Letters

Shouldering even more debt

As a recent med school graduate with student loan debt the size of most peoples’ mortgages, I am appalled at the callous greed of the federal government, no doubt under the influence of financial industry lobbyists, in pushing legislation that makes it virtually impossible for college and graduate students to ever pay off their student loans ["House OKs $14 billion in student aid cuts," Nov. 18]. Eliminating reasonable interest rate caps and aid programs ensures that fewer students will pursue higher education, which will mean a less-educated work force. Thousands of calls and letters from students were not enough to push politicians to do the right thing. Maybe we need to get more parents to speak up and more students need to vote so that politicians will listen.

Sue Hirsch, physician, author and publisher
Orange County, Calif.

Wait and see

George Bush supposedly supports education at the elementary level with his "No Child Left Behind" program, which is a joke, only to pull the rug out from under students when it is time to pursue a post high school education ["House OKs $14 billion in student aid cuts," Nov. 18]. He is the ultimate hypocrite! There is a huge domino effect involved when you make it more difficult for low-income students to attend college. Two of the main consequences will be an increase in unemployment as well as an increase in the crime rate in this country. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.

Brandon Brake, Student
Greenville, N.C.

All students left behind

Shame on you Republican majorities ["House OKs $14 billion in student aid cuts," Nov. 18]! Whoever you are, and you know who you are, if you represent me, forget getting any votes from me.

It’s people like you who kill dreams for future Americans – just maybe not your kids because you’re too filthy rich to care about others.

On top of this, students in Texas now suffer more because of the "Tuition Deregulation" bill that passed several years ago.

Instead of making those cuts, how about increasing the borrowing limits on the Federal Stafford Loans? Those limits have not been changed for over a decade now – probably since the Stafford Loans were created, and all the while college tuition has exponentially increased at a rate many times that of the rate of inflation.

"The letter expressed concerns that the cuts may create barriers that prevent first generation, minority and low-income students from completing college." Damn right, and I am one of those!

Thanks for only thinking about yourselves and ruining my future, the future of my peers and America’s children. Yet another dumb move by Congress.

Daniel, student
Arlington, Texas

Rearguard Editor speaks out on the spectacle of the Spectator

As editor of the Rearguard, PSU’s other monthly magazine, I would like to note that we haven’t missed publishing a single issue, and unlike The Spectator, we pay our staff. We do all of this with a budget of

$21,500 and without selling ad space or seeking private funding, compared to the Spectator’s budget of $27,000 from PSU alone.

The Spectator has received more than enough money, both from PSU and from private sources, to publish and has produced little more than excuses. Their inability to publish has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with ineptitude and mismanagement ["The end of the Spectator?" Oct. 19, 2004].

The time has come to realize that the Spectator’s existence is little more than a resume booster for its management, and that it is doing little to actually serve the student body in any way. That is $27,000 that could be much better spent.

Josh Gross
Editor, PSU Rearguard

Slicker than snot

The mere fact that the campus conservative newspaper the Spectator chooses not to publish, citing the high cost of the chosen material (called "slick" in the print industry) demonstrates that they favor form over substance; or that they lack substance entirely ["The missing magazine," Nov. 23].

If you are trying to send a message, to share your strongly held personal beliefs, you publish on black and white photocopy paper if that is what you can afford. Even Cedric "The Park Blocks Entertainer" shows up for his "job" every day and works his crazy ass off. This campus is regularly littered with junk rags that have little to no funding, put out by passion and sweat alone. Now these paragons of the right seem to feel that the free money they currently get isn’t sufficient to do the job. Maybe they are expecting corporate welfare?

Why is it that the loony left can get this job done with a Xerox and some staplers, but all these people manage to do is tie the perfect Windsor knot and pose for photos like the mannequins in the window of Structure or Banana Republic? I have always felt that no matter what differences of opinion I had with people I could respect the passion they put into their beliefs, but this is an example of just how lacking in passion these folks are.

They get the funding to do a job, a job they have not done in over a year. Well kiddies, there is no corporate welfare for you. This is not the private sector and it is time you lost all funding or actually work for your money. With the social services cuts your chosen party supports, why not take a page from your own playbook and recuse yourselves with some dignity?

Chris Boatright, student
Portland, Ore.