***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[IATT]

 

[ryda421]

$150k/year seems like a whole lot for any household to me. Cost of living must be extremely expensive relative to ours.
My mom's net income is €1600 a month and that's sufficient to us tbh.

well that's the thing about america people work like slaves attempting to achieve as much as possible but they still live pay check to pay check and have to deal with medical and educational payments. in western europe, people don't need much to live comfortable and have the basic necessities of life. in some aspects, there are certain things here that are more expensive than in europe.

 

[biggie62]

$150k/year seems like a whole lot for any household to me. Cost of living must be extremely expensive relative to ours.
My mom's net income is €1600 a month and that's sufficient to us tbh.

Think about it. A two bedroom apt will run you 2-2.5k in a neighborhood I would be interested in NYC. Some here might say I’m pompous but it’s just reality and where I want to live. A house will run you now at least 600-700k. NYC is expensive as ****.

 

[ryda421]

i talked to this one guy in europe and he told me he rents a 2 bedroom in the center of berlin for 1200.

 

[brendasdeadbaby]

Think about it. A two bedroom apt will run you 2-2.5k in a neighborhood I would be interested in NYC. Some here might say I’m pompous but it’s just reality and where I want to live. A house will run you now at least 600-700k. NYC is expensive as ****.

I pay a about that price in a good neighborhood in bk. make less than 150k Pay half my parents bills too and still have enough left over to enjoy my hobbies (single malt scotch, cigars, weed, games) It works out. I dunno how you trying live b

 

[Mark Antony]

What's he calling fake news, his own tweets?

 

[whywesteppin]

Think about it. A two bedroom apt will run you 2-2.5k in a neighborhood I would be interested in NYC. Some here might say I’m pompous but it’s just reality and where I want to live. A house will run you now at least 600-700k. NYC is expensive as ****.

there was an article a few months back (i think i posted it in here) about a family making $500k in NYC and they complained it wasn't enough.

there's also people making ~$100k who are living large in cities in NYC.

it's all about perspective and situation. the $500k that was complaining was sending their kids not just to private school but to other expensive lessons. they had a big mortgage and other savings. although their $500k was being used up, they were piling up pretty large assets.

people who make >150k but are struggling have never learned how to be frugal. and you can still live well while being frugal.

 

[Belgium]

well that's the thing about america people work like slaves attempting to achieve as much as possible but they still live pay check to pay check and have to deal with medical and educational payments. in western europe, people don't need much to live comfortable and have the basic necessities of life. in some aspects, there are certain things here that are more expensive than in europe.

Yeah both education and healthcare are relatively cheap here, which helps many people. We have one of the highest tax rates in Europe but it greatly benefits our society as a whole. As I mentioned earlier I paid my dad's hospital bill earlier today for a roughly 5 week stay in the hospital including a few days in the ICU and it only came down to €3304 for me. He had lost his work insurance after getting fired around the end of 2016 so I had to pay the full patient cost, otherwise I would get all of the money back if it was covered by his former employer insurance or my current 100% coverage insurance plan.

Education is also relatively cheap. I was in college for my nursing bachelor and paid a little over €200 a year in tuition. One of our most prestigious universities (Ghent University) is currently capped at €906,10/year tuition. On top of that you can reduce that amount if you qualify for a partial or full scholarship, which is granted based on your financial situation. A partial scholarship reduces the tuition to €490,10 and a full scholarship reduces it to a measly €106,90. The university's study books are around €329 total on average.
It's greatly beneficial for many people to not have to worry about having to take out huge loans for education, which I firmly believe should be made affordable for as many people as financially reasonable.

As for my housing, an average home nowadays in my area is around €300k. We're renting a fairly large house now for around €550/month. Big storage room, garage, downstairs bedroom, good sized kitchen and living room, 3 rooms upstairs, front yard and fairly big backyard, ...
I will probably look into buying my own house in the next few years after I sell my other property. A couple years ago my mom and I were certainly struggling to make ends meet but we've come a long way since then.

 

[ksteezy]

I hope that POS rots in hell.

 

[ryda421]

there was an article a few months back (i think i posted it in here) about a family making $500k in NYC and they complained it wasn't enough.

there's also people making ~$100k who are living large in cities in NYC.

it's all about perspective and situation. the $500k that was complaining was sending their kids not just to private school but to other expensive lessons. they had a big mortgage and other savings. although their $500k was being used up, they were piling up pretty large assets.

people who make >150k but are struggling have never learned how to be frugal. and you can still live well while being frugal.

not necessarily true. plenty of rich people who are frugal. sometimes, it is the reason why they are rich because they don't spend on meaningless things and prefer to save. but like your stated, it just depends on the individual.

 

[RustyShackleford]

It is not only a matter of an individual being frugal.

A lot of **** in America is unnecessary expensive because our socioeconomic system, namely healthcare, housing, childcare, and higher education. This stuff eats a ton of a households budget

There are fields dedicated to addressing these issues and popular policy solutions put forward already.

We don't explore as a country for two big reason. First universal programs disproportionately help people of color; second the upper middle class, elites, rich and Uber rich and kinda full of ****. The practice their own diet crony capitalism.

They preach hard work and making better choices to get to the upper classes, to climb up the economic ladder, but then demand politicians structure the socioeconomic system in such a way that it mich harder to fall down the economic ladder.

The bigger welfare queens in this country are at the top, not the bottom.

 

[ryda421]

the rich will get their own version/form of welfare with the up and coming tax cuts

 

[biggie62]

there was an article a few months back (i think i posted it in here) about a family making $500k in NYC and they complained it wasn't enough.

there's also people making ~$100k who are living large in cities in NYC.

it's all about perspective and situation. the $500k that was complaining was sending their kids not just to private school but to other expensive lessons. they had a big mortgage and other savings. although their $500k was being used up, they were piling up pretty large assets.

people who make >150k but are struggling have never learned how to be frugal. and you can still live well while being frugal.

I remember this article. But I mean yea I want to be able to afford a very nice vacation 2 times a year and just be able to purchase anything I want when I want without thinking over my head whether I can make it work. I grew up going to private schools (financial aid made it possible because of my own frugal background) and I want the same opportunities for my children one day. I don’t want to see the choices my mom had to make at times. It’s a mental comfort level I seek.

 

[Nike Jordan]

 

[Belgium]

Vacations aren't really a priority for me at the moment. I could but in my current condition with my disease I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy them. Unless I want to sit on my *** in a hotel/pool most of the time, which isn't my thing. The main priority in the future for me is buying a house not only for myself but to take having to pay rent out of the equation for my mom as well. She works as a nursing assistent with back problems and has to help me out with my chronic disease on top of that as well. Making sure her and I are set in that regard is the least I can do.
When I have kids, I want to make sure to afford them that opportunity of owning their own house at some point as well.

 

[Belgium]

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/3...rto-rico-says-general-in-charge-of-relief?amp
'Not enough' troops, equipment in Puerto Rico, says general in charge of relief

The Defense Department has not sent enough troops and vehicles to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico but will soon send more, according to the three-star general newly in charge of coordinating the military response.

Army Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan said Friday morning that the Pentagon has 10,000 people helping with the response after Hurricanes Irma and Maria ripped through Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this month.

"We're certainly bringing in more [troops]," Buchanan said on CNN's "New Day."

"For example, on the military side, we're bringing in both Air Force, Navy, and Army medical capabilities in addition to aircraft, more helicopters. ... [But] it's not enough, and we're bringing more in."



The Pentagon has already allocated more than 4,000 troops to help in rescue and restoration efforts to the U.S. territories, but it wasn't until Thursday, eight days after Maria slammed the Caribbean, that U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) sent Buchanan.

The head of Northcom's Joint Force Land Component Command is now serving as the Defense Department's primary liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).



Tom Bossert, the President Trump's homeland security adviser, has defended the wait time in between the end of the storm and appointing Buchanan.

"It didn't require a three-star general eight days ago," Bossert said of the government response.



When asked whether it was a mistake to not have Buchanan on the ground in Puerto Rico earlier, Bossert replied, "No, not at all."

"In fact, that doesn't affect the way that we stage equipment and the way we area command and field operational command. This is textbook and it's been done well," Bossert told reporters Thursday at the daily White House press briefing.

The Pentagon has been steadily increasing its help to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after both were slammed by the two Category 5 storms. The hurricanes knocked out power across Puerto Rico, leaving nearly half of its population of more than 3.4 million without drinking water.

Puerto Ricans and lawmakers, however, are frustrated with the federal government's response.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Friday on CNN that Trump should put the U.S. military in charge of handling and delivering aid to Puerto Rico. He asserted that only the Pentagon could repair the logistical issues preventing aid from reaching island residents.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yul n Cruz on Friday urged Trump to ramp up the federal assistance, ripping acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for referring to the government's response as a "good news story."

"Damnit, this is not a good news story," Cruz said. "This is a people-are-dying story.

 

[whywesteppin]

not necessarily true. plenty of rich people who are frugal. sometimes, it is the reason why they are rich because they don't spend on meaningless things and prefer to save. but like your stated, it just depends on the individual.

I wasn't saying that rich people aren't frugal. rather that someone making >$150k who is struggling is likely not frugal.

or, as Rusty is saying, dealing with some absurd health care or education cost.

my viewpoint on this is limited as i've been relatively lucky but i agree 100% that a decent social net is important. and probably more important to our financial well-being than a $1k tax break. add people being financially savvy with good safety net and a $150k household should be enough to live large and accumulate wealth.

 

[ksteezy]

Was his attack on the Mayor #fakeNews too?

 

[ryda421]

I wasn't saying that rich people aren't frugal. rather that someone making >$150k who is struggling is likely not frugal.

or, as Rusty is saying, dealing with some absurd health care or education cost.

my viewpoint on this is limited as i've been relatively lucky but i agree 100% that a decent social net plus people being financially savvy would be enough for a $150k household to live large and accumulate wealth.

i completely agree. they are less likely, but it also depends on how they were brought up as well. I remember my auto mechanics teacher would bicycle more than 20 miles a day to get to school. and he would eat ramen noodles and pb&j sandwichs at school. all the mean while his salary was at least $50,000+, owned property, and owned a boating business. also a family friend owns this night club in LA and one time i saw him breaking concrete for a construction project, and he is 65 years old.

 

[whywesteppin]

I remember this article. But I mean yea I want to be able to afford a very nice vacation 2 times a year and just be able to purchase anything I want when I want without thinking over my head whether I can make it work. I grew up going to private schools (financial aid made it possible because of my own frugal background) and I want the same opportunities for my children one day. I don’t want to see the choices my mom had to make at times. It’s a mental comfort level I seek.

what you're asking for sounds like a pretty good life. and i hope you are able to achieve it. I'm actually coming from a similar background to you in many ways. and i think part of it is that going from barely making it and squeaking by with financial aid to making it comfortably where you can pay cash for private school requires a huge leap in income. and that should change. somehow making a progressive system for health insurance and education so that a family in the 100-150k range doesn't have to spend >30k/year just to send their kids to private school would be good (or actually have the government make public schools better so that parents feel comfortable sending their kids there).

 

[ryda421]

am I in the minority when I say, we wouldn't need private school if our public school was much better? I understand private schools will always be around but yeah. it's so ridiculous how such a powerful nation lacks tremendously with their public school system. it might have to do with some people valuing money and quick gratification over substance and intellectual knowledge.

 

[whywesteppin]

am I in the minority when I say, we wouldn't need private school if our public school was much better? I understand private schools will always be around but yeah. it's so ridiculous how such a powerful nation lacks tremendously with their public school system. it might have to do with some people valuing money and quick gratification over substance and intellectual knowledge.

I'm with you (see my last line in the post above yours).

it's crazy that college costs so much, but a lot of people are sending their kids to private K-12, and it often costs as much as college tuition. i could see saving ~$200k over your child's life to send them to Harvard. that's somewhat reasonable with a $150k+ income. but now if you gotta add 10+ more years at $30k per year? a lot of people i know are sticking to one kid, maybe two max, because of that.

 

[whywesteppin]

btw anyone else hate how happy Obama is? he should be miserable like the rest of us:




edit: we made it to September 30 with no Obamacare repeal. everyone take a shot tonight to celebrate. also SNL starts back up. but not everything is good:

 

[biggie62]

am I in the minority when I say, we wouldn't need private school if our public school was much better? I understand private schools will always be around but yeah. it's so ridiculous how such a powerful nation lacks tremendously with their public school system. it might have to do with some people valuing money and quick gratification over substance and intellectual knowledge.

Definitely. The public schools in my neighborhood sucked so my mom sent me to catholic school during grade school. But there are certain disciplines and ways of seeing the world that I don’t think I would learn without the catholic education I received. Granted I’m borderline atheistic right now anyway. I still respected the human approach to seeing the world and accepting everyone. Maybe my school, especially my HS was an anomaly in that sense. But it helped shape me in ways that I wouldn’t be at home. Want the same sort of things for my children.

Plus, the opportunity that these schools provide is important more so than anything else. You are surrounded by people outside your economic means and they become your friends and acquaintances. And these help down the line. I know that I’ve been helped by the HS and the universities I’ve attended because they immidiately saw me in a different light. Especially if that someone grew up in the New York area so there’s always that.

 

[densho23]

Please Watch! Documentary that every Americans needs to see..Amazon Prime..