From: keyser72@mac.com Subject: Date: April 21, 2005 3:53:51 PM CDT Hankblog

Monday, March 22, 2004

After all, what's more American than owing money?

Pandagon hosts this nice short piece about the really messed up messages we're getting on debt these days.

I freely admit to having had a bad credit card problem in my youth, that bounced back once. I can safely say that I am not at the point of stress that Jesse talks about in this post. But I'm one of the lucky few. Everytime I get some piece of junk mail that comes from the Texas Exes, I just want to scream. They have no right to start trying to whore me out for more money, when they're already slamming the students in terms of higher tuition to make up for budget shortfalls. When I started at UT in 1990, I paid just over $900 for 13 semester hours. That's total. Tuition and fees included, and that was with the Intercollegiate Athletics package so I could take a shot at getting football tickets when the team was lousy, and a parking permit that basically just gave me the option to HUNT for parking.

When I finally got back to UT this last fall to finish the degree up, it cost $1000 for 3 measly hours!!! What the hell? And this is for a STATE institution. I'll grant that it's a damn good one, as far as public colleges and uinversities go, but really, what the hell??? And don't even get Brea started on this. She got scalped because of messed up rules regarding residency that left her paying out of state tuition for the first 3 years of her time at UT if I remember right.

You know what, Texas Exes? Last thing either of us needs right now is another damn Visa with a freaking cow on it, ok? Now leave us alone.