Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 117, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 2010 Page: 4 of 10
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Viewpoints
Page 4 ■ Thursday, April 1, 2010
Sweetwater Reporter
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2010
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EDITORIAL POLICY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for
expression of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except
those labeled "Editorials" reflect the opinions of the writ-
ers and not those of the Sweetwater Reporter.
Froma
Harrop
GUEST COLUMN
ake student
loan companies
off wel fare
When the government hands money to poor people,
that's welfare, Republicans say. That's taking money
from productive taxpayers and encouraging depen-
dency, they assert.
But when corporations get taxpayer
handouts, that's not welfare in the GOP
book of rhetoric. Take away a compa-
ny's subsidy, and you have a "govern-
ment takeover." Such is the Republican
stance on Democratic plans to remove
the corporate middleman from the fed-
eral student-loan program, included in
the recently passed House health care
reform bill.
Since when did ending taxpayer sub-
sidies become expropriation? Since
Republicans stopped being principled
conservatives and became corporate
socialists. If the Republicans' mission
is to enrich their corporate donors by
burdening taxpayers, they're going
about it the right way.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican,
complained on Fox News that if the Democrats' student-
loan plan passes, "what the federal government has
done is dealt out the private sector."
Darn straight, senator. And may one ask why the pri-
vate sector was "dealt" into a government program to
begin with? The answer is easy: That's what passes for
conservatism these days. (For further reference, check
out the 2003 Medicare drug benefit legislation, which
Republicans made wildly expensive by cutting in the
private insurers.)
There are currently two kinds of student loans. In one,
the government lends directly to students. Democrats
want the whole program to be like this. In the other,
the government gives guarantees against bad loans and
rising interest rates to private financial companies, who
then lend the money to the students. Either way, taxpay-
ers are on the hook.
Which means either way, it's a government program.
When Graham charges that Democrats are "giving the
student-loan program completely to the federal govern-
ment," he is making zero sense — unless he believes that
the banks have some entitlement that we weren't told
about.
Republicans (and a few Democratic accomplices) are
defending a real sweet deal for Wall Street. The com-
panies make fortunes off the student borrowers while
the taxpayers protect them against their bad luck. This
is another of those "privatized profits and socialized
losses" schemes that enriches the financiers no matter
what happens to the rest of lis.
Do you know who would lose billions should they be
"dealt out" of this government program? For starters,
our bailout buddies at Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and
Bank of America. And, of course, there's Sallie Mae, the
student-loan giant.
Ah-h-h, Sallie Mae. This private company made so
much dough off the program that in 2002 its then-CEO,
Al Lord, ranked first in corporate compensation in the
Washington, D.C., area and another Sallie executive
came in second. Having made a quarter-billion in 10
years. Lord bought 244 acres in suburban Washington
to build his own personal 18-hole golf course. Not bad
payback for working a government program.
But oh dear, by chopping subsidies to private lend-
ers are we taking away consumer choice? It's true that
students would find it harder to obtain predatory loans.
As reported in Fortune magazine, one Sallie custom-
er's $38,000 student loan had magically ballooned to
$100,000 after the borrower lost a job. And some still
in school found themselves paying Sallie interest at an
astounding rate of 28 percent — on top of the exorbitant
fees slipped into their loan agreement's fine print.
Under the Democrats' proposal, students would obtain
loans directly from their college financial aid office. The
students would pay a lower rate of interest and over a
longer period. The taxpayers, meanwhile, would save
$67 billion.
There's little in this picture that a real conservative
who believes in a student-loan program wouldn't like.
Odd how Democrats have to be both the liberals and the
conservatives these days.
To find out more about Froma Harrop, and read fea-
tures by other Q-eators Syndicate writers and cartoon-
ists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.
creators.com.
LIFE JUST HAPPENS
Still Explaining
By now, many of you
have probably figured out
that love has never really
been a positive aspect in
my life. It seems
that life always has
a way of turning
my good and happy
times into some of
the saddest times in
my life. I do believe
though that the
experiences I have
had in relationships
has brought me to be
the kind of person
that I am today. To
gain a better under-
standing of where I
am coming from, I
figured that I would
give a little background to
better explain myself.
I opened myself up
completely when I was
15 years old. I know that
many people would say
that at 15 years old there
is no possi ble way to know
what love is or experience
it fully. Most would want
to call it infatuation or
puppy love, but my theory
is, there is no age that
is set for someone to be
able to fall in love. Some
people meet their soul-
mates when they are in
kindergarten. Some don't
meet them until they are
in their 80s. Never has
it been written that love
has to come into our lives
at a certain time, other-
wise, it can't be felt truly.
At the same time, nobody
can tell another person to
love someone or not love
Amanda
Moreno
someone.
I ended up falling in love
the moment I saw him,
and my guard came crum-
bling down. The
moment I turned
the corner and
saw him stand-
ing at my door,
all my thoughts
went out of my
head and some-
thing in my heart
told me, this guy
was going to be
something spe-
cial. It seemed
that for four
months, I was
walking on cloud
nine. I was in
love for the first time, and
I will never forget the feel-
ings that I had. It seemed
that no matter what hap-
pened, it just didn't matter
because I was happy and
nothing was going to take
that away from me. Then,
four months later, four
days before New Years,
my world came crashing
down, just as fast as my
guard did, four months
earlier.
For the first time in m
life, I had given my a~
to someone, that I wasn't
expected to give my all
to. The only people that I
had ever loved were fam-
ily members. They were
the only ones to know
me completely. This was
the first person that had
come into my life and had
been able to see everything
about me. I told him the
K
good and the bad that had
happened in my life. I was
certain that nothing could
ever tear us apart, but,
apparently, I was wrong.
From day one, I thought
I had found Mr. Right,
but now that I think about
it, maybe I was wrong.
Maybe, I was young and
foolish and really had no
clue.
After that experience, I
decided that I would not
allow myself to be hurt
anymore, especially by a
guy. I figured that as long
as I didn't open myself up
to anyone anymore,, then
there was no risk of being
hurt. After that, I hit a
period where I was "care-
free" and really didn't
think of anything. It's easy
to go through life and not
care or worry what any-
body thinks, but it is no
way to live. Even though I
have talked to other guys,
they have never seen
me for who I really am.
Depending on the situa-
tion, I have always con-
formed to whatever would
fit the situation best.
Nobody has seen the real
me in numerous years.
For awhile, I wasn't even
sure what the real me was
like.
Up until about a year
ago, I didn't see the prob-
lem with living like this.
Life is hard, and it's a
little bit easier when you
don't have to worry about
someone breaking your
heart because nobody has
• • • •
the chance to get close
enough. I figured that 1
couldn't live the rest of
my life this way, but I
was determined to try. In
a way, I hoped that one
day someone would care
enough to come along and
see through the mask I
had put on, and actually
care enough to get to the
real me. I have to say, it
happened. I'm not saying
that this person was Mr.
Right, but he is something
important in my life. He
could have been, but once
again it just wasn't time.
I have given up trying to
figure out what is going to
happen in the future and
I'm learning to just live
for the moment. Worrying
jets 11s nowhere and real-
y, it takes away from liv-
ing.
The thing I have noticed
though is that things hap-
pen when they are sup-
posed to, not when we
want them to. The good
things do sneak up on us
and it does happen when
we least expect it. Looking
for anything really gets us
nowhere. There are things
that just have to happen
in life that we cannot con-
trol.
Amanda Moreno is
a staff writer for the
Sweetwater Reporter.
Comments about this col-
umn may be e-mailed to
editor @sweetwaterre-
porter.com.
UEAL1U ORE
PAVifcGE ^MClilLE> I
<_£AO TO
GUEST COLUMN
Opposing an intolerable act
The history of the United
States begins with a rebel-
lion against unfair taxa-
tion.
In 1767, a dis-
tant and unrespon-
sive government in
London, led by an
out-of-touch lead-
er in King George
III, implemented
the Townshend
Act. That mea-
sure slapped taxes
on many popular
items, including
tea. The law didn't,
however, provide
representation in
Parliament for the
taxed colonists.
Unable to make their
voices heard in the halls
of government, a group
of American patriots
dumped tea in Boston
Harbor. The punishment
for that first Tea Party
was a series of intrusive
laws so oppressive that
they were described as the
"Intolerable Acts."
History, as they say,
tends to repeat itself. On
March 21, the House of
Representatives passed
an unpopular health care
measure, which the presi-
dent swiftly signed into
law.
Obamacare is today's
"Intolerable Act." It too
should be opposed and
repealed. Fortunately, this
time Americans are repre-
sented, so we can overturn
this misguided law with-
out resorting to violence.
Much of the fight against
this bill will be led by the
individual states — as it
should be. Our Founding
Fathers wanted states to
retain most of the govern-
ing power. They realized
that states were better
positioned to find ways
to solve problems close to
Edwin
Feulner
It's
home. Hence, they gave
the federal government a
very limited role.
So far, 33 states have
taken steps to
challenge vari-
ous aspects of
Obamacare,
including its
unprecedented
mandate that
every American
purchase health
insurance or face
a steep penalty.
Four additional
states will have
this question
on the ballot in
November,
important for
Americans to push back at
the ballot box, because it's
clear many of our leaders
in Congress aren't listen-
ing to their constituents.
Obamacare is the most
significant piece of social
legislation since Social
Security passed seven
decades ago. But the way
it passed is different.
The Social Security Act
was drafted in the open
and widely debated. And
that "transformative" bill
enjoyed broad popular and
solid bipartisan support.
Obamacare passed without
a single Republican vote,
and polls show a major-
ity of Americans oppose
it. They realize that this
new law would accelerate
Washington's intrusion
into our daily lives.
Supporters of this law
argue (hope?) that pop-
ular hostility will recede
now that it has passed.
And yes, 32 million people
will gain the theoretical
right to health insurance.
But half of that cover-
age comes from placing
at least 16 million more
Americans into Medicaid,
an unpopular and over-
extended welfare program
that already rations care.
As Americans feel the bite
of higher taxes and notice
they're not benefiting,
opposition to the law will
only increase.
There's a reason gov-
ernment-run health care
has been the holy grail
of the Left for decades:
It represents a giant step
toward the creation of a
European-style welfare
state. This is an evolution
Americans have resist-
ed since our beginnings
because it is alien to our
national character.
Americans instinctively
dislike the ugly deals and
kickbacks used to pass
this law. They're aware
that the actual law signed
by the president con-
tains payoffs for Florida,
Nebraska, Louisiana and
other states. But those
deals are useful in that
they've educated people as
never before about the dif-
ferences between the lib-
eral and the conservative
visions for America.
Our health care system
requires reform.
We can and should
strengthen the ability
of American families to
choose the coverage they
want, rather than giving
that power to Congress and
its agency bureaucrats. We
can also spur competition
and choice to bring effi-
ciency and lower costs to
the health system, in place
of Obamacare's deadening
regulation and damaging
price controls. And, above
all, we should foster state
innovation rather than
Washington-based central
planning.
There are no permanent
defeats in Washington.
Things looked bleak for
the colonists in 1776, and
they prevailed. The forc-
es of freedom will do so
again.
Round two of the strug-
gle to improve health care
is underway.
Erf Feulner is presi-
dent of The Heritage
Foundation (heritage,
org). Any comments can
be emailed to editor@
sweetwaterreporter.com.
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 117, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 2010, newspaper, April 1, 2010; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229128/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.