Bernie Sanders' Bold, New Plan May Have Just Locked Down the Millennial Vote

[G_j]

http://mic.com/articles/118576/bernie-sanders-tuition-free-college-bill-should-win-him-every-millennial-vote-in-america

By Scott Bixby May 19, 2015 LIKE MIC ON FACEBOOK:

Sen. Bernie Sanders wants your votes, millennials — and with the introduction of his latest bill, he may have just clinched them.

On Tuesday, the independent senator from Vermont introduced the College for All Act, which would make attendance of any four-year public college or university free of charge for any American student who can meet admissions standards.

"We live in a highly competitive global economy and, if our economy is to be strong, we need the best educated work force in the world," said Sanders in a statement on Sunday ahead of the bill's introduction. "That will not happen if, every year, hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college, and if millions more leave school deeply in debt."

Sanders' bill addresses the root cause of student load debt: the disproportionately high cost of higher education. The legislation, an expansion of a proposal he floated in February that would have cut higher education costs in half, would provide $47 billion in federal funding per year to eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at public colleges and universities.

"We used to lead the world in the percentage of our people who graduated college," said Sanders. "Today we are in 12th place. We used to have great universities tuition-free. Today they are unaffordable. I want a more educated work force. I want everybody to be able to get a higher education regardless of their income."

The issue hits millennials hard — and their wallets even harder. The cost of higher education has risen by 1,225% since 1978, according to Bloomberg News, a rate of inflation that outpaces increases in the cost of housing, food and even health care. Student loan debt has reached $1.16 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, dwarfing national credit card debt to become the single largest source of non-mortgage debt in America. More than 7 million people are currently in default over student loans, at an average of more than $28,000 per graduate. The class of 2015's average liability is even worse: $35,000 per graduate.

It's one of Sanders' biggest issues — and smartest bets. Sanders may be best known for his self-described socialism, rather than for being a realistic contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, but his passion and experience for student-loan reform is beyond reproach. A 24-year veteran of Congress, Sanders has sponsored the Student Loan Affordability Act, a bill which would extend subsidized federal student loan rates, as well as making employee educational assistance tax-deductible. He's also sponsored legislation that would make employee educational assistance tax-deductible for employers.

In May 2014, surrounded by indebted Vermont college students and graduates, Sanders announced that he was introducing legislation to help students earn college credits in high school in order to cut the amount of time they spend paying tuition costs.

Sanders' bill could make debt-free college the new 2016 litmus test for millennial voters. Lowering the cost of higher education was the single most important issue that would have increased turnout among Democrats in the 2014 elections, according to polling conducted by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. An ideal bill, according to a paper by the PCCC and the think tank Demos, would feature federal aid to states to lower the cost of college tuition, need-based aid to qualified students and other cost-cutting efforts like standardizing transfer credits and eliminating physical textbooks.

The notion of debt-free college has already been on the periphery of the 2016 Democratic primaries. In an email to supporters, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley declared that the party's "ultimate goal should be simple: Every student should be able to go to college debt-free." Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, has highlighted the issue as one that needs to be taken up by "a champion for everyday people."

..more..

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Fabulous idea.

[mike_c]

2. this is one of my red button issues....

I've spent 20 years in higher education. I won't live long enough to pay off even half of my own student loan debt, and I hope to live for a good long time. I have watched thousands of students perpetuate the cycle of lifetime debt and indenture in order to become educated. This is a deciding issue for me. I never thought I'd see the day when this became part of the leadership conversation in this country.

[davidpdx]

33. Me too Mike

I am not quite as optimistic about something being done though, especially for those of us who have high debt. It is important we keep the issue alive as it competes with many other ones and tends to get lost in the shuffle.

[Thinkingabout]

3. The same people who may be happy today will be unhappy when they start paying this tax.

Great thought, tax the people who are trying to save for their retirement and future.

[TheNutcracker]

5. The plan does not tax 401k and 529 plans, no tax for consumers saving.

many threads out here tonight on this topic. when you point it out in the bill he has, that consumers of retirement plans are not taxed, they ignore it. This will be talked about .

[MaggieD]

10. It sure does

[Thinkingabout]

26. With interest at 1%, putting money into money market, etc will not

Provide much of a return, investing in stocks does. This investment WILL be taxed. Even Warren who is an economist would understand this bill would tax those who invest in the stock market, it is a sales tax on purchasing stocks. Why not raise the tax on the capital gains? Perhaps this sounds good to those who is against Wall Street.

[kenfrequed]

41. It is a very modest tax

The tax only would hit those people hard that are engaging in massive amounts of speculation and day trading. It is a tiny tax on the initial transaction of purchasing stocks and does not penalize people merely for owning stocks (who already enjoy a lower tax rates on capital gains than most people do on payroll taxes.)

This bill actually raises revenue for real investment, investing in education, and punishes the kind of financial activity that brought us to the precipice of a new great depression. Investment should go back to being about putting money into something and accumulating benefit based on success. It should not be a constant morass of quick trading speculation that only encourages the worst corporate behavoir of maximizing instant profits as opposed to long term thinking.

[Thinkingabout]

49. This is a sales tax on stock purchases, why not raise the taxes on capital gains.

One may purchase stocks and take a loss, just tax on the gains leave the sales tax off. You have people like Romney and Buffett who are only paying attention taxes on their gains and only 15% or less. For the smart college grads who gets a few nickels to rub together and wants a larger gain than interest at a bank will have to pay this tax.

Another way would be for the college grads to play it forward and contribute to a fund for a college student just beginning. They received an education so they should be willing to pay for someone to attend college.

[kenfrequed]

54. This transaction tax helps on both fronts.

You will get no argument from me on capital gains tax increases. This tax actually is more effective than that because the wealthy cannoth hide from it and it punishes the kind of excessive speculation that puts the economy at risk.

The vast, overwhelming majority of people cannot afford to "play it forward" with regards to raising college funds. For one thing they are kids and we shouldn't be asking them all to get jobs while they are in high school. This isn't much different from the former Governor of Minnesota who said "If you are smart enough to go to college then you are smart enough to pay for it."

In any case the cost of tuition has gone up like gangbusters over the last thirty years or so. It has completely outpaced the rate of inflation while we have built up the loan industry for the banks to make more money on. We used to spend more money on grants for college (when adjusted for inflation) now we are garaunteeing returns for moneylenders in suits.

[Thinkingabout]

56. On playing it forward, they would have gone to college for free, if they cannot play it forward why

Should they get the benefit of a college degree and in a socialized world nit think about helping someone else.

Give me what I want the others can do without, shameful.

[kenfrequed]

58. Uhm...

I'm sorry, But could you restate it in the form of a question or perhaps just explain what you mean by this. What you are saying is not making any sense.

[Thinkingabout]

60. Why can't college students pay for someone else to go to school in the future?

[kenfrequed]

61. Ok...

How are college students, who already are having trouble affording the school and having to take out loans to pay for their school going to manage this while they go to school?

Are you saying that while a student is in school they should be puting money into a fund to pay for someone elses education?

That doesn't make sense.

I have a better idea. How about we tax the wrecking crew that destroyed the economy and the banks? How about we tax the derivative and day trading dynamite that blew holes in our economy?

[Thinkingabout]

70. This thread is about giving free college education to students. Hopefully one day they will get

their degree and have a job. In the socialism world everybody helps, get it going, after receiving a college degree, give one to someone else.

[rhett o rick]

83. The transaction tax is extremely small for common investors. It will raise money and

discourage the rampant speculation and computer manipulations.

[Joe the Revelator]

62. That is not true. I've read the bill. Have you??

[sabrina 1]

44. Those who will be paying the tax, are going to be unhappy that they finally have to

join the rest of us who pay taxes.

I have no sympathy for the top most wealthy Wall St investors who get away with evading the taxes the rest of the people have to pay.

Surely you are not sympathizing with THEM?

[Thinkingabout]

50. A capital gains increase earmarked for college funding would provide more money.

It will be the beginning investors who will pay the tax and there is a possibility the shares could be sold at a loss. Why not put the tax on the wealthy investors on Wall Street on their gains. It isn't sympathy for wealthy investors, this hurts the little guys just trying to put money away for use later.

[sabrina 1]

51. Did you read his plan?

Where in the plan is he 'affecting the little guys'? Which little guys are profiting from derivatives?

[Thinkingabout]

53. Why tax the purchase, tax the gains.

[sabrina 1]

64. Well, it looks like the 'little guys' in the form of Labor Unions eg, are in support of this tax.

50c on every $100 shouldn't affect too many little guys who are not going to be investing that much money in risky stocks.


Bernie Sanders Has a Plan: Tax Wall Street and Make College Free

Specifically, Sanders is sponsoring Senate legislation to introduce a nominal financial transactions tax on speculative trading in stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other financial instruments. Parallel to the Inclusive Prosperity Act, a measure sponsored by Congressman Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, the Sanders proposal would bring the United States up to speed with the dozens of other nations that have recognized the wisdom of establishing financial transactions taxes.

Looks like he has a lot of support from the little guys on this. In fact it appears they have wanted to see this for a long time. European countries are doing it, so I'm not seeing the problem for little guys here. This would affect those who are involved in risky stock trading from what I understand, mostly people with the money to gamble.

More than 170 labor, civil rights, religious, environmental, community, consumer, and student groups have endorsed America’s campaign for a Robin Hood Tax, joining groups in countries around the world that have embraced the movement.

There’s a reason for this widespread interest in financial transactions taxes: economic realism.

“Income inequality is now at the center of our national political discourse, with politicians of every stripe recognizing it as a major problem of our time,” explains George Goehl, the executive director of National People’s Action. “What too few are willing to say is that we must demand more revenue from corporations and the one percent to level the playing field.”

Sanders, Ellison, and a hardful of other members of Congress are saying it: arguing that the United States can recognize human and societal needs, come up with plans to address them, and find the resources to get the job done.

[Thinkingabout]

66. Shameful, put more tax on the working class, good idea. Why is the unions wanting their

members to pay more taxes, it doesn't make sense.

[sabrina 1]

68. Didn't read it, or didn't want to read it I guess. Tax The Rich, is what Bernie is doing.

I gave you the respect of thinking you actually didn't understand what he is doing, and provided a link to help you understand.

Your response, a talking point that is false, tells me I was wrong to think you didn't understand.

As that link shows, the LITTLE GUYS support this tax.

Only the rich won't like it.

[Thinkingabout]

71. Maybe you do not know little people invest in the stock market, they purchase stock but now this

bill wants to tax them. I as a little person who purchases stocks WILL BE PAYING, it is not just the rich. Besides if there is a loss on the stocks, I have lost money and still had to pay the tax. I would think this would really be easy to understand. If I have to pay capital gains taxes it will be on the gain from the time of purchase to the time of sale and then pay higher capital gains taxes. Unfortunately I do understand and I do not want to pay taxes at the time of purchase.

[sabrina 1]

72. So you are well off enough to purchase stock, good for you. But you don't want to contribute

to higher education for America's young.

No one is forcing you to 'lose money' in the Stock market. That is a luxury most of US little people have never been able to afford.

Your notion of little people and mine appear to be vastly different.

But if I ever get to the point of being able to gamble on Wall St, I will be happy to donate 50c of every $100.00 I gamble, to higher education for America's young people.

Because to me, THAT is a very valuable investment. More so than a derivative or a bet on food pricing, which btw, badly affects the little people, all these Wall St gamblers betting on the price of food and oil etc tends to raise the prices of these necessities and badly effects the little people.

But do as you wish, this is a great idea and I can't imagine anyone with enough money to gamble on Wall St objecting to donating a tiny portion of it to an even better investment, America's youth, the future of this country.

[Thinkingabout]

89. Have you ever looked in the news paper for the prices of stock?

Let me ask you this question, is a college education worth working to obtain? I work around many degreed people, they had student loans, they worked hard, they work hard now. It disturbs me some are wanting to get an education which normally allows them to make more money and they do not want to pay for this education which should make their live better. If they don't want to pay, then why should I pay. In the socialists world, it is about helping others, playing it forward would give the opportunity to be truly socialists, it needs to happen.

[sabrina 1]

95. Have you looked at what it costs to go to college in this country today? What jobs can students

get that will pay them enough to cover the enormous amounts of money it would take to get, say a medical degree? And what makes you think that they ARE NOT Working to get through college?

My nephew, fortunate enough to have parents who can pay some of his tuition to get a law degree, also works part time, will still be in debt for the loans he needed to pay for that education, well into his forties.

Who do you know who can afford to put two children through college in today's world here in the US? All college students I know are working sometimes two jobs.

There WAS a time when you could work your way through college, but not since college became a commodity to make money for the already obscenely wealthy.

And Bernie is not talking about paying all of the tuition. He's talking about a Democracy where there are public schools that provide an opportunity for those with abilities who otherwise wouldn't stand a chance of achieving their goals of a college education.

There is no better investment for a society than education. It pays for itself as can be seen in countries that are far more advanced than we are and where people have such opportunities. In every way they are better societies.

It doesn't matter what stock costs, it is a LUXURY that most ordinary people cannot afford when the choice is between food for their kids or buying a stock.

Like I said, if I ever can afford to play the stock market I will be more than happy to invest in America's future.

[Marr]

87. You're right-- your assumption doesn't make sense.

Maybe you should think about it a bit more.

[Initech]

4. Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

[BrotherIvan]

6. But he's old!

And Europe!!

[RufusTFirefly]

8. And that hair! n/t

[BrotherIvan]

20. They don't like his "tone"

He's grumpy! Oh noes!

[RufusTFirefly]

22. He's too darn angry! Like that Dr. Dean fella from a few years back.

Why can't he be more soothing? And, while he's at it, more "electable"?

[BrotherIvan]

24. He can't win! I don't care what his ideas are!

He's not a Democrat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[woo me with science]

27. People won't vote for policies that HELP them!,,,111!!1!

[BrotherIvan]

39. Oh no! Neoliberalism RULZ

People love it, what you talking about?

[redruddyred]

94. I suck its giant thrusting white cis hetero colonialist cock every day

mostly cos it's shoved down my throat
I smile on command too

[Rockyj]

36. Then vote for Hillary!

He plans to become a democrat! So why come here and make fun of Bernie's hair & age? Very superficial!

[BrotherIvan]

37. We're joking about the barbs that have been leveled against him

We're pretty open Bernie supporters.

[sabrina 1]

45. I think people are just having fun with those who think Hillary is 'inevitable'.

I have a feeling Brother Ivan will be working to get Bernie elected.

[Enthusiast]

74. We love Bernie. Hair and all.

[Autumn]

34. He sounds like a lecturing grandpa!

[BrotherIvan]

38. My one anecdote proves it!

He should drop out of the race!!!

[Enthusiast]

73. Yeah! I could never vote for anyone with hair like that!

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[appalachiablue]

7. K & R

[cui bono]

9. And encouraged them to vote! GOTV Bernie!!!

[MaggieD]

11. Nice to see him jump on the bandwagon

But he's not going to be able to pass a plan that taxes people's retirement funds. I like Obama's plan better. It's achievable.

[F4lconF16]

13. So was single payer.

Gotta love compromise. Least it's achievable. Me and millions of others are about to be or already are suffocating in student debt. But achievable is good. At least I'm not getting screwed twice as hard. Just getting screwed.

[MaggieD]

14. So you must love that HRC

... Proposed a bill back in 2007 that would make student loan repayment proportional to income, right?

[F4lconF16]

15. I am happy she did that.

Meanwhile, her support for charter schools, Common Core, and corporate education initiatives are doing much worse to me and mine.

I love gotcha questions.

[MaggieD]

18. I don't understand the fuss about common core

I'm 54 and I had to take the equivalent tests in school. We all did. When did basic assessment tests become evil and why?

Nothing wrong with charter schools either. Vouchers are the problem and she has always and clearly been against them.

Don't know what you meAn by "corporate education initiatives."

[SCantiGOP]

40. agree, MaggieD

What I know about Common Core is that it is not really a departure from current practices and sounds like a good idea to keep our students competitive in a world market.

[malthaussen]

48. To answer one of your questions...

... basic assessment tests are getting a bad rep because they are used to evaluate teachers and schools, and hence promote "teaching to the test" and cooking the books, neither of which practices tends to make education better.

-- Mal

[G_j]

16. correct

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-dash/how-hillary-clinton-would_b_7012814.html

I think she has been good on this issue, though, Bernie does go further in a way that may well appeal to millennials. I don't see it as a wedge, but in his usual way, Bernie lays it out bare and simple.

[MaggieD]

21. It's the pay for that will be an issue

His plan would essentially tax retirement accounts and previously tax free college saving plans. That just means the middle class would pay for it.

Would've been smarter to use defense cuts or something like that. Or just cut the damn billionaire tax loopholes. Don't tax people's 401k.

[G_j]

23. any defense cut is fine with me,

certainly, he resolutely believes in cutting defense. I am relatively ignorant on the subject of college loans, except that I know college students are being saddled, for life sometimes, with grinding, debilitating debt.

[MaggieD]

78. Agreed on that!

[Enthusiast]

75. I believe you are incorrect.

Bernie's plan would not tax retirement accounts and previously tax free college saving plans.

Where do you get this?

[MaggieD]

76. From his plan

Which does not exempt either from the fees (UNLIKE the Robin Hood tax you all keep referencing in error).

[Enthusiast]

84. Link?

[Dawgs]

28. Good thing he already had the Millennial vote locked down then. n/t

[sabrina 1]

46. He's going to get that most important youth vote. He's been communicating with them on a personal

level for years, supporting them when they were part of OWS, meeting with them, listening to them.

I'd say from all the young people I know, he has that vote sewn up.

He thought very carefully about his chances to win this election.

Too smart a man to waste his or our time if he had not done the research, as many of us have.

Bernie gets the Indie vote and the youth vote, a whole lot of crossover votes and at least half the Dem base vote.

That looks like a winner to me.

[jwirr]

12. Agreed.My young grandson and his lady both told me that are for Bernie. They like what he is

saying. They like the fact that he has been saying things like this for 40 years. Until now we have had a heck of a time getting him to vote.

[Demeter]

17. IMO, Bernie hasn't set a foot wrong yet

Hillary's got the opposite problem....

[MaggieD]

19. I feel just the opposite

So there you go.

[msongs]

25. if Hillary did something like this she would be attacked for pandering and trying to buy votes lol n

[Dawgs]

29. Or praised for coming up with an idea on her own, and not stealing someone else's. n/t

[Maedhros]

63. The big difference is that I believe Bernie. [n/t]

[merrily]

99. +1

On hearing a comment about schooling in New Hampshire recently, Hillary did say that she agreed with President Obama that tuition for a two year college should be free, but she said "as free as possible."

However, I did not buy it, any more than I buy the rest of her newly minted populism. We've seen and heard her in action for four decades.

Her big donors also have their doubts about her campaign rhetoric.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/hillary-clintons-wall-street-backers-we-get-it-117017.html

I believe that Goldman Sachs is still confident that Hillary will show them how to escape their long nightmare of an oppressive government plus a disapproving public and "gasp" the requirement to pay corporate income taxes now and again.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/hillary-clintons-goldman-sachs-problem

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/us/politics/economic-plan-is-a-quandary-for-hillary-clintons-campaign.html?_r=0

[rhett o rick]

80. Well I don't think you have to worry about that. nm

[Marr]

88. lmao! /nt

[Doctor_J]

98. Everyone would die from shock that she proposed ANYTHING of substance

[CharlotteVale]

30. K&R

[The2ndWheel]

31. That doesn't change anything about a highly competitive global economy

If 14% of this year's graduating seniors(I assume this means college) have jobs lined up after graduation, simply adding more people to the amount of people graduating from college will probably make that number shrink to some degree, in a highly competitive global economy.

Between more and more people the world over competing for jobs, and trying our best to come up with ways for jobs to be done by computers, I'm not sure that we can college-for-all ourselves out of the issue.

[erronis]

42. Good analysis. We need training on the job, technical schools

We need expenditures on infrastructure that will require people that know how to do real jobs, not get degrees in easy subjects (gotta be careful here.)

We need more programs that promote people help each other - Americorps, Peace Corps. Most HS graduates would welcome a year of paid real work before deciding their next path.

[sabrina 1]

47. Unless you have another plan to deal with that problem, which Bernie does.

See his plan for creating jobs right here in the US.

He is opposed to the outsourcing of jobs, naturally.

He is for using both the Govt and Private Industry to create jobs in the US, not overseas, which is why young people are not able to get jobs here. All those tax breaks to create jobs, created them overseas.

[Phlem]

65. "He is opposed to the outsourcing of jobs, naturally."

One of the many big reasons I support him over Hillary.

[Enthusiast]

77. At least graduates wouldn't be in debt for decades before they even get started.

Fuck the global economy. Scale it back.

[madokie]

32. If anyone wants to know where Bernie is

He's on his way to the White House. Gonna' do it without being beholding to anyone except the 99% of us. I love it. Go Bernie, you can do it saying this as I peruse my bank statement to see how much I can send him today

[G_j]

90. thank you!

[KittyWampus]

35. Yes, young Americans need to be either educated or trained w/o incurring debt BUT

I'd think teens would have to meet stringent standards.

And then it gets messy.

If too many minority students can't meet standards?

Do wealthy Americans get their share of government to go to Yale?

[erronis]

43. But why should teens need to go directly to college?

There are, and should be, other activities (and paying) that help get them a leg up on the real world.

(Posted just as you were posting.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6701418

[mythology]

52. I don't see how this locks down the millennial vote

How many people really understand the financial impact of student loans at 18?

Also the doesn't address the reasons for the rising cost of college, and so doesn't actually provide a solution.

But also it's utterly disengenuous to say that if only 14 percent have a job lined up means the other 86 percent have no career prospects. It's a silly scare tactic.

[Joe the Revelator]

86. Its just blatant pandering, imo, to get headlines like this. nt

[WillyT]

55. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[Boomer]

57. I'm not part of the 1% and I don't have children

I may not have a personal vested interest in this topic, but I am invested as an American.

I can't think of a better way to spend my tax money than ensuring the educational opportunities for every single student in this country who wants a college education. I am willing to pay taxes that will fund this effort. Hell it would be worth putting my retirement (which isn't that far away) off a year to pay for this.

This is one of the single best investments in our country's future that it is possible to make.

[Andy823]

59. I would love to see that happen

However as long as republicans control just one branch, the HOUSE, it won't happen. Unless of course you think republicans have a have a heart, and would actually vote for such a bill.

[DhhD]

82. Sanders is campaigning on a seating change in Congress to go along with his intuitive Bills.

Students will fight by showing up at town hall meetings to ask each primary candidate how they will vote on Bernie's Bill. They will text out their findings. At the end of their activism, the students will go vote.

Sanders is proposing a way to end gerrymandering and will ask for Americans to get rid of lawmakers that are useless to We the People. Sanders is already saying in his speeches that the present Congress is there for Wall Street and big money interest. He said it while hosting groups of nurses a few days ago.

[bobthedrummer]

67. Yep, I signed on to that one too. K&R n/t

[True Blue Door]

69. We can hope, but don't count on anyone ever being "locked down."

Elections are ultimately decided by people voting on their perceptions of a person.

Plenty of our also-rans had great plans.

We aren't yet at the point where we can say Bernie is within reach of the nomination, but this issue is a great foundation for going for the millennial demographic.

[JHB]

79. June July August September October November December January...

All of those months have to pass before the first primary votes are cast in February.

No one has anything "locked down" at this point.

[colsohlibgal]

81. College And Health Care

Ability to be educated ability to get quality health should not, in a just society, depend on your checkbook. That it does here in the US is just plain wrong - especially as the 1% keeps getting richer.

I'm not sure Bernie can move Congress on these things at this juncture - but I'm sure as I can be he would try way harder than Obama or HRC. Bernie hasn't been getting big checks speaking before Wall Street Banksters. He also wouldn't bring in Wall Street stooges as his financial team.

One plus about taking care of both college and health costs is that as the stress level of children and parents trying to pay for secondary education dissipates, health care costs will go down. Win-win.

[stonecutter357]

85. I'm against a tax on retirement funds

[zazen]

91. unless existing college debt is erased, it gives unfair advantage to new graduates

Does he advocate doing something about paying down existing debt, because I'd love that? Otherwise, if new grads come out without debt, they can take lower salaries and will have greater job flexibility than those 5-10-15-20 years older than them.

But I'm glad he's bringing these issues to the fore.

[NRaleighLiberal]

92. Go Bernie. Watching this all unfold is both fascinating and revealing.

[redruddyred]

93. paying tuition is only half the battle tho

when the other thread on the 'trending' list describes the lives of fast food workers who have two jobs and still can't make ends meet

[AgingAmerican]

96. But, but, it's a Pony and stuff

...and the perfect being the enemy of the good an stuff??!!1!?

And jr High kids....and stufF, and stuff...

[Doctor_J]

97. Not with the media blackout on EBH

Everyone But Hillary. Compare Sanders' declaration on this issue to Clinton's silly softball swatting yesterday. Then ask Hillary Underground who's "bold". Alternate reality.

[merrily]

100. Generally in favor, though I don't know if I agree with the "regardless of income" bit.

For just one thing, I don't know if the Koch brothers' and Peterson's grandkkids should get a free college education. However, I'd rather give them that than give them tax breaks. On the third hand, they'll probably get both.