Here's his contact information. Perhaps we should send him letters and call, and let him know that's he quite wrong?
A non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of all student loan debt through activism, education, and legislation; because student loan debt is dangerous to the US economy and to the health and well-being of individual Americans and their families. CRYN JOHANNSEN, Founder & Executive Director
9 comments:
I will say . . . at least it wasn't a generic form letter.
What was her letter to senator kyl in the first place? How are we to judge his response without, first, seeing her letter and then rendering judgement.
Seems like a pretty cheap way to attack a Senator, don't you think?
Plus, this isn't a right or wrong issue -- that is, discharging student loans from bankruptcy. Education is different than material goods because it is something that you have for the rest of your life. Seems to me, you should have to pay for it, even after bankruptcy.
If it were dischargable in bankruptcy, wouldn't everyone do it?
Come on.
Jon Kyl's contributors:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?id=203&cycle=2005-2006
Sallie Mae $3000
Nelnet $5000
Capital One $5000
Wells Fargo $7000
etc etc etc
Senator Durbin said it best: "banks own the place".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/dick-durbin-banks-frankly_n_193010.html
First of all, I gave him credit for responding. It's not an "attack," but rather a critique. Those are two different things. I don't know Senator Kyl. If I did, perhaps the remarks could be regarded as an "attack." This rhetoric is beyond tiresome, and shows how little people appreciate the nuances of terms and the public vs. the private. Critiquing a public person's response is what I did. I also think the suggestion that everyone would declare bankruptcy is problematic. I mean, if you follow that line of reasoning, you could say, "why don't people who have the ability to buy expensive stereo equipment declare bankruptcy left and right? After all, they 'can' . . . " Sir or Madam, that simply doesn't happen. You're also failing to understand just how difficult it is to declare bankruptcy (both emotionally and otherwise).
I think the second anonymous posting speaks volumes too! Hmmm . . . I wonder who's interests he has in mind when writing these sorts of letters? Again, I actually do credit him for responding, but know all too well - as does Robert Applebaum and our nearly 240,000 supporters - that Sen. Kyl is out of touch.
The original letter that I sent to Kyl, among various other politicians, is here:
http://comityofarrears.blogspot.com/2009/06/american-dream-deferred.html
The one I sent to Kyl was obviously addressed to him rather than Obama.
The main problem is the private loans that do not qualify for IBR or deferment. And when you go through graduate/professional school, you almost inevitably need to take those to get through it.
It wouldn't be so bad, but I graduated into an over-saturated job market (the legal field), and in an economic recession to boot. Plus, Kyl's figures for the average attorney salary are grossly inaccurate. The average attorney salary these days is $50k. Most newly graduated lawyers cannot even find a job that pays $40k, as the bottom dropped out of the legal market. See here:
http://bigdebtsmalllaw.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/padlock-the-law-schools/
and here:
http://bigdebtsmalllaw.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/job-of-the-day/
And, as I already wrote previously, IBR is bullocks:
http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-im-not-excited-about-new-ibr.html
Ahhh, that's how they get back at those young undergrads who got married just to be able to get more loans!!!
Thanks for the scenario; seeing as I am not married, I had not considered that. But I will not be getting married to anyone who has student loan debt anytime soon, that's for sure!
I guess not too far off topic, but the shooter in Orlando filed bankruptcy and his largest debt is a non-dischargeable student loan owed to Sallie Mae. The guy worked at Subway when he filed. Yes, I would echo Cryn's observation: Sen. Kyl is definitely out of touch. On a brighter note, a Senate bill has been introduced that would create an ombudsman for private loans.
http://studentlendinganalytics.typepad.com/student_lending_analytics/2009/11/senate-bill-would-create-private-student-loan-ombudsman.html
Also, Student Loan Corporation is acknowledging the possibility that the right to discharge private student loans may be restored.
http://studentlendinganalytics.typepad.com/student_lending_analytics/2009/11/parsing-student-loan-corporations-10q-for-clues-on-state-of-student-loan-market.html
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