Obama Holds Another Summit on Education

Desperately attempting to get the teachers unions back into the Democratic fold, Barack Obama held another summit on education, this time directed at bolstering the budgets and enrollment figures of the nation's community colleges.

As one who lived for many, many years in a state that has a first rate community college system, Arizona, this push toward encouraging the "middle class" to focus on the more "affordable" community colleges merely is another sign that America's economy isn't getting better but worse, and using the education card another ploy to looking like we are doing something, when really doing nothing at all to help the middle class or support small business startups or emerging industries outside the tech and public employee fields, but offer them "options" and "alternatives" for their increasingly lowered standards of living.

The article quoted the substantial savings that these colleges offer, with averages of "only" $2,500 annual tuition costs.

When I graduated high school in Arizona, that rate was free or nearly so per credit hour as opposed to the $10.00 per credit hour that was being levied at the three major Arizona universities (1970's tuition was $160.00 per semester for a full course load at ASU or $320 per year). The junior college option was less than $3.00 per (before political correctness was the order of the day), or - although the cost of living from the 1970's to today has soared in housing, food, gas and other costs, education appears to be at the top of the list. Even though many of those teachers now at least in Arizona can retire after a mere 20 years, collect benefits, and then resume their teaching careers at other schools.

Or work at the community job center while collecting their retirement.

In fact, more and more it does appear that scholarships and grants are being used as sales tools since few grants cover full tuition anymore as the remaining costs most students or their parents must come up with are well above the COLA from the 70's to today. Although most Americans have been paying for those colleges and their operating costs through their property taxes and a host of other taxes passed on to the public for their costs - including rebuilding and expanding campuses that have been facing decreasing enrollments which is why so many foreigners now are being educated at America's top universities also at the taxpayer's expense.

It appears our four year universities are going to be reserved more and more for the well-heeled, and foreigners for that out of state, out of country tuition higher tuition due to also currency fluctuations, while the American middle class and state residents who have paid for those universities for decades are encouraged to utilize the community colleges for their offspring instead.

Not really such a bad idea as is becoming more clear for other reasons, since the classrooms in those colleges are far smaller for the most part and also since most students commute with no dorms or housing costs involved for the majority of those colleges, less of a chance that their child's roommate just might wish to hone his video skills also and broadcast via worldwide webcam what he or she engages in during his downtime.

It was also announced that there has been created another public-private partnership between government and corporate America.

This time with McDonald's and the Gap.

And the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Obviously, it appears that some of the upcoming high school students just might not be able to work those summer jobs at McDonald's or the Gap since it would appear that those jobs will now take an "associates" degree in order to even get through the application process. Maybe that is also why there is becoming more and more push toward year around schools so that parents are then shouldered with all those extraneous costs for getting those degrees outside even tuition rather than encouraging Junior to at least earn his own spending money for their splurges on their sports memorabilia, bookstore purchases, or fraternity and sorority dues or costs.

And don't think of not encouraging your college student to enroll for those technology classes, since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also contributing for this cause, since they will definitely need that skill so they at least can go through the application process post graduation after obtaining those degrees for any future positions for any position, including the larger retail chains.

Of course, since Microsoft has been the largest also beneficiary of the Obama and previous administrations "Americans Get Educated in Science and Technology" agenda with those massive government contracts at the taxpayer's expense with all those annual upgrades involved in keeping up with "new and improved" software, this demonstration of generosity simply means this Foundation would be then simply returning a great deal of the taxpayer's monies spent privately and through their tax bite back to the schools that have and continue to purchase their product - so really, Mr. Gates is simply utilizing some of his profits from those government contracts to "give back" to the schools those taxes they received that then used a great deal of their annual budgets to purchase those software upgrades.

The competitive edge also was used so that this country can continue to compete in this "global" economy, since we are now "socializing" education with a "science based" focus internationally as the populace becomes more and more "programmers" and data inputers for those mainframes.

While of course outsourcing many of the former industrial jobs and suppliers for those retailers to China, to those jobs provided to those poorer individuals in those countries instead who are working without having to go through the HAL process.

It does seem kids today are being taught and educated primarily to use computers, rather than their brains and critical thinking skills more and more outside the governmental agendas for the 21st century, as when those computers "crash" or are unavailable most major retail corporations and the government itself screeches to a halt. Or banks. Or airlines.

Here is an example of just how "tight" this partnership with the high tech gadget industry actually is. This is from a government website in a city in the western United States for their hiring needs with respect to the application process:

Application Process:

The City of ________________has an online job application system. It uses state-of-the-art technology which gives our candidates greater flexibility in the application process. (for the advantage of the candidates?)

Applications are only accepted through our online application system.

Human Resources will not accept or consider applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed, or dropped off at our office. (and just where is the stated "flexibility in the application" process?)

As a boomer, I'm still having trouble relating to the terms "human resources" rather than "personnel" since, while it may seem to be "politically correct in this "science based technology," era, I think a new terminology is needed here. Instead of "Human Resource" Departments, maybe the term should simply be modified to reflect the true nature of what corporate America and those government offices are actually is looking for.

The "Input Department" and electronic paper pushers for those far off "district" and regional offices, since more and more it is even computers based on software programs with a mathematical formula that are hiring and determining those "humans" it might need as "resources."

Including even who gets an interview.

Online applications are now the "new age" voicemail of the past. Human Resources doesn't wish to speak with you, until you go through their computers for screening and are deemed by "Hal" to be worthy. Or any employment agency, governmentally funded or otherwise.

This now in addition to calling for year around schooling in order to also "compete" in the global community.

I wonder when Uncle Sam will be listed on the "new" birth certificates at America's hospitals, since it appears that after the first five years, your children are not your children at all merely a potential human resource for global corporate interests - with many states are also initiating measures in order to deny public employment positions to those children who are homeschooled (this is not, however, discrimination) and any and all that don't get with the current jobs focus need not apply, but then again try arguing that fact when submitting your welfare or SSI application for your social services "benefits," rather than borrowing money once again to get "re-educated."

The computer has spoken. ONLY computer educated and friendly applicants need apply. Although the actual job itself just may not need much in the way of keyboarding. Or applicants will need then retraining on individualized software programs anyway.

It is, after all, a science to learning how to flip burgers or assist a customer on a clothing purchase at this point, and the corporate HALs are now hooked up to the banking HALs and government HALs and will be checking on your credit scores and traffic tickets in addition to your skills, job history and education.

I hope McDonald's and the Gap are just as supportive of raising that minimum wage in order to cover the advance degrees now needed for some of those positions that formerly were available to those who either could not afford to pursue degrees, or simply are more creative individuals rather than robotic material, in any event that might have an independent thought on just how to build a better mousetrap (another passé' expression at this point, it would appear).

I mean those business majors and graduates and their parents are now working side by side at McDonald's, so why should that industrious or hardworking free-thinking dropout who needs to go to work to help his formerly middle class parents pay the rent, or earn his own extraneous college expenses get a job without having to become indentured to his state government or the bankers and fill out those mandated computer loan applications, and committing the cardinal sin of not being prescreened by going through HAL and his cousins?

The competitive working environment is no longer a jungle out there in any event, it's now a network.

And "private/private" partnership also.

The other day I was in a local McDonald's and plastered all over the walls were cute drawings by some of the local grammar school students in grades K-4 with the message "Buy a burger Tuesday and help us get technology for our classrooms."

I wonder when teaching penmanship and handwriting will soon become relegated to the educational scrap heap, along with those dictionaries (who are now going out of print), since HAL can even help you avoid those awful phonics lessons, word lists and spelling tests.

What's wrong with U? Those online urban dictionaries instead now have the HAL and NEA seal of approval.

And wasn't Lincoln homeschooled?

Sallie Mae Pushing British LIBOR Loans On Students

In light of the ongoing mortgage and foreclosure mess and crisis primarily in the West and Southwest due to the boom and bust cycle and rising costs of ownership which resulted in many Americans refinancing their original mortgage loans under loans marketed out of California illegally based on British banking index rates (the LIBOR - London Interest Bearing Origination Rate), I was astounded to see that a supposedly "private" banking entity, Sallie Mae, is promoting these same loans to recent high school graduates and college students for their further educations.

Loans not even based on the U.S. currency, and for which the interest rates are well above U.S. prime for any and all students that commit themselves to adjustable and flexible repayment terms, especially if those terms exceed seven years.

Formerly, guaranteed student loans in this country based on the U.S. currency and issued by the government for educational purposes carried ten year repayment terms at fixed low interest.

It seems while Obama is pushing education for both our youth and unemployed adult population, he and Congress once again are simply acting as agents for the British bankers and lenders, while those tuitions continue to increase annually and now are off the charts as opposed to the actual Cost of Living Index in this country and Department of Labor figures for goods and services.

The President of ASU's salary (formerly of Colombia University, one of those British Ivy League colleges) now exceeds over $700,000 from all reports, even more than the President's salary, plus extensive benefits alone.

Although it is clear that our college graduates are actually coming out of college many times overqualified for the jobs left in this country that haven't been outsourced to foreigners.

Those jobs, it appears, that Congress and the President also feel that Americans DO want, although since this President and Congress is about as out of touch as the last with the people in this country, that position is truly laughable when it comes to this media created "immigration" debate.

The fact that the name "Sallie Mae" is so similar to both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two entities actually created by Congress and the Carter Administration, which many of these British based loans were also promoted and backed to adult homeowners in this country is misleading. And also the fact that their "disclosure" that this entity has no connection to the United States government is in very small print on their advertising literature, and also a questionable representation since the printing and regulation of our currency was actually illegal privatized by a rogue Congress and President back in 1913, in addition to then inflicting the U.S. income tax on American labor also outside Constitutional intent in order to so do.

Which, after all, in its initial stages was quite different and at lower and non-usurous rates also (less than 10%) when it was first initiated, while the tax on foreign labor which is Constitutionally provide was abandoned altogether instead. Thus, causing this lopsided foreign favoring labor pool we now have in this country, rather than the domestic variety.

It seems the fraud and continued misrepresentations by the banking industry even post the mortage mess and tsunami is another area in which both Congress, and this Administration is "looking the other way."

Similar to the BP (BRITISH Petroleum) disaster now ongoing.

Gotta love those allies.

http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/apply_student_loan/interest_rates_fees/libor.htm

New Home Buyers: Beware the LIBOR

Although the mortgage meltdown is still continuing primarily in the West and Southwest and Sunbelt States since the only real assistance that has been facilitated by the new Obama Administration has been directed toward new home buyers and pushing refinancing (which actually stimulates the bankers and Wall Street once more with all those upfront fees and costs for those new loans), hopefully take the advice of one who lost hers in this tsunami for various reasons - escalating property taxes due to the short lived "boom", property insurance costs due to its then increased valuation tied to those rates, auto insurance costs due to the open borders thefts and higher than normal accident rates for the Phoenix metro area, and ease and enjoyment of it due to covenants and restrictions on the property that increased in severity and costs of my enjoyment of it inflicted by "the state" after its purchase during my 12 year "ownership" of it.

Read the fine print, especially with respect to the basis for the loan itself.

My loan actually was sold by one of those "riskier" lenders due to a refinance that I was forced into for some of the above reasons, and was based upon a London market based rate - the LIBOR.

Not even U.S. prime, mind you, but a London banking rate.

Since the British pound or Euro is at higher levels in the currency exchange market, of course, that also made the increases in the ARM rate that was also a part of the loan terms increase even more than one based on the U.S. dollar and U.S. prime.

How those banks could sell loans based on the British market in this country, I haven't a clue.

But new home buyers and refinancers look out and read that fine print and make sure it is based on at least U.S. prime, since it doesn't appear any further regulation of those banks was at all part of this "rescue" for those still at this juncture losing theirs.

In fact, absolutely no regulation at all has been included addressing the terms of some of those loans in their "usurous" terms and interest rates, and of course the huge junk fees that were charged in order to even get some of those loans to begin with.

Last month again saw more foreclosures, and also a slower market than the year before.

Apparently, the buying public is getting wise to the fact that a home purchase at this point in this country is becoming more of a liability, than an asset and a "high risk" investment that can be snatched from them during the next banker/Congressional manipulated meltdown.

Take a clue from one who learned at an advanced age (56) and after 12 years of "non-ownership" and one who this was not the first home purchase, and had legal knowledge and experience - be careful before signing on the dotted line since it seems the market is now geared toward the sharks, and not the Constitution with respect to home or land property rights and ownership.

The tsunami was one huge "taking," facilitated by Congress and the Fed in their negligence since those loans were primarily sold in the West Coast market and strangely Michigan for several years during that boom and bust cycle, and fixed rate and assumables have almost gone the way of the dinosaur for added banker profits - meaning you may qualify for that home today, but since those rates are based on a foreign currency and market better now than that of the U.S. - it will be, of course, Americans and not foreigners (from Canada and Europe now living in the U.S.) who will lose those homes.

Or those that can't speak English in order to even read those now forty to fifty page loan documents to begin with.

And remember that any lawyer legally required at closing by the states, works more for the industry than for you since most are referred by those title companies, banks or realtors getting those huge fees also at close of escrow.

Beware the LIBOR.