Obama the economic whiz!!

So check this out:
1) Obama & his wife both put themselves through school by taking out student loans.
2) Both become lawyers and Michelle lands a series of 6 figure jobs.
3) Jump ahead to today & they regale us with stories of struggling to pay back the loans, in fact they just paid them off recently.
4) They still advocate student loans as a means to pay for college and they also push for federal subsidies to offset tuition costs.

What's wrong here?
How about suggesting that students get a job to pay as the go? In college, I worked 1 regular job plus started my own business...when money got tight I took on another job!! Graduated in 4 years with any debt...it can be done...remember "personal responsibility"?
With the incomes these people had from being lawyers, writing books & sitting on boards they weren't able to pay off their debts much earlier? Fiscal responsibility?
They admit they struggled with student loans but now they encourage students to take on the same debts that casued them to struggle??

Is this the kind of economic wisdom you want in the White House? This is the only financial information we know about the Obamas..never met a payroll, never created a job, never balanced a budget, heck...have they ever balanced a checkbook????

 

I got Pell Grants and work study (cafeteria) in college as well as a few small loans. So a lot of my education was paid for by you...the tax payers. The rest was money saved away by family and some small loans here and there. I did work, but only part time work study doing work in the field I was going into. Low pay but great hands on experience. Me and my father and mother decided that they would rather me just concentrate most, if not all, of my efforts to school when possible...there would be the rest of my life to work.

How anyone wants to do it, loans, Grants, work and pay for it yourself, parents pay, etc...etc...I dont honestly care.

Here is where I set you off...I think people who keep a good grade average and do everything right should get free higher education...An educated populous is good for the nation.

 

I went to school on a Football/Track Scholarship and also had a part-time job as a filling station. Also knew that I'd never make it as a pro so instead of partying all the time I hit the books. 3.2 GPA in Forestry Management.

Joined the service because I felt a sense of duty and just kept reenlisting. Never did use that degree, but I sure can tell you about how to manage your shade-trees, LOL...

 

I worked at UPS from 11:00pm- 4:00am 5-6 days a week...I also fell into a little business re-charging airplane batteries that did pretty well for me. I did that around my school schedule but it was a 7 day job most weeks. If I needed extra dough for books or tuition I picked up extra jobs. I managed to keep a 3.85 GPA, attended classes full time and interned for the Small Business Administration...I also did the frat thing & don't feel like I missed out on a thing in my college days. I also had a chance for a baseball scholarship but it just didn't fit. I too looked into a military career but by vision keep me out of OCS.
I graduated from business school without a pennies worth of debt...sold the battery business & started my career. I actually kept my UPS job for a year or so after graduating & landing a job...just in case it didn't work out.
Dang, I did more before my 20th birthday than Obama has been able to accomplish in his whole 46 years!!

 

I went to college on a apprentice program for mechanical engineering, paid for half myself and half was paid by my employer, back in Detroit in the late 70's early 80's. It has served me well.

I start fall classes in late August again, only this time I have to pay 100%, and if I earn a "B" or better, my boss will reimburse me. I will not be paid for the time, only the tuition

Since 2000, I have used the Bush tax cuts to start, build and sell 2 business and am on #3 right now, the coins, but that will be my retirement job.

No problem with those who need a helping hand, thats what the student loans are for and this nation is about, helping each other to help themselves.

I really don't see a point to this thread other than Obamas lack of experience. I don't think education should be part of it.

 

and yet here you are on an internet forum obsessing over every little detail about his life to anyone who will listen.... While he, the US senator and popular presidential candidate, doesn't know you exist and couldn't care less about your life, accomplishments or what you have to say ...like most of America. Funny how that works out.

I am sure you are a great success in life and you should be very proud, though I would say Obama didnt do that poorly for himself either.

 

Evey little detail? Where have you been? The problem is that we don't have any idea about the details of his life...yet people still take him seriously.
I agree with our point that he & I are equally qualified to be President and that he doesn't care about my life but he doesn't care about yours either...or that of your family..or that of your neighbors...or my co-workers. Great point, drusus!!

 

You are right as usual David. We know EVERYTHING about McCain and cronies.

Guess I'll take Obama off my speed dial and put McCain back on. After all, he ALWAYS answers my questions honestly.

Cripes! At least Drusus speaks his mind and he doesn't care for Obama OR Liberals.

 

There you go...trying to change the focus from another of Obama's shortcomings again.
Now back to my original point, when faced with a very common situation-paying for college- would you make the same decisions the Obama's made? Furthermore, if their decisions caused them to struggle, do you think it was responsible for him to endorse the same path for others? Simple questions.

 

Yes your Davidness. Not everyone is as wonderful or gifted as you.

Good students DO need backing as some of them come from very bleak situations.

Kids like this, with great minds, may never even MAKE IT to college without a little help. They may work at Burger King to help support the family.

So tell me - how would this help in the long run? A kid with a gifted mind that stays out of trouble but can't even consider college because of financial hardship.

How about this scenario? Screw the athletic scholarships and give them to those that are more prone to use them academically while in college. Not when they get out and can afford the advisors.

David,
You're proud of what you did and should be BUT you are no better than anyone else that deserves a chance. Not everyone is as wonderful as you or as you perceive you are.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Ever heard that one?

 

you mean you are both American citizens and above the legal age to run? yeah...me too. Those qualifications aren't hard to meet. As for not knowing anything about him...you sure seem pretty damn sure about what he believes, who he cares about, and doesn't care about and how terrible it would be if he wins....you dont seem in the dark.

I wont defend Obama as I am not a huge fan of either candidate. But in the end, my main point was, you seem to have plenty of time to start thread after thread about the guy on this internet forum where maybe 10 people read. He on the other hand, a graduate of Columbia and Harvard (expensive schools to attend compared to my own state college ergo the money issue) is running for, and possibly might become, the leader of the most powerful and influential nation on earth...

There probably are reasons why you are here on this small internet forum obsessing about him and he isn't here obsessing about you. In the end, my main point is that he seems to be doing okay for himself but then again he is a politician...and as my father always said...they are, as a lot, crooks. There is a reason why they spend many millions of dollars attempting to get a job that pays 400,000 a year with a 50,000 expense account, 100,000 travel account and 19,000 stipend for entertainment adding up to a paltry 569,000 USD.

 

Clembo wrote: David,
You're proud of what you did and should be BUT you are no better than anyone else that deserves a chance. Not everyone is as wonderful as you or as you perceive you are.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Ever heard that one?[/QUOTE]


Hey, that was the point whooshing right by you!! I'll slow down a bit so you can keep up...if I, a poor farm kid from Kentucky with no financial support from anyone else, can make it anyone can- that's the beauty of this country!! I didn't ask for help- I did it on my own. I guess it goes back to that personal responsibility thing again. Why should a kid be seeking loans & handouts when it isn't necessary? Why would Obama make a speech endorsing this course? It's hard enough to get a start fresh out of college, is being saddled with unnecessary debt really a good strategy?

 

I'm on this "small forum" because I enjoy it...I work from home, so when I'm not travelling I have an opportunity to jump on line & "froth".
And don't tell anyone but my main mission is to take 1 vote away from Obama- Clembo's!!

 

not everyone is a dynamic, go getter, high achiever like you say you are. They still want an education and its still best for our nation if they get it. I know I wasnt. I got grants and loans as well as worked a part time job and got money from my father.

My state college wasnt even close to as expensive as a place like Harvard or if you are looking to get a Masters and a phd the money required is quite high at the ivy league level. Then of course some degrees end up costing more money than others.

I dont know anyone that didnt need some assistance in college thus you are not the norm...thus you can be very proud of being much better than most but there is no need to set the standard to that as in many cases it is unrealistic. Even my father needed some assistance and joined the navy for the college plan. If you want to go to Harvard and get a phd...I would think you will simply need some assistance.

If you are ranting on about personal responsiblity...loans are expected to be paid it back...thus they are responsible for the money they are loaned. You are loaned money, you pay it back, personal responsiblity. There is nothing at all wrong with this.

Of course I got grants so that money was given to me and I never have to pay them back. So I dont understand how getting a loan for college is somehow not responsible.

 

OKAY!

(great mission, good luck with that...you are obviously very wise and we can learn a lot from you!!)

 

...now you're starting to get it!!

 

You just don't get it do you? Would you persuade your kids to take on loads of debt when the alternative was to simply work harder & pay as they went? Do you think Obama is being responsible by endorsing a financial plan that he freely admitted caused he & his wife to struggle...struggle in spite of their enourmous incomes!! People are slaves to their debt why not encourage people to avoid debt??
Gee whiz, I extol avoiding loading up on debt and give a real example that it can be done & you want to claim that debt is a sign of responsibility??
Debt bad!!

 

Well its good to advocate but again....in many cases it is just not realistic. Maybe Obama couldn't make enough money to pay Columbia, Harvard and support himself without help (quite understandable). As a kid just out of HS with little to no skills, it would have been much more of a struggle (almost impossible) to try to work a job that would support me, pay tuition, pay for books, room, food (as it was I lived very low)...then go to full time classes as well as homework and after class labs. Then there were all my art supplies and the time it took (many hours) to complete my assignments (screen printing, etching, design, etc..) Yeah, you say you did it...but in the end...its not realistic, it would not have been workable for me. Instead I devoted almost all my time to developing the skills I would need after college. This is what my father wanted me to do anyway.

I did work a part time job at the cafeteria and then the graphics department of my college. The later job gave me invaluable experience.
Instead I got Pell grants and some loans...I got an education, got a good job, a wife, a kid, etc... paid the loans off and now I am productive member of society paying much more taxes than I would have been if I never got a higher education.

I took the loans, I paid them off...I took personal responsibility...debts cannot always be avoided...its how you handle them that is important. I am almost completely debt free today...no school loans outstanding...I took responsibility for the money I borrowed and paid it back.

Whatever works...like most things in life...there are diffrent paths that one can take to get to ones destination...none being the only right way. Struggle with debt, struggle to do it without going into debt...either way its a struggle.

 

Agreed- well put.

 

So David what you are saying is that if we have a very bright inteligent kid from a very poor background who can not afford collage without taking out a loan then he shoudnt be given that chance to benifit possibly himself and even society, but if on the other hand we have a kid from a fairly well off background who happens to like having a good time he should be allowed to go to collage as long as he can pay for it no matter that he woudnt benifit from the education?
Perhaps that poor kid can not find a job to help cover his expenses as there are X number of other poor kids looking for the same job who can do it full time as they dont go to collage