Resistance

Colleges attempt to avoid tuition cost scrutiny by piling on student fees

"Student fees have for years been often criticized as a kind of stealth, second tuition imposed on unsuspecting families. But such fees are still on the rise on many campuses. And though their names can border on the comical - i.e., the 'student success fee' - there’s nothing funny about how they can add up. At the University of California Santa Cruz, where tuition runs to nearly $35,000 for non-residents, students every year pay more than 30 additional fees 2014 including a small charge for what’s billed as 'free' HIV testing. Students at Oklahoma State University are responsible for covering 18 different fees, including a 'life safety and security fee.'" Continue reading →

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The Collapse of the Value of a College Education

"The college system is far from a free market profit oriented system. Almost 100% of colleges take money from government or accept students who receive government loans. This results in colleges being required to meet government guidelines which have dramatically dumb downed the system. The Chinese government has created 60 million vacant apartments through its central planning policies, while the U.S. government through its intervention in the education system has created tens of millions of college graduates with vacant minds." Continue reading →

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NYC Apartment Rental Market; A Shoebox for $2,000 per Month

"I moved to NYC in February of 2011 and found a studio in the East Village for $1,550. A year later the landlord and I agreed to a 4 month lease at $1,650. After 4 months I had not found a new place so signed a one year lease with the hope of moving out and subletting. The new amount was for $1,725. I moved out a month later. She quickly found a new tenant willing to pay $1,900. Let me again state that this is a studio apartment. The room is 11’x13’ with a kitchen and bathroom attached that combined are 10’x7’. The term ‘shoebox’ would be generous. This is a SMALL apartment that is going for nearly $2,000 dollars! In two years the rent increased by 22%." Continue reading →

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Fast food workers stage surprise strike in New York City

"The coalition of striking workers includes employees of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, KFC and other major chains, as well as community and clergy groups dedicated to improving the lives of low-wage workers in the mostly non-unionized field of restaurant work. One of the main organizing groups behind the strike told CNN that dozens of workers walked off the job at the Times Square McDonald’s and that the Flatbush Avenue Burger King in Brooklyn barely opened its doors on time Thursday morning. The workers are asking for a minimum pay of $15 an hour and the right to organize and collectively bargain without fear of firing or retaliation." Continue reading →

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Another Reason Obamacare Costs Are Headed Through the Roof

"The Obama administration now says a special system of exchanges designed to make it easier for small businesses to provide insurance will be delayed an entire year -- to 2015. The exchanges were designed to give workers a range of choices supported by dollars from their employers. But now they will have only one choice until 2015, which could mean they can't shop for insurance that includes their current providers. Since insurance is more expensive for small businesses, many of which have no obligation under the law to provide coverage, analysts now fear many might just stop trying and let workers go on the soon-to-be-launched state exchanges." Continue reading →

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‘Don’t Email Me; Call Me, or I Won’t Do My Job’, Says Lawmaker

"Meet Tick Segerblom, a state senator in Nevada. Tick boldly advertises that he has no principles, no respect for the rule of law or the Constitution, and no cojones: not only is he 'blocking Nevada’s Anti-NDAA legislation,' but when 'PANDA [People against the NDAA] Nevada’s State Team Leader, Chris Corbett, met with Senator Segerblom last week,' Tick flippantly announced: 'If people really care about this bill, they’ll call me.' Tick dislikes emails and will not accept them, despite the good folk of Nevada handsomely paying this slug to communicate with them." Continue reading →

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What Can We Learn by Comparing the Employment Situation in Texas vs. California?

"One of the great things about federalism, above and beyond the fact that it both constrains the power of governments and is faithful to the Constitution, is that is turns every state into an experiment. We can learn what works best (though the President seems incapable of learning the right lesson). We know, for instance, that people are leaving high-tax states and migrating to low-tax states. We also know that low-tax states grow faster and create more jobs. I particularly enjoy comparisons between Texas and California. The Lone Star State is kicking the you-know-what out of the Golden State in terms of overall economic performance." Continue reading →

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Retroactive California tax terrifies tech

"Entrepreneurs and investors in California can expect to receive a rude shock in the mail if they sold their company in the last four years. Not only did the state's Franchise Tax Board (FTB) eliminate a tax break on capital gains for small business owners and investors, it announced the tax would be reinstated retroactively. This means those who benefitted from the break can expect a bill for unpaid taxes, plus interest, stretching all the way back to 2008. Now, not only will stockholders have to pay the full tax rate on capital gains, which has risen to about 13%, but they'll also be billed retroactively for 50% of the taxes they excluded." Continue reading →

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Obamacare Cost Me Full-Time Work

"I work in television production as a freelance worker. While freelance, I do work for one major media company that uses me quite a lot and accounts for probably 85% of my work. I regularly work 3-4 days per week with them and often more depending on the time of year.Today we were told that freelancers would soon have to work under 30 hours per week. Since shifts are 8 hours, this means nobody will be able to work here as a freelancer for more than 3 days per week (24 hours total). I've calculated that the maximum I can make in a year with them is now about 30% less than I have made with this company in each of the past 2 years." Continue reading →

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