Thought Provoking Tuesday 9/13

calindi · September 2011

amh - I totally agree on your points about education and birth control. I got in a yelling match with my health insurance company because they won't cover birth control unless it's a medical necessity, and even then won't cover the brand that my Dr. prescribed (I don't really want to screw with my hormones by switching BC every time I switch health insurance carriers, so I'm paying $75 a month for the generic!). I said, "So you are telling me that you won't pay the $70 per month for birth control? Okay, then I'll go get pregnant, and then you'll pay for all my pre-natal care, the thousands of dollars to give birth, and then my recovery stay in the hospital? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?!" I was so angry!

And with education, the lower class can go to school for very little on grants and financial aid (assuming they get in, since the attrition rates are pretty awful for high schools in lower class areas). The upper class can afford out of pocket. The middle class can't afford out of pocket and ends up taking out tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and with the economy the way it is, entry level jobs out of college are barely paying enough to cover cost of living let alone huge loans (and now that the 'cuts' went through to raise the debt ceiling, all those loans for grad school students will start accruing interest immediately, rather than being deferred until they're out of school - I don't think that was a great cut). Education in this country is far too expensive and is dividing the middle class and furthering the division of wealth in this country. I truly believe the cost of higher education is one major factor that is destroying the middle class. And those 'cuts' didn't make it any better.

Despite that, I think we're similar minded on the spending cuts, as different as we may sound. I just don't think cuts for the sake of cuts make any sense, but like you said - wasteful spending needs to be cut (like in your example, going out to eat). In my mind, a quick way to cut some wasteful spending is the salaries and pensions of members of Congress. Our military also serves our country for a whole lot less money, and I can't think of one member of Congress who went for the role for the money - they do it for the prestige. So make it a minimum-wage job. And only have a pension for those who stay in longer than 15 years - if it's good for our military service members who are putting themselves in harms way, then it's good enough for the men sitting in comfy arm chairs making decisions. That way only those who have been elected multiple times, and thus obviously appeasing their constituency, would get a life-long benefit.

amh04 · September 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_thought-provoking-tuesday-913?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:13Discussion:b2ce0d78-1a99-4bfd-b2f2-11577bdfccd1Post:e91dbc81-eb5c-4295-bc23-ea28c2fecd6b">Re: Thought Provoking Tuesday 9/13</a>:
[QUOTE]amh - I totally agree on your points about education and birth control. I got in a yelling match with my health insurance company because they won't cover birth control unless it's a medical necessity, and even then won't cover the brand that my Dr. prescribed (I don't really want to screw with my hormones by switching BC every time I switch health insurance carriers, <strong>so I'm paying $75 a month for the generic!). I said, "So you are telling me that you won't pay the $70 per month for birth control? Okay, then I'll go get pregnant, and then you'll pay for all my pre-natal care, the thousands of dollars to give birth, and then my recovery stay in the hospital?</strong> THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?!" I was so angry! And with education, the lower class can go to school for very little on grants and financial aid (assuming they get in, since the attrition rates are pretty awful for high schools in lower class areas). The upper class can afford out of pocket. The middle class can't afford out of pocket and ends up taking out tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and with the economy the way it is, entry level jobs out of college are barely paying enough to cover cost of living let alone huge loans (and now that the 'cuts' went through to raise the debt ceiling, all those loans for grad school students will start accruing interest immediately, rather than being deferred until they're out of school - I don't think that was a great cut). Education in this country is far too expensive and is dividing the middle class and furthering the division of wealth in this country. I truly believe the cost of higher education is one major factor that is destroying the middle class. And those 'cuts' didn't make it any better. Despite that, I think we're similar minded on the spending cuts, as different as we may sound. I just don't think cuts for the sake of cuts make any sense, but like you said - wasteful spending needs to be cut (like in your example, going out to eat). In my mind, a quick way to cut some wasteful spending is the salaries and pensions of members of Congress. Our military also serves our country for a whole lot less money, and I can't think of one member of Congress who went for the role for the money - they do it for the prestige. So make it a minimum-wage job. And only have a pension for those who stay in longer than 15 years - if it's good for our military service members who are putting themselves in harms way, then it's good enough for the men sitting in comfy arm chairs making decisions. That way only those who have been elected multiple times, and thus obviously appeasing their constituency, would get a life-long benefit.
Posted by calindi[/QUOTE]

1. It's insanely dumb! They really have no common sense about certain things, I will say this though. One of the insurance companies I looked into, before Tricare came out with the after 23 insurance - which is still $200 ugh- told me they wouldn't cover birth control, nor would they cover prenatal care or pregnancy or l&d.

2. It won't let me boldify anymore :( But I agree - the way the middle class gets screwed in the education department is ridiculous, no doubt about it, and it is so frustrating. I refuse to go back to school until I can find a grant or scholarship, I can not afford to take out any more student loans. I refuse to go above $5k.

3.I agree, making cuts for cuts sake is retarded. That's what I meant in my first post - cutting the wasteless spending is what they need to do. Figure out what can be cut or what they can mark things down to and still efficiently run is whats smart in my opionion. I also agree that the pay for Congress needs to be cut, maybe not to what the military is making - but well under what they are making now. Their retirement plans are horsecrap - they want to kill the military retirement plans - but can't cut their own - which would go a lot further than cutting the military's retirement plans. Sigh.... I guess you can't expect a bear to give up it's entire picnic basket.. even if it's much more than they can eat...

Thought Provoking Tuesday 9/13

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