Talk Union County Blog

Dear Baby Boomers,

A new study is confirming what those of us that are the sons and daughter of Baby Boomers have known for quite some time; we’re getting paid less for more work, have more college debt than ever before, are suffering the loss of high paying jobs in both manufacturing and so-called intellectual work that have been shipped overseas (what was that Thomas Friedman?), and Dad refuses to leave the high paying jobs that would otherwise be ours. Welcome to generation fucked.

We worked our asses off to get college degrees (many of us advanced degrees) and made all the “right” decisions. We acquired debt because it was necessary in order to get that degree, but unless we were fortunate enough to be born into a relatively wealthy family, we couldn’t afford to take the internships required to gain experience, advancement, and entry into so many of our chosen professions.

We are stuck in dead in jobs that we can’t risk leaving or else our credit rating (and chances at entrepreneurship) will be obliterated. There is no escape, not even through bankruptcy, from the loans we were forced to take out to pay for the inflated (often secured with benefits we can only dream about) salaries of overpriced administrators, college bureaucrats, athletic directors, coaches, and professors of a generation that refuses to retire and allow the next generation to take its turn. When they do retire, and miracle of miracles, a professional and well paying job opens up the salary is often cut in half and the benefits are slim to non-existent in comparison.

We did everything that was asked, and yet, somehow the kid that used to huff paint in high school and whose remaining cluster of brain cells is no bigger than a walnut is doing as well or better than us without all that book learnin’ and debt we racked up. At least, if he starts a solvent business that supplies aerosolized joy to the next generation of slack jawed drop-outs he can erase any spectacular failings in seven years or less or blame it on the legal entity he named Paint Inhalants Incorporated. Thanks for that bit of legislation Mr. and Mrs. Boomer, we, your children, appreciate it.

We know you were the most subsidized generation in US history and didn’t want us to become dependent on silly things like plentiful college grants, federal housing programs, health insurance, paid vacation time, and pension funds like you were and are the beneficiaries of. We also appreciate the fact that you refuse to lecture us on our lack of financial success compared to your own. But we do have one simple request that we’d like you to consider: Please take your lifetime benefits and your pensions, that incidentally pay out more than our salaries, and retire.

Love,
Generations X and Y

To see the study that inspired the rant click here.

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