Generation Opportunity

Generation Opportunity is a conservative/libertarian national network that connects young people with the purpose of promoting economic opportunity and prosperity for the Millennial Generation.[1]

Generation Opportunity releases monthly unemployment statistics for the 18 to 29 year old population, based on the monthly unemployment report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[2][3][4]

History

Founded in 2010, Generation Opportunity initially focused on a variety of issues including taxes, high gas prices, and broader economic issues.[5] [6] [7] Generation Opportunity then began to look at youth unemployment statistics and the Millennial Jobs Report, which gave unemployment statistics for 18-29 year olds on the first day of each month.[8] In September 2013, Generation Opportunity launched a campaign called "Opt Out of Obamacare".[9]

Leadership

As of August 2014, the president of Generation Opportunity is Evan Feinberg (succeeding Paul T. Conway).[10]

Important issues

Generation Opportunity focuses primarily on economic issues.

The Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")

Generation Opportunity focuses on the purported negative effects of the law for the millennial population, claiming that Obamacare will cost young Americans two or three times as much per month for the same type of healthcare insurance they could get from a private insurance company. [11]

Affordable Care Act opt out campaign

Generation Opportunity launched its Opt Out of Obamacare campaign in September 2013.[12] Generation Opportunity conducted a college campus tour to 20 campuses to convince college students to sign a petition to opt out of the Affordable Care Act.[13] The organization states that its goal is inform millennials of options outside of the Affordable Care Act,[14] and to raise awareness of the cost of the Act for younger generations.[15]

On September 18, 2013 it released a controversial video ad named "Opt Out - The Exam - Creepy Uncle Sam".[16] The video received over 600,000 views within its first 36 hours,[17] 3.5 million views within its first week, and drew a response from President Obama during a speech in Maryland.[14] The video features "Uncle Sam" intruding between the legs of a female patient during a gynecological exam.[13] A third "Creepy Uncle Sam" video was released on October 25, receiving 300,000 views in 3 days.[18]

Youth unemployment

On the first Friday of every month, Generation Opportunity uses the information released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate unemployment for Americans aged 18–29.[19]

Student loans

Generation Opportunity advocates for the federal government’s discontinued involvement in the student loan business, citing that in 1982, the average cost of a year of undergraduate school was only $3,951;[20] adjusted for inflation, that number today would be $9,400.[21] The cost of a year of tuition today is $23,006.[22] Generation Opportunity claims that one of the primary factors causing this difference is the government offering loans at artificially suppressed interest rates, allegedly enabling colleges and universities to raise college tuition.[23]

Controversies and criticisms

Senator Angus King from Maine said the people at Generation Opportunity are "guilty of murder"[24] for their work against Obamacare. Generation Opportunity President Evan Feinberg described Senator King's comments comparing their opt out campaign to murder as "embarrassing" and "asinine.[24]" When asked to explain the creepy Uncle Sam ad, Feinberg compared his ad to the ad Democrats ran against Congressman Paul Ryan on his proposal to restructure Medicare: "They're not suggesting Paul Ryan is literally pushing granny off a cliff but trying to make a policy point," he said. "We're trying to make a policy point that Obamacare is creepy and invasive. It's obvious satire."[25]

Generation Opportunity has been criticized for spending $750,000 on its opt out campaign and its use of an "Uncle Sam" mascot to promote its message.[26]

Funding

In 2013 POLITICO reported that Generation Opportunity received a $5 million grant from Freedom Partners, a group of about 200 donors that is frequently associated with billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch,[27][28] whose involvement with the organization has attracted some criticism.[29]

References

  1. ↑ Official website "Who We Are". Generation Opportunity. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Kingkade, Tyler (February 6, 2013). "Millennial Unemployment In January 2013 Rose Much Faster Than National Rate". Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Nielsen, Allison (March 7, 2014). "Youth Unemployment Rate Still High in February". Sunshine State News. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  4. ↑ Bader, Emily (March 7, 2014). "U.S. youth Unemployment Still High". NJ Biz.
  5. ↑ Faraci, Matthew (March 14, 2012). "Gas Prices Are Too Damn High". Generation Opportunity. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.linkedin.com/company/generation-opportunity?trk=ppro_cprof
  7. ↑ http://generationopportunity.org/press/top-3-things-to-know-about-young-voters-and-the-2012-election/
  8. ↑ Pasch, David (July 5, 2013). "Millennial Jobs Report: Youth Unemployment at 16.1% in June". Generation Opportunity. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  9. ↑ "Millennial Jobs Report: Youth Unemployment Reaches 13.1 Percent as U.S. Economy Shrinks". GlobeNewswire. February 4, 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  10. ↑ http://generationopportunity.org/about/ourteam/evan-feinberg/
  11. ↑ Hogberg, David. "Why The "Young Invincibles" Won't Participate In The ObamaCare Exchanges and Why It Matters". National Center.
  12. ↑ Moody, Chris (September 19, 2013). "Creepy Obamacare ad hits college campuses and your nightmares". Yahoo News. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Reston, Maeve (September 20, 2013). "Obama looks to Hollywood to help promote his healthcare law". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Leary, Alex. "Opt out of Obamacare is conservative group's message to young people". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Goodnough, Abby (September 19, 2013). "'Creepy Uncle Sam' Is Anti-Health Care Law Mascot". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "Opt Out - The Exam - Creepy Uncle Sam". Youtube. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  17. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-obamacare-hollywood-20130921-story.html#page=1
  18. ↑ "Halloween Horror 2013 - Get The Door, Chad - Creepy Uncle Sam".
  19. ↑ MANJARRES, JAVIER. "Youth Unemployment Rate Hits 16.1%". The Shark Tank. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  20. ↑ http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_320.asp
  21. ↑ "CPI Inflation Calculator". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting institutions, by type and control of institution: 1964-65 through 2006-07". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  23. ↑ Gorman, Matt. "Least Likely To Succeed: Now’s The Time For The Senate To Act To Prevent Student Loan Rates From Rising". NRCC. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 LaPotin, Katie (September 30, 2013). "Sen. Angus King calls right-wing orgs like Generation Opportunity 'murderers'". Red Alert Politics. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  25. ↑ Leary, Alex (October 12, 2013). "Opt out of Obamacare is conservative group's message to young people". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  26. ↑ Pickert, Kate (Sep 19, 2013). "Spread Your Legs for Uncle Sam". Time US. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  27. ↑ Allen, Mike (September 9, 2013). "Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' secret bank". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  28. ↑ Mak, Tim (October 25, 2013). "Generation Opportunity to lobby Hill on behalf of Millennials". Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  29. ↑ Stolberg, Sheryl (October 5, 2013). "A Federal Budget Crisis Months in the Planning". New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2013.