The occupiers invade downtown Tampa (Spring Hill, Windermere: foreclose, unemployed, buy)

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by jdm267

I suppose I should have clarified private schools as the extreme. The cost to go to UM for 1 year is near $40,000. This is dangerous

University of Miami Tuition, Costs and Financial Aid - CollegeData College Profile

Few people actually pay full price. The average debt for private school graduate is around 25k. It's a bit less than 20k I think for public.

[Soup Not See]

Originally Posted by SharkGirl's Mom

So if I have somewhat enlightened you to a little of what the Occupiers are doing, I ask you now: What are you doing about America's problems?

Please be more specific ... which of America's problems do you want us to address ?

[Obamanation]

Many of you need to educate yourselves. The movement is highly diverse and we have jobs like anyone else. So much prejudice and downright suburban snobbery. Welcome to reality soccer moms.

[chi_tino]

Originally Posted by jdm267

Yes, the lenders prey. The lender knows that the recipient majoring in fine arts cannot afford the cost of going to an expensive university and the interest associated with the loans, but the lender approves the loan anyway.

Sallie Mae is the largest lender of private student loans. SLM not a government entity even if the IRS will come after you if you default.

On March 31, 2010, Sallie Mae announced the impending layoff of 2,500 employees in response to the signing of new legislation calling for the federal government to lend directly to students, bypassing institutions like Sallie Mae. They may service older loans, but they no longer provide government-backed student loans, which is the topic at hand.

The lender, being the Federal government (or previously, an agent of the Federal government), is in no way going to reject a poor student trying to get an education because of the major they chose. You call this predatory lending?

[chi_tino]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

How about all the borrowers with good credit and traditional 30yr mortgages who lost their jobs. Were they being irresponsible? There's no doubt subprime loans caused a lot of this mess, but to solely blame the borrower is absurd.

This has been the way since ... forever. Nothing has changed. If you don't pay your mortgage, someone comes and takes your house away from you.

You can also substitute the words "car payment" for "mortgage" and "car" for "house" and the same thing will happen. That's not really a difficult concept to comprehend. Did the "evil banks" cause people to stop paying on their car loans, too?

Believe it or not, people actually lost homes to foreclosure before 2004.

If you had a very reasonable mortgage because you didn't grossly overpay, you could probably get past a dry spell. Now, if you were paying 50% of your salary (allowable due to loosening of Federal underwriting requirements) on a mortgage and then lost your job, you only have one person to blame -- yourself.

I was once "pre-approved" at the market peak for a $1.25 million mortgage, which was about three times the size of the loan that I was seeking. Would it have been irresponsible to lever up that much? Absolutely. Had I signed on the line, the only person to blame would have been myself. I'm not sure how your concept of "subprime loans" (giving money to someone who absolutely does not deserve it) impacts my personal income statement.

Enlighten me.

[SharkGirl's Mom]

I agree, Tim Tim Tim. lol But this is not Utopia, so why would I expect that?! You are right.

Every common person that has allowed themselves to be interviewed is seen as "the" spokesperson, but on their website it's clear they want the locals of that area to lead COLLECTIVELY. Well, I hope they can make some progress...don't know that they are any less effective than our current governing bodies. We'll see.

[SharkGirl's Mom]

Originally Posted by leftee

Please be more specific ... which of America's problems do you want us to address ?

Leftee, I didn't ask you to address America's problems. Please re-read my post.

I asked you and others in the thread to be open-minded and give the Occupiers a chance.

P. S. My problem is rarely that I am not specific. Usually it's the opposite. lol

[Matt Kim]

Originally Posted by SharkGirl's Mom

I agree, Tim Tim Tim. lol But this is not Utopia, so why would I expect that?! You are right.

Every common person that has allowed themselves to be interviewed is seen as "the" spokesperson, but on their website it's clear they want the locals of that area to lead COLLECTIVELY. Well, I hope they can make some progress...don't know that they are any less effective than our current governing bodies. We'll see.

Well then, I guess we found out the hard way collectivism is contrary to human nature.

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by SharkGirl's Mom

Leftee, I didn't ask you to address America's problems. Please re-read my post.

I asked you and others in the thread to be open-minded and give the Occupiers a chance.

P. S. My problem is rarely that I am not specific. Usually it's the opposite. lol

Liberalism and the free hand out expected by these lazy bums is the problem we are facing in America.

Maybe they should earn their own keep and stop wanting to steal from smart successful people all of the time.

[SharkGirl's Mom]

Originally Posted by leftee

Please be more specific ... which of America's problems do you want us to address ?

Wait, I will retract my previous response to you, Leftee. I stand corrected. My apologies!

I did ask you "What are you doing about America's problems?" but it was not my intention for you to address the problems. I can understand why someone would think that's what I meant. However, my question was intended to be rhetorical in nature.

I just hope to see more people give the Occupy movement a chance, because I'm looking at their heart, at their motives. Their intentions appear to be good, albeit ideological, disorganized, and possibly lofty.