Also from this morning’s <a
href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/19/AR2005121900159_2.html?nav=rss_politics”>”Misanthropy
Before Breakfast” bill, reconciled by Congress:
And in one of the most controversial provisions, the agreement
would
shave $12.7 billion out of the federal student loan program, in large
part by locking in interest rates often at a higher level than the
current variable rates.
“This bill is the largest raid on student
aid in history,” said Rep. George Miller (Calif.), the senior Democrat
on the House education committee. “At a time when millions of American
families are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing tuition costs, it
is shameful for Congress to raid student aid in order to pay for tax
breaks for the wealthiest Americans.”
Absolutely nauseating. How do you like our Congress actively making
it harder to get an education? Yeah, that’s how we’ll compete in a
global economy blah blah blah.
Any Boston-area college students pissed off about this? Or folks with
student loans?
And the official rational? We have to cut the federal deficit. THE FEDERAL DEFICIT!! NOW we’re concerned with the federal deficit? Funny, I don’t remember Congress being that concerned when they were passing the tax cut packages.
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p>
The unofficial rational? Young people don’t vote, so screw ’em.
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p>
I’m really beginning to believe that the competing philosophies of good government in the future won’t be so much “conservative” vs. “liberal” as it will people that look to long term interests, versus government looking for short term solutions at the expense of the future.
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No individual who has ever been successful in life would govern their finances like this. Cash grabs today at the expense of future earnings and growth rarely work out very well.
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Republican’s recently tried to justify slashing social security, at the expense of my generation, as justified by a need to cut the federal deficit. Now they cut student loans, again at the expense of my generation, ostensibly justified the same way.
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This is just unreal.
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p> – Prizblog.