OT: WSJ: Middle Class deeply into debt

4 wheel you can build them on the Chevy.com website.  Of course you will pay a destination fee.  We are building a new wild land fire fighting unit so I spec'd it out without all the frills because it does not last on those type of trucks.  Hopefully we hit on the grant (I am nervous because it is the first time in 12 year i did not write it). 

My oldest just completed his Masters of Science - Jurisprudence specializing in medical and pharmaceutical patent law from Seton Hall...

4.0 and on the company dime.

@"BarrNone55" said:

My oldest just completed his Masters of Science - Jurisprudence specializing in medical and pharmaceutical patent law from Seton Hall...

4.0 and on the company dime.

@"mjollnir_k" said: 4 wheel you can build them on the Chevy.com website.  Of course you will pay a destination fee.  We are building a new wild land fire fighting unit so I spec'd it out without all the frills because it does not last on those type of trucks.  Hopefully we hit on the grant (I am nervous because it is the first time in 12 year i did not write it). 

in 20 years we have used it to outfit 4 trucks,  every member got a full set of wildland PPE,  new pumps, and other stuff.  I dont think we have ever gotten turned down and in some years they gave us a 90% grants so $7000.

weve gotten the FEMA grant 3 times over the years,  new communications, new turnout gear, and a few years ago we got awarded a new pumper worth about 240k....kind of a stupid award considering how few runs that truck makes annually.  they really should award the trucks to larger departments with their decent used stuff then getting granted to smaller departments.

North Dakota.  Yes our State Forestry has the 50/50 Grant available as well, only ours is up to 10K (5000).  I have been writing our grants since before and have hit on 1 AFG Fema Grant worth around $280 K (took a break in 2007), 2 Regionals where our portion was 70K (totals on 1 was 300K and the other 200K) for Radio/Paging upgrades.   I got tired of the AFG hoops (Istill apply but usually it is the same grant tailored to the years published guidance and priorities) and competition of professional writers and started writing to our local Foundations and Business community endowments and have really great success (Funded 90 % of our last 2 major projects).  Last year one of our banks that has a foundation awarded us $90K for new SCBA's, 2nd time I wrote a grant to them and second award, but this one is one of the first that I heard they fully funded a project.  I can't complain about the results and like I said the grant for this pickup was written by someone else without even letting me look at it,  So yes I am nervous.  I hear you on the awards on new pumpers and see your point but I also believe in at any given moment.  Because of the success we have had with Grants we were able to purchase and up grade 2 of our trucks this year (ended up getting 20 years new on both trucks from there replacements).  We then offered up our 2 other trucks for bid, one is at a neighboring department that with the purchase doubled there fire fighting ability.  The second we are trying really hard to get another neighboring department to buy it for what ever they can afford (and I mean cheap) because they need it and do not have the mean to buy a new unit.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"FSUVike" said: If you have 3+ years of experience programming PLCs for industrial equipment you can easily make $80k. Don't need a degree. And that's just one example of many great paying jobs in Manufacturing & Distribution.

Frankly, we've let ourselves down as a society thinking all of our kids need degrees. Now there's no Shop Class in High School. And Accounting, IT, etc. programs at Colleges around the country are packed full with students who won't be able to find work in those fields when they graduate.

Agreed, but here's a caveat: there are trade jobs out there, nice blue collar opportunities, and today's millennials don't want them for the most part. I'll give you an example: a friend of mine is a utility lineman for a county in mid-Michigan. He started a mentorship/apprentice program every year where he takes 4 younger kids, fresh grads from high school, gives them a job where they apprentice for 2 years and learn and then get to be full time lineman. Good job, good pay and good benefits. No college degree necessary. Not only does he have a hell of a time finding 4 kids to do this, 2 will quit after their first paycheck and one other will quit after one month. Every time. They don't want to work. Its not glamorous enough. Its highly frustrating. Not saying all millennials, but some of them. I think you can also ask other people that do similar things and get a similar answer unfortunately.

@"AGRforever" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"FSUVike" said: If you have 3+ years of experience programming PLCs for industrial equipment you can easily make $80k. Don't need a degree. And that's just one example of many great paying jobs in Manufacturing & Distribution.

Frankly, we've let ourselves down as a society thinking all of our kids need degrees. Now there's no Shop Class in High School. And Accounting, IT, etc. programs at Colleges around the country are packed full with students who won't be able to find work in those fields when they graduate.

Agreed, but here's a caveat: there are trade jobs out there, nice blue collar opportunities, and today's millennials don't want them for the most part. I'll give you an example: a friend of mine is a utility lineman for a county in mid-Michigan. He started a mentorship/apprentice program every year where he takes 4 younger kids, fresh grads from high school, gives them a job where they apprentice for 2 years and learn and then get to be full time lineman. Good job, good pay and good benefits. No college degree necessary. Not only does he have a hell of a time finding 4 kids to do this, 2 will quit after their first paycheck and one other will quit after one month. Every time. They don't want to work. Its not glamorous enough. Its highly frustrating. Not saying all millennials, but some of them. I think you can also ask other people that do similar things and get a similar answer unfortunately.

Why work?  There's free shit for that.  You can get food, shelter, utilities, transportation, medical, phones and on and on and on.  Now we've got presidential candidates offering more free shit.  All those loans you took out to get your underwater basket weaving degree....PAID in FULL!!!
We're making it too comfortable to not work in this country. 

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"FSUVike" said: If you have 3+ years of experience programming PLCs for industrial equipment you can easily make $80k. Don't need a degree. And that's just one example of many great paying jobs in Manufacturing & Distribution.

Frankly, we've let ourselves down as a society thinking all of our kids need degrees. Now there's no Shop Class in High School. And Accounting, IT, etc. programs at Colleges around the country are packed full with students who won't be able to find work in those fields when they graduate.

Agreed, but here's a caveat: there are trade jobs out there, nice blue collar opportunities, and today's millennials don't want them for the most part. I'll give you an example: a friend of mine is a utility lineman for a county in mid-Michigan. He started a mentorship/apprentice program every year where he takes 4 younger kids, fresh grads from high school, gives them a job where they apprentice for 2 years and learn and then get to be full time lineman. Good job, good pay and good benefits. No college degree necessary. Not only does he have a hell of a time finding 4 kids to do this, 2 will quit after their first paycheck and one other will quit after one month. Every time. They don't want to work. Its not glamorous enough. Its highly frustrating. Not saying all millennials, but some of them. I think you can also ask other people that do similar things and get a similar answer unfortunately.

Why work?  There's free shit for that.  You can get food, shelter, utilities, transportation, medical, phones and on and on and on.  Now we've got presidential candidates offering more free shit.  All those loans you took out to get your underwater basket weaving degree....PAID in FULL!!!
We're making it too comfortable to not work in this country. 

Its more about the parents enabling the kids and doing everything for them than the country's politics. Nobody gets a driver's license at 16 anymore because Mom and Dad are the chauffeurs. Their little babies can't be allowed to fail.....they get almost everything they want....they have little responsibility and can't handle the slightest adversity. They are entitled. That's the real issue.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"BarrNone55" said:

My oldest just completed his Masters of Science - Jurisprudence specializing in medical and pharmaceutical patent law from Seton Hall...

4.0 and on the company dime.

Holy shit. That is just straight up fantastic. Congratulations to the boy and Dad. That's quite the accomplishment. 

Now that he has a chemistry degree, and the MSJ, along my plans to by an RV after I sell the house, it's time to open up that mobile meth lab I've been dreaming about since I bought him his first chemistry set.

Breaking BarrNone™...

@"BarrNone55" said: Now that he has a chemistry degree, and the MSJ, along my plans to by an RV after I sell the house, it's time to open up that mobile meth lab I've been dreaming about since I bought him his first chemistry set.

Breaking BarrNone™...