Project Logic Ga

I can’t believe the GOP is taking about the redistribution of wealth and socialism—are you kidding me?  I went to college in the early 80s after doing my best K through 12.  While I am no Condi Rice, Barrack Obama or Hemingway, I did well at country county high and was disappointed to learn that I would be paying for college with student loans.  What?

You know the students from families in the middle-income range—to much money for grants but not enough money to write a tuition, room and board check.  If President Reagan thought my parents had the money to fund my education, he should have required them to do so.  To add insult to injury, the guys who played and “cut the fool” for 12 years were in college also—taking remedial classes for a year and a half—wait for it—free!  Because of family income (or lack there of), these students graduated debt free and I ended up graduating with honors and a student loan—the redistribution of wealth. 

Don’t get me wrong, it warms the heart to see friends who grew up facing constant adversity as current homeowners, great parents and pillars of the community.  In retrospect, the route I should have taken was to declare myself an emancipated minor with a mall job and qualified for grants also.

Like the Obamas, my student loan was/is around into my forties and like Senator Obama, I worked as a community service person.  Check this out: if your student loan was based on lack of family income, the federal government will forgive it for doing that type work, i.e. teaching in a rough school.  But, my loan can’t be forgiven because of my family’s income decades ago.  Really?

Republican President Ford signed the Earned Income Tax Credit into law in 1976.  The EITC was designed to offset the burden of payroll taxes for low-income working families and to provide incentives to work.  Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush have expanded the program and I must say helping the working poor get above the poverty level is much better than welfare.  The program taxes one group to give money to another group—Ford, Reagan, Bush and Bush.  What’s the definition of socialism again.

Some people feel that the federal government should think Darwinism or the “Survival of the fittest” went making policy.  While these concepts are controversial, socialism v. Darwinism in the congress in the 90s was Cynthia McKinney v. Newt Gingrich.  Congresswoman McKinney and the well-intended liberals argued that the government should ensure a minimum quality of life for everyone while Speaker Gingrich crafted policies that worked toward giving people the opportunity to achieve if they stayed focused and worked hard.  But, if you did not make it; hey, that’s life, law of the jungle.

Funny thing: those guys from my community who went to college on Pell Grants are with Newt in their mindsets—and Newt is one of the only conservatives who realizes the political potential.  The money they received for college has been paid back many times over in middle class taxes.