Red Mosquito

zeb wrote:How many electoral college votes will Canada get when it becomes the 51st state?

tragabigzanda wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:It’s mental they call it the electoral college in America when the vast majority of American kids could never dream of getting to college and only obscenely rich kids can even dream of it.

wtf are you talking about. The problem isn't getting into college, the problem is exiting college with a mountain of debt and not enough income to pay it down.

tragabigzanda wrote:

epilogue wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:I guess it really comes down to time/incentive alignment for me. Who actually benefits once their proposed policies take effect?

The GOP pitches tax cuts as a win for the middle class, but the real payoff goes to the ultra-wealthy. Democrats have at least made attempts — expanding the Child Tax Credit, pushing for student debt relief, and investing in infrastructure — but these efforts typically end up being temporary, or significantly watered down by political compromises. If either party was serious about rebuilding a durable middle class, they’d focus on long-term economic mobility: housing affordability, wage growth, and a labor market that rewards skills and work instead of credentials, rather than a mix of short-term relief and corporate giveaways.

I'm very bummed out by Elon's "move fast, break things" approach to the Federal apparatus; but also think the Dems should've caught on by now that the people want change, not measured compromise (which is kind of antithetical to my whole deal, I know; but is a fair criticism of the Ds).

Literally because of Republicans!

One party is serious about all of that. But they haven't had the majority to implement it. You want that shit? VOTE FOR THEM.

First off, I have voted for them — consistently since 1998. I’ve also voted for a handful of Republicans at the state level when I felt it made sense; and the occasional independent and Green candidate way back in my early voting days.

Second, your criticism is way too simplistic. It assumes the only thing blocking real reform is Republican obstruction, when in reality, Democrats have had full control at times and still failed to deliver. Some of that is due to internal divisions, corporate influence, or just a reluctance to go all-in when they actually have leverage.

If they want to be seen as the party of real structural change, they need to stop making big campaign promises and then settling for half-measures. Voters are already ahead of them on this, and they’re getting tired of waiting.

tragabigzanda wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:It’s mental they call it the electoral college in America when the vast majority of American kids could never dream of getting to college and only obscenely rich kids can even dream of it.

wtf are you talking about. The problem isn't getting into college, the problem is exiting college with a mountain of debt and not enough income to pay it down.

epilogue wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

epilogue wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:I guess it really comes down to time/incentive alignment for me. Who actually benefits once their proposed policies take effect?

The GOP pitches tax cuts as a win for the middle class, but the real payoff goes to the ultra-wealthy. Democrats have at least made attempts — expanding the Child Tax Credit, pushing for student debt relief, and investing in infrastructure — but these efforts typically end up being temporary, or significantly watered down by political compromises. If either party was serious about rebuilding a durable middle class, they’d focus on long-term economic mobility: housing affordability, wage growth, and a labor market that rewards skills and work instead of credentials, rather than a mix of short-term relief and corporate giveaways.

I'm very bummed out by Elon's "move fast, break things" approach to the Federal apparatus; but also think the Dems should've caught on by now that the people want change, not measured compromise (which is kind of antithetical to my whole deal, I know; but is a fair criticism of the Ds).

Literally because of Republicans!

One party is serious about all of that. But they haven't had the majority to implement it. You want that shit? VOTE FOR THEM.

First off, I have voted for them — consistently since 1998. I’ve also voted for a handful of Republicans at the state level when I felt it made sense; and the occasional independent and Green candidate way back in my early voting days.

Second, your criticism is way too simplistic. It assumes the only thing blocking real reform is Republican obstruction, when in reality, Democrats have had full control at times and still failed to deliver. Some of that is due to internal divisions, corporate influence, or just a reluctance to go all-in when they actually have leverage.

If they want to be seen as the party of real structural change, they need to stop making big campaign promises and then settling for half-measures. Voters are already ahead of them on this, and they’re getting tired of waiting.

That just isn't true. At least in the last for years. Two people got in the way. And this people claimed to be Democrats but they aren't. One of them even left the party.

Razor thin majorities coupled with special interests with get anything done.

You can't blame the party for that.

dimejinky99 wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:It’s mental they call it the electoral college in America when the vast majority of American kids could never dream of getting to college and only obscenely rich kids can even dream of it.

wtf are you talking about. The problem isn't getting into college, the problem is exiting college with a mountain of debt and not enough income to pay it down.

And you just repeated my point. Well done.

Peeps wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:It’s mental they call it the electoral college in America when the vast majority of American kids could never dream of getting to college and only obscenely rich kids can even dream of it.

wtf are you talking about. The problem isn't getting into college, the problem is exiting college with a mountain of debt and not enough income to pay it down.

And you just repeated my point. Well done.

are you back on the drugs again?

tragabigzanda wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

Sloppy Dupree wrote:Has anyone made heads or tails about the federal funding freeze… What’s actually happening?

I’m professionally downstream from a lot of this stuff. Some Federal orgs are pausing dispursements, or extending application deadlines; others are saying “everything is normal, just address DEI in your application since that’s what Congress told us to do when our program was appropriated.” I think it comes down to each agency has leeway to interpret the order, and the lay of the land, at the discretion of their leadership. We’ll see how long that lasts.

One week update: This shit is wreaking havoc on my professional and personal community. So far our household is not directly impacted but I won’t be surprised if that changes.

tragabigzanda wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

Sloppy Dupree wrote:Has anyone made heads or tails about the federal funding freeze… What’s actually happening?

I’m professionally downstream from a lot of this stuff. Some Federal orgs are pausing dispursements, or extending application deadlines; others are saying “everything is normal, just address DEI in your application since that’s what Congress told us to do when our program was appropriated.” I think it comes down to each agency has leeway to interpret the order, and the lay of the land, at the discretion of their leadership. We’ll see how long that lasts.

One week update: This shit is wreaking havoc on my professional and personal community. So far our household is not directly impacted but I won’t be surprised if that changes.

tragabigzanda wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

Sloppy Dupree wrote:Has anyone made heads or tails about the federal funding freeze… What’s actually happening?

I’m professionally downstream from a lot of this stuff. Some Federal orgs are pausing dispursements, or extending application deadlines; others are saying “everything is normal, just address DEI in your application since that’s what Congress told us to do when our program was appropriated.” I think it comes down to each agency has leeway to interpret the order, and the lay of the land, at the discretion of their leadership. We’ll see how long that lasts.

One week update: This shit is wreaking havoc on my professional and personal community. So far our household is not directly impacted but I won’t be surprised if that changes.

tragabigzanda wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

Sloppy Dupree wrote:Has anyone made heads or tails about the federal funding freeze… What’s actually happening?

I’m professionally downstream from a lot of this stuff. Some Federal orgs are pausing dispursements, or extending application deadlines; others are saying “everything is normal, just address DEI in your application since that’s what Congress told us to do when our program was appropriated.” I think it comes down to each agency has leeway to interpret the order, and the lay of the land, at the discretion of their leadership. We’ll see how long that lasts.

One week update: This shit is wreaking havoc on my professional and personal community. So far our household is not directly impacted but I won’t be surprised if that changes.