Online headline/story: "Student Loans: The Next Bubble? * To be sure, there are some classic bubble warning signs: Everybody wants in. The idea that higher education is the only way to get ahead has become widely held. College enrollment has surged one-third in a decade. With rising demand, college tuition and fees have more than doubled over that time, outstripping inflation in every other major sector of the economy – energy, health care and housing, even when housing was bubbling itself. * Those bills are paid with borrowed money. The volume of outstanding student loans is rising rapidly and now exceeds credit card debt * The hard part, of course, is that a bubble is never apparent until it bursts. But the short answer is this: There are worrisome trends. A degree is an asset whose value can change over time. Borrowing to pay for it is risky, and borrowing is way up. The stakes are high. You can usually walk away from a house. Not so a student loan, which can't even be discharged in bankruptcy." -- No wonder those college students, especially the law/pre-law ones knowing they can't use their acquired skills to get rid of the debt.
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One thing becoming all too apparent is the emphasis of universities to herd students into majors that lend themselves to be preparatory to more government supported jobs...teachers, artists, musicians, lawyers, and even police work. What the universities are failing at is teaching skills and dynamics of creating a new business.
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Not sure why the L-E thinks the Wells-Fargo 13 was an "Occupy Something" event. There was a real one up the road, "Occupy Steeplechase Infield'.
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Expect more of the UnderRiverWalk to collapse. There has already been structural damages cause by the flood waters pounding the steps that go down to the lower sections, and never, NEVER forget the giant "tarball" created by injecting more chemicals into the existing chemicals deep in the soil from years of improper handling of industrial waste.
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Did you see the "Banquet on the Bridge" sweatshirts? Wonder how many meals the Salvation Army and Valley Rescue could have served if that money had been donated instead of creating a one-time use pioece of apparel?
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From L-E story: "Mark Erb, 50, is a teacher at Columbus High School and a self-described liberal. * (Erb said) "There has to be some kind of across-the-board tax reform that encourages people to work and encourages people to invest to keep people working." * "I'm not sure if it's a capital gains tax change or an across-the-board income tax reform. There are too many people at the top who have too many loopholes. Although they are technically paying a higher rate, by the time they get done (sic) with all the loopholes, they're paying less than the average Joe in a lot of cases." -- Loopholes? Does he mean like Mortgage interest, or property tax deductions like he takes? Does he even know that "the average Joe" doesn't pay any income tax? And this guy is teaching our children... hope it's not a finance course.
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L-E headline: "Northeast marks 8th day without power" -- Wonder if the power company consumers are agreeing with the power company spokesperson who said it would be too expensive to bury power cables versus repairing/replacing them after every snow storm? Bet that guy was in the Spokesperson Union who would be out of a job if there weren't downed lines for him to be a spokesperson about.
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L-E headline: "U.S. wealth gap between young and old at its widest" -- Maybe that's because older people recognize the responisibility of being prepared for the future, versus living for the day, and spending more than they have coming in.
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It's interesting that even the mainstream media is so interested in the Republican candidates. Usually, they could care less as they already know they are going to vote for the liberal incumbent.
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From the 'what are they thinking (or not doing so) department - L-E headlineMissouri to leave Big 12, join SEC" -- Like we don't have enough "Tigers" as it is? Can't you see student roadtrips to watch Florida or South Carolina play in Missouri...NOT! Can't you see Missouri fans scratching their heads (and other places) trying to figure out what a Dawg, Gamecock, Rebel Bear, Commodore, or Maroon is? And wait until some long term rivalries become home-n-home affairs off-n-on every 2 years.
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