Credit Crunch Fucks Over College Kids

Let me preface this by stating that I will not heavily be personally hit financially by the recent credit crunch.

For those of you who for some reason were in Burma, (or the state formally known as Burma), or Peru, or Stallengrad, and therefore unable to get to any news whatsoever, let me break down how shit it the fan. The housing market had been booming, for years. Just up and up. It was obviously a bubble. Of course, large mortgage agencies thought that they could make a killing in high risk loans, also known as "sub-prime" loans. So while the housing market kept flying high, these short turnover, high risk loans were paying off. BUT, the bubble burst, and housing prices started falling. All of a sudden, the people paying back these loans went into default, and all of a sudden banks like JP Morgan Chase, or Bear Sterns, which got hit with losses skyrocketing into the billions. 

What is the true fallout? These banks have been offsetting costs onto college kids. I was just in an elevator with a female grad student who has $25,000 of student loans. Her interest rate has been around 5%-6%. All of a sudden, because of the credit crunch, PRIVATE lenders (not public, or government loans, because recent legislation has stopped this with public loans) have been pushing the cost that they are accruing onto student loans. This poor girl's interest jumped from 5%, to over 12%. That is an extra $3000 a year in payments she needs to make. 

It really is not fair. The poor choices by investors, who play with "others" money, will turn into a real cost that much be paid by students.

I cannot believe how little this country cares about its education system. Education takes the tiniest amount of our gdp, when it has allowed us to become a global leader. When Richard Nixon was battling JFK for the Presidency, there was famous debate between the two. And both of them stressed (especially Richard Nixon) that this country must invest in education. Nixon said--

"This is why we are first in the world in science, and first in the world in math. And we plan to move even further ahead."

What happened to this mindset? Nixon got it right. God, I didn't ever think I'd say that... But its true! Our strongest asset in this country is our college education system. Thats it. That is the only thing that keeps the US competitive on a global scale. We don't have more people, we don't have the great economic growth, we have our college system. It is the best in the world, bar none. Which is awesome, but we cannot afford to become passive. We need to increase funding for secondary education by 30%. Instantly. With average monetary increases of 4%-5% per year to offset inflation. Our kids are coming out of non competitive high schools poorly prepared. I know I did. 

We lag behind in 4th grade tests compared to the world, we lag behind in 8th grade, and we lag behind in 12th. Thankfully we get catch up in college. Which is why every child needs to go to college/tech school. We need to double government funding for colleges. Let me tell you why. While the total amount of spending on colleges has not decreased... the cost born by students and private "gifts" has skyrocketed. Students once paid for 17% of the cost here at UW Madison. Thats doubled in the past 20 years, while tuition has increased 7x. The system is only working because of large private "gifts". The government needs to take back lost ground so that if the private sector donations dry up, the school can still remain competitive. 

The world revolves around education, and so we should practice what we preach. Many of the public school systems in states like california are broken. In the School District of San Diago, over 50% of all "teachers" are not certified. They might as well be people off the street. Isn't that horrible? 

So where does the money come from? With state, local, and federal governments all posting negative budgets, where does the money come from? Social programs like Medicare, and the fucking stupid "Drug Prescription Act". God, what a fucking handout to the pharm. companies. Why are we investing multiplicities more into our old people then our youth? Its pretty simple. They have lots of time to sit around. And vote. And write letters for congressmen. Our generation is not being heard. BUT, guess what? We have the largest generation in the HISTORY of America. Thats some fucking power. Our generation makes the baby boomers look like backup infielders on the brewers roster, slim to none. Finally, a Mr. Barack Obama has gotten "young" voters to turn out like never before. 

Young people, I urge you to VOTE! Not because you are going to make a difference, or sway the election, I mean, kind of, but more important, if our generation can prove that yes, we vote, voters will start to PANDER to us, and send us some of their attention. Its for our benefit! 

So vote, get active, bitch about something folks, its the only way change comes about. 

Thanks,

Guthrie

The Time Has Come My Little Friends To Talk Of Many Things... Like Global Warming!

Let me preface this by stating that the time has come my little friends to talk of many things! I am going to break down the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter... All in terms of Global Warming! 

The Walrus and the Carpenter (Or The Corporations and the American People)
Or, The Story of the Curious Oysters (Or the story of the Apathetic Politicians)

The sun was shining on the sea
Shining with all his might
He did his very best to make
The billows (of soot) smooth and bright (like the earth, getting very bright)
And this was odd because it was
The middle of the night (because of the greenhouse gases!)

The Walrus and the Carpenter (or Corporate Greed and the American People!)
Were walking close at hand
The beach was wide 
From side to side (From sea to shining sea)
But much too full of sand (aka, pollution/greenhouse gases) 

"Mr. Walrus," said the Carpenter (The carpenter is the American public)
"My brain begins to perk (The american people have become aware)
We'll sweep this clear in 'alf a year (the problem of efficiency, and pollution) 
If you don't mind the work"

"Work?! The time has come," the Walrus said (The walrus are corporations)
"To talk of other things
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax (we can't hurt business with "green" costs, and also, here are a bunch of consumer goods, buy some walmart crap)
Of cabbages and kings (ahh, of course kings refers to the government, its not corporations' job, is the job of other countries!) 
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings (because of course global warming only exists as a figment of Al Gore's imagination)
Calloo-Callay (no translation)
No work today!
We're cabbages and kings"

Oh, uh, Oysters, come and walk with us (Oysters are Congress, and our government)
The day is warm and bright
A pleasant walk
A pleasant talk
Would be a sheer delight
Yes, and should we get hungry on the way
We'll stop and, uh, have a bite? (of course buying off politicians) 

But Mother Oyster winked her eye (Mother Oyster... Al Gore!)
And shook her hairy head
She knew too well
This was no time to leave her Oyster bed (don't go with the corporations)
"The sea is nice,
Take my advice
And stay right here," Mum said (stay in congress, and do your job)

Yes, yes, of course, of course, but, uh, ha, ha
The time has come, my little friends
To talk of other things
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings, ha ha
Callo-Callay
Come, run away
With cabbages and kings! (and of course congress ran, along with a lot of the american public for a few years) 

Well, now, uh, let me see 
Ah, a loaf of bread is
What we chiefly need! (not a carbon tax... give us money! We'll fix it with technology)
Listen, how 'bout some pepper and salt and vinegar, eh?
Well, yes, yes, splendid idea, ha ha!
Very good, indeed
Now, if your ready, Oysters, dear.
We can begin the feed.
Feed?!

Oh, yes, the time has come, my little friends
To talk of food and things
Of peppercorns and mustard seeds
And other seasonings!
We'll mix 'em all together
In a sauce that's fit for kings (a big sauce of bullshit)
Calloo-Callay
We'll eat today
Like cabbages and kings! (Like China and the other undeveloped polluters!)

I, uh, weep for you. I (hic), oh excuse me
I deeply sympathise
For I've enjoyed your company, oh much more
Than you realize
Little Oysters? Little Oysters?

But answer, there came none
And this was scarcely odd because
They'd been eaten
Every one! (And then it was too late, and global warming couldn't be solved... The chance had passed)

URRRRRRRG!
The time has come!!! (and if you remember, the carpenter goes postal in this scene and runs around after the walrus with a clever). 

Think About It....

So! The time has come American Public... Either you can open your eyes now, and we can work WITH corporations and stop the thoughts of apathy, or we can let corporations get lazy. Lucky for us, that story was the story of about four years ago. Since then, public opinion has been swaying MASSIVELY towards the idea that going "green" is healthy for america from a cost/efficiency standpoint, as well as a national security standpoint. Of course preventing global climate change is always a plus too. 

And now corporations are realizing that they can make a bunch of money by going green. Not only in fuel cost savings, but it helps their public image. So its a win win for corporations. That is why the problem will get solved, I actually have a lot of faith. Many props to Al Gore!

And, you all should join Al at www.wecanlsolveit.org, and join the facebook group We Can Solve The Climate Crisis. 

Thanks,
Guthrie