UW Students visualize the debt.

Last week the Young Americans for liberty chapter at the University of Washington engaged their fellow students on the important of debt reduction. The Student were generally meet with curiosity more then hostility, which is unusual for a libertarian club on any campus. Most onlookers stooped for a brief moment to look and the display. Others took photos and walked up to there booth to learn more about our national debit.

During the event a local school group of 4th grader visiting the campus stopped to learn more about our national debit. The president of the student group explained the danger of over spending and what their future might look like if we don't fix the national debt. A few of the 4th grades tried to pronounce the debit. After multiple failed attempts, the student frustrated proclaimed, "This number is way to high!".

The Visualize the debt event was part of a nation day of protest to try and engage people on the issues surrounding our national debt. The student group was interviewed my MSNBC and the local papers as well.

Its good to see this tough issue discussed so plainly with the community. One would hope that this discussion would not just stop on campuses but would start to be a major focuses for most of the conversation focusing on our future. If a 4th grader could get the message i hope the maybe our legislature would also come to the realization that "this number is way to high!"

The Changing of the Guard

There comes in the course of history a time were a small minority could forever change the very fate of our nation. Often people claim that those times are great areas of conflict or times of civil unrest, where the dedication of a few revolutionaries, can surpass the collective apathy of the masses. Very rarely are elections contributed with being true turning points in America history. As I have heard even political professors say, that in the end of the day elections don't really matter, movements matter.

So what, if you become a new yes or no vote in the electorate, unless your part of the majority or the deciding factor in a vote what real impact can you have, except making the lives of the other legislature more difficult? What can really changes the fate and direction of our nation is the social and cultural shifts. Often those shifts can be assisted by those we elect to higher office or the leader we prop up, but the momentum and the heart of any movement resides within the emotions of the people.

From my work in the political community for the past year, I have ridden shotgun to many of the political revolutions and issues of our time. I have seen the impact the media and our culture has on direction on the people of my generation.  More importantly I have seen the end result of all the madness and "reforms" that so many groups have been fighting for. The only results from their labor are a disenfranchised youth whose very future is being taxed by the growth of our nation.

This fact is being driven home by the rise in the cost of education and the continued reduction in entry level jobs for those soon to be out of school and/or out of work. For those raised on the promise of a good life after college are met with the cold reality of the stagnate waters that seem to be the future of our generation. With students being drunkenly awaken by Obama's last election found themselves quickly sobered by the increase attacks the their futures. What will become of the entitled youth when their comforts and future hopes are wagered against the preservation of a system they believe to have no stake in?

For those of you involved in the political realm, put your ears to the ground and listen to the rumble that's a coming. There is nothing more volatile to then a large number of high trained unemployed young people. As we have seen in the Middle East, the revolutions do not come from the old and the experienced, but from the youth whose dreams seem plausible with their perceived coming victory over the very culture that raised them. The larger the deficit grows, the more the entitlement generation will lose the dream that they where promise. To that end a great cultural revolution will come to America. A great cultural revolution that will forever change America and redefine the dream my generation fights for.
 
To what end do we strive? To whom do we find fellowship? To What send will the leader of tomorrow fight for today? One thing is for sure the changing of the guard is coming and the ranks will be filled with those that wish to fight to reclaim that which many of us feel was taken from us. The American Dream.

Higher Education: G.E.T Reform

State G.E.Ts program will be up on the chopping block this election session. I personal used this program to help pay for my college so I'm a little bias. But i feel that its one of the few programs that helped the middle class go to higher education. The G.E.Ts program from those that don't know is the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program. How it works is .....if you buy a unit of G.E.T (like a stock) at the current price of education. (example one unit of GET might be 1/25 of a over all semesters cost at the UW) Then whenever the price of education goes up so does the value of the GET. You have to buy the GET quite a distance out in advance, but the idea is this program helps people plan for college.

 Like most things with the government, the devil is in the details. The GET program like most government "investing" programs have a habit of magically losing their stored money. And the GET program has run into some trouble. With the increase in tuition costs the value of the units of GETs are increase more so then the government can afford. ( maybe the government should get into investing). So the State is looking at cuts and adjusting  the program. 

"Lawmakers are concerned that GET, already underfunded, could become a liability if college-tuition costs outpace the state's ability to make money on its GET investments. The state takes GET purchases and invests the money, much as it does with a pension fund."(Seattle Times)

 

This program was great for me, but should it be a core function of our state government? Don't think so.... I just hope they don't shaft those already on the program( like me). 

The Plight of Education

Most days I read two to three newspapers to stay up to date on whats going on in the world. One of my favorite things to do is read some of the comment chains on popular articles and stories of controversial issues. Of late the more I read and research controversial issues, the more I come what is the biggest problem in American education, the inability to think critically.  

I love to talk politics with people, especially if they don't agree with me. ( You learn more about the world by looking out a window then by looking in a mirror)  Lately I have run into a large number on both sides of the political spectrum that don't think critically, they think emotionally. They are more likely to yell at you then talk with you. 

My parents are both teacher and conversation like this come up all the time. How do we teach critical thinking?  Mainstream education teaches you what to think, not how to think.  What we need is to focus more on the latter. With "Education reform" making education look more like an assembly line then a school. The question beckons...What are we teaching our kids? 

Being a higher education student myself, I have learned and refined the ability to regurgitate the equivalent of an education hairball in class, but true understanding is another situation entirely. So i would pose the question, should we be focusing on measurable criteria? Or on something more in depth when i comes to education reform? 

Job Openings!

The Student Freedom Project is now hiring outgoing energetic people for our Campus Liaison program. The general description is below;

The Campus Liaison will act as the day-to-day representative for the Student Freedom Project on your campus. He or she will support the efforts of the statewide program by acting as the go-to resource for leadership and information on campus. The Campus Liaison will support the holistic growth of student groups and freedom-loving individuals within their campus and region. 

Hours per week: 10 

Length: One Academic Year  

Paid position 

For Job description and duties email Alexander Smith at asmith@effwa.org

Higher Education: Practical information

Student Legislation Guide

Washington State 

This guide is a list of bills for you to look at and learn about before you meet with your representative(s) and/or senator. Having something specific to talk about will give you some traction when talking to elected officials.  It’s helpful to be specific about what you want to change or what specific bill or part of a bill you want to change or push forward. 

Below are some individual bill numbers, titles and summaries. With the possible exception of the first bill on the list (although college students do drink a lot of coffee), all of the bills here deal with issues related to higher education.

House Bill 1715 “An Act Relating to designating coffee as the state beverage”

Representatives to contact: Bailey, Wilcox, buys, Zeigar, Haler, Fagan, Johnson and Warnick 

Bill summary: This bill would establish coffee as the official state beverage.

House Bill 1795 ”An Act Relating tuition increase relative to state funding”

Representatives to contact: Carlyle, Seaquist, Haler, Reykal, Rolfes, Probst, Morris, Sells, Pedersen, Jacks, Hudgins, Maxwell and Frockt. 

Bill summary: This bill aims to create transparency in regard to state funding of higher education. As the bill states:  “It is the intent of the legislature to: ensure that tuition dollars are spent to improve student access, affordability, and the quality of education; and create a modern and robust higher education financial state that funds outcomes and results rather than input and process.”

House Bill 5334 ”An act relating to requiring lawful presence in the United states for financial aid programs” 

Representatives to contact: Steven, Benton, Morton, Swecker and Roach  

Bill summary: This bill would require people to be legal residents of America to qualify for instate tuition and  financial aid.

Senate Bill 5442 “An act relating to an accelerated baccalaureate degree program” 

Senators to contact: Senator Shin, Tom, Kilmer, White, and Chase 

Bill summary: This bill would authorize the development of accelerated bachelor’s degree programs allowing academically qualified students to obtain said degree in three years instead of four.

Controversy in Washington

House Bill 1715 could change Washington State forever. As the bill states;  "The official designation is a desirable promotional tool that Washington businesses can use when sharing their product with customers through the world."  (HB1715) What is the bill about, you ask? Only the most important cultural characteristic of Washington State.  The amazing taste of coffee.

This bill designates coffee as our state drink, but the tough question is what kind? Is Washington State a black coffee state or a mocha latte or perhaps we are a chi tea type of state. The kind of coffee is very telling about a person and more so a state. What image do we as a state want to portray to the rest of the country?

Without your input key issues like this will be decided. Write or call your legislature today to get in the fight and stand up for your favorite morning pick me up. We can't fix health care or higher education reform this session but we can forever decide the fate of our state drink and the flavor of our future.