Talking Class Warfare: As Costs Grow, Aid and Income Shrinks, College Is Increasingly Out of Reach for Most
September 12, 2011 No CommentI’m hearing more these days from frustrated parents who absolutely can’t afford to send kids to college: It’s just too expensive and they’re depressed and ashamed that they can’t give their kids the help they need. (I recently pointed out to one friend whose daughter insisted she wanted to go to art school several states away, “In-state credit hour, $200+. Out of state credit hour, $974. See the difference?”) My kid was furious with me 15 years ago when I told him I couldn’t in good conscience advise him to go to the school he wanted because they didn’t give him enough money and he’d graduate with a $125,000 debt. Soon it’s going to be like the early 1900s, where your only hope of going to college was to attract the patronage of some kindly millionaire. Ah, the good old days! Here’s another option. Cory McCray: Growing up in a single parent home in Baltimore City, college expectations were slim for me. I didn’t want to have mountains of debt that I could be paying for half of my life and I knew that my mother couldn’t afford to send me to college without the accumulation of debt herself. So, I decided to go through an apprenticeship program and in 2008 I was able to complete the five year apprenticeship through the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 24 with a Journeyman Electrician Certification. Deciding to further my education, in early 2009, I enrolled in BCCC (Baltimore City Community College) part-time. After three years of hard work and commitment, I am entering my last semester at BCCC. This journey has been rewarding, but also expensive. After tuition, registration fees, consolidated fees, and facility capital fees, I accumulated bills exceeding eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00). This doesn’t include the cost of school books; over two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00). Many students and parents that are paying for four year colleges have stated “that was a cheap price to pay and wait to see your bills from a four year college”. I find myself fortunate to be able to come out of high school and find an employer such as the IBEW, who placed me in the middle class by paying a living wage, affordable health care, and a respectable retirement program. I am fortunate because I could cut back on spending to allow myself an extra three thousand ($3,000.00) plus dollars to accommodate furthering my education, when the reality is the majority of our country doesn’t have that option. The reality is that many of us don’t have wealthy parents and a small percentage of us will attend school on full scholarships. That leaves the majority of the population left with the three options of not going to school, taking out loans, or waiting later in life to be able to pay for school. The latter three options weaken the middle-class, and place a greater division between the wealthy and those in poverty.
Continue reading …Talking Class Warfare: As Costs Grow, Aid and Income Shrinks, College Is Increasingly Out of Reach for Most
September 12, 2011 No CommentI’m hearing more these days from frustrated parents who absolutely can’t afford to send kids to college: It’s just too expensive and they’re depressed and ashamed that they can’t give their kids the help they need. (I recently pointed out to one friend whose daughter insisted she wanted to go to art school several states away, “In-state credit hour, $200+. Out of state credit hour, $974. See the difference?”) My kid was furious with me 15 years ago when I told him I couldn’t in good conscience advise him to go to the school he wanted because they didn’t give him enough money and he’d graduate with a $125,000 debt. Soon it’s going to be like the early 1900s, where your only hope of going to college was to attract the patronage of some kindly millionaire. Ah, the good old days! Here’s another option. Cory McCray: Growing up in a single parent home in Baltimore City, college expectations were slim for me. I didn’t want to have mountains of debt that I could be paying for half of my life and I knew that my mother couldn’t afford to send me to college without the accumulation of debt herself. So, I decided to go through an apprenticeship program and in 2008 I was able to complete the five year apprenticeship through the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 24 with a Journeyman Electrician Certification. Deciding to further my education, in early 2009, I enrolled in BCCC (Baltimore City Community College) part-time. After three years of hard work and commitment, I am entering my last semester at BCCC. This journey has been rewarding, but also expensive. After tuition, registration fees, consolidated fees, and facility capital fees, I accumulated bills exceeding eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00). This doesn’t include the cost of school books; over two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00). Many students and parents that are paying for four year colleges have stated “that was a cheap price to pay and wait to see your bills from a four year college”. I find myself fortunate to be able to come out of high school and find an employer such as the IBEW, who placed me in the middle class by paying a living wage, affordable health care, and a respectable retirement program. I am fortunate because I could cut back on spending to allow myself an extra three thousand ($3,000.00) plus dollars to accommodate furthering my education, when the reality is the majority of our country doesn’t have that option. The reality is that many of us don’t have wealthy parents and a small percentage of us will attend school on full scholarships. That leaves the majority of the population left with the three options of not going to school, taking out loans, or waiting later in life to be able to pay for school. The latter three options weaken the middle-class, and place a greater division between the wealthy and those in poverty.
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In September 2006, we opened the Tribute WTC Visitor Center in a small space across the street from the World Trade Center site. We have welcomed millions of visitors from around the world to our five galleries where they learn about the vibrant WTC community prior to September 11th; the attacks of February 26, 1993, and of September 11, 2001; the outpouring of generosity from people across the country and around the world during the recovery; and the victims, those beautiful people who did nothing more than come to work that day. Before they end their time at the Tribute Center, visitors are offered the opportunity to share their stories and reflections with us on visitor cards. We have collected cards from 200,000 people from 120 countries written in 47 different languages. These cards are remarkable in their overwhelming sentiment about preserving our common humanity. Photos and text reprinted from “9/11:The World Speaks,” by the Tribute WTC Visitors Center and Lee Ielpi 2011©. Published by Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT.
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In September 2006, we opened the Tribute WTC Visitor Center in a small space across the street from the World Trade Center site. We have welcomed millions of visitors from around the world to our five galleries where they learn about the vibrant WTC community prior to September 11th; the attacks of February 26, 1993, and of September 11, 2001; the outpouring of generosity from people across the country and around the world during the recovery; and the victims, those beautiful people who did nothing more than come to work that day. Before they end their time at the Tribute Center, visitors are offered the opportunity to share their stories and reflections with us on visitor cards. We have collected cards from 200,000 people from 120 countries written in 47 different languages. These cards are remarkable in their overwhelming sentiment about preserving our common humanity. Photos and text reprinted from “9/11:The World Speaks,” by the Tribute WTC Visitors Center and Lee Ielpi 2011©. Published by Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT.
Continue reading …Ford electric E-Bike Concept packs a Galaxy S II on the bars, motor in the wheel
September 12, 2011 No Comment
Ford already wowed us with the Evos concept , but the slinkiest hybrid we’ve seen so far here in Frankfurt has not four wheels but two. It’s a concept bicycle from Ford called — wait for it — the E-Bike Concept. It packs an electric motor built into the front wheel that can power it up to a maximum speed of 25 km/h, driven by a 9.2Ah battery. Or you can power it the conventional way by pedalling, torque conveyed to the rear wheel over a carbon belt. (Oily chains are so last century.) Perhaps even more interesting is what rests up on the handlebars. No, that’s no iDevice — refreshingly it’s a Galaxy S II . Through some custom software, riders will be able to change suspension modes and of course monitor battery charge, not to mention get a little assistance from Google Navigation and maybe pump out some Pandora too. The word “Concept” in the title here and the spindly frame design should give you a clue about when this thing will see production — probably never. But, we’ll be back with an update if that ever changes. Gallery: Ford E-Bike Concept Ford electric E-Bike Concept packs a Galaxy S II on the bars, motor in the wheel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …An explosion hit the Marcoule nuclear plant in southern France today, killing at least one person and injuring three others, the BBC reports. The site handles nuclear waste and recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons into MOX fuel, but does not include any reactors. The explosion occurred near a furnace, but…
Continue reading …Tampa, Florida (CNN) – Hours before the start of the first-ever CNN/Tea Party Republican debate, a candidate who dropped out…
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Possible Terorrist Attack On The USA White House On 11/9/2011 – September 11th 2011 911 anniversary terror threat [CNN 9-09-2011] 9-11 terror threat WeARENYC says: High Security Remains in Place The extra security put in place last week by the NYPD stemming from a possible 9 / 11 terror threat remains in
Continue reading …“Pass this bill,” President Obama said more than two dozen times during his two speeches last week touting his jobs bill —and he’ll say it again tonight when he officially sends the American Jobs Act to Congress. “He will call on Congress to pass the bill, which contains the kinds…
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• Check out tonight’s latest scores here • Latest league tables can be seen here • Email tom.lutz@guardian.co.uk 3 min: QPR intercept a loose Newcastle pass and hang around the opposition area before losing interest, and possession. “Barton as Captain? Genius – think Keane at Man Utd,” says Harvey Kelly. “Although Capt. Barton sounds like someone in WWI who was two busy writing poetry to go and stick it to the Germans.” His haircut is a very world war one haircut too, don’t you think? 1 min: And we’re off. In the absence of Joey Barton on Twitter, who’s playing a football match tonight apparently, we don’t have a clever quote from a dead Victorian (is there any other kind?) to sum up tonight game, but please do provide your own if you have one. The Newcastle fans gave Joey a very good reception. 7.54pm: New QPR owner Tony Fernandes is waving at the crowd, although he looks like he’s got a piece of celery sticking out of his pocket (no doubt that’s some charity emblem that I’ve managed to gravely insult). On the TV Gary Neville is analysing the QPR tunnel, it’s smaller than the average tunnel apparently, which makes Loftus Road a tough place to go to. Not that hard for Bolton a couple of weeks back, mind. 7.50pm: So, Neil Warnock has made Joey Barton captain, a classic piece of upyoursmanship from one of the league’s most passive managers: QPR: Kenny, Young, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Traore, Barton, Derry, Faurlin, Wright-Phillips, Bothroyd, Taarabt. Subs: Murphy, Hall, Campbell, Buzsaky, Connolly, Smith, Puncheon. Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best, Shola Ameobi. Subs: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Ba, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, £35m not being spent on strikers, look at it just sitting there. Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) Tom will be here with coverage of QPR v Newcastle from 7.45pm or so. In the meantime here’s a wee preview from Jamie Jackson: Tony Fernandes’s first home match as the QPR owner should prove a humdinger. Under the Loftus Road lights, and in front of the live TV cameras, Joey Barton makes his bow for Neil Warnock’s side against his former club, Newcastle United. While his acrimonious departure from St James’ Park provides a spicy sideshow, both managers will want to get on with accruing points. Alan Pardew has overcome being unable to reinvest most of the £35m yielded from Andy Carroll’s sale on a replacement striker to take an impressive seven points from three games, while Warnock’s tally is three. Each would be content with a draw. Match pointers • Newcastle are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Queens Park Rangers, winning three of those games • QPR are without a win in their last five matches at home in all competitions • Steven Taylor has made more blocks than any other player in the Premier League this season with seven • No player has had more shots on goal without scoring than Adel Taarabt – 14 • This is Newcastle’s best start to a season since 1995, when they ended up finishing the campaign second to Manchester United Premier League QPR Newcastle United Tom Lutz guardian.co.uk
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