<p>sewhappy,
These headlines are obviously teasers, exaggerations.
I do like to read, as you do, as many sides as possible. The articles do have interesting things to offer: certain data, certain analysis, certain takes…
In this case: What IS the middle class? Why is it important? What factors are considered in judging that it is declining? What causes are attributed to these changes? What solutions are offered? etc.</p>
<p>Of course a writer will have an opinion or hypothesis, or thesis, if not an outright agenda.</p>
<p>I find it interesting to read a variety of work on such subjects. I am sure I could do a better job of it, if I had the time or money to delve into it, and if this were my only my only interest! </p>
<p>I particularly enjoy reading articles and books that posit ideas that I disagree with or am surprised by- I want to be challenged and expanded.</p>
<p>While generally optimistic,I am also a “save for a rainy day” kind of thinker. Definitely don’t want to outlive my money. That would be unpleasant. </p>
<p>BTW, for those who followed the “long term care insurance” thread, we ended up with Genworth. Both qualified as preferred. Yay.</p>
<p>IP - so do with most of my friends and even close relatives, I never take them too seriously. Just for the record, they also do not take themselves too seriously. My sibling likes to call me up to tell me what to do sometimes, but I tell him if he was that good, he wouldn’t be doing what he is doing.</p>
<p>sewhappy - 14k tax for your house isn’t really that high, people in Short Hills are paying 30+ K for similar value house. When we used to live in NJ for 10+ years, we always voted “yes” for increasing of school expenditure, even though both of our kids were never in the public school system. It takes money to educate our kids and I do not begrudge the money we spend on our public school system.</p>
<p>Hopeful? Not so much. I would like to be optomistic. D will be graduating next spring from a very good school. But only time will tell. The one thing I have noticed as far as the changing of the times due to our economy, which can either help her or not and that is the lowering of expectations. I find that many of the young people today have adopted some of the 60-70’s values/philospophy such as enjoying things with what resources they have. Being creative with their time, reading, enjoying music. Looking for value in the small things. Less concern with materialistic things. More reflection/contemplative thinking. Value in social relationships. These things are all good. There seems to be less focus on getting the hight powered job, engaging in the the race we all became accustom to in the 90’s throught the 2000’s. I do find it worrisome though, because i dont want her to set her sights low because of it.</p>
<p>In response to this:
I dont agree. I ma in healthcare as well and we have so many graduate nurses who cant find jobs, they are taking tech jobs just to find work. It has become very competetive and hospitals are now taking the ivy league or similar graduate because they can. When I gradusted from college, they were hiring you on the spot at a job fair.</p>
<p>And I don’t get this. I worked in health care up until about six months ago. We were always hiring nurses, and nurses that left, always found jobs elsewhere, quickly. What I wonder is, are these new grads looking for the 7-3 shift on the OB ward? If so, then they are not being prepared in school that, as new grads, they start at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to departments and shifts. It doesn’t take long to work their way up, but the jobs are out there. Granted, I am in a major metropolitan area, but that’s how it is around here.</p>
<p>Can someone explain the relevance of the above paragraph to the rest of TF’s article? </p>
<p>Does it really matter if about 300 students from China discovered that Grinnell is an institution that is both extremely wealthy and remarkably easy to be admitted at? Does the fact that Grinnell offers a full range of financial aid opportunities to international students play any role? </p>
<p>Perhaps, we should wait for the publication of the admission data of Grinnell to find out how many of those 300 applicants were admitted and actually listened to the songs of the sirens hidden in miles and miles of cornfield. I’d say you will be able to count freshmen from China on two hands.</p>
<p>IP, I can’t take the authors seriously - re post 108. One spots a Harpo hairdo, the other looks like he has yet to hold a razor. Which one are u?</p>
No, I am a partime clinical instructor, at my fulltime job, one of the students I had, top of her class, found an evening job as a tech, hoping she will eventually get a RN job. Any new grad hired, after there 6 month orientation, they have to go to nights for a year. The college is cutting its evening section and the waiting list for these schools are long. The students are encouraged to tske allmof their science, psych classes first, the nursing. It is unreal.</p>
<p>IndianParent, with all due respect, how can you expect to be taken seriously with all of your snide comments and redirection? is everything about you?<br>
Maybe you dont want to be taken seriously.</p>
<p>M&S, I was under the mistaken assumption that quoting data and analysis from mainstream media outlets and economic institutions would do the trick. Apparently not.</p>
<p>Will, at the end, globalization make all the children on Earth have equal access to things (whatever that may be)? Do we need to protect our land, natural resources and even financial capital?</p>
<p>The commodity most in demand will be intellectual horsepower. We need to develop that. While we have the absolute best in intellectual horsepower at the top percentile ranges, outside of the top 10% we are falling behind, significantly. </p>
<p>That doesn’t mean USA as a country will do poorly. It however means that there will be very high rates of income inequality. Most of “our” kids will stagnate as has been the case for the past 30 years, while a few will do very well.</p>
<p>I am restricting my thoughts on economic potential only. Of course, plain living and high thinking may be the marker for doing well for many of the next generation.</p>
<p>Well aware that 14k property tax is not particularly large here in Somerset, NJ. But I respectfully disagree with you; I think the property tax situation and school funding are idiotic and dysfunctional here, a drag on the overall economy. The “good” school districts will be good regardless of school funding levels, the student performance is a function of the demographics - largely educated, striver parents with educated, striver kids. The vast sums thrown at failing school districts is clearly not moving the needle.</p>
<p>Paying such exorbitant property taxes turns into a sort of macho measure of your financial status. Have been to parties where folks almost compete over who is paying the most property tax! We see it as a terrible shame, hurts the housing market recovery and is clearly a sad waste of money.</p>
<p>There are far too many districts, townships and local municipalities, each with it’s separate array of officials and clerks and offices, etc. It’s very entrenched. Christie is trying but it will take a long time and of course those vested in the status quo will fight against any changes. </p>
<p>Hope to be retired in about five years and in the dessert or on a beach somewhere . . . far away from NJ. We are enjoying it for now but don’t see retirement here at all.</p>
<p>Just wondering, then, what we do about children with poorly educated parents? Don’t they deserve to become well-educated? Won’t we all benefit when they do?</p>
<p>I think there’s plenty of striving in families who live without the benefits of a decent education - but it goes into survival, not accumulating the kind of wealth that people can compete over paying taxes on at cocktail parties.</p>