tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post7150070368377738633..comments2023-10-30T05:28:11.795-04:00Comments on All Education Matters: Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) Responds To An Indentured Educated ConstituentCryn Johannsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-19856028059418705272011-09-23T15:51:41.153-04:002011-09-23T15:51:41.153-04:00@OneWhoSurvived - you're right. This is one of...@OneWhoSurvived - you're right. This is one of the problems. The influence of money is insane, and worse than it has ever been. But as you said, I will continue to be engaged and push for change.<br /><br />I was born to fight this fight!Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-79875208275805313192011-09-23T15:41:06.115-04:002011-09-23T15:41:06.115-04:00PS to my above comment, Cryn, you of all people ou...PS to my above comment, Cryn, you of all people ought to understand, that the reason why I, a self-described "reactionary" am sympathetic with the likes of the "African-American" (meaning Negro) Poet Amira Baracka, is because my FIRST loyalty is to Christ's Church, which has no nation and acknowledges no "race".One Who Survivednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-43239313260739017992011-09-23T15:30:46.887-04:002011-09-23T15:30:46.887-04:00Cryn, you asked,
"I am just as cynical as ev...Cryn, you asked,<br /><br />"I am just as cynical as everyone else, but what am I to do as an advocate? NOT engage these people?"<br /><br />My answer, with the admission that as I no longer live in America (and will not return to America in the foreseeable future) I do not suffer the same limitations and/or consequences as you:<br /><br />All that said, I would say (as a native-born American who DOES suffer in some ways in exile, even though my adopted country Australia is like all the best of America but without America's bullshit)...<br /><br />...I would say, yes engage with them, but NEVER FORGET WHO OWNS THEM! At this time, year 2011, the US Congress does NOT represent the People of the United States! What they represent are those who pay for them, who pay to put them in office. And the Democrat and Republican parties are two wings OF THE SAME oligarchy!<br /><br />Thus, today's USA is very similar to China, ruled by the "Communist" Party. As you probably know, Cryn, WITHIN the Chinese Communist Party, there are different factions competing against each other for personal power. This is analogous to America's "Democrat" and "Republican" wings of the oligarchy. The main difference is that China eschews the pretense of competition between the ruling party/oligarchy (the Communist Party) versus those who dare to oppose it, while America has a more SUBTLE way of keeping the pretense of "competition" between two factions of the same oligarchy.<br /><br />Hoo Boy, now I need some truthful words by the American Bard, Amiri Baracka (Poet Laureate of New Jersey): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUEu-pG1HWwOne Who Survivednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-16489948610708350902011-09-23T15:19:30.713-04:002011-09-23T15:19:30.713-04:00I interned for Senator Nelson and, some years ago,...I interned for Senator Nelson and, some years ago, had opportunity to spend considerable time one evening with him in his home. He's an authentic and great man. Keep in mind this letter was written by a staffer, or intern gifted in writing. All senate offices have large banks... of letter templates (the 2nd through 4th paragraphs in the letter), which they then personalize (the 1st paragraph in the letter). I've both contributed to the bank and personalized letters from it, like the one in your post. During each week, the staff make a list of issues people write to the Senator about (78 on jobs and the economy, 62 about the national debt, and so forth), and it is this list that the senator reviews each week, although staffers may point out special issues raised by constituents during the week. This is to say that we need more people to constantly write to their representatives about student loan indebtedness to guarantee we really get their attention.Stephen Ewen, M.Ed.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05556895992699588028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-60172166863025094792011-09-23T14:08:41.525-04:002011-09-23T14:08:41.525-04:00@OneWhoSurvived - even though we may disagree at t...@OneWhoSurvived - even though we may disagree at times, I know we respect one another. I appreciate your recent donation. It means a lot to me. Without your donations, I would be unable to return to D.C. <br /><br />This letter was drafted by a team of staffers. However, it is clear that they took the time to read the content of this woman's letter. We have all been ignored by most of these offices for over 2 years, so a response like this is a major victory.<br /><br />I am not sure why the reactions are so negative. I am just as cynical as everyone else, but what am I to do as an advocate? NOT engage these people? Ignore things like this? Should we just continue to bemoan the suckiness of the world and that's it?!? I mean, really. It's a fight I have taken on, and it's a fight that is worth it. I am not alone either. There are thousands of people who are helping fight to raise awareness about the student lending crisis.<br /><br />The criticism undermines all of us trying to change this ridiculous state of affairs. Frankly, it's tiresome - the snarky remarks.Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-39957530400571568192011-09-23T12:09:31.115-04:002011-09-23T12:09:31.115-04:00As per your request, I've just donated ten buc...As per your request, I've just donated ten bucks in addition to my prior donation.<br /><br />As for Bill Nelson's letter, I wonder, was it actually signed by hand? It reads like it was drafted by a staff member, as 99.9999 percent of Congressmen's letters are; the giveaway is his standard opening, "I want to thank you for sharing with me your thoughts about..."<br /><br />...which is the standard form of Congressmen's/Senators' letters replying to non-important (non-rich) persons. But regardless of his office's impersonality, I'm pleased by what his office wrote to you.<br /><br />But as for thanking the bloody mass-murderer Emperor Obama for anything at all, Hitler did some good things too, but I say he and ALL tyrants can go to hell.One Who Survivednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-55241085624053346842011-09-22T18:37:42.753-04:002011-09-22T18:37:42.753-04:00Sen. Nelson:
"I also share your concerns ab...Sen. Nelson: <br /><br />"I also share your concerns about the exorbitant tuition costs that pervade our nation's colleges and universities [my emphasis]. Fortunately, over the past two decades, federal policies have created new opportunities for students to obtain financial assistance and grants."<br /><br />lol. Bullshit. The federal student loan system has enabled the problem of growing education costs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-49887963790111869332011-09-22T17:06:29.205-04:002011-09-22T17:06:29.205-04:00Thanks for responding to my @ 3:22 post, Cryn.
If...Thanks for responding to my @ 3:22 post, Cryn.<br /><br />If the federal government didn't guarantee student loans, private enterprise would get out, and colleges wouldn't be able to raise tuition to unconsciousble levels. <br /><br />Take out the guarantee, and no rationale private enterprise would lend $200,000 to an 18-year-old who's never made a dime in his/her life.<br /><br />With the government to back the loan, private enterprise takes no risk and has nothing to lose. All I'm pointing out is the perverse incentives government subsidies have created. These subsidies had the good-faith intention that everyone deserves a college education, but that road led to ... <br /><br />I view Sallie Mae, etc., as by-products, not the root cause, but you probably disagree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-21875460429482312962011-09-22T15:28:55.342-04:002011-09-22T15:28:55.342-04:00You are right about something. The government subs...You are right about something. The government subsidizes LOANS instead of education. That infuriates me.Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-60117231254502615612011-09-22T15:25:47.198-04:002011-09-22T15:25:47.198-04:00Oh sure. It's all about the Big Bad Guv'me...Oh sure. It's all about the Big Bad Guv'ment. It has nothing to do with PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. Do you realize how bad things got after Sallie Mae went private? Do you not get that the privatization of collections and loans are the reasons for why we're in this mess? Sure. Blame it all on the Guv'ment. That's the easy way to undermine institutions that we desperately need BUT need to be reformed. In a word, we need private enterprise OUT of this whole thing.Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-54926611992689334532011-09-22T15:22:20.458-04:002011-09-22T15:22:20.458-04:00As others have pointed out before, it's the go...As others have pointed out before, it's the government's fault for creating this student lending crisis by subsidizing student loans, much like how the government caused the housing bubble that has led to this recession.<br /><br />Yet, for some reason, the senator proudly lists all the supposedly positive programs the government has created to "help" students rather than take responsibility for the current crisis. That's probably why he's a senator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-83859331150022406252011-09-22T15:11:13.302-04:002011-09-22T15:11:13.302-04:00Sen. Ben Nelson is actually in bed with Nelnet - h...Sen. Ben Nelson is actually in bed with Nelnet - http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com/2011/09/senator-ben-nelson-d-fl-responds-to.html<br /><br />Their corporate headquarters are in Nebraska.Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-49046346087284305372011-09-22T14:59:39.630-04:002011-09-22T14:59:39.630-04:00"You are in my thoughts and prayers"
....."You are in my thoughts and prayers" <br />... well bless his heart. <br />Translation: F*uck you, when you can bundle together $30,000 to donate to my next re-election campaign call me. In the meantime, let me cut and paste some response.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-14049702194275899572011-09-22T14:51:43.368-04:002011-09-22T14:51:43.368-04:00http://gawker.com/bennelson
This gentleman is not...http://gawker.com/bennelson<br /><br />This gentleman is not to be confused with $enator Ben Nel$on (D-NE), one of Sallie Mae's most ardent servants in Congress. I wonder if Sallie paid for that rug, on his head.<br /><br />By the way, the $enator from Sallie Mae refers to himself as a "centrist Democrat." [Read: corporate whore and tool of Industry.]<br /><br />I wanted to clear up any confusion, deriving from their names.Nandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423524039657355134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-90820030908275583722011-09-22T14:25:55.958-04:002011-09-22T14:25:55.958-04:00@SG I agree. There are too many factors that indic...@SG I agree. There are too many factors that indicate we are in a severe recession if not a mild depression.Cryn Johannsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08452412213997621242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481083477379506990.post-76645029446900635652011-09-22T14:22:02.317-04:002011-09-22T14:22:02.317-04:00"We are only beginning to emerge from the mos..."We are only beginning to emerge from the most severe economic recession since the 1930s."<br /><br />ORLY? Is it just me, or is it getting somewhat tiresome hearing politicians with cushy jobs say we're recovering? WHAT RECOVERY? I honestly think we never left the recession. In fact, I think we're in a mild depression, and it may very well get worse before it gets better.SGnoreply@blogger.com