A letter from Rhino Times reader Langston Grice
As a student, I am heartbroken and deeply concerned by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump Administration to dismantle the Department of Education. This isn’t just about politics — this decision will have real and painful consequences for students like me. Without the Department of Education, many of us will lose the protections and resources we need to succeed.
The Department of Education exists to protect students’ rights, ensure schools are properly funded, and hold schools accountable for treating all students fairly — no matter their race, background, or abilities. Without it, I fear that students in underfunded communities like mine will be left behind. I rely on this department to ensure opportunities like financial aid, protections for students with disabilities, and enforcement of civil rights laws are in place. The thought of losing that support makes me feel scared, abandoned, and angry.
That’s why organizations like the ACLU are more important than ever. They fight to protect our rights when powerful people try to take them away. I’m grateful for groups like the ACLU who are standing up for students like me and pushing back against decisions that threaten our futures. I hope our community understands what’s at stake. If we don’t speak up now, generations of students could lose the opportunities we’ve fought so hard to access.
Shutting down as much as legally possible, the Department of Education (DE) is an excellent idea rooted in several historical reasons.
The notion of ‘I’m from the federal government, and I’m here to help’ has primarily been disastrous. The federal government should have no role in education; the department is essentially just a middleman, siphoning off money to fund its bureaucracy and increasing the red tape that states and schools must deal with, and no evidence that having a federal department has improved education. Standards have gone down.
Programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have been costly, wasteful, and have failed to deliver the promised results.
While some argue for federal or state control over education, others advocate a different approach. Education should be managed locally, with communities taking the lead in their development. The ‘community-based education’ model empowers local communities to make educational decisions and is more effective than centralized systems that enforce a uniform approach.
Under the DE, student scores in the U.S. are not only stagnating but declining. This is a cause for concern, indicating that the system is not functioning correctly.
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It’s amazing anyone was educated before 1979, ain’t it?
Better educated, too.
Quit crying baby
“Without it, I fear that students in underfunded communities like mine will be left behind. I rely on this department to ensure opportunities like financial aid”
So, what I’m seeing is this person is possibly crying because the federal government will no longer give him a free ride to school. Underfunded communities are not just black people, they are also white people and Asian people and other races. Yeah, only the black people get government funding because they are considered a minority.
If a student, especially a high school student, commits themself and pushes themself to make excellent grades, pretty much any college will give them a free ride or as close to one as possible. Only those who expect a handout for free will not push themselves to the limits they are very much capable of. Anybody, regardless of race, has every opportunity in this country to succeed. But to expect to keep the department of education simply for financial aid is wrong.
I should not have to use my tax money to pay for someone else to go to school. Nobody paid for my children to go to school or to college. I had to pay their way. I was a single mom with a debilitating bone disease and yet they didn’t qualify for any financial aid or government handouts. I had to work four jobs to put my children through school. So my advice to this well-spoken young person is for his parents to work to put him through school. It is not fair at all to expect my tax money to pay his way. And all schools treat their students fairly now. Actually the white people are treated worse than the black people, so I don’t truly understand the argument in this letter except as you, properly stated, quit crying baby.
I’m so tired of the left and the woke crying because they aren’t getting free handouts. The ACLU is a failure. They are racist and they are biased. The department of education is a failure. It is a money pit of the nth degree. It is a waste of our tax money. They claim schools aren’t getting enough money, but yet we have the education lottery which all of that money is supposed to go to the schools. We are talking millions a month in the lottery. So if that money is not going to schools, my advice would be to find out where it’s going and whose pocket it is lining.
It is time for people to grow up and quit expecting something for nothing. It is time for people to grow up and stop expecting taxpayers like us to pay their way for free. Apply yourself and get good grades. Everybody in the United States of America has equal opportunities now and has for decades. So, quit crying, apply yourself, and then you will have something to be proud of when you make your accomplishments.
Are you claiming only black people benefit from federal programs? Weird and wrong.
Can you read? I absolutely said ALL races live in underfunded communities. Lol. Don’t make it racial Chris, which is exactly what you do best when you aren’t trashing Republicans.
“Yeah, only the black people get government funding because they are considered a minority.”
Your words. Not mine. Maybe it was a poor attempt at sarcasm? Poorly written if that was the case.
I also suggest you read some of my other comments in this thread about how the cost of attending college has greatly outpaced the average income levels within the US. I also provide data on the availability of merit-based scholarships and how little of the total cost of attending college they actually cover on average.
Republicans deserve to be trashed for the trash they spew with no basis of fact, reality, or fairness.
But you be you.
Hey chris,
I don’t give a rat’s rear what colleges cost now. All I know is it’s not my place to pay for somebody else’s child to go to college. I don’t care if they are rich. I don’t care if they are poor. I don’t bust my tail paying taxes in this greedy state of North Carolina for them to pay for somebody else to go to school. I had to struggle and work three jobs to put my children in college. Nobody but nobody helped me. I was a single mom raising three kids. And I struggled my butt off to put my kids in college. If somebody’s kid wants to go to college, let them pay for it. It ain’t my place to do it. I don’t give a crap what color or anything else they are. If you think it’s okay for your tax money to pay for somebody else to go to college, please feel free to move to a socialist country. This is America and we should not be allowing that crap in our country. I paid my way to college. I paid my kids way to college. I’m not paying for your kid to go to college man. I’m not paying for anybody else’s kid to go to college. If they want to go, let them earn it or let the parents pay for it. That’s all there is to it. Get over it man. And I damn sure ain’t going to pay for some illegal to come in this country and go to college and it come out of my tax money. If you want to open up your home and your wallet to all the illegals and all the poor, please feel free to do so. Kudos to you. But don’t ask me to do it.
Are you suggesting only wealthy people should go to college? Even if an advanced student receives a full scholarship, the cost of living outside of the family home is often too much for rural people to attend college.
I didn’t say that at all. I’m saying there are scholarships and grants that don’t come from my tax dollars. Anybody, rich OR poor can absolutely apply themselves and get good grades and qualify for scholarships. My tax money shouldn’t pay for college for anyone.
Right. At best a 1/3 of students receive some form of non-federally issue grant or scholarship. Most of those are based on need, not academic scholarship. Maybe 40% of that 1/3 is merit based. And even then the average non-federal scholarship only covers only about 2,500 of the average 8k to 9k cost per semester. And that doesn’t cover all costs of living for students.
Now consider that up to 2/3 of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and then tell me how easy it is to pay for college. The cost of college has increased 155% since 1980 yet average wages have only increased 37% since 1980. It is one of the many sources for increased wage gap between the wealthy and working class in America.
But you be you.
You’re 100% correct Pat, but Chris thinks that our tax dollars should pay for anything anyone wants, even the criminal ILLEGALS that are in the country
I have only ever supported those undocumented (they aren’t all criminals as letting a visa expire is only a civil violation, not a criminal one) immigrants who have been here for multiple years working and pay taxes should be given a path to citizenship without dehumanizing them in cages or foreign inhumane prisons.
Conservatives clearly don’t care about human rights or treating hard working people with decency. If they actually care about immigration challenges (which are very real and will get worse as climate change continues to destabilize South America’s agriculturally based economies) conservatives should pass real immigration reform laws versus spending your tax dollars dehumanizing desperate people. Conservatives love their police state type polices so I don’t even think they care about immigration law or laws in general for that matter.
But you be you.
Chris I’m glad I don’t wake up with all the hate,negativity and anger that you have every day.
I don’t hate. just doing a public service by keeping the RT from being an echo chamber of conservative hate, ignorance and misinformation.
best wishes
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I know. Isn’t he a sorry little fellow?
I believe he has serious issues.
Because of the US Dept. of Education, only 40% of adults can read your letter to the editor.
Effing-A
21% of adults in the US are illiterate. Only 54% of adults can’t read beyond a 6th grade level is the statistic I found online. Yet 90% of people in the US pass high school.
Clearly the US struggles with basic education.
Right!
Right. And for over 45 years, the US Department of Education should have been the entity that could work to ensure a quality education for K-12. And yet, achievement has only decreased. And cost of college has outpaced inflation, caused in part by government grants and easy student loans. One could reasonably concluded the DOE has been a failure at improving education. Time to try something different.
Trumpers are quitters when it comes to things that need to improve. They just cancel, defund, and fire. Why? Because they dont have a plan to make things better. Never have and never will. They just want more power snd weslth for themselves. Period.
You forget that years ago (before you were born) students who could not perform at the level required to be advanced to the next grade were held back to repeat the grade.
Sadly, the current education system says all students should be “together”, versus keeping students in the same grade until they can pass the tests.
Also, why is the education system full of those who do not teach, but who are social workers, counselors, etc.? If my time, if you failed to do your homework, or failed tests, you were held back. Then the “do-gooders” said you can’t use language that would demean the student. . . .and it goes on and on.
Sorta like slo Joe letting multiple people using the auto-pen while not knowing what they were signing
I’m pretty sure that’s against the law
Exactly!!!!
Chris you a such a hypocritical ass. Go back several posts you have made and read for yourself what you posted. More then once you took up for the people who crossed the border
ILLEGALLY. You said that what they did wasn’t really a crime. You really are a waste of humanity
He sure did! He’s so hypocritical!
Langston Grice is such a talented young man in sports at Grimsley HS. It’s a shame he has been reared as a complaining, helpless, hapless liberal; he only sees the world through a negative vision and not the wonderful world available to all who seek opportunity and believe in themselves. What a waste of talent and mind.
He appears to be a well-spoken young man and it is absolutely ashamed that he is being raised to expect a free handout through financial aid that our tax dollars pay for. Our tax dollars. Not for nothing, our tax dollars should not be paying for anyone to go to school in the usa. I worked for jobs to put my children through school. I suggest his parents step up and do their jobs. Don’t expect my tax money to pay for your financial aid. But, this absolutely is the liberal mindset and you are correct, it is a waste of talent and mind. What this young man is feeling to realize is that if he applies himself and keeps his grades up, most colleges will offer him a free ride or as close to one as he can get. But to stay that he wants to keep his financial aid, that is a huge issue for me. It is not my job to support this young man and keep him in school. It is not the job of any taxpayer. But again, this is the mindset of the liberal and woke generation. It is the, ” give me what you have because I don’t want to work for it” generation. What a shame and what a waste. How tragic that parents nowadays are raising their children to think like this. How tragic that our school system is teaching children to think like this. I miss the days when high school kids actually got a job and saved so they could go to college. Nowadays, they want everybody to give them a free handout instead of working for what they want. And unfortunately, when they don’t get what they want, they just go and take it. And they suffer no consequences for it. And we all can reference all of the looting that took place all over the country as examples of this month set. The liberals bailed out every one of those that did all of the looting and burning and destroying of businesses. There are no consequences to their actions and that’s why they expect more.
Fraud, corruption and waste.
Mr. Grice, under the current system you are being programmed, not educated.
Amen !
Sounds like some idiot from the ACLU wrote this instead of a public school student. Nice try.
Yea check out those test scores nationwide and failure rate of students who can’t read and write under the current Dept of Education and get back me
Poor Langston, flying in circles to the left at such a tender age. I suggest he attend a couple of years in the military or some organization that is helping in third world countries. Perhaps he will then have a less myopic view.
The decline in educational achievement since the creation of the Dept. of Education by Jimmy Carter as a political payoff to the teacher’s union is plainly evident. The billions of $s it has spent has made education severely worse.
Nor is this illogical. The autonomy of a school (lack of bureaucracy) is a very critical ingredient in a successful school. The Dept of Education bred educrats by the thousands and chokes and distorts schools in all kinds of ways–from regulations to offering carrots to the schools to do perverse things.
Mr Grice’s letter unequivocally displays the failings of the US Government Schools monopoly.
The number of morons here that think the federal department of education has direct impact on quality of education is silly. The most impact for public education k-12 comes from your state and local governing bodies, not the federal government. Sure, they put in place some standard testing to measure performance, but States drive curriculum and teaching standards.
Most of what the federal department of education does is financially support Title 1 schools in low income districts, offers funding for individuals with disabilities and support children’s nutrition programs. Of course, they also have driven civil rights into schools over the decades, but modern conservatives are happy to white wash how racism has impacted education in this country (hence I point out to Austin, we ignored education of minorities well into the 70s before the DOE was established as a cabinet level position.)
Mostly the elimination of the Federal Department of Education will do is push even more funding down to the state and local level where they already struggle.
Conservatives love their false narratives. But you be you.
So what you are saying is what everyone else here has said: there’s no need for the Department of Education. It would be better if the money and control were in the hands of the state, local citizens, and parents. We pay regardless of whether it’s through federal, state, or local funds, so let the citizens who are closest to the students, those in their neighborhoods and state, have control of how the money is used, and the curriculum that is taught.
Finally, we can be we.
No. I am saying the department of education is needed to administer the qualification and distribution of funds to schools that need the extra assistance over and above what the state and local governments can afford to fund. Which is really what they did before it was being dismantled. The savings isn’t from the reduced staff at the agency. it is in the reduced funding to schools and children which is the real travesty.
The idea of the funds coming from the federal level is that is levels the playing field across the various economies and political views of the states to meet a minimal standard of care for kids in k-12 education.
Not to mention the financial aid for kids to attend college.
Today (Aug 5th) had the lowest High Temperature EVER RECORDED for this day !
69 Degrees @ PTI (and that was at a minute past Midnight. PM temps only in mid-60’s).
Lowest ever High Temp.
Ha,ha,ha,ha….
there goes a guy that could use some more basic education to learn the difference between weather and climate. But truthfully willful ignorance isn’t an education problem as much as a personal choice by fools like Alvis.
But you be you.
.
Strange how these unprecedented low temperatures keep happening, ain’t it?
But don’t let the facts get in the way of your opinions, buddy. You might become a conservative.
.
PS
ANOTHER record low High Temp. today !!
Ha,ha,ha,ha….!
But you keep your head in the sand, Chrissy boy.
It’s not strange. Most models for climate change note the increased volatility in weather as one of the outcomes of climate change. Funny you never mention the heat records result from that volatility. Hmmmmm, selective thinking to feed your willful ignorance. Not shocked
Weather doesn’t equal climate. Facts and data are clear. Climate is warming at an accelerating rate never seen before during man’s existence and the cause is overuse of fossil fuels.
But you be you
You are more interested in defending your position than working towards the truth.
The Truth is fact. Climate and weather are not the same thing weather. Both are very different concepts. Other key facts and truths:
Climate change is caused by man’s overuse of fossil fuels
Climate change will begin to disrupt life as we know it with our grandkid’s lifetime if not sooner.
People who claim a weather event proves climate change isn’t real or a real concern don’t even understand the basic principles of the science behind climate change as a result of their willful ignorance.
These are all facts well understood by anyone who takes the time to understand even the basic of climate science.
But you be you.
Great. Just block grant the funds directly to the states so they can spend it how they see fit and don’t have to dance to the bureaucrats in DC. Local control is superior and more efficient that DC control. And THAT is the real source of the resistance to eliminating the DOE. All the bureaucrats that busy themselves with issuing rules, demanding all sorts of reports, surveys, including rules for Title 1 money, free and reduced lunch. All accountable to the DC based cartel. Bring the money back to the state education folks. They know better what they need and what works.
So Chris how do you explain the big freeze so many years ago that killed all the dinosaurs and other creatures but no
mankind was around. Wouldn’t that be considered climate change
Weather. That is the simple explanation. Weather is impacted by a range of short-term temporary factors and sees high range of variances day to day, week to week etc…. The biggest being El Nino and El Nina weather patterns. We are currently in an El Nina weather cycle so we are experiencing wet cooler summer. This is temporary and localized as it affects other regions of the globe differently (other parts of the US have more drought during El Nina patterns for example).
Climate looks at trends for Global Temperature average over longer periods of time. Typically, ten-year averages. that is why such a small change in Global Average temperature is so dangerous even though weather has large temperature changes daily. law of large numbers.
Hope that helps. I am no expert and climate science is complex and can be confusing at times. There are a wide range of reliable sources of information that can help simplify some of the complexity if you really care about your grandkids future.
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/mythbusters
Leave it to Chris to bring race into the conversation
Was just countering Austin’s comment that Federal Government wasn’t needed in education prior to 1979 when the federal government WAS needed given the southern states variances in quality of education for minority communities prior to Federal intervention which started even before the establishment of the DOE as formal federal agency. But yes, prior to 1979, education was fine if you were White in America without Federal involvement.
But you be you.
——————-
MY COMMENT MADE NO REFERENCE TO RACE.
Chris lies. Chris twists words. Chris demagogues. Chris deceives.
All.
The.
Time.
Here we go with the lack of reading comprehension skills from Austin.
Austin, you said the US education system was fine without the federal government prior to 1979 (when the DOE became a cabinet level position). I just pointed out that prior to 1979, racism was driving a huge divide in education and hence the need for federal intervention in public education. So NO, US education was NOT doing fine prior to 1979.
Wow you are slow.
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Sorry buddy, but it is obviously YOU who’s trying to inject race into this debate.
And don’t bother trying to say I’m stupid. Nobody’s buying that – in fact they can see for themselves who’s the imbecile.
Why don’t you take a vote?
1 – never claimed you brought race into the conversation.
2 – just proved why your statement was wrong because of racial history of US
you really should work on reading comprehension skills.
Your comment of August 6 @ 10.32am unequivocally introduces race. It’s there in black & white.
You are the one with reading comprehension problems, mate. And I’m not the only one who clearly sees your introduction of race.
But see how sly Chris is. He denies that he claimed I brought race into the debate – which is true. It is he who brought up race, and is now trying to deny it.
Chris is a sly deceiver. And you have proven nothing Chrissy, except in your cranial fantasy land.
Doubling down you your own stupidity is cracking me up. Where did I deny introducing race…..I was just spelling out my justification for it….lol
Please work on your reading comprehension skills. You aren’t normally this daft.
You didn’t deny it – because you absolutely did bring race into the debate, and it’s up there in black & white. Kinda hard to deny that, isn’t it?
Sly deflections are your MO. You brought race into the debate, and then accused ME of doing so!
Your mendacity is breathtaking.
I clearly proved why DOE was needed and that you were wrong that education was just fine without the DOE before 1979.
Hence your inability to refute it and are deflecting about a weird idea about my denying something I never denied. Lol
No, you tried to make the issue a racial one, and failed. The reason you did that was to imply that conservatives who see no utility in the DoE are racists.
That was your sly objective.
That is your unceasing agenda in these columns – the character assassination of conservatives.
Was just stating a fact and yes, it involved the historical racism in our education system in the United States prior to the 80s.
Weird you keep acting if I claimed i didn’t bring race in the conversation as IT WAS THE COUNTER to your misstatement an inaccurate view of American history.
But you be you.
No Chris You’re always talking about man’s impact on climate change and the climate but your answer had nothing to do with how man caused the big freeze especially when man and fossil fuels weren’t around
The funding should be mostly at the state and local level. They are the ones responsible for operating schools. And should be accountable to the taxpayers. There is an endless list of things the US govt tries to take on with our money. And, as with the DOE, doesn’t really do a good job of it. Abolish DOE and allocate the funds appropriated back to the states, if necessary. It is a false argument to suggest that if the DOE was abolished, we would revert back to racism impacted education. Compared to 50+ years ago, it is a different world. Black people are active, have political power. In GSO and Guilford County have a load of black leaders. We aren’t going back on this.
Sadly, it looks like the DOE ‘savings’ are to fund the tax cut for the wealthy who don’t really need it while we run up the national debt.
Langston Grice took the time and effort to offer his opinion and to sign his name to his effort. In contrast, only one opposing comment is constructive and provided details opposed to Mr. Grice’s opinion. None of the responses were signed. Our world has devolved into sarcasm and spitefulness, and that is very unfortunate. Just because you disagree with someone, does not mean you have to be snarky and belittling. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so can we go back to having some kindness? If you want to disagree, that’s fine, but please be nice in your response, especially when a young man has gathered the courage to publicly express their opinion.
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But that’s not true, is it? My comment was true and trenchant, and posited that the Department of Education has done nothing to improve education in this country, albeit rather pithily.
And my name is clearly supplied.
Mr Grice is to be applauded for engaging in the debate, but he should understand that free speech results in brickbats as well as bouquets.
So should you.
The primary value of the Department of Education has been to provide equal access to education for all Americans. This was critical during the 70s and 80s (you were dead wrong in saying education was just fine prior to 1979). At first the focus was on eliminating racial disparity. More recently the purpose has been allowing lower income students financial aid as the cost of college has far outstripped the wage growth in this country. (155% versus 37% since 1980 for example).
Too many conservatives have this fictional belief that anyone can go to college ‘if they just work hard’. This is a long dead myth that may have been true in the 60s and 70s but as the cost of college has reach levels that can exceed average income by 2x 3x or 5x of a working-class family, financial assistance levels the playing field. The wealthy members of our communities already have a significant leg up on education with stable family support, access to advanced private high school education, and financial means to pay cash for college.
Pretending that someone who comes from a broken home with a single mother working two jobs living paycheck to paycheck has the same access to education by ‘just working hard’ is lie and lacks empathy or understanding for the struggles many kids from working class families have to overcome just to receive the basics in education not to mention attaining access to advanced education at a quality university.
But you be you. I am well aware you don’t value any services form the government that don’t benefit you personally.
Your insults are as pathetic as they are chronic.
People are just tuning out your rants and personal attacks. Because they’re just crap.
More personal attacks from a guy who cant refute the truth I shared.
Paint me shocked.
Mr. Grice,
Rather than whining and complaining that you think everyone is against higher education, might I suggest you join the military (Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, etc.) and spend the next 4 years serving your country. By doing so, it will instill values to you that you apparently do not have but are filled with whining and complaining.
And what do you get by serving 4 years in the military? A free college education. I did it and got my degree, and so can you.
Remember, the only thing that is free is the air you breath.
Project 2025 is the blueprint for the total collapse of society; that’s the goal, trump has though executive orders fullfed 46% of the heritage foundation’s plan in less than 7 months. Return to the land, and the takeover of Jackson County Tennesse by the wealthy who want to create Caucasian only territories in the United States is in full effect. This is the fall of America but hey this is what you voted right? How you all liking $9 a pound ground chuck?
Go Jackson County, Tennessee!!! Love the idea.
I love the idea too separation is the solution!
Yes, I agree that “Separate Development” – Apartheid – was good for all concerned.
When the ANC seized power and dismantled Apartheid, South Africa started falling apart. Today, they can’t even keep the electrical power on any more. So sad.
*
Surely you mean that Cloward-Piven is the blueprint for the collapse of society?
And beef has become expensive because the previous far left Biden Administration believed that raising beef cattle is very bad for the environment, so they made it extremely difficult for ranchers. The US has fewer beef cattle today than it did 60 years ago. Less supply equals higher prices.
It takes about 2 years to raise a beef cattle to viable slaughter, and Trump’s only been in office for six months. You can’t blame high food prices on him.
What did he do to make raising beef difficult for farmers? Last I checked it was the cost of grain going through the roof that made it difficult and that had far more to do with the war in Ukraine than any action by the Biden administration. Or are you going to tell that BS how Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if Trump was in office given how little Putin has paid attention to Trump in negotiations over Ukraine.
————
Chrissy is a bully. He tries to intimidate conservatives by threatening them with his specious logorrhea. But he’s just full of excrement, and dances around here to tamp down his pathetic psychological insecurities.
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The Biden Administration assaulted the cattle ranching industry with a huge web of new rules, restrictions, requirements, regulations, and red tape, mostly instituted by them through bureaucratic agencies that crippled ranchers without going through Congress.
These include the WOTUS Rule, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and BLM’s “Landscape and Conservation Health Rule”. This is by no means a comprehensive list.
That is why the US has fewer beef cattle than it’s had in over 60 years. They waged war on the industry, and it contracted.
———
He also always deflects to a gratuitous and irrelevant insult to conservatives as he ends his absurd diatribes. In this case, he wants to deflect to… a debate on the causes of the Ukraine-Russia war!
Nothing to do with the price of ground chuck in Food Lion, buddy.
I worry about your sanity.
WOTUS rule was only updated because of a ruling by Supreme court that removed the significant nexus test for defining federal water rights. Be specific, how did this change impact cattle farmers? There was fear that the changes would mean the need for expanded permitting rules but that fear has yet to materialize. The supreme court ruling was actually viewed a win by cattle farmers as it increased clarity and certainty of which waters fell under federal governance and actually narrowed the scope of federal jurisdiction. Prior to the Biden changes required by the supreme court the federal waters defintions were too broad and worried cattle ranges of noncompliance costs etc… SO these changes were welcomed by cattle farmers.
RCPP the big change was increased funding. They also simplified the application process. So again, what changes impacted cattle farmers….be specific. The funds are distributed to farmers so not clear how that hurt cattle farmers unless you think more money is bad for farmers
ACEP this is a voluntary program and again, all Biden did was increase funding and works to help cattle farmers manage grazing lands more effectively so be clear how these changes hurt cattle farmers
The BLM changes with Landscape and Conservation Health rules had no impact on existing grazing permits or leases. There was concern it would lead to reduced future grazing but worry hasn’t materialized unless you have any evidence that says different.
Looks like you just spewed a bunch of administrative changes and assumed the increased costs for cattle farmers but I found no evidence that these changes had any such impact . Let me guess, you don’t either.
Not shocked.
Here is a supporting article that disagrees with your narrow and poorly stated position on why cost of beef has increased.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/why-is-beef-so-expensive?msockid=1418fcc40c8265dd315bea840dd4640f
Note tariffs are tossed in the mix of the problem. Duh. we don’t get all of our beef domestically.
Get a life, you loser.
Ooooh another great comment from a typical conservative who lacks ability to engage when facts, data and sources are provided to counter their false narrative. Classic one Al. Thanks for showing who you really are for all to see.
But you be you.
Since the far right crazy trumplican party can blame everything on Biden I will blame trump, China is already buying beef from Australia, so is Canada. New orders for manufactured durable goods fell 9.3% in June, the largest monthly decline since 2020.
Exactly. Conservatives claim democrats want to destroy American while they ACTUALLY destroy America. Classic misdirection used by most fascist organizations.
Langston Grice is at the beginning of and hopefully fulfilling life ahead that cannot and should not rely on protective backstops such as the Department of Education to get him through to the other side. I can offer my own lifetime experiences that illustrates why a DE or any other lifeguard institution is unnecessary.
Have lived in Greensboro most of my life and graduated from Greensboro’s schools – high school and college. I preceded the era of DE and student loans. I grew up in a poor family that lacked the funds or interest in my education. I served eight years in military reserve and received no benefits after I was discharged. I worked full time as a delivery driver and stock clerk and attended night classes 4-5 nights year around at Guilford College Downtown until I got into UNCG, which cost less per semester hour.
I paid my way and graduated debt free for my education. At the time there were many students who followed the same path as mine. We were not concerned with protections and resources that would ensure our success. The challenges we faced then were as serious for us as they are for current students today.
Happily I enjoyed a good career that required hard work and never ending attention to emerging skill requirements for my chosen profession. Happy too to report my marriage- begun while in college- is now beyond sixty years with more to come.
You don’t require a student loan or DE to succeed. Hard work and perseverance will get the job done. Langston I suggest you make a note to yourself to look back at your goals and accomplishments 15-20 years from now. Could you have done it on your own initiative?
i will ask before i tell you….what do you think the cost of college increase related to growth in income has been since you went to college? Or are you one of those that think since you could do it in the 80s or early 90s that it should still be just as easy today like those that think buying a house is easy today as it was in the past?
Let’s also toss in the increased cost of living increase versus the increase in average income on top of the gap in cost of college and growth of income.
Go.
Chris maybe you missed the part about Bill being married over 60 years,he got married while in college, that puts his college years in the 60’s not the 80’s or 90’s
I applaud Bill’s efforts and accomplishments. Young people today can still do the same if they are willing to make sacrifices and put in the effort. Stop looking for “someone else “ to pay the way. Now you go
I use the 80s as that is when the separation in growth in tuition costs began the outpace growth in wages. Hope that helps.
There are not enough sacrafices that kids can make to make up for a growth of 155% increase in cost of college tuition and fees versus only a 37% increase in average wages over the same period.
I understand it makes you feel better about cutting federal support for education to say what you are saying but it doesn’t make it true. See my other comment above for more details on the challenges kids face today that older generations didn’t face that much it much harder to afford advanced education with taking on massive college debt unless you come from an upper middle class or wealthy family.
Best wishes.
Now this guy is on to something!
Cost of living then – tuition at GC Downtown was $25 per semester hour. My job paid $1.75 per hour. I was married and my wife worked as a bank teller. Credit cards had not been introduced. Our apartment rent was a little less than $100 monthly.
Students today can certainly hold a job to help defray expenses. School costs began to climb when access to government funding became easier than before. Why not consider an educational track that affords you an opportunity to blend school and work and do it without using borrowed money. Better yet, devise a means of getting an education that insures your ability to graduate with a skill set while leaving you debt free upon graduation. It took me several years longer to graduate, but it was certainly worth the effort.
155% percent increase in college costs while wages only increased 37%. Facts say you are wrong. The truth is it was much easier for you to self-fund college than it is for a kid today. Another way to look at is using this statistic:
In 1970 it took 4.1% of the average annual income to pay for college or 11 days of average income
In 2025 it took 40% of the average annual income to pay for college or 106 days of average income.
I can break down the numbers more clearly for you if you like as I have had a kid in college for the last 15 years but have been blessed to earn enough to pay for all their undergraduate degrees so they could finish debt free. And even at my income level it wasn’t easy.
Good perspective, Bill.
Thanks, and at 85 I try to learn something new each day. Life’s grand if you allow it.
You really should take a minute to learn that cost vs wage growth have changed how things are today versus when you were young so by trying to use your life experience to judge young adults today really isn’t fair or accurate.
Best wishes.
Stop.
Just stop being so condescending and rude.
How dare you. There’s more wisdom and common sense in Bill’s comments than you will ever possess in a million years.
You could learn a lot from him – but you won’t.
LOL, the guy who constantly insults me personally, often with no actual substance to his responses, just open blatant personal attacks tells me to be nice. LMAO
The hypocrisy of conservatives is never ending. LMAO what a good chuckle this morning.
REALITY CHECK :
Chris can’t make a comment without insulting conservatives and smearing us (including this one, calling us all hypocrites).
Dragging the debate down to this level means that we must reciprocate his rudeness – at which point he complains that he’s receiving some of what he dished out.
So… who’s the hypocrite?
Says the guy who personally tries to insult me (as if I care) in just about every response he makes to my comments. Yawn.
My hats off to you Bill
Thanks. In 1963 there were no loans available for education. The route to a higher education was by making enough by working to pay for it. I would liked to have been able to attend UNC or Wake Forest as a full time student, but both were beyond reach. I didn’t experience any college frills but did get a degree that I wanted.
Bill still ignoring that college in his day required a vastly smaller amount of the average annual income versus what students face today. Looks like another case of willful ignorance.
But you be you.
Take a history class on the development of the Dept of EDU. Perhaps it will assist your perspective. It aint workin’ ! Change affects everyone, perhaps the human element is your future job arena. The whole of society is affected by those who have come through the public school system, they continue statically unable to read. How can they function in society much less add solutions when they are also part of the larger problem. Jump on board and participate in the solution’s learn how mankind evolved and devolved. Then again “Jump into the fray; problem or solution, which will you chose?
The cost of college increased partly due to two things: More money chasing tuition via easy to get college loans that weren’t vetted as to the borrower’s earning prospect. But hey, the loans were easy! And a constant but false narrative that everybody needed to go to college. In my generation enrollment began to rise. When demand goes up and supply doesn’t keep up, prices rise. In 1960, 3.35% (6 million) of the US population was enrolled in a college. By 2025, it had increased to 5.88% (20 million – greater than the growth in population. And, as expected, tuition, dorms cost, food service, books, cost of professors, etc rose GREATER than inflation. As we now see with people struggling with heavy loans that funded degrees with low earning power, we have a mess. Too bad more people didn’t opt out of a soft, liberal arts degree and enroll in comm. college leading to a skilled trade. But the education elites made electrician, plumber, contractor and skilled jobs seem unattractive. The trades are doing very well.
Who made those jobs seem unattractive? More made up BS from people trying g to make educated liberals apear evil, when the real evil are the fake Christians who use propaganda and misinformation to paint fairness, empathy and giving (being woke, DEI, public aid programs, etc…) appear evil when those are the ideas promoted by Christ.
Chris, why do you think college costs are so high today? Is it necessary to spend thousands of dollars to attend college, especially if less expensive options might be available? Do you see AI as an immediate threat job security.
Appreciate your acknowledgement that colleges costs are so high versus when you attended and it is a huge issue for younger Americans today. I agree AI is also an issue to be engaged with as well.
AI becomes a productivity enabler so many of the jobs that require advanced education will change but not all be replaced. Key is now you have to learn your skill (engineering, accounting, auditing, finance, etc..) AND AI. The one job that will change the most is programing. More and more, non-IT type jobs will be expected to use AI to self-automate their roles. I work in tech and we are already seeing business roles doing more of their own ‘automation’ even if with just simple tools like MS Copilot.
Jobs with traditional ‘hands on skills’ will not be immune from needing to learn AI tools but the changes will not be as dramatic. Carpenters will need to learn AI estimating tools for example.
So, if you are still in the work force and NOT learning AI, you are risk being left behind. I am 55 years old and am getting certified in a range of tools to stay relevant in my career.
College costs are high for a number of reasons:
– states reducing subsidies for State university programs
– supply and demand. number of university seats has not kept up with growth in kids want to attend college.
– increased student services in competitive race to attract the best students
– over investment in sports programs for schools where sports are not profit centers (looking at you UNC-Charlotte
It’s simple, if you got it but didn’t pay for it, someone paid for it and didn’t get it.
But I’ll be me.
Why don’t all you mud-slingers give it a rest? Just ignore them.
The Rhino Times used to have a civil, respectful, and thoughtful discussion forum before Chris showed up.
Really.
The Rhino times used to be an echo chamber of misinformation, lies, hollow attacks on democrats and general ignorance. Now people can see both sides of the issues versus the propaganda pushed by the right in place of truth, science and facts.
But you be you.
The leftist globalist democrats and their nanny state… We don’t need this web of government funded parasites who pretend to be experts and darn near mandatory for all walks of life. Maybe a few dependent whiners need to put their boots on and realize that THEY can be the difference needed, without some liberal goon to gum up the works.
The conservative fascist movement that cedes power to the few to the detriment of the many. We need regulations to protect our environment, our climate, our competitive markets, and our health from the power of profit that is the sole focus capitalist systems that drive or economy. Balance. THAT is what we need.
What we need is some rural person with their boots on to realize the real challenge is long term risks being ignored by conservatives to their way of life gumming up the works and not the science that helping them improve their way of life.
But you be you.
*
“The conservative fascist movement”… ! Hilarious!
This guy lives in a little make believe World of his own, fueled by too much feverish consumption of CNN, CBS, NBC… etc
He probably thinks that Marine LePen and Viktor Orban are latter day fascists. That’s a fantastic reality perception problem!