What do you think is a "rip off"?

College textbooks are a ripoff! The publisher will get over $150 for a required text book that has a “real” market value of perhaps $20 or $30 new and as little as $5 used. And to shut off used book options the publishers bundles books with software and ebooks. For one course, as a community college math instructor, I put together my own in-house printed text that sold for about $10 and it worked great.
 

I get about 60 channels over antenna with a direct line of sight to the mountains where the transmitters are located. I can see them with binoculars. I gave up cable years ago and don’t stream live TV. I thought I would miss it, but didn’t.

I do have Internet, but currently on a 2 year promotion for $55 a month and 1 gig speed. Hopefully I will find a new promotion with another provider at the end of this one.
 
Most 4-year colleges. The high price actually discourages higher education goals. I don't blame the young people for raging against that machine. It is outrageous. And even state graduate schools are $40,000 to $50,000 a year. Bullpucky!
 

VintageBetter said:
Most 4-year colleges. The high price actually discourages higher education goals. I don't blame the young people for raging against that machine. It is outrageous. And even state graduate schools are $40,000 to $50,000 a year. Bullpucky!
Click to expand...
Agree. Federal and state support had been evaporating since the 80’s. State colleges don’t have near the endowments of privates. What to do? Jack up the sticker price for students. They love international and out-of-state because they pay more and they are from the wealthier families. It’s the in-state middle class students who are in the financial bind. If you can’t get grants or scholarships? This is how getting buried in student loans begins.
 
EmptyCup said:
Agree. Federal and state support had been evaporating since the 80’s. State colleges don’t have near the endowments of privates. What to do? Jack up the sticker price for students. They love international and out-of-state because they pay more and they are from the wealthier families. It’s the in-state middle class students who are in the financial bind. If you can’t get grants or scholarships? This is how getting buried in student loans begins.
Click to expand...
I have taken courses at community colleges and 4-year universities in my later years, past age 50, and I'm tellin' ya, those financial aid offices mostly exist to take money, not to aggressively tell students about any scholarships that may exist. They operate assuming today's students are the typical 20-something with two parents who have a combined income of at least $150K a year so mommy and daddy can pay for everything. But research has shown time and time again that one of the fastest growing populations of college and grad students are independent adults over age 30. Often they are parents, working FT and going to college too.

When I hear the phrase "data-driven decisions" coming from any of the leaders running these colleges, I cannot roll my eyes loudly enough.
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: The data is out there and has been for years. College administrators ignore the data because they like the
old-fashioned image of the college student with deep-pocketed parents better.
 
Most current rip off for are property taxes, just went up $500 per year. Living in a rural area I get no services but road maintainence, no water, sewer, gas, wifi, trash pickup, etc. The largest part of my tax bill is the local school tax, I calculated it and think it was 67% of the bill. I am in a township but still pay county tax, which is another rip off because the county provides zero services for where I live.
 
C50 said:
Most current rip off for are property taxes, just went up $500 per year. Living in a rural area I get no services but road maintainence, no water, sewer, gas, wifi, trash pickup, etc. The largest part of my tax bill is the local school tax, I calculated it and think it was 67% of the bill. I am in a township but still pay county tax, which is another rip off because the county provides zero services for where I live.
Click to expand...
that's a big problem here.. Council tax for my home is over £2,000 per year. We pay on the relative size of our houses.. and for many of us we don't get the services it's supposed to pay for...
 
Last edited:
hollydolly said:
that's a big problem here.. Council tax for my home is over £2,000 per year. We pay on the relative size of out houses.. and for many of us we don't get the services it's supposed to pay for...
Click to expand...
I'm just under $4,000 a year. Our rates are determined by the appraised value of our home/property. Every three years the auditor does a reappraisal, and right now the housing market is inflated so the new appraisals are high.
 
C50 said:
What the heck do you do with 800 channels? You must love watching TV to pay $300 a month.
Click to expand...
he gets 200 channels...800 less than I get.

the reason I have 1000 channels basically sis because I can... and in fact that's a very basic package. I have netflix, and the aforesaid 1000 channels but all those channels also include Radio stations.. lots of various religious channels as well ... and they come as part of a Package deal along with my Landlne, and my internet and mobile phone..

I also have Prime tv... yet I only ever watch a few hours tv per week.

We first got this when we were both in full time work...and working in television production..

I could do easily with less.. I just never watch Nextflix, and certainly never watch Indian and Pakistani religious shows, of which there are many, but waaaay down in the bottom of the listings ... but this package is a very good deal, so no need to change it .
 
C50 said:
Most current rip off for are property taxes, just went up $500 per year. Living in a rural area I get no services but road maintainence, no water, sewer, gas, wifi, trash pickup, etc. The largest part of my tax bill is the local school tax, I calculated it and think it was 67% of the bill. I am in a township but still pay county tax, which is another rip off because the county provides zero services for where I live.
Click to expand...


In my Georgia county one doesn't have to pay school taxes once they reach a certain age. I think it is 70 and you may have to be below a certain income. I know I qualified and it made a big difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top