$2500 College Credit on taxes!

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

RJ - that's something I plan to do eventually.

Good for you!

[Ban Hammer 13,522]

I believe it's my tax dollars that pay those wages.

as it is everyone else's. and it pays my retirement check too. now get back to work, i've got another due in less than 3 weeks.

[slim 1,530]

No you didn't. You said "the kids I went to high school with who went to college". You did not say ALL the kids. You did not say SOME of the kids. You did not say ONE of the kids. You did not say TWENTY of the kids.

You were vague. And obtuse. As usual.

As usual you only took the part you wanted to reply to. Read it again. I specifically told you which kids. Extend your quotation marks out just a little and then you'll have it.

[Ban Hammer 13,522]

It's a jobs program, plain and simple. A jobs program for chronic underachievers and kids who couldn't stay out of trouble.

baiting again, aj?

That wasn't what I was talking about, you must have missed the part where the 'employee' fills them in again.

that does happen and that's what is usually called a field latrine.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

As long as they've agreed to pay me for what I agreed to do. That's how jobs/pay works. You agree to do something for a certain fee. Part of my fee was reduced-cost (because I make too much money now) health care for the rest of my life.

You pay a below-market fee for your health care, slim. For a JOB you claim you were already paid for.

If that's not an entitlement, I don't know what it.

[Amby 490]

I knew someone who was so dumb he couldn't even get in the military

Edited February 9, 2011 by Amby

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

as it is everyone else's. and it pays my retirement check too. now get back to work, i've got another due in less than 3 weeks.

You can't make me! I'm at home.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

As usual you only took the part you wanted to reply to. Read it again. I specifically told you which kids. Extend your quotation marks out just a little and then you'll have it.

Oh pardon me. You did also say "who make less money than you".

This still does not tell me anything about the people you went to high school with who went onto college. It does not tell me what they earn in comparison to what you earn, and the corresponding percentiles of graduates vs. non graduates. THOSE ARE the real numbers that tell the tale.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Rebecca Jo

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Are you looking for a gold star? I'm not really sure why you posted this.

I was talking to Amber.

The whole thread isn't about what you have to say, you know.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

A debt that can be written off is an entitlement.

And a debt that is paid off is not.

[slim 1,530]

you must have missed the part where the 'employee' fills them in again.

I've filled in plenty of ditches. Much easier to keep your comm wire intact when it's buried. Harder for the enemy to find it as well!

If you really want to talk ditches, it doesn't get any better than binjo ditches in Korea. Those have to be the best ditches in the world. Arabian ditches full of liquid sh!t get honorable mention too, but they just don't pack 'em full of kimchi sh!t the way the Koreans do. Those folks truly are ditch masters!

You pay a below-market fee for your health care, slim. For a JOB you claim you were already paid for.

If that's not an entitlement, I don't know what it.

Maybe you don't understand how contracts work and benefits are paid out. I'll enlighten you. When I raised my hand and then earned my pay defending your freedom all over the globe, thusly fulfilling my side of the contract, part of that compensation included below-market health care for the rest of my life. That was part of the deal. Therefore, it's not an entitlement. It's compensation. Pay. Benefits from doing a job. It's not a hand out. It's part of the pay earned for working a job.

What's been posted in this thread is free money for doing nothing. That, is an entitlement. See the difference yet or are you going to carry this on another few pages?

Oh pardon me. You did also say "who make less money than you".

Finally, you're starting to read the whole post. Congratulations!

This still does not tell me anything about the people you went to high school with who went onto college. It does not tell me what they earn in comparison to what you earn, and the corresponding percentiles of graduates vs. non graduates. THOSE ARE the real numbers that tell the tale.

Then why didn't you ask for those numbers instead of trying to be a smart @$$?

And a debt that is paid off is not.

Cookie for you! Gold Star!

Now, I'm still waiting for your supporting evidence that everyone does that and also the scheme of giving people money to go to school actually makes money for the country. Keep in mind you're not going to be comparing apples to apples since there's a lot more than just someone paying back money they used for school. Don't forget about keeping the buildings and grounds updated, the faculty and staff paid, the programs running. That all costs money too. Are you paying for that as well? Is everyone paying for that? Don't forget you're still paying for the military, hungry kids in Haiti, bridges, the war on drugs/terror/obesity and also all those local schools as well.

Still have a surplus? YOU THE MAN!!!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Wow - so much passion. I think we've hit a nerve.

Unless you want to live in a country where there are no educated people who understand things like medicine, accounting and engineering, 3% of the federal budget towards education doesn't seem like too bad a deal

Especially compared to 20% of the federal budget for defense.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Maybe you don't understand how contracts work and benefits are paid out. I'll enlighten you. When I raised my hand and then earned my pay defending your freedom all over the globe, thusly fulfilling my side of the contract, part of that compensation included below-market health care for the rest of my life. That was part of the deal. Therefore, it's not an entitlement. It's compensation. Pay. Benefits from doing a job. It's not a hand out. It's part of the pay earned for working a job.

When my Daddy enlisted and served during the Korean War, there wasn't any such exclusive clause in his "contract" with the government. He came out and he had the VA home loan program and the VA hospital (if he choose to go there) and that was about it.

Fast forward Vietnam and how we as a society rejected our men (mostly) in uniform after they returned home.

Now we've got an entirely volunteer force and the pot needs sweetened. And we have politicians who feel guilty about the conflicts in the Middle East. So they pass special entitlements that other veterans in the past haven't had. There's even "cut off" dates for if you qualify for that free fer life medical care.

Sweet for you. Maybe not so fair for other service people who didn't fall into that window of opportunity. But hey, it's a big bureaucracy that just keeps growing and churning. Sort of like some of those other government programs you aren't fond of. Except this one benefits YOU.

Then why didn't you ask for those numbers instead of trying to be a smart @$$?

This ought to be good.

[Amby 490]

there's a lot of states that have programs to pay for med school for residents of that state if they agree to come back after med school and practice medicine for 3-5yrs in areas where they need doctors.

[slim 1,530]

Wow - so much passion. I think we've hit a nerve.

Not at all. Just stepping it up since reason doesn't work. Perhaps a little emotion will help you see the opposition.

Unless you want to live in a country where there are no educated people who understand things like medicine, accounting and engineering, 3% of the federal budget towards education doesn't seem like too bad a deal

Especially compared to 20% of the federal budget for defense.

I don't see how taking away "free" money will stop folks from getting educated.

You should check out that defense budget some time. Surprisingly enough, a significant portion of it goes to your buddies in academia.

When my Daddy enlisted and served during the Korean War, there wasn't any such exclusive clause in his "contract" with the government. He came out and he had the VA home loan program and the VA hospital (if he choose to go there) and that was about it.

Sounds like he got the same deal I did. Serve and you get reduced-cost medical for the rest of your life.

Are you still not understanding how that's considered "pay and benefits" and not an entitlement?

This ought to be good.

Is this your way of saying, "hey slim, why don't you provide us with the average salaries of folks you graduated with who went on to college and then compare and contrast those with your own and others who didn't?" Because if it is, that's a funny way of asking and it should shed some light on why you're often misunderstood.

You should also consider that I didn't offer up my example as proof of the nation's situation. I posted it in response to MY situation. For me personally, (as I said before) it's not a good financial decision to go to college. You're chomping at the bit to prove me wrong when, in fact, it's my own personal position I'm posting on. Oh please prove me wrong on that one!

there's a lot of states that have programs to pay for med school for residents of that state if they agree to come back after med school and practice medicine for 3-5yrs in areas where they need doctors.

There are also a lot of private businesses that will do the same thing.