Real Men (and Women!) of Genius, Biden Advisor Edition

IMHO student debt relief is a bad idea for all sorts of reasons. Debt relief without MAJOR reforms to the system that got us here (high college costs, hunanities degrees of doubtful value) makes no sense. And plenty of progressives (cf Pete Buttigieg and Urban Institute below) acknowledge that, as priorities go, debt relief to high earning college grads is low on their list.

But as explained in The Atlantic college grads and academia drive the Dem agenda. That leads to some brilliant thinking, as Team Biden tries to placate part of his progressive wing without totally alienating the rest of us. From the WaPo:

White House officials weigh income limits for student loan forgiveness

Biden aides consider how to cut off eligibility to exclude high-earners

Well, the concept of means-testing makes sense but look at the thresholds:

In recent weeks, senior Biden aides have examined limiting the relief to people who earned less than either $125,000 or $150,000 as individual filers the previous year, the people said. That plan would set the threshold at around $250,000 or $300,000 for couples who file their taxes jointly, the people said. 

What kind of a country are we living in if a guy or gal making $125k can't get some help from the Feds on their bills?

Biden is apparently going to rely on Executive authority and a stroke of his pen. His team may see a political benefit to taking this step now (I'd say they talked too much to back down now) but I think they may be headed for the worst of all worlds - lose even more House seats this November and then lose a court fight next year.

Biden's obvious excuse to delay action is that this debt relief is inflationary, as explained by Matt Yglesias (I know, right?). But, to quote a Mitt Romney tweet, desperate polls call for desperate measures.

INTERESTING BACKGROUND: The NY Fed analyzed an Equifax data base of credit reports and scores.

ERRATA: Mayor Pete Buttigieg on debt relief while back on the campaign trail in April of 2019:

“Americans who have a college degree earn more than Americans who don’t,” Mr. Buttigieg said while addressing college students in Boston. “As a progressive, I have a hard time getting my head around the idea of a majority who earn less because they didn’t go to college subsidizing a minority who earn more because they did.”

And Matthew Chingos of The Urban Institute, also April 2019:

“I think you also are going to see some concerns from the left that if you are wiping out all the debt, that that would be a pretty regressive thing to do,” said Matthew Chingos, the vice president of education data and policy at the Urban Institute. “And once you look at the numbers, this looks like the Trump tax cuts in terms of who it benefits. So it’s a little hard to be out there saying, well, ‘I’m against tax cuts for the wealthy, but at the same time I want to give this big handout to the wealthy.’”

Well, not all college grads are wealthy. Yet here we are.

 

Comments

[MissMarple2]

Comments on the old threas will shortly be closed, and I wanted to link Clarice’s article from today so people don’t miss it. It’s very good!

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/05/a_government_disinformation_board_you_dont_say.html

[clarice]

Golly, TM--You must have missed this cogent argument:https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/279316029_10159790156355210_3327358275439215013_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=23v0m51dwWEAX9wWAWq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AT9H8VqljAwmb6nrXerILE0MGBn_KONwa8Y47u7r89o6SQ&oe=6273D468

[Davod]

Cossack women with swords (6:04)

[I wonder how many are fighting for Ukraine]

https://youtu.be/_K4Tp-AcRp4

[Davod]

"Thanks Joe - The Taliban Now Have A Spy Blimp"

https://andmagazine.substack.com/p/thanks-joe-the-taliban-now-have-a?s=r

[MissMarple2]

Davod,

I couldn’t even master baton twirling! Saber twirling scares the heck out of me!

[Narciso]

this is around the area of cimmeria, conan's kingdom, so probably,

[Narciso]

this squirrel is a means to an end, TM if it enables the crushing of small businesses, the extinguishing of class enemies, sacrifices to the skydragon it will all be worth it, if not oops and try again,

[Davod]

MM2.

I never tried baton twirling, let alone saber twirling.

[Narciso]

back in aus deutschland,

After a top-level meeting with representatives of the renewable energy sector, the Federal Ministry of Economics compiled initial measures on how the expansion of wind and solar power in Germany could be accelerated. This is reported by Der Spiegel in its latest issue. Accordingly, Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is considering default guarantees for the wind industry: If a construction project fails, the state could first take over the wind turbines — and then pass them on to another project developer.

wear many layers because you are going to freeze

[Narciso]

talk about standup comedy

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2022/05/01/mayorkas-disinformation-board-wont-infringe-on-free-speech-monitor-americans/

[Rocco]

Heroic ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ fighter doesn’t actually exist, Ukraine admits

The “Ghost of Kyiv” is a myth, Ukrainian officials admitted over the weekend.

After several news outlets last week identified the legendary, mysterious, hero fighter pilot as a 29-year-old dad recently killed in battle with the Russians, military officials acknowledged Saturday that there was no such person.

“The ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians!” Ukraine’s Air Force Command wrote on Facebook.

The reputed hero had been credited with taking out as many as 40 Russian aircraft until he was shot down March 13 while battling an “overwhelming” number of enemy forces, the Times of London had reported.

https://nypost.com/2022/05/01/heroic-ghost-of-kyiv-fighter-doesnt-actually-exist-ukraine-admits/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter

[henry]

Maybe they should impose weight limits for loans. Why should we pay for Tank Abrams student loan debt? (Until she denies having any, I assume the debt load is as big as her obesity load, aka several million).

[Davod]

First world problem

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/frozen%20sprinkler.png

[clarice]

Sometimes the law wins:
Today, May 1, 2022, marks the 50th Anniversary of an earthquake event that none of us should ever forget. We urge you to celebrate this event and the Month of May-- when so many powerful aftershocks were felt with us. Seems like yesterday that on this day and, during that Month in 1972, we saw the following occur"

Federal District Court Judge William B. Bryant issued his landmark opinion setting aside the 1969 United Mine Workers election and opening the opportunity for members of the UMWA to participate in, most likely, the first truly democratic and honest UMWA election in the 20th Century. Many other events occurred after May 1st of that year:

-- a day later a Tennessee Local Union President, Silous Huddleston, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to murder Jock Yablonski.

-- 2 days later Albert Pass and Bill Prater were arrested on murder warrants for the Yablonski murders.

-- immediately thereafter, Miners Project Lawyers Chip and Clarice Feldman met in Charleston with Local UMW leaders to lay the groundwork for an MFD Convention in Wheeling, WV helpfully arranged by Davitt.

--one week later, on May 8th, Joe Rauh, along with Dan Edelman and Lew Sargentich, prepared and submitted a draft of the most wide-ranging election re-run order in the history of the LMRDA.

-- 10 days after Brayant ruled, Federal Judge McCune in Pittsburgh issued the first ever ruling about the illegality of the trusteeships that prevented miners from electing their District officers.

--not to be outdone, Federal Judge Waddy in DC,, who sat on a DOL case challenging trusteeships for 6 years, finally ruled all seven of them illegal under Title III of LMRDA and ordered the first elections in those districts since the 1920's and 30's. A tide was building.

--the Month of May. 1972, ended with an MFD Convention held in Wheeling that nominated a full slate of candidates for all of the Union's International Offices, all of whom were elected before the end of the Year.

WHAT A MONTH!

(It took years of hard work.)

[Rocco]

Wow Clarice, I'm proud to say I know you!

[clarice]

I was a lot younger then, rocco.

[MissMarple2]

President Trump just said that Biden left the dogs behind in Afghanistan!!!

[matt - deplore me if you must]

Cossack women are cute and bad to the bone. Better never cheat on them, I say.

Pretty amazing how all in the soon to be deposed apparatchiki are on killing free speech. They are right up the with Stalin, Hitler and Mao without a hint of embarrassment.

Now they want to subsidize the lesbian basket weaving and interpretive Chicano theater majors upon whom their party platform is based. They just keep on proposing lead balloon after lead balloon crackpottery (or is it crack pipery?).

Our 82 year old alcoholic Speaker traveled over to Ukraine for a photo op just like all of the other libs/lefties. That way they can have a picture on the wall after Zelensky cops it to prove how dedicated to world kumbaya they are.

Meanwhile, on of my seriously badass friends just arrived there to teach guerrilla tactics. He spent most of his career fighting insurgencies up close and personal and he's a year older than me. Apparently there are a lot of old retired special operators from all over willing to impart their experience in setting ambushes, spotting artillery, and a myriad of other military skills.

The Ukes already have a pretty well trained military and now they getting not only our SF teachers and instructors, but also weapons system instructors galore.

The Russians don't seem to be making much progress and now the Ukes are getting some very sophisticated hardware and ammunition.

Apparently they already have a number of troops working behind enemy lines along with opponents to the Belarusian and Russian governments freelancing.

[henry]

Good. Don’t come back until it’s over.

@marketwatch

“Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting in Kyiv.

[Davod]

"Yesterday I had the honor to see @SenTomCotton
present Lt. Kristen Trindle with the Bronze Star for her heroism during the Kabul evacuation. I met Lt. Trindle at HKIA; she’s directly responsible for rescuing 961 Americans + Afghan allies, including several of my friends. (cont’d)..."

[Space down for the video (60 secs) for the video of Cotton's remarks.]

https://twitter.com/RepMeijer/status/1519703272252231681?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1519703272252231681|twgr^|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fguybenson%2F2022%2F04%2F29%2Fwatch-gotcha-question-backfires-on-house-democratic-leader-n2606516

[Davod]

"Rather Than Just Blaming Putin, Europe Is Building Gas Pipelines"

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2022/04/29/rather-than-just-blaming-putin-europe-is-building-gas-pipelines-n2606526

[Jane]

Very cool Clarice!

[MissMarple2]

Another rally is scheduled in Pennsylvania for this Friday.

[MissMarple2]

Because of May, 1972, the UMWA pension fund began to be cleaned up. My ex was a recipient because he had worked in the mines as a union member before moving into management.

And because he couldn’t get his hands on it, it was awarded to me in the settlement, the only money I received.

Much gratitude, clarice!

[Narciso]

its rare when you get to know a hero or heroine,
and taking part in the aftermath of the jablonski case,

https://twitter.com/hodlonaut/status/1519986329714671616

this isn't suspicious at all,

[Melinda]

I am humbled. Utterly astonishing. Not going to share the surprise in this piece::

Archaeologists find cave, then realize 70,000 Christians may have hidden in biggest underground city on Earth

https://www.wnd.com/2022/05/archaeologists-find-cave-special-passages-realize-60-70k-christians-may-hidden-biggest-underground-city-earth/

[Davod]

Ace landscape

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/5%201%200nt.jpg

[Narciso]

see if this works

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/828465718848389191/970485815807463454/unknown.png

[Davod]

"On May 1st, Remember The Horrors Of Communism And Socialism by Jeff Dunetz | May 1, 2022 | Politics"

https://lidblog.com/international-workers-day/

[Pinandpuller]

[Grandad] ain’t having a weird perverted Asian so called teacher putting his two year old grandson back in dresses or back in chains, but mostly back in dresses: https://youtu.be/Tw5vEBIuiDE

I for one pledge this day $25 towards his ineluctable criminal defense fund, because some people never learn. Especially when they are backed by the full faith and credit of the Gay American Empire.

[Thomas Collins]

Re the Mickey Mouse district's bonds: S&P Global Ratings has locked up my "How to Say We Don't Have an Effen Clue in Pseudo-Professional Language" Award not only for 2022, but also for the entire decade. From the Daily Bond Buyer:

"S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook on the Reedy Creek Improvement District to developing from stable due to the uncertainty as to what will happen next in the economic/political saga playing out in Florida.

“The outlook revision to developing reflects our view that there is at least a one-in-three chance that the credit profile securing the tax-secured bonds could be positively, or negatively impacted, but future events remain unclear,” S&P credit analyst Christian Richards said in a statement Friday.

"

So there's a 1 in 3 chance things could go south or north. Does that mean there's a 2 in 3 chance things could go east or west? LOL!

[Melinda]

TC-

That's SP code talking that DIS had better cut another check if they want stability back on the board.

[Narciso]

failing that they could go short on perverted rats, naw thats crazy talk,

huckster hutchinson, pretending that disney was not merely promoting 'tolerance' but all in on salt pillars,

[Narciso]

oh,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10774819/Beijing-looks-save-3-2tln-foreign-reserves-sanctions-event-military-conflict.html

[Thomas Collins]

I would hope, Melinda, that Disney is paying more attention to how to stabilize the District's debt than wokeness. But I'm not optimistic.

[Melinda]

I think they're more focused on Muh Diversity than how things work, and how things MUST work.

[MissMarple2]

Ric Grenell on Bannon: Think of the German Green Party as the soccer moms of Saxony.

[sbwaters]

Good work is worth remembering and celebrating. Thank you, Clarice.

I didn’t ask, but I posted the history on FB for others to see how bureaucracies can be corrupted and then called to account.

[clarice]

Thanks.

[clarice]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/dsouzas-2000-mules-is-an-absolute-must-see_4439491.html

[MissMarple2]

A good question from Catturd:

Catturd ™
@catturd2

Did Nancy Pelosi secure more million dollar no-show jobs for her son and Romney, Kerry, and Biden's sons while she was in Ukraine?

[MissMarple2]

This struck me as funny:

https://dilbert.com/strip/2022-05-02?creator=Dilbert_Daily

[Dave (in MA)]

I identify as white.

[Dave (in MA)]

I'm so old, when I hear people talking about "Q", this is what I think of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJufICF0uh0

[Narciso]

I thought you were going for john delancies character on tng, they seem to have neuralized all the writers,

looking over the late comrade boudin, I noticed the discover the network, where it described the kgb handler who trained the weathermen, vadim kotschergine, I thought it was another guy in that blog post I wrote in 2009, when those two spies were nabbed, kendall myers and co,

[Narciso]

this seems to be his most recent piece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5RKNoIhE40

[Narciso]

we seem to be betting double fizbin

https://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=27305

[Dave (in MA)]

I thought you were going for john delancies character on tng

Well, I wouldn't have to be old to refer to that. Reportedly Adam West got the Batman job partly based on the show's creators seeing that ad.

[Rocco]

Russia should expropriate West's assets over 'theft' of Russian money - lawmaker

Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said the sumptuous yachts and villas of Russia's oligarchs had not helped Russian development but that the West appeared to be engaged in simple "theft".

"It is right to take mirror measures towards businesses in Russia whose owners come from unfriendly countries where such measures were taken: confiscate these assets," Volodin, who often voices the Kremlin's views, wrote on his Telegram channel.

"The proceeds from the sale should be used for the development of our country," he said. "A dangerous precedent has been created: it should hit the 'States like a boomerang."

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-respond-symmetrically-asset-freezes-062328317.html

500 billion I've read, the bear bites back!

[Narciso]

the piece in question,

https://thenewamerican.com/respectable-terrorists/

much the way the stb trained the brigatte rossi, the stasi the red army faction,

[Narciso]

so mike barnicle then?

https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2022/05/02/nbc-news-new-note-to-our-readers-confesses-that-a-bunch-of-articles-were-plagiarized-but-wont-say-which-ones-or-who-wrote-them/

[Narciso]

ok then

https://nypost.com/2022/04/21/gopers-ask-if-russian-linked-to-hunter-biden-sanctioned/

[Narciso]

oh

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/05/02/beyond-a-slush-fund-biden-33-billion-ukraine-package-includes-8-8-billion-to-establish-state-dept-global-disinformation-bureau-and-international-civil-asset-forfeiture/

[Narciso]

but of course,https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1521147057649733632.html

[henry]

Narciso, as if I needed another reason to hate Salesforce.

[Melinda]

The Grift IS A GO! The Grift IS A GO!

Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸🇺🇦
@NickKnudsenUS
BREAKING: @SpeakerPelosi just signed the bill enrollment for the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022.

This bill bolsters @POTUS Biden’s authority to send critical defensive resources to Ukraine. 👏 👏 👏

The bill is now headed to the President’s desk. 🇺🇦

https://twitter.com/NickKnudsenUS/status/1521283783281979393

[Melinda]

Whups.

United States v. SUSSMANN (1:21-cr-00582)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638.113.0.pdf

Attach­ment 1 Exhibit

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638.113.1_1.pdf

Whups, agin.

Attach­ment 2 Exhibit

8 pages

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638.113.2_1.pdf

Whups. [Another one? Sheesh, lay it on her thick or something, jeez!]

Attach­ment 3 Exhibit

42 pages

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638.113.3_1.pdf

Oh, jeez.

Attach­ment 4 Exhibit

7 pages

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638/gov.uscourts.dcd.235638.113.4_1.pdf

[matt - deplore me if you must]

Maybe the Russkis can confiscate Bill Gates' dacha in Sochi

[clarice]

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/05/01/nina-jankowicz-2020-government-should-not-be-in-business-of-policing-disinformation/

[clarice]

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473
leak of Alito draft majority opinion, Roe is overruled. It's back to being a state issue.

[Pinandpuller]

“Eminently qualified. A renowned expert on disinformation.”

Yeah, that’s the-uh-problem.

[Melinda]

First or Final Draft.

That is the question.

[Melinda]

SCOTUSblog
@SCOTUSblog
It’s impossible to overstate the earthquake this will cause inside the Court, in terms of the destruction of trust among the Justices and staff. This leak is the gravest, most unforgivable sin.

https://twitter.com/SCOTUSblog/status/1521295411545260035

[Welcome to the Crucible!]

[sbwaters]

Roe is "good" law in the sense that it was able to be succinctly followed.

Roe is "bad" law in the sense that it does not follow from the Constitution and should properly be left to the states.

The moral case is a separate issue.

[clarice]

https://us24news.com/2022/05/02/supreme-court-draft-decision-on-roe-v-wade-leaked-fingers-quickly-point-at-potential-culprit/

[Melinda]

So, the House passed the Ukrainian Lend Lease Bill last night and it's going directly to Zhou for signature. Didn't they skip a step, you might ask?

No, the Senate passed it's version on January 19th of this year, just a tad bit in front of the actual invasion:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3522/text?r=1&s=1

[MissMarple2]

Good morning, all!

Rainy day here, although in the 60”s. Don’t know if I will get to vote. I am registered at my old address but it’s about 40 minutes to get there from here and the offices in my area are not contested. We don’t have any big items like governor or senator this cycle, so I probably won’t ask my son to drive me over there.

[henry]

new