In my opinion neither inflation (real inflation!) nor tuition increases are tame, and I of course never said that. Inflation and tuition increases are manageable so far. What I have said, to the point of being sick and tired of saying it, but it nevertheless still has not sunk in, is that in dollars adjusted for real consumer inflation using the method the U.S. government used to compute consumer inflation in the 1980s, i.e., the shadowstat inflation data, college tuition, on average, has neither increased nor decreased significantly in the past twenty years. It has mirrored inflation. To get the outsize tuition increases relative to inflation reported in the press one has to use the governments rate of inflation computed by the current method, which in my opinion significantly underestimates the actual inflation experienced by typical consumers.
The Truth Re: College Tuition. It's not what you've been told.
- Thread starter piezoe
- Start date
In my opinion neither inflation (real inflation!) nor tuition increases are tame, and I of course never said that. Inflation and tuition increases are manageable so far. What I have said, to the point of being sick and tired of saying it, but it nevertheless still has not sunk in, is that in dollars adjusted for real consumer inflation using the method the U.S. government used to compute consumer inflation in the 1980s, i.e., the shadowstat inflation data, college tuition, on average, has neither increased nor decreased significantly in the past twenty years. It has mirrored inflation. To get the outsize tuition increases relative to inflation reported in the press one has to use the governments rate of inflation computed by the current method, which in my opinion significantly underestimates the actual inflation experienced by typical consumers.
Yes of course, and that explains why everyone is so shocked to see how much in nominal dollars tuition has increased. It is tracking real inflation! But the government by constantly putting out these falsely low consumer inflation rates to the media has pulled the proverbial wool over everyone's eyes, except for you and me, Tao.
Richter, this data is apparently looking at inflation using website prices, a lot of them, to try and get a more reliable CPI measure. The MIT data appear, on average, to track fairly well the not seasonally adjusted government CPI. In other words, unless these two indices tracking one another is just a highly fortuitous circumstance, the MIT folks are using a calculation method identical, or nearly so, to the government's. Notice under method the MIT folks state only the part of their method that is common to all CPI determinations, i.e., a basket of goods, but they don't really describe their method in any detail. They are apparently using hedonics, geometric weighting, and other modern devices to compute a lower CPI than you personally would be likely to experience. See also the new thread, "Is the Shadowstat's CPI Correct?"
Meanwhile, inflation in Canada, whose economy closely tracks that of the US:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/cpis02a-eng.htm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/cpis02a-eng.htm
With liberals, there's no separation of sex and state. Jeffrey Meyer of CNSNews.com found they're trying to be hip with the kids at the University of Maryland, hosting "Sex Week" for education, communication, exploration" at its campus in suburban College Park.
The event features a local D.C. sex shop called "The Garden" whose mission according to its website is "commitment to body safe and eco-friendly products." There's some wild-sounding events on the menu:
Jessica VonDyke, a "poly, queer femme whose mission in life is to help folks have better sex and is an advocate for gender inclusiveness, sexy safer sex and queer positive spaces in everything that she does" will make a presentation about sex toys to 18 year-old boys and girls.
During the panel, college students will be taught how to identify the quality and safety of certain sex toys, how to know what sex toy to buy, and ho over lubes, condoms, accessories and "fetish gear."
Remember when colleges were for serious subjects?
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-gr...ponsoring-eco-friendly-sex-week#ixzz2hjBf5wUZ
The event features a local D.C. sex shop called "The Garden" whose mission according to its website is "commitment to body safe and eco-friendly products." There's some wild-sounding events on the menu:
Jessica VonDyke, a "poly, queer femme whose mission in life is to help folks have better sex and is an advocate for gender inclusiveness, sexy safer sex and queer positive spaces in everything that she does" will make a presentation about sex toys to 18 year-old boys and girls.
During the panel, college students will be taught how to identify the quality and safety of certain sex toys, how to know what sex toy to buy, and ho over lubes, condoms, accessories and "fetish gear."
Remember when colleges were for serious subjects?
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-gr...ponsoring-eco-friendly-sex-week#ixzz2hjBf5wUZ
According to a report by CNS news, government owned student loan debt has increased by 463% on Obamaâs watch and now stands at a staggering $675 billion. Wait, wasnât he supposed to, you know, help poor, struggling college students?
From CNS News:
Since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the amount of outstanding federal student loan debt owed to the government has skyrocketed, increasing by 463 percent. The balance owed currently stands at $674,580,000,000.00 compared to $119,803,000,000.00, where it stood in January 2009, according to the Financial Management Serviceâs latest monthly treasury statement.
Direct federal student loan spending began to rise rapidly in fiscal year 2010, when the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act â one of the two laws that make up Obamacare â gave the federal government complete control over federal loans for education, the Direct Student Loan (DL) program. This aspect of HCERA became effective July 1, 2010, when the amount of outstanding loans stood at $178,806,000,000. Since then, the balance has increased by 277 percent....
There are several factors that have contributed to this:
The terrible economy has prevented college grads from getting jobs that would provide the income needed to pay back loans. And no entity has done more to hinder economic growth than the federal government (See Obamacare).
The federal government took control of all student loans in 2010. By doing this they not only absorbed all of the debt directly, they eliminated all competition that may have kept rates and prices low.
Yet another (and perhaps the biggest) reason students now owe so much to the federal government is rising tuition rates. You want to know why tuition rates seem to never plateau? You guessed it! The federal government. For decades the feds guaranteed all private student loans. This means that there was no risk for a bank to give a loan to a student. See, itâs very difficult for struggling college students to qualify for loans. Theyâve never made any money to speak of and they generally have no collateral. So, the all benevolent government (in an attempt to help, of course) intervened to keep the cash flowing to students. Colleges and Universities are well aware of this and realized quickly that they can charge whatever theyâd like because the students will simply get a loan for it. There is, quite literally, no incentive to stop the madness.
Thatâs right. The federal government has compounded every problem in the student loan world. Like virtually every other perceived problem it has tried to âfixâ, it has ended up making it worse.
From CNS News:
Since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the amount of outstanding federal student loan debt owed to the government has skyrocketed, increasing by 463 percent. The balance owed currently stands at $674,580,000,000.00 compared to $119,803,000,000.00, where it stood in January 2009, according to the Financial Management Serviceâs latest monthly treasury statement.
Direct federal student loan spending began to rise rapidly in fiscal year 2010, when the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act â one of the two laws that make up Obamacare â gave the federal government complete control over federal loans for education, the Direct Student Loan (DL) program. This aspect of HCERA became effective July 1, 2010, when the amount of outstanding loans stood at $178,806,000,000. Since then, the balance has increased by 277 percent....
There are several factors that have contributed to this:
The terrible economy has prevented college grads from getting jobs that would provide the income needed to pay back loans. And no entity has done more to hinder economic growth than the federal government (See Obamacare).
The federal government took control of all student loans in 2010. By doing this they not only absorbed all of the debt directly, they eliminated all competition that may have kept rates and prices low.
Yet another (and perhaps the biggest) reason students now owe so much to the federal government is rising tuition rates. You want to know why tuition rates seem to never plateau? You guessed it! The federal government. For decades the feds guaranteed all private student loans. This means that there was no risk for a bank to give a loan to a student. See, itâs very difficult for struggling college students to qualify for loans. Theyâve never made any money to speak of and they generally have no collateral. So, the all benevolent government (in an attempt to help, of course) intervened to keep the cash flowing to students. Colleges and Universities are well aware of this and realized quickly that they can charge whatever theyâd like because the students will simply get a loan for it. There is, quite literally, no incentive to stop the madness.
Thatâs right. The federal government has compounded every problem in the student loan world. Like virtually every other perceived problem it has tried to âfixâ, it has ended up making it worse.
Gas under $3 - coming to a station near you
By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney November 11, 2013: 10:15 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
"It's becoming easier and easier to find gas for less than $3 a gallon.
"The average price of a gallon of regular gas now stands at $3.19, according to AAA, after falling by about a penny a day for the last week. The steady decline has taken the average price below $3 already in six states -- Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Louisiana. Another six states are enjoying an average price within a nickel of that benchmark and could dip below three dollars soon.
"But $3 gas isn't just limited to these 6 states.
"Nearly 20% of gas stations nationwide are already charging less than $3 a gallon for regular gas, according to the Oil Price Information Service. And those stations are selling far more than their share of gas.
"In almost half the states, you don't need to make a great effort to find gas at $3 or less," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for OPIS, which compiles the price data for AAA, as well as for GasBuddy.com. "
More>>
By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney November 11, 2013: 10:15 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
"It's becoming easier and easier to find gas for less than $3 a gallon.
"The average price of a gallon of regular gas now stands at $3.19, according to AAA, after falling by about a penny a day for the last week. The steady decline has taken the average price below $3 already in six states -- Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Louisiana. Another six states are enjoying an average price within a nickel of that benchmark and could dip below three dollars soon.
"But $3 gas isn't just limited to these 6 states.
"Nearly 20% of gas stations nationwide are already charging less than $3 a gallon for regular gas, according to the Oil Price Information Service. And those stations are selling far more than their share of gas.
"In almost half the states, you don't need to make a great effort to find gas at $3 or less," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for OPIS, which compiles the price data for AAA, as well as for GasBuddy.com. "
More>>