JIll Stein

There's no such thing as free.

Someone has to pay.

Guess who?

Who pays for it? We all will.

If a Green New Deal gets 90% of the unemployed or under-employed people working who are physically/mentally able to do so (paid a living wage) then that would be a LOT of new tax revenues. Some of that can be allocated to subsidize higher education.

University costs have been artificially inflated over the last 20-30 years because the finance industry saw that making big college loans much easier to get would guarantee them a captive pool of debtors for many years into the future paying off those loans. Colleges knew the kids were able to get bigger loans, so they started charging more. It's a bubble, just like the housing bubble.

Back in the 60's and early 70's, a kid could actually pay for tuition at a state school, as well as dorm fees, books and food by working part time during the school year and full time during the summer. They wouldn't have had all the luxuries that kids expect today, but a return to less consumer oriented expectations when you're 20 would be a good thing :) With the cost of college as it is today, being able to pay for it the way you used to is just no longer possible. Something has to change.

From the Budget & Taxes section of the Green New Deal Plan. I especially like that last point :)

* Reduce the budget deficit by restoring full employment, cutting the bloated military budget, and cutting private health insurance waste.

* Eliminate needless tax giveaways that increase the deficit.

* Require full disclosure of corporate subsidies in the budget and stop hiding subsidies in complicated tax code.

* Rewrite the entire tax code to be truly progressive with tax cuts for working families, the poor and middle class, and higher taxes for the richest Americans.

* Reject cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

* Stop draining the non-profit sectors of our economy in order to give tax cuts to the for-profit sectors.

* Relieve the debt overhang holding back the economy by reducing homeowner and student debt burdens.

* Ensure the right to accessible and affordable utilities – heat, electricity, phone, internet, and public transportation – through democratically run, publicly owned utilities that operate at cost, not for profit.

* Maintain and upgrade our nation's essential public infrastructure, including highways, railways, electrical grids, water systems, schools, libraries, and the Internet, resisting privatization or policy manipulation by for-profit interests.

* Establish a 90% tax on bonuses for bailed out bankers.

Name anagram says... jest in Ill. ;)

Oh my gosh...where do I start?

"If a Green New Deal gets 90% of the unemployed or under-employed people working who are physically/mentally able to do so (paid a living wage) then that would be a LOT of new tax revenues. Some of that can be allocated to subsidize higher education."

If a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt when he jumped.

"...living wage..."

How much is a "living wage"? $25k per year? $50k? $100k? Who decides? Where do the employers get this money to pay said wages?

"University costs have been artificially inflated over the last 20-30 years..."

So maybe you should take it up with the Universities.

"Reduce the budget deficit by restoring full employment, cutting the bloated military budget, and cutting private health insurance waste."

News Flash: The Government does not create jobs other than government jobs. The government produces NOTHING it only takes from the producers. Also this would not be a good time to downsize our military. Have you heard of the Middle East?

"Rewrite the entire tax code to be truly progressive with tax cuts for working families, the poor and middle class, and higher taxes for the richest Americans."

Please define "working families". Are hard working "rich" people not working? The poor pay no Federal taxes. How do you cut their tax burden lower than zero? "and higher taxes for the richest Americans." Why punish hard work and determination? Who would want to get above the middle class if you have to give the excess to the gov.?

"Relieve the debt overhang holding back the economy by reducing homeowner and student debt burdens"

Ever heard of responsibility? I know this may be a foreign term to you but it goes like this: You take out a loan and agree to pay it back with interest. Then you make your payments until the loan is paid off. It's really very simple. Or maybe the banks could turn the tables on people like you. You agree to pay back a $10,000 loan plus interest and the bank only has to give you $7,000 of the ten.

"Ensure the right to accessible and affordable utilities – heat, electricity, phone, internet, and public transportation – through democratically run, publicly owned utilities that operate at cost, not for profit"

I've searched the Constitution and The Bill of Rights and somehow I keep missing the part where it states that the people have a "right to accessible and affordable utilities – heat, electricity, phone, internet, and public transportation" I'm sure it's there since you quote it but I can't find it. Can you help me out? Oh and while we're at it let's also add the "right" to free food, water, housing, medical care, dental, babysitting, personal transportation, high paying jobs, clothes, shoes...

I've got a great idea. You start up an electrical company that also provides phone and internet to the people. Put your money and time at risk and then operate it at cost. No profit. Wouldn't it be great?!?

I know, we could just outlaw ALL corprate profit.

Yea, that's the ticket. Sunshine and lollipops for everyone!