Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is not exactly the youngest face in the Democratic Party, but he’s certainly attempting to be the most appealing to Generation Y.
The New York Senator gave a press tour to college newspapers throughout the Empire State on Thursday advancing his new plan to make college more affordable, tackle student loan debt, and prevent colleges from raising tuition rates — all without addressing the reason college costs are rising.
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According to NYU’s Washington Square News, Schumer compared the price of college to a new Ford, they both use to be about the same price, but education has increased while car prices have decreased.
Oddly enough, one has competed in the free market while the other hasn’t?
“For too long, we’ve talked about the problem, but nothing’s gotten done,” Schumer said to The Washington Square News. “So we can do better. This time, we’re doing things a bit differently. Rather than introducing a bill, forcing a vote, and having it fail, Senate Democrats all across the country will be ramping up the pressure on Congress to act using the #InTheRed campaign.”
Schumer’s hoped a hashtag campaign created by students on social media will help advance his bill, Reducing Education Debt Act or RED Act.
The bill will increase taxes on the wealthy and oil companies — have Democrats talked about this before?
If enacted the bill would make two-year community college free, arrange for lower interest rates in private education loans, and also work to prevent colleges from increasing their tuition and fees.
Schumer, like other Democrats or Independent Socialists, don’t seem to understand that the fundamental problem associated with the rising cost of higher education is government intervention.
A study from July 2015 by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that government programs including the Federal Direct Subsidized Loans and Pell Grants were responsible for generated a 65 and 50 percent increase on college tuition, respectively.
Sorry, to say plans like Schumer’s will make college less affordable.