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Why Old Carville Thinks the Dems Lost

I cringe when someone uses "raises taxes on incomes above $400,000", as if that threshold has any significance these days.
I agree with what you are saying, but to the vast majority of US families that is far more than they will ever earn.

For families making that much, your social circle probably includes those same income levels. Easy to become numb.
 
I’m not going to listen to Carville for ten minutes. But I’ve seen him elsewhere say Harris’s “I can’t think of a thing” response to the “what would you do differently” (from Biden) question on The View was the killer. Said “you want that question” and totally blew it.
You should listen. He’s an angry old Dem. Blames “Defund Police” and “hate men” too. The View question was represented as a “border policy” moment.

Note how Stewart citing 4 cherry-picked Dem commercials on the border is cited as “proof” that Dems did not run on “woke” issues.
 
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I agree with what you are saying, but to the vast majority of US families that is far more than they will ever earn.

For families making that much, your social circle probably includes those same income levels. Easy to become numb.
Still the same old question - what will help those >400,000 families more? Better jobs with better medical benefits, or tax funded government giveaways? DEI or “content of character” hiring?
 
I cringe when someone uses "raises taxes on incomes above $400,000", as if that threshold has any significance these days.

The pols have historically gone along with the progressive income tax with gradual income tax rates as being more acceptable than a threshold.

Also inflation over the years makes what seems like a lot of income today not all that large in the future. Heck, when I was a kid making $100,000 was a great income. Today a family making only $100,000 may be struggling.
 
The pols have historically gone along with the progressive income tax with gradual income tax rates as being more acceptable than a threshold.

Also inflation over the years makes what seems like a lot of income today not all that large in the future. Heck, when I was a kid making $100,000 was a great income. Today a family making only $100,000 may be struggling.
$100k puts you in upper 30% of household incomes! Would not say 70% of households are struggling!
 
I agree with what you are saying, but to the vast majority of US families that is far more than they will ever earn.

For families making that much, your social circle probably includes those same income levels. Easy to become numb.

That's not my point. I acknowledge and can accept a progressive tax code. But, trying to act like we're taxing the rich who make $400 or $500K is equivalent of taxing the actual rich. In other words, add more brackets or thresholds or create a formulaic calculation that contemplates the difference between $500K, $2 million, $10 million, $100 million and $1 Billion.
 
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Disagree, a household can live on $100 comfortably if they don't spend above their means.

Two working parents, each make $50K. They have two kids. Daycare costs $20K+ per year per kid. Some employers have FSA to cover part of that, but it gets limited to ~$5-7K (can't remember the current #) in deductions.

You have mortgage, property taxes, food, diapers, etc.

That family isn't saving much. And, in my opinion, that family shouldn't be taxed the same as a married couple that decides not to have kids or a single high income earner.
 
Disagree, a household can live on $100 comfortably if they don't spend above their means.

Hmm, I guess that depends on a couple things:

1) How one defines "comfortably"
2) Where this household is located

I live in a fairly low cost area. Do I think a small family could get by on $100k here? Yes. I don't think they'd have much in the way of discretionary income.
 
Hmm, I guess that depends on a couple things:

1) How one defines "comfortably"
2) Where this household is located

I live in a fairly low cost area. Do I think a small family could get by on $100k here? Yes. I don't think they'd have much in the way of discretionary income.
Like I’ve said, IU instate is $30k+. If you make $100k you are likely not getting any need based financial aid. Yet, you are not making nearly enough to cover the cost of 2 kids to attend for 4 years each. 529s are great, but at $100k you are not likely socking much away each year. It’s tough out there.
 
Like I’ve said, IU instate is $30k+. If you make $100k you are likely not getting any need based financial aid. Yet, you are not making nearly enough to cover the cost of 2 kids to attend for 4 years each. 529s are great, but at $100k you are not likely socking much away each year. It’s tough out there.
That solid middle class seems to get whacked. Make just enough to not qualify for shit, don’t make a lot, yet pay full freight for most stuff.
 
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Like I’ve said, IU instate is $30k+. If you make $100k you are likely not getting any need based financial aid. Yet, you are not making nearly enough to cover the cost of 2 kids to attend for 4 years each. 529s are great, but at $100k you are not likely socking much away each year. It’s tough out there.
I will add that’s why two workers makes a difference
 
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Like I’ve said, IU instate is $30k+. If you make $100k you are likely not getting any need based financial aid. Yet, you are not making nearly enough to cover the cost of 2 kids to attend for 4 years each. 529s are great, but at $100k you are not likely socking much away each year. It’s tough out there.
For most people college today has a terrible ROI.
 
Absolutely false. Study after study has shown that college grads make significantly more over their lifetimes than high school only grads.

If you want to argue it’s gotten too expensive, I can agree with that.
The trades are shorthanded and that would be the direction I would go.

So while they make more overall how many are living in high COL areas to do it?
 
Two working parents, each make $50K. They have two kids. Daycare costs $20K+ per year per kid. Some employers have FSA to cover part of that, but it gets limited to ~$5-7K (can't remember the current #) in deductions.

True. Of course daycare years don't last forever.
That family isn't saving much. And, in my opinion, that family shouldn't be taxed the same as a married couple that decides not to have kids or a single high income earner.

That already happens no... With combo of the exemptions plus child tax credit?
 
The trades are shorthanded and that would be the direction I would go.

So while they make more overall how many are living in high COL areas to do it?
Trades - not for daughters. Or most. And my family are all nailpounders. It’s shit when you hit late 40s. One herniated disc away from being fckd. I’m a big proponent of the trades but still believe college with the right major is the way to go. Get it and get out
 
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Trades - not for daughters. Or most. And my family are all nailpounders. It’s shit when you hit late 40s. One herniated disc away from being fckd. I’m a big proponent of the trades but still believe college with the right major is the way to go. Get it and get out
Trades a great route for some kids. But as we discussed in this thread, living off of $100k or less is tough. Being a plumber and making $75k is great, but unless you start your own company you have a very middle class ceiling.
 
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Absolutely false. Study after study has shown that college grads make significantly more over their lifetimes than high school only grads.

If you want to argue it’s gotten too expensive, I can agree with that.
This is what ROI means. It's a ratio that includes both sides of the ledger.

Let me put it this way: if college was a universally good investment, we wouldn't have the student debt crisis we have. But we do have a student debt crisis. And that's because a whole lot of college degrees are not worth what they cost to obtain.

Yes, I realize a lot of the bad debt is held by people who didn't graduate. But a lot of it is held by people who did, too.

The first thing we need to do for higher education funding is establish some kind of rational relationship between the financing available and an approximation of the value of the degree itself.
 
This is what ROI means. It's a ratio that includes both sides of the ledger.

Let me put it this way: if college was a universally good investment, we wouldn't have the student debt crisis we have. But we do have a student debt crisis. And that's because a whole lot of college degrees are not worth what they cost to obtain.

Yes, I realize a lot of the bad debt is held by people who didn't graduate. But a lot of it is held by people who did, too.

The first thing we need to do for higher education funding is establish some kind of rational relationship between the financing available and an approximation of the value of the degree itself.
MBA and MSW very different roi
 
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college with the right major is the way to go.

"the right major" is the operative phrase here. But examining the cost/benefit of college shouldn't be any different than any other financial ratio.

Maybe somebody really wants to go to Vanderbilt and shell out $220k for a degree in Art History. And if they want to do that, it's no skin off my back. But the amount of federally-funded loans available to this person should be a fraction of that....and they can pay for the rest some other way.
 
"the right major" is the operative phrase here. But examining the cost/benefit of college shouldn't be any different than any other financial ratio.

Maybe somebody really wants to go to Vanderbilt and shell out $220k for a degree in Art History. And if they want to do that, it's no skin off my back. But the amount of federally-funded loans available to this person should be a fraction of that....and they can pay for the rest some other way.
Federal loans have the same annual cap they have had forever - $5,500 per year. Kids getting into huge debt at getting private loans.
 
Federal loans have the same annual cap they have had forever - $5,500 per year. Kids getting into huge debt at getting private loans.
Seems like a good opportunity to show the time in 2019 that then-House Financial Services Chairman Rep. Maxine Waters learned in a very embarrassing way on live television from bank leaders she was grilling that none of them do student lending anymore.

 
Hmm, I guess that depends on a couple things:

1) How one defines "comfortably"
2) Where this household is located

I live in a fairly low cost area. Do I think a small family could get by on $100k here? Yes. I don't think they'd have much in the way of discretionary income.

I think our family income 20-30 years ago when we were raising the kids would be very close to $100,000 today. It took work. We took up going to the women's basketball games because it was free. We became great at finding free entertainment.

Every time you thought you were getting ahead, the car would break down, or refrigerator, or someone needed braces. The rainy day fund was always a light mist fund.

I am convinced that the greatest thing we could do for people is to make childcare more affordable. Though in one way it may not have an impact. If a family could get a child into a "C" daycare for $1000/month, I suspect they just upgraded to a "B" daycare Fir the same $1000.

But at that figure, I had friends making much less who also somehow made it. The median is about $75000 or so today, so a whole lot are pulling it off.
 
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Federal loans have the same annual cap they have had forever - $5,500 per year. Kids getting into huge debt at getting private loans.
Student loans would be looked at differently if parents were responsible for them. I don't think 18 year olds typically know enough about what they are signing up for to do crazed's CBA and I don't think it's appropriate that we allow them to be saddled with it before the do.
 
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Student loans would be looked at differently if parents were responsible for them. I don't think 18 year olds typically know enough about what they are signing up for to do crazed's CBA and I don't think it's appropriate that we allow them to be saddled with it before the do.
Parent loans are out there, we are finishing up the youngest's loans. There was a good tax break on them back when we were paying for 3.
 
Absolutely false. Study after study has shown that college grads make significantly more over their lifetimes than high school only grads.

If you want to argue it’s gotten too expensive, I can agree with that.
Studies also show college grads have a better QOL.

Federal loans have the same annual cap they have had forever - $5,500 per year. Kids getting into huge debt at getting private loans.

$5500 to $7500 per year depending on class level.. Up to $10K+ if they independent and Grad/Med/Law students is around $20K per year. I think that's still correct unless something changed in the last five years.
 
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