Thursday, February 02, 2006

Republicans: College Loan Rates Rise

You need to let Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce know that you don't appreciate the Republican budget cuts. The college loan program, as adjusted by the Republicans, will only put parents and students deeper in debt. While Exxon-Mobil and other oil companies get tax breaks, average Americans will go deeper into debt to send their kids to college. There is something very wrong with that.

Here is another quote about the budget cuts from Pryce: "American taxpayers, and anyone concerned with the nation's long-term fiscal stability, have won a great victory today," House Republican Conference Chairman Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, said.


NYT---...In the Medicaid health care program for the poor and disabled, $4.8 billion will be saved in part by increasing co-payments and reducing payments for prescription drugs....
NYT----With the narrow passage of the spending bill by Congress yesterday, students and their parents will be able to borrow more money to pay for higher education but will face higher interest rates on these federal loans beginning in July....
...The bill increases the rate on loans taken out by parents, known as PLUS loans. It had been scheduled to rise to 7.9 percent from the current 6.1 percent on July 1; it will now increase to 8.5 percent as of that date.

Under current law, the interest rate on federal Stafford loans, taken out by students, will rise to 6.8 percent from 5.3 percent...

OTHER NEWS
According to the Toledo Blade, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, a Democratic candidate for governor, raised more campaign dollars over the past six months than the two veteran Republicans battling for their party's nomination....

Looks like people are willing to support a winner!


And this....
A Taxpayer gives Republican Jean Schmidt a job evaluation: Here is part of the evaluation.

...Of course, you say you are for limited government and lower taxes, but you voted for the Congressional pay raise and, previously, for every single increase ever proposed by Bob Taft, including a 1-cent increase in the sales tax, and higher taxes on gasoline and alcohol. That's three more strikes for hypocrisy.

As you can see, we have some serious problems with your job performance. While we would typically like to work through these problems with our employees, budgetary constraints and the importance of correcting the direction of the country just do not give us that luxury in this competitive time.

In conclusion, after a careful look at your performance on the job, we have decided it's best that you look for another job. The good news is that you have until the end of the year to find something else, at which time your employment here will be terminated. I am sorry it did not work out. We had such high hopes for you in this new position.