Angry Graduate Wrote This Letter To His University. It's Hard Not To Agree With Him.

[marew]

160. Your words-the truest words written here!

"It's not just college that's unaffordable - it's life in general. At this point most of us have to band together or live on the streets - unless we are either wealthy, or very, very fortunate to be in the tiny and ever shrinking middle class (what remains of it)."

Despite the fact that education is no longer a vehicle to financial stability, it should be free or nearly free for those who want it as it is in many industrialized countries. It is obscene to put students in debt in this economy.

I got my undergrad degree in '68 mostly with help from my middle-class parents and a few part-time jobs. (One of those jobs was showing slides for art history classes- I loved that! There were also the waitress jobs, etc.) I got out of school virtually debt free. I worked for a year in the first job I applied for. I then received a full fellowship for grad school that even gave me money for living expenses. When I returned I was snapped up by the same employer I'd worked for previously despite the fact there were other applicants. I stayed there for over 30 years. I worked in a charmed time and was incredibly lucky. (I live modestly- always have- and attempt to give back through regular volunteer work.) Even people without degrees could make a very successful living back then. No more- not even close.

A dear friend has a 55 year old daughter who has spent decades supervising kitchens in large nursing homes. She is extremely conscientious, skilled, and hard working. But about 5 to 7 years ago corporations began to buy up these facilities in our area and it has been a disaster. This gal has not had a raise in over 5 years. She is so good at what she does that they regularly have her travel to other facilities in the area to help others in her position. The first time she did it they gave her a gas card to cover her expenses but have never done that again. They also have cut significantly the wages of kitchen workers- from $12 an hour to maybe $8 or $9. (I can see it now- these people simply struggling to survive will be soundly criticized by the powers that be for not saving for retirement.) Oh, and the money she is allowed to spend per meal is steadily decreasing. She can't quit and find another employer as all the nursing homes in this area are owned by the same mega corporation. Corporate greed- all vicious, relentless corporate greed. We know this is happening all over the country in virtually all industries. Let's not even get into the millions of manufacturing jobs that have gone overseas.

I listened to a well-known economist recently who said by 2030 virtually all wealth will be inherited. The uber wealthy have the loopholes, the offshore accounts, etc. The rest of us have been bought and sold by corrupt corporations, lobbyists, and legislators.

I read that many corporate heads- according to a study- display sociopathic behaviors. Hardly a surprise...

All that seems to matter to the vast majority in Washington are the one percenters. The rest of us could jump off a cliff and they'd not give a dang.

I do not know where this will end. But I do believe it will get a lot, lot worse before it gets better.