A Sanders Voter, Weary of Debt at 29: 'I Have Nothing to Lose'

[Demovictory9]

MADISON, Wis. — Debt has dogged Brian Michelz his entire adult life.

It started with an ambulance ride when he was 18 and two hospital stays. Then came college loans. By the time Mr. Michelz made it out into the world, his credit score was so low he could not even get a credit card. He has paid for everything he has ever bought — televisions, furniture, cars — up front. After grocery shopping on Wednesday, his bank account had three dollars in it.

Mr. Michelz, 29, has never worn a political T-shirt or been to a campaign rally. But when he voted for the first time in his life, in the primary of 2016, it was for Bernie Sanders.

“I wouldn’t say I’m on the left, or a liberal progressive,” Mr. Michelz said in his apartment one morning last week, sitting next to his wife, Sarah Michelz, who had just come home from her work as a nurse. “I feel like Sanders understood — there’s too much medical debt and college debt. I was like, ‘OK, he’s speaking the truth.’”

-----


For voters like Mr. Michelz (pronounced Michaels), Mr. Sanders has inspired loyalty because he is the rare political leader who has both diagnosed the source of their problems and tried to offer solutions. Mr. Michelz is part of a generation scarred by the Great Recession. After borrowing more money for their education than their parents did, many are treading water in jobs that do not pay enough and delaying marriage and children.

Mr. Sanders’s message has resonated deeply with these voters. In the recent California primary, 47 percent of voters who said income inequality was their most important issue picked Mr. Sanders. Just 13 percent voted for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Mr. Michelz’s wife has debt, too, as do most of his friends. One is so anxious about it that he takes medication. The only ones who do not have debt come from families that can afford to help them.

Ms. Michelz, 30, borrowed around $100,000 for nursing school, and pays $800 every month, a sum that is more than half their rent in the small, tidy apartment on the southwestern edge of Madison. They both want children, but Ms. Michelz thinks they should wait.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/bernie-sanders-voters.html

[AlexSFCA]

1. electing sanders would have done nothing for his debt

[SergeStorms]

2. Bernie convinced them....

that they'd get free healthcare, total debt relief from college loans, or free college for all. Hell yeah, if I were someone just starting out in life I'd vote for someone who promised to give me everything for free too! No specifics on how Bernie intended to pay for all of this mind you, just free, for all!

[sop]

55. Getting these things enacted by Congress will be the problem, not paying for them.

We always find ways to pay for things like bank bailouts, endless wars and budget-busting tax giveaways for the rich. Stuff like this, not so much.

[rpannier]

3. His debt was largely run up during the early 2010's

What exactly did Biden do for him?

[eilen]

4. $100K for nursing school... Really?

You can look for bankruptcy protection on medical debt.. in fact if he had he would have been in good shape now. But student loans are not protected. I graduated from nursing school in 98. I took student loans but I went for 2 years and paid off my loans in 10. The hospital pretty much paid my tuition for my last 2 years which I have taken class by class in the last 5. My tuition for the first 2 didn't come near $50K. Why? I took classes at the community college first. People make stupid financial decisions and it is bullshit they expect everyone else to bail them out.

[exboyfil]

7. In my daughter's case hospital were definitely not paying the final two years

In fact she paid for extra clinical hours to enhance her resume.

Tuition, fees, and books were about $42K for a 15 month program BSN (this was after needing to acquire about 66 hours of college credit in prerequisites). This was also three years ago. Note this number does not include room and board and transportation.

Fortunately my daughter had me, a first generation college student. I had the resources to pay for college classes while she was still in high school. I also knew how to determine the critical path for classes and carefully monitor the transfer rules. The high school did pay for some of the college classes (again a big part of that was through my guidance - they would have had her in the useless AP hamster wheel). I am guessing I spent about another $10K for her to acquire the 70 of so hours she had when she graduated from high school.

She lived at home and finished in 15 months after high school graduation. She has been working 2 1/2 years now (took two months to after graduation until she found a job).

A $100K especially if you go to a private college for the first two years is probably about right. My daughter had college friends who did a three year plus 15 month program that led to both a BS at a private church college and then the nursing degree. That approach probably cost considerably more than $100K.

[morillon]

69. My student loans are a fraction of that

And I'm in college right now, as an older student. I go to a state school and have a federal loan. My degree will look nice on my resume, but it has no snob appeal. I don't care.

It wouldn't remotely occur to me to run up that kind of debt to go to a private school in my field. I can see a person who's got political or judicial ambitions wanting to go somewhere "name brand", but for something like nursing or teaching or even my field, computer science, a state school is more than adequate.

I feel sorry for people who have that much debt, but seriously, $100K for nursing school???

[eilen]

72. I went to a private (hospital school) 2 year RN program

and it wasn't even half that-- I went in the late 1990s. I was married, with a toddler and worked part time (I had expenses-- daycare, diapers, rent etc and my husband was making apprentice pay). Still sit for the same board exam to get an RN license.

After I graduated, my base pay as a new RN was $8.50/hr with differentials that built it up to $12.50/hr. (so sick time, holiday time, and vacation time were all paid at the $8.50/hr rate). Today the new grads make more than twice what I did.

[treestar]

9. Exactly. Has he heard of Congress?

And after paying so much for an education.

[elias7]

5. Been there, done that

Lived on a shoestring through my twenties, paid off debt until past 40. Never asked for forbearance. Just deal.

[exboyfil]

8. Not entirely fair

College percentages in relation to income have gone up considerably since you went to school. At some point we are asking too much of the younger generation.

[beachbumbob]

6. too bad these very people didn't support Hillary in 2016, she would have had

at least tried to get something done to help. We know trump has no intention to so. Wasting time to support sanders will not get anything done on this now either

[MrsCoffee]

31. +1

[Indykatie]

10. Some Folks Abuse Student Loans - Who Borrows $100,000 for a Nursing Degree?

People should plot their educational paths based on what they can afford to take on in debt. My granddaughter has a friend with $80,000 in debt for a Liberal Arts degree. She went to a out of state college and moved off campus her junior year. She's struggling to make ends meet working as an administrative assistant.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. College is very expensive now.

It’s much higher than it was just twenty years ago and that’s adjusting for inflation. There needs to be something done about the cost of college and also the student loan debt many kids have. I like Biden’s plans to address it but actually wish he would go a bit farther.

[MichMan]

17. I have not seen anyone addressing why the costs are so high

Proposals like loan forgiveness and "free" college if anything are going to cause the costs to skyrocket.

[exboyfil]

21. It is a combination of factors

Some of which could be considered waste. Here are the things I figured out in what I think is in the order of importance.

1. Inflation and productivity is not uniform. For example consider the growth in the cost of professional services. It is much higher than the general CPI growth. These professional services are the best correlation to salaries for faculty (many of whom would be in the professional services market otherwise).

2. The growth of administrators as colleges take on addressing more of the issues associated with 18-23 year olds attending college. Some of these administrators are also mandated by federal guidelines.

3. The reduction in per student support both because a smaller percentage of those funds as related to the overall state and federal revenue as well as more students needing to access college to obtain the credential (degree) which has become a surrogate for employee selection (credentialization).

4. The bells and whistles now on college campus as part of their recruitment process.

5. The fact that so many are trying to pluck the chicken (the student). Professors mandating their own books and materials being used. Professors using packaged textbook and grading modules to make their lives easier.

6. For the schools without elite basketball and football teams/conferences, support for those sports out of the general fund.

[Yavin4]

56. With technology the actual cost of delivering education should be lower, much lower

Technology enables the delivery of lectures online. During this virus outbreak, we've seen a number of colleges turn to online classes. There's no reason whatsoever that higher education costs should exceed the normal rate of inflation in the manner that it does.

[llmart]

22. I'll take a crack at it.

I worked at the highest level of administration at a public university. I wasn't a high level employee myself, but had access to all information. There should be more of an outcry by students/citizens about the numbers of higher level administrators a university needs. The one I worked for kept creating new, highly paid administrative positions, then staffed them with cronies. So many of the positions were completely unnecessary. Also, they were bringing them in from corporations, not other educational institutions.

It was difficult for me to see this happening.

[exboyfil]

27. Point number two for me above

I wanted to make a more charitable spin on it, but it is amazing how many more non-line mouths are being fed over what you saw 30 years ago.


The org charts of many public universities are available online. Folks might want to look at their states universities. My FIL is a retired department head at a regional university, and we have discussed this some, but he is cautious in his criticism.

The funny thing is my daughter's nursing school It was bare bones. I was impressed at how few frills it actually had.

[llmart]

35. The nursing school at my employer...

was the school with the least number of administrative people and I can guarantee you it was because it was mostly women. The Dean was always telling me how they could sure use some more staff.

[exboyfil]

38. Yes my daughter's school was also mostly women

and affiliated with a hospital (the one she now works in). I was impressed especially with the NCLEX performance. My wife had a Kaplan grad as her nurse when she was in the hospital. My daughter, who was doing clinicals then, actually had to help her with one of the monitors. My daughter has been a nurse and a substitute charge nurse for a patient load of over 20 (mental health) and a staff of five since she was 20. She is looking at starting her Doct. Nurse Practitioner in mental health sometime next year (she turns 23 this year).

[llmart]

61. Sounds like she's a very dedicated person to her profession.

I used to have many conversations with nursing faculty and the one thing I would hear quite often was how the older women seemed much more dedicated and professional than the younger ones. The really outstanding younger students stood out from the rest to the faculty and to me. I used to tell them that my generation (leading edge boomers) were getting older and we were going to need good nurses. Some of them were in it only because they were told at least they'd always have a job. That dismayed me.

[exboyfil]

64. My daughter really loves working with mental health patients

She does get some teens on her floor, and she seems to really relate to them. Her charge nurse doesn't like to do admissions, so my daughter does all the admissions (she tells me it is good training for Nurse Practitioner). She wants to remain in mental health in a hospital setting.

I do get irritated by people who question why she would want to do this. These damaged people need someone to help them. Obviously a concern is if the funding sources dry up. It is not like these people have steady jobs with good mental health benefits.

[True Blue American]

52. A young Lifeguard at the Y

Is pursuing his Nursing Degree at the Community College here.

My Grandson worked hard to get Scholarships. There are Pell Grants, other things students can do.

Free College is a pipe dream.

[Turin_C3PO]

53. Not everyone

can get a scholarship or a grant. For instance, my friend had rich parents who refused to contribute to his education. But the FAFSA calculated a certain amount that his parents should contribute so he was denied a grant.

I’m not saying free college is the answer but something has to be done to get tuition costs much lower and somehow relieve the student loan debt burden.

[True Blue American]

59. You do not get Scholarships

Easy. His parents can afford College for him, but they did not want to make it easy. But there are grants and other things for those who can not make the grades. And you can lose your Scholarship
if you do not keep those grades up in College.

They spent every night working with him after working long hours on their own careers. Nothing was handed to any of them. They earned it.

[Turin_C3PO]

62. Not everyone

can find financial coverage to get through college. Most students must take out a loan. Not all students are ace students that can find a scholarship. Costs must be reduced in our universities and loan debt must be eased. I think all the current and former Democratic candidates would agree with me.

[True Blue American]

63. I agree with that.

I know what College cost 30 years ago compared to now. But it is important that those wanting to go find every avenue they can to cut costs.

And that remark about acing was uncalled for after I posted how hard they worked to get through.

[Turin_C3PO]

65. I'm not criticizing good students.

I’m just saying not everyone can be an “A” student, no matter how hard they work.

[True Blue American]

66. And I agreed with you.

My point is that A student did not become or stay that way. He is still working his butt off to stay that way.

Now College is shut down until March 30th. They will be doing online classes. Something they do right now. Most are on computers.

[Turin_C3PO]

67. Ok, we agree then.

Good luck to him! Cheers!!

[exboyfil]

20. See my post above $42K for a 15 month BSN degree

That is just tuition, fees, and books. That doesn't include the cost to acquire the 66 credit hours before you can even start the BSN program.

This is not some Kaplan fly by night (which is more expensive). The year my daughter graduated the program had a 100% pass rate for the NCLEX boards (higher than Iowa that year). It is very difficult to get into Iowa's program. It would have taken my daughter three years instead of 15 months, and she would have had to live on campus or commuted for a 1 1/2 hours each way.

The thing is Nursing is a degree in which you can actually service the debt. Another degree is engineering which is what my other daughter did.

[eilen]

73. I took community college classes

all the prerequisites before going to nursing school in which I took all nursing classes and a couple others (nutrition, microbiology, nursing ethics, pharmacology) plus clinicals and worked extra hours at sub-pay ($6/hr) SNA to help my clinicals during nursing school.

After graduation, worked at the hospital doing OT etc. to save money for our first home. In the last 8 years I have been taking classes piecemeal with tuition reimbursement from my hospital employer for my BSN (their decision to make it a requirement for employment since they want to keep a Magnet status).

Those 15 month programs are designed for people who hold 4 year degrees in other fields. They are rigorous and expensive and often the graduates find they still cannot find jobs because they want acute care experience as well as the BSN. The secondary markets (hospitals in small and mid-size cities) will hire Associate degree RNs and encourage them to continue in BSN programs with tuition benefits.

[exboyfil]

77. My daughter's program was comparable in cost to an RN to BSN at Kaplan (Purdue Global)

The associates RN is basically a two to three year program at our community college (Tuition and Fees at $21K - books probably another $2K). So that route would have been $65K tuition, fees, and books.

Given the extra costs associated with attending Iowa (living on campus and expensive food), my daughter's nursing school was probably not a whole lot more. Iowa is also the only public BS nursing college in the state, and it is very hard to get into (to the point that the majority start on campus without knowing if they can enter the program - a definite high risk strategy that my daughter rejected out of hand).

You don't need a BS in another field to start an accelerated program, just the 66 credit hours to satisfy entry. In fact unless you planed to go to medical school, I can't see a reason why you would get one. After you get your Bachelors in anything, it is then a matter of whether you had the prerequisite course for your graduate work. I would even argue if medical school is your ultimate aim to do nursing first and take the med school prerequisites (some of which are already satisfied in the nursing program) while working as a nurse.

Iowa is $13,600/yr. (tuition, fees, and books) for three years after whatever you did at the community college (some sophomore courses are not offered at the community college - it is also very difficult to get admission from the community college). Our community colleges in Iowa are not all that economical ($7K/yr for tuition, books, and fees). So if you did manage to get the first year just right at the community college, the most economical public education option would be $48K before every other expense (room and board, transportation).

It did take my daughter two months to get a job (she had absolutely no work experience - she was taking college classes instead). I paid for extra clinical hours while she was in school, but I don't know if it helped. Her school seems to have a very good placement rate. She tried for a CNA job while in high school, but she got nobody interested in her.

I would say getting her BSN at 20, and working as a nurse starting a month after her 21st birthday is not a bad deal.

[eilen]

78. I can't speak to the educational opportunities in Iowa

and I think you have much to be proud of in your daughter.

I can only relate my own experience.
And BS or BA vs BSN does make a huge difference in nursing. You can have a BS in Health Sciences and it still is not good enough for the hospitals here--they want BSN.

The larger medical facilities (Westchester Medical Center, Sloan-Kettering, Duke, Boston Children's, Cleveland Clinic)-- to get a nursing job there you have to have BSN+experience. The smaller markets --there are usually more openings, higher needs because they are in places that are more underserved, not as popular as the larger cities. Most nursing homes are woefully understaffed and always looking for smart hardworking folks but I guess it can be function of the local economy as to whether they are at full staff or not.

The new nurses I work with are usually started very soon after graduation, take their boards as quickly as they can and then continue with their BSN classes or are soon applying for NP or Masters in Admin programs after they are done with their orientations and get their first year off the ground. Some go first into ICU training before continuing in another educational program, study for their specialty certifications and take those exams (it actually pays more to have a specialty certification than to earn your BSN where I work).

I don't know a lot about mental health nursing. It's not my cup of tea. However my son is currently in school to be a clinical psychologist--he is looking at graduate programs now. He does not have an interest in medical school although he will be earning a PhD. He currently carries no student debt as yet (I am not sure how many credit hours he has left for grad school in his account). He attends a state university and has GI Bill tuition benefits. We were able to fund community college. We saved money in a 529 for the first year and then about $300 a month and paid the tuition in the remaining semesters. We are helping him in providing room and board while he finishes his BS.

Currently NY has an Excelsior scholarship that students can apply for state college that covers tuition. He did not qualify for that as he already had an Associates degree and was a transfer student with GI benefits. I understand many Southern States participate in a Hope Scholarship which pays for state college tuition if they keep their GPA at a certain level.

[exboyfil]

80. I met no difference in what BS degree

for medical school for example (this is why I think a BSN and a BS Biology for example is a waste of time especially if you are nurse - get the BSN). You are right about a BSN needed to access most more competitive jobs and advance academically in the nursing ranks DNP etc.

Sounds like your son is doing great as well. I wonder if my daughter will eventually move to a larger area. She is making pretty good money and living at home right now saving most of it (except for buying the reliable car to get her to work). The Iowa Nurse Practitioner program is rigorous and expensive.

The 529 is a great. I used it to fully fund both my daughters' college education. Given my tax rate in Iowa, it was an immediate 9% return (my marginal rate in Iowa). The college education is really the only expensive thing I ever bought them. It allowed both to get working two plus years prior to their peers.

[mercuryblues]

34. My Brother in law is a Dr

There comes a point in that field where you can not work. Having a wife and 2 kids he upped his college loans to help pay the rent. Make no mistake, they were not living high off the hog. A 1 bedroom apartment, 20 year old car. My sis also worked.

I'm not saying this is right or wrong, it is what they needed to do to pay the bills. You would also think that once he graduated that the money immediately starts rolling in. In a way yes. It also takes time and money to build up a practice or buy into an existing practice. Malpractice insurance is not cheap. It took him almost 20 years to pay off his loans.

[Sunlei]

12. well written article-those mired in debt should understand repubs are not their Savior

Income inequality needs more attention from the democratic party favorites if they want to fully embrace these voters.

[Hortensis]

13. "Nothing to lose"? Boy, is he ignorant. Just what did he study?

And I'm serious. He can have a valid dream for himself of a guaranteed job and income in a communal organization, if that's what he wants, but completely failing to understand, and fear, what can and does happen in democracies that fall to RW authoritarians is a dreadful failure of his education.

[Hortensis]

16. Terrible insult; but worse, bizarrely wrong. Trumpsters WANT fascism.

Trumpsters dream of a RW authoritarian takeover that'll sweep all opposition away and smite us for them. Most cheer the Republicans' fascistic tactics that have become scary-common. Don't you know that?

This clueless grad can adopt whatever ideology he wants, BUT he should do it equipped with at least a basic understanding of a world in which many democracies have fallen. And what happens to their people. And to the votes others around the planet are still fighting and dying to have.

[yardwork]

18. I suggest you self-delete this personal insult, then reread the post.

The poster to whom you responded just made a good point, and sounds nothing like Trump.

[ms liberty]

14. A lot of judgment going on in this thread. Sad to see on DU

But par for the course on today's version of DU. I remember when we didn't like people who did that.

[mountain grammy]

23. Yes so sad

Sounds like a republican message board. Very sad days here. 😟. Intolerance is sickening.

[Turin_C3PO]

36. Ridiculous.

Have you ever been to a Republican message board? Nothing like DU and saying that is very insulting to DUers.

[mountain grammy]

40. Yes I have

But worse I’ve heard my trumper in-laws say the same things I’m reading here.
Seems as long as the hatred is directed at Sanders and his supporters it’s all good. Sad 😞

[delisen]

76. I notice a very authoritarian bent. It is not coming only from the Sander camp

If people can reach the point of placing human rights ahead of economics we can possibly keep our Democratic Republic. Otherwise we will become an authoritarian dictatorship.

There is already a Trump Republican body count and it is growing.

If the virus situation gets very bad as it has in Italy medical personnel will be openly deciding who will live and who will die.

There are many democrats who may well abandon human rights. I heard a person who was convinced he was a progressive liberal praising Singapore for being a benevolent dictatorship. When things go out of control many people turn to authoritarianism.

What distinguishes us from Republicans is a commitment to human rights. We are at our best when we see all persons as valuable and worthy and when we do not see persons as economic units but see the totality of each individual.

[Fix The Stupid]

33. I first started posting in 2003...

It was such a better site then. Such better people as well.

It's been taken over by the paid propagandists. Sad to see - used to be a community - now it's all about scoring points and seeing how many people who *gasp* have a slightly different opinion then yours, get the axe.

[Turin_C3PO]

37. DU is not different

than it ever was. I used to post under another name and have been here since 2002. The only difference is that many of the posters who now post at JPR are gone and good riddance. They were toxic posters who did nothing to help the progressive cause.

[MineralMan]

39. Who are those "paid propagandists?"

You can't just make accusations without supporting them. Really.

[Tarheel_Dem]

48. Is this the kind of "paid propagandists" you're talking about?

Or how about this one?

Link to tweet

[NYMinute]

19. Mrs. Michelz can have her debt forgiven as it is now

All she has to do is work for USPHS or IHS in an underprivileged area for 3 years.

Mr. Michelz could also have joined the military and had his college debt paid off.

[llmart]

24. There are also other programs for loan forgiveness for nurses.

Wonder if she's looked into them.

[Happy Hoosier]

25. " he is the rare political leader who has both diagnosed the source....

... of their problems and tried to offer solutions."

Problem: Stuff is too expensive

Solution: It's FREE


Not exactly a solution, IMO. I understand his desperation. But not his willingness to be lied to.

[mountain grammy]

26. We sure have a lot of "experts" here

Guess that gives some the “right” to sit in judgement. Wow, not my mother’s Democrats.

[Bettie]

29. Stunning lack of empathy on display

I guess the party's new slogan is "if you are poor, it is entirely your own fault!".

[mountain grammy]

30. Yes, stunning.

Sounds like republicans to me.

[Turin_C3PO]

42. The party's platform

is further left than it’s ever been. That’s a fact. It’s insulting to insinuate that Democrats don’t care about the poor. They’re the ONLY party that gives a damn about the poor and working class.

[Bettie]

44. Did you read the replies to this post?

I'd direct you to them.

[Turin_C3PO]

46. Some random people

on a small message board does not equal the Democratic Party. And most people in this thread are expressing empathy for his situation. The disagreement among good Dems is which policies should be enacted to deal with the burden that this young man carries.

[True Blue American]

58. I try not to Judge

My suggestions are meant to be helpful for those going to College.

My own Son went to Vocational school,( Machine Trades,) worked at a Tool Shop, then attended Community College, went on to a Private College. He had a great background for an Engineer who went on to design and have built machines for Manufacturing.

Then went on to work with his own Son teaching him Robotics. The Son worked hard to get grades for Scholarships.


I am not bragging, just making it clear College does not come easy. You work for it.

[mountain grammy]

68. We should all try not to judge

Making good choices should lead to good results, but a lot of the time results are more about good luck. No matter how much you plan, an unexpected event can upend everything.

My mom used to say, want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.

[True Blue American]

70. I can assure

You God laughed at our plans, but we persevered. Death is not expected. My son’s Father went into the Hospital the week after he graduated, 4 days later he was gone. He turned down job offers from across the country to be with me.

[mountain grammy]

71. Some are better at perseverance

Than others. I’ve had my share of setbacks and tragedies as most have and, like you, got through it. But I still try not to judge and have often felt there but for incredible good luck and good health, go I.

[Demovictory9]

81. the guy in the story didn't have solid parenting, grew up in chaos, also ambulance bill

[CanonRay]

32. You're not in a concentration camp

there's that to lose. And don't think Trump won't do it with 4 more years.

[frazzled]

41. Weren't we all financially strapped at 29?

I know we sure were: still paying off student loans,• earning very little, and delaying starting families. Interest rates were over 9%. The heating bills were hard to pay: 1979, the year I was 29, was the US oil crisis, and most of us had oil-burning furnaces. We didn't have the proverbial pot to pee in.

I don't recall this being a political issue for our generation. We were still in but starting to come out of the hippie era and were used to living lean. We shunned what was starting to become "yuppie" values. And looking back on those hand-to-mouth years, all I can remember is how they were the best years of our life. I just remember great conversations with good friends over cheap wine, with candles stuck in bottles of Mateus and delicious but inexpensive dinners.



* I know college was "cheaper" back then, but it was still very hard, relative to lower salaries, higher interest rates, and the economy in general.

[Turin_C3PO]

45. Sure people

have always had a tough time but that doesn’t mean Dems shouldn’t try and alleviate the obstacles that stops being from being able to get ahead in life. Young people desperately need relief when it comes to college costs and student loan debt. Even accounting for inflation, the price of tuition is much, much, higher than it was in your era.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

49. You may not have noticed that GOPers have caused income to lag.

Costs have gone up, but earnings for most have stagnated.

At 29, my biggest debt was my 4-year old home mortgage. No student debt for either my wife or myself.

Financial problems of Mr. Michelz's generation are much different than mine were. Thank GOPers for robbing the middle and lower income to feed the wealthy.

[eilen]

75. I remember being in my mid 20s and

the cost of car insurance and a car loan was high. Also, the pay was very very low. Our rent for a one bedroom apartment in the Hudson Valley was $875/month and we had no furniture. One Thanksgiving we ate turkey loaf ends from the deli I worked in. We had one car and I walked to work and we racked up credit card debt in car repairs. I had student loans then and made about $6/hr. There was no chance of moving in with parents. I went to secretarial school with student loans to get a better job that ended up paying $2/more an hour but felt it might lead to more predictable guaranteed hours. I also did extra work as a server at banquets/weddings for a $50 + tips a few times a month.

When we bought a house (in my early 30s), our mortgage rate (in 1998) FHA was 8.4% and that was considered low. We closed right before Labor Day weekend. In late October, we turned on our furnace and it died 2 weeks later. We were broke ass broke. We refinanced to a 15 year mortgage 10 years later at 5%.

Mostly, I think people make mistakes financially but it should not be the responsibility of the government (the rest of us) to bail you out. It is about being responsible. I think liberals are responsible, thoughtful people. It's one thing to provide equal opportunity for the poor. Most of these young people making such large debt are not "poor", they come from middle to upper middle class families who engage in magical thinking, who are not exactly people with a lived experience of having their power cut off or just $40 to feed a family for the week. They are comfortable. I think financial lessons happen either early or late and the late ones are harder. I also think most colleges charge too much money and if people would stop signing up and borrowing to pay them, they would have to reduce their tuition to be competitive for students.

We have a local university that now charges more than $50K/year for tuition. I am sure it is a wonderful school but it is either a wealthy or stupid person that majors in social work there.

[pampango]

43. Affordable college, effective health care, a decent level of income equality - Europeans have them.

Why don't we? Their countries are no richer than ours. How do we get there from here?

[Turin_C3PO]

47. We must continue

to push for progressive policies from our officials. Ways to do that include getting Dems into office, supporting local progressive causes, holding officials’ feet to the fire, etc. Biden will get us on the right track and we can keep building from there. As Millennials get older, they’ll vote in higher numbers and that’s when you’ll see transformational change. They’re far more liberal than other generations.

[EllieBC]

50. But not everyone goes to uni in Europe.

They don’t have a uni for everyone from people who barely got out of 5th grade to geniuses. They don’t have nearly as many institutes. People still do trades there. Even here in Canada there isn’t a university for everyone.

It’s the most American thing ever to want everything when they want it for low cost to nothing.

[pampango]

51. Granted they have a different approach to college education. How about income equality, health care,

and many other safety net provisions that they have? Europeans pay for all of this with a VAT and high, progressive income taxes. It is not about wanting 'free stuff' as conservatives like to deride what liberals want for society. It is about priorities and who government and society are designed to serve.

[Hoyt]

54. If I'm not mistaken, Wisconsin has some decent college grants, free tuition programs, etc.

Now, medical debt is different. At that age, and with that credit situation, I'd consider bankruptcy. He won't be any worse off. And yes, I realize college debt is hard to discharge in bankruptcy. But not medical debt.

[Rorey]

57. A lot of the younger generation seem to be unaware

They seem to be ignorant of history.

".....Mr. Sanders has inspired loyalty because he is the rare political leader who has both diagnosed the source of their problems and tried to offer solutions."

Rare political leader? Hardly. Hillary Clinton fought relentlessly in the early '90s to reform our health care system. What she was able to accomplish was to get the Children's Health Insurance Program passed. If Sanders was really serious about health care reform, he wouldn't have waited for FOUR WEEKS to endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016, after she effectively clinched the nomination. If he was serious about moving this country forward, he would have jumped full on board to help get her elected. A "leader" would have strongly encouraged his supporters to put their hurt feelings aside and vote for the good of the country. What did he do to dissuade them to NOT vote for effing Jill Stein, or write in his name, or whoever?

Sadly, I don't think Sanders will act any differently this time. And if he doesn't, he is about as unpatriotic as one could be. He will not get the nomination, but he can still be an influence in which direction this country will head. The coming months will tell his true character with no doubt.

[True Blue American]

60. Bernie is speaking now.

[Happy Hoosier]

74. "I wouldn't say I'm left or liberal...."

... but then he goes on to say he's just getting crushed in this economy.

THAT. THAT RIGHT THERE is why this country is fucked up. The dude IS "left or liberal" at least economically, but culturally, he just can't call himself that. And might, of course, be socially pretty regressive.

[George II]

79. "Weary of Debt at 29"? I had debt from the time I entered college until about five years ago....

....(49 years)

That's part of life for almost ALL Americans.