The idea of a $500 car payment makes me want to die. Maybe if it was for two cars.
This is how I know I am cheaper than MH thinks I am, lol. He thinks I am like "'money, la di da!"
I never dispute we are solidly upper middle class, but both of these things - $500 car payment and $2700 to a political candidate seem like crazy talk.
I am with you on this. I don't feel like I am politically apathetic, at all, but I really, really have trouble imagining giving this much money to a political campaign. We are well above middle class HHI and, to me, this is like a crazy amount of money to donate to politicians. I can't believe there are this many people that do this.
And LOL forever at a $500 car payment. I'd buy myself a good pair of $500 boots and walk everywhere while I saved for a car before I did that.
But these things are making me realize why my DH likes to tell me I am totally out of touch with reality.
Lol that is me. I love expensive shoes, clothes and bags. But a car? Noooo. Too expensive. I also hate having fixed expenses in our budget though, so I think that plays into it.
Is this normal for large campaigns? I ask because with massive amounts of data, I wonder if it is not unusual to have some called into question as data is reviewed - kind of like my own expense reports sometimes get clarifying questions from finance.
Also - Is that Patton Oswalt who gave 2x the limit THE Patton Oswalt?
Is this normal for large campaigns? I ask because with massive amounts of data, I wonder if it is not unusual to have some called into question as data is reviewed - kind of like my own expense reports sometimes get clarifying questions from finance.
Also - Is that Patton Oswalt who gave 2x the limit THE Patton Oswalt?
Is this normal for large campaigns? I ask because with massive amounts of data, I wonder if it is not unusual to have some called into question as data is reviewed - kind of like my own expense reports sometimes get clarifying questions from finance.
Also - Is that Patton Oswalt who gave 2x the limit THE Patton Oswalt?
I don't know who that is.
The actor/comedian - I think he was on King of Queens back in olden times.
The problem with the New York Times article posted is that it does not provide a link to the actual letter from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to the Sanders campaign, and it also gives a simplistic account of the possible violations that the FEC is investigating. It is not simply those contributions over the individual limit of $2700 but also poor documentation of travel reimbursements and foreign nationals illegally giving money. Moreover, it does not really explain the process: for instance, when must the Sanders campaign respond, and if they fail to respond, what are the consequences? A good article would have covered each of these points.
So a lot of middle class people have $2,700+ to give a political candidate?
Yup. Right after they pay their $500 car payment.
Stepping out of lurking to comment on this. Most Americans are likely not able to give $2,700 to a political candidate. I can't find the stat right now, but people give only a very small part of their income to political candidates, somewhere under 1% of their take home pay. Per Opensecrets, the percentage of the US population that gives more than $200 to a political candidate is .23% and the number who give over $2,600 is .04%. I agree, that people who are able to give $2,700 are not typically thought of as middle class.
coming out swinging? Really? But, yeah I shouldn't have said anything. I should know better by now.
Don't act brand new. You challenged her, and it was all over your tone. And that's fine. I appreciate you wanting to contribute a source. But your analysis of the sources side-by-side actually missed why the first article was actually the more appropriate one. And when I pointed out the primary source, you are now passive-aggressively donning Bernie martyr robes ("I should know better"). I'm not having it. I think it's great you want to contribute and make us look at other sides. But the side you asked us to look at was inferior, and I'm not having it.
I agree, they were good points. I can't speak to the rest, I do rarely say anything about sanders v Hillary that is true so I can't argue with you there.
I'm not even interested in fighting, I regret saying anything but I'm not into deleting things either so here we are. I made a comment, there was a rebuttal, I accept it.
I think bad stuff is going to start slowly trickling out. My uncle has lived in Burlington his whole life. While he loves Bernie (not for President, but for Congress), he told my dad that Bernie's had a number of scandals over the years. In addition to the military pork bungle that the Daily Beast wrote about last week (and apparently only got to the tip of the iceberg), there's a lot of other little things.
His wife got a golden parachute when she left a college, and there are a lot of rumors about how she maneuvered that.
So now the Bernie is going to get some scrutiny, we will see how long his non-politician veneer lasts.
I am with you on this. I don't feel like I am politically apathetic, at all, but I really, really have trouble imagining giving this much money to a political campaign. We are well above middle class HHI and, to me, this is like a crazy amount of money to donate to politicians. I can't believe there are this many people that do this.
And LOL forever at a $500 car payment. I'd buy myself a good pair of $500 boots and walk everywhere while I saved for a car before I did that.
But these things are making me realize why my DH likes to tell me I am totally out of touch with reality.
Lol that is me. I love expensive shoes, clothes and bags. But a car? Noooo. Too expensive. I also hate having fixed expenses in our budget though, so I think that plays into it.
My car is old and kinda ugly but it runs great, is fun to drive and is a tank in the snow. Oh, and I only drive 50 miles a week. DH really wants to get me a new car (before his family comes to town and judges us - lol) but I simply cannot justify a car payment to just sit in the driveway.
Is this normal for large campaigns? I ask because with massive amounts of data, I wonder if it is not unusual to have some called into question as data is reviewed - kind of like my own expense reports sometimes get clarifying questions from finance.
Also - Is that Patton Oswalt who gave 2x the limit THE Patton Oswalt?
No campaign is perfect. The largest I worked on was a Senate campaign. I caught everything as far as I know. I would not input stuff without addresses and never inputted international stuff and the website should not allow it either. I think his compliance staff is not that v great.
Campaigns are under fec investigation frequently because opponents will report.
. I think his compliance staff is not that v great.
Previously, I have said that I question Bernie's ability to recruit and use smart, talented advisors.
It appears that previous observation was too narrowly focused. I don't think he knows how to hire smart, talented anything. His campaign seems to be a bunch of neophytes who have just gotten lucky.
Of course no campaign is perfect. However if you're running a campaign that you claim is perfect, and keep touting the donations... You better damn well keep it squeaky clean.
. I think his compliance staff is not that v great.
Previously, I have said that I question Bernie's ability to recruit and use smart, talented advisors.
It appears that previous observation was too narrowly focused. I don't think he knows how to hire smart, talented anything. His campaign seems to be a bunch of neophytes who have just gotten lucky.
I think he's benefiting from the same mindset that Trump is benefiting from. People are angry and stupid, and information/buzz is the most accessible it's ever been, allowing him and Trump to have supporters that create buzz and excitement/support. It's nuts.
*coughs* I have a $500 car payment. It's just a Mazda6, not even some luxury car! Probably helps that we only have a three year loan for it.
Us too. 2015 highlander. But it's the first new car we ever purchased and have been a one car family since 1999. So I don't fee too too bad. But yeah it's a stretch and if it weren't for two incomes, savings, a great house refi and Sam finishing day care - wouldn't have happened. Not the point I know
I think this really puts in perspective how inexperienced and frankly, kind of incompetent he and his campaign are. I get the feeling they think they should be above and exempt from all these silly rules and regulations because they're doing something important! Too important for rules! There's no time for details when you're starting a revolution!
I think this really puts in perspective how inexperienced and frankly, kind of incompetent he and his campaign are. I get the feeling they think they should be above and exempt from all these silly rules and regulations because they're doing something important! Too important for rules! There's no time for details when you're starting a revolution!
I think this is 100% what is happening. He never expected to be here at this point. They don't know what they're doing.
That's frightening in and of itself, but I don't think this is malfeasance.
Bernie Fucking Sanders is not supposed to be president. But he's really taken hold and is filling a void that no other candidate is filling.
I know you all aren't up in here humblebragging about your financial situation.
?? I don't understand the subtext here. Given how expensive new cars are, the $500 mark for a new car payment isn't at all crazy. What's crazy is how many people buy new cars regularly. We are both in nonprofit/academia and not well off by any stretch of the imagination, and had to wait for about five years to save and afford that level of payment.
I could be totally misreading your comment though...
Likewise, this rush of popularity seems to be filling a void in Bernie. His ego is just eating this shit up. So even if he's aware that he and his staff are in way over their heads (which they are), he's not going to admit it or do anything to stop it. He seems to me to love being the most popular kid in town and many of his most ardent supporters love having someone like him to follow. It's a mutually beneficial relationship that could be detrimental to the rest of us.
And really, I could also say the same about Trump.
I really do wish Biden had run. Or I'd like to fast forward 8 years into he future and get hyped about President Warren.
Sen. Warren turns 67 this summer. I don't think she'd run in 8 years. She'd be 75 on Election Day 2024.
He seems to me to love being the most popular kid in town and many of his most ardent supporters love having someone like him to follow. It's a mutually beneficial relationship that could be detrimental to the rest of us.
And really, I could also say the same about Trump.
I know you all aren't up in here humblebragging about your financial situation.
?? I don't understand the subtext here. Given how expensive new cars are, the $500 mark for a new car payment isn't at all crazy. What's crazy is how many people buy new cars regularly. We are both in nonprofit/academia and not well off by any stretch of the imagination, and had to wait for about five years to save and afford that level of payment.
I could be totally misreading your comment though...
I hope I am as well, cause I was just responding to people treating a car payment like the ability to spend $2700 on a candidate and not miss it. Our other car is a 2006 Mazda3 that I bought new in 2005. We drive our cars into the ground, so buying a new car isn't a terrible idea. I also spend an hour and a half in the car every day, not counting the time I spend driving for Lyft and Uber, so having a car I like is a good thing. I'm not like "OMG I AM AWESOME BECAUSE I HAVE A BIG CAR PAYMENT!!!11!!1"