps those that post on this forum should refrain from using the stereotypical old trope that "half the population" spend all their money on i-phones, lottery tickets, cigarettes, and booze. At that point maybe we can have an honest discussion as to WHY "half the population" doesnt have enough money to invest in the stock market.
Perhaps those that post on this forum should refrain from using the stereotypical old trope that "half the population" spend all their money on i-phones, lottery tickets, cigarettes, and booze. At that point maybe we can have an honest discussion as to WHY "half the population" doesnt have enough money to invest in the stock market.
You wish. The 'worthies' show up in every single discussion to drop this t*rd and then refuse to discuss it except to stubbornly repeat that 'everyone knows it.'
They all believe in the Cadillac Welfare Queen, too... who a recent book clearly presented as one (1) grifter of uncertain race, who became enormous numbers of black women all across the US. Because everybody knew, you know.
Well... you're into some awfully Soviet notions about career destiny. Even recognizing that the current "need a four-year to shovel manure" mentality is crazy, I think assigning people to a career path at 14 - or even 18 - is a bit draconian.
A friend just had a son start at Notre Dame... which does not require a major declaration until the sophomore year. Now THAT'S a sensible policy.
Quote:
Of course continuing to over-produce warm bodies won't be solved by making them plumbers.
No, but at least it gives them all a... <rimshot> place to go!
Something close to 2/3 of Americans can't cover a $1,000 emergency. That is a large group of people, and I can't see all of them just being irresponsible with their money.
But they won't bat an eye at waiting in line to eagerly buy that latest $1000 piece of iCrap.
I was just reading up on Westcoast Longshoremen, for example at the Port of Los Angeles, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
Nearly 14,000 ILWU workers are employed at West Coast ports. In 2017, the total payroll exceeded $1.8 billion. ILWU members pay no health care premiums and receive a generous pension.
ILWU workers receive a compensation package that is among the most lucrative among all blue-collar workers in the United States. Full-time workers earn an average of $175,000 annually in wages, along with a non-wage benefits package costing more than $110,000 per active worker per year.
The ILWU benefits package includes fully paid health care for workers, retirees and their families with no premiums, no in-network deductibles and 100 percent coverage of basic hospital, medical and surgical benefits. Prescription drugs are covered for $1 per prescription; dental and vision care are provided to workers, retirees and their families at little or no cost.
Workers are also eligible for a pension that has seen major upgrades in recent years, with a current maximum benefit of nearly $95,000 per year. Workers have access to a 401(k) savings plan with an employer contribution, as well as 13 paid holidays each year and up to six weeks of paid vacation.
That's pretty good work.
Last edited by RationalExpectations; 06-22-2019 at 08:35 AM..
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