A blast from the past
While it seems a lifetime ago, although that may be the result of too many consecutive days of overwork, I oversaw a financial aid program at a private school. I was talking about that this evening with a good friend when I was reminded of one of the many letters I wrote to a parent. This particular letter was written with the clear intent of never being seen by the person it was addressed to. However, her request for financial aid was so outrageous that I simply couldn't not write something. I no longer have a copy of the actual letter, but what follows is a pretty good approximation.
Dear ___________
I regret to inform you that the Financial Aid Committee is unable to grant you any financial aid for the upcoming school year for ________. However, considering that you are sitting on savings that we estimate to be somewhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, own a home worth more than $800,000 outright, and have an annual income in excess of $200,000, we feel you can afford to pay at least some tuition. You wrote ZERO in all capital letters on your application for assistance when asked how much you could actually afford to pay for tuition.
It struck the members of the Financial Aid Committee as somewhat ironic that we considered another application for aid at the meeting where we reviewed your outrageous request. This particular parent told us they could pay $5,000 per year toward their child's tuition on an annual income of only $18,000. When we asked how this was possible, we learned that the significant other of this parent, who is not related to the student, would pay that much toward the tuition from their own somewhat limited income. The disparity in what you claim to be able to afford and what this newly formed family unit is willing to pay made it clear which family makes education the priority.
So, in order to be able to provide funding to that family, for the difference between the tuition for next year and the $5,000 that they can contribute toward the child's education, we are adding the difference to your tuition bill. In order for ___________ to be able to return this fall, you will have to pay the full tuition for her, as well as the aforementioned difference.
You will be pleased to know that the motion of one committee member to require you to also fund two week vacations to Aruba for the committee members like the one you took during the winter break failed to pass. It was a close vote, but you escaped that one.
Again, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
* * *
Watching the video of Hilary Rodham Clinton announcing her presidential campaign for the 2016 election reminded me of a 20 year old movie. "The American President" had this great moment where candidate "Senator Bob Rumson" (played by Richard Dreyfuss) says "My name is Bob Rumson and I'm running for president." At this point the incumbent, Andrew Sheppard (Michael Douglas) says back at his television set "Sure glad he cleared that up because that crowd was about to buy some Amway products."
There are now four candidates who have formally announced their intention to seek their party's nomination in that 2016 presidential election. Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and now Marco Rubio. All four have carefully crafted messages about why they are the best choice and there isn't a shred of validity to any of them.
None of them are discussing the biggest problem our nation faces. The vanishing middle class. The growth rate in the inequality of income, as well as the inequity of wealth is downright frightening. Will we wind up a dystopian society where the relatively small number of haves are served in luxury by a mass of have-nots who barely survive the squalor and pestilence of a meager existence? It's been the subject of a number of recent films and more and more it seems like a realistic future if something isn't done.
The American Dream is still out there, but it is far less likely to be achieved by those who don't start out with a big lead through family wealth. Aside from food and cars that don't sell well outside our nation, we produce little other than services. We've allowed corporations to raise their profits by exporting jobs to nations that don't provide a minimum wage or any serious kinds of benefits. How will the current generation of recent college grads and those just starting their journey through higher education ever achieve anything while burdened by billions in student loans they cannot repay.
In his announcement today, Senator Rubio criticized the candidacy of Secretary Clinton by saying she wants to go back to the past. Well Senator, our past included a period where a student could get a strong college education without taking on a load of debt that will weigh them down for decades. Our past included a proud tradition of manufacturing high quality products for which there were markets. That past included the ability for those who didn't want to go to college to learn a skill or trade and become part of that vast middle class. That past isn't such a bad thing and you sir have no idea how to take us into a future where that middle class can grow and thrive. The middle class pays the taxes. The middle class provides markets for goods and services. That middle class is the key to a potentially potent United States economy and allowing the wealthy to continue to squeeze that middle class out of existence is a recipe for a dystopian disaster.
Wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late to stop the runaway train.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Before investing $37,000 in a college education from a for-profit institution, perhaps a little research into whether or not the institution's graduates really can get jobs would be in order.
I don't agree with the judge's ruling that will force V. Stiviano to return the gifts she received from Donald Stirling back to Mrs. Stirling. If half of everything they own is his and their net worth is billions, doesn't he have the right to give away part of his half?
If I were Michael Lohan, before wishing I'd never been born, I'd ask the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for the kids that entitle Dina Lohan to receive child support from Michael. Then after paying the back support to the guardian, Michael can go back to trying to change his life.
Someone at TMZ has a serious leg fetish.
The people running Hilary Clinton's campaign shouldn't be allowing dumb moves like her Secret Service detail parking her van in a handicapped space. It isn't a big deal, but the optics look like it is.
Even the fact this is ex-wife #2's birthday doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the fact it is April 16th and I did not do a single tax return all day. Nor did I answer a single question about taxes.
I wonder if someday Sasha Baron Cohen's newborn son will watch the credits of "Borat" and see that someone got a credit for providing his father's film feces.
If ignorance is bliss, more people would be really happy.
Dear ___________
I regret to inform you that the Financial Aid Committee is unable to grant you any financial aid for the upcoming school year for ________. However, considering that you are sitting on savings that we estimate to be somewhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, own a home worth more than $800,000 outright, and have an annual income in excess of $200,000, we feel you can afford to pay at least some tuition. You wrote ZERO in all capital letters on your application for assistance when asked how much you could actually afford to pay for tuition.
It struck the members of the Financial Aid Committee as somewhat ironic that we considered another application for aid at the meeting where we reviewed your outrageous request. This particular parent told us they could pay $5,000 per year toward their child's tuition on an annual income of only $18,000. When we asked how this was possible, we learned that the significant other of this parent, who is not related to the student, would pay that much toward the tuition from their own somewhat limited income. The disparity in what you claim to be able to afford and what this newly formed family unit is willing to pay made it clear which family makes education the priority.
So, in order to be able to provide funding to that family, for the difference between the tuition for next year and the $5,000 that they can contribute toward the child's education, we are adding the difference to your tuition bill. In order for ___________ to be able to return this fall, you will have to pay the full tuition for her, as well as the aforementioned difference.
You will be pleased to know that the motion of one committee member to require you to also fund two week vacations to Aruba for the committee members like the one you took during the winter break failed to pass. It was a close vote, but you escaped that one.
Again, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
* * *
Watching the video of Hilary Rodham Clinton announcing her presidential campaign for the 2016 election reminded me of a 20 year old movie. "The American President" had this great moment where candidate "Senator Bob Rumson" (played by Richard Dreyfuss) says "My name is Bob Rumson and I'm running for president." At this point the incumbent, Andrew Sheppard (Michael Douglas) says back at his television set "Sure glad he cleared that up because that crowd was about to buy some Amway products."
There are now four candidates who have formally announced their intention to seek their party's nomination in that 2016 presidential election. Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and now Marco Rubio. All four have carefully crafted messages about why they are the best choice and there isn't a shred of validity to any of them.
None of them are discussing the biggest problem our nation faces. The vanishing middle class. The growth rate in the inequality of income, as well as the inequity of wealth is downright frightening. Will we wind up a dystopian society where the relatively small number of haves are served in luxury by a mass of have-nots who barely survive the squalor and pestilence of a meager existence? It's been the subject of a number of recent films and more and more it seems like a realistic future if something isn't done.
The American Dream is still out there, but it is far less likely to be achieved by those who don't start out with a big lead through family wealth. Aside from food and cars that don't sell well outside our nation, we produce little other than services. We've allowed corporations to raise their profits by exporting jobs to nations that don't provide a minimum wage or any serious kinds of benefits. How will the current generation of recent college grads and those just starting their journey through higher education ever achieve anything while burdened by billions in student loans they cannot repay.
In his announcement today, Senator Rubio criticized the candidacy of Secretary Clinton by saying she wants to go back to the past. Well Senator, our past included a period where a student could get a strong college education without taking on a load of debt that will weigh them down for decades. Our past included a proud tradition of manufacturing high quality products for which there were markets. That past included the ability for those who didn't want to go to college to learn a skill or trade and become part of that vast middle class. That past isn't such a bad thing and you sir have no idea how to take us into a future where that middle class can grow and thrive. The middle class pays the taxes. The middle class provides markets for goods and services. That middle class is the key to a potentially potent United States economy and allowing the wealthy to continue to squeeze that middle class out of existence is a recipe for a dystopian disaster.
Wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late to stop the runaway train.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Before investing $37,000 in a college education from a for-profit institution, perhaps a little research into whether or not the institution's graduates really can get jobs would be in order.
I don't agree with the judge's ruling that will force V. Stiviano to return the gifts she received from Donald Stirling back to Mrs. Stirling. If half of everything they own is his and their net worth is billions, doesn't he have the right to give away part of his half?
If I were Michael Lohan, before wishing I'd never been born, I'd ask the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for the kids that entitle Dina Lohan to receive child support from Michael. Then after paying the back support to the guardian, Michael can go back to trying to change his life.
Someone at TMZ has a serious leg fetish.
The people running Hilary Clinton's campaign shouldn't be allowing dumb moves like her Secret Service detail parking her van in a handicapped space. It isn't a big deal, but the optics look like it is.
Even the fact this is ex-wife #2's birthday doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the fact it is April 16th and I did not do a single tax return all day. Nor did I answer a single question about taxes.
I wonder if someday Sasha Baron Cohen's newborn son will watch the credits of "Borat" and see that someone got a credit for providing his father's film feces.
If ignorance is bliss, more people would be really happy.
posted by me at 9:16 PM
<< Home