March 3, 2010
îlf* jportlanh (Observer
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Page 9
T H E CANARY ¡M T H E AM NE SHAFT
OF
A M E R IC A N
bEAM XRACY
■%
R ac e
Don't call 911 when there is
someone who is emotionally
upset. You are not going to get
help from the police, not in this
town. You are putting an upset
person in an evermore danger­
ous situation. And especially,
if you are dealing with a black
male, please don't call 911. We
all know what happens then.
I had a situation at my house
a few years ago where I put
myself at some risk- but I al­
ways knew I would never call
the police. The reason? I knew
I would have a dead friend in
the front yard (a black male).
I've heard too many stories
of black men with numerous
police aiming weapons at then,
meanwhile yelling multiple and
confusing orders-all the while
just itching to pull the trigger.
Any excuse. The adrenaline is
running high. In their collec­
tive white brainwashed minds,
"It's a black man!" "He's got a
by J udge G reg M athis
weapon!" "He's a threat".
Last fall, the Obama administra­
I hope the collective "we”
tion, with support
of House Demo
. - -
can sustain the push this city
e ra s revealed a plan that would over-
needs to deal with this issue.
u the way student loans were dis-
And yes, contrary to what bursed to college students. Instead
Banks Bail on Students
Scare tactics
used to block
change
’
J
t
•
Linda Aanzinger
Northeast Portland
u 'T T
?
lenders that service student loans,
over 10 years. The savings would
then be used to increase Pell Grants
to students, help forgive loans for
students going into public service,
assist community colleges and pro-
vide early childhood learning pro-
grams and modernize public school
acuities.
Facing the possibility of losing a
significant source of revenue, banks
are pulling out all the stops to make
sure the bill never becomes law.
U nders have spem millions ° f
r° m bankS and
other lenders students would, under
the proposed plan receive funds di-
rectly from the federal government,
S u J Í l l ^ W‘f U'd T e
s T
WWbdhon ,n fees, charged by the
dollars in recent months holding public
town-hallmeetmgsandpnvatemeet-
ings with legislators to make their
CT
L,'SlnS S,Care taeliCS'
telling lawmakers that students may
—
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default on their student loans more
frequently because the counseling
lenders provide would no longer be
a part of the loan process. The banks
say that, in the long run students and
the government would be hurt if the
bill was passed.
It’s interesting how these major
banks - bailed out to the tune of over
$700billionin2009-arenow,ineffect
bailing out on the nation’s students.
Cutting out these middle men. which
the banks are. does not hurt students
at a)l- facl' «‘-'"'"g
money di-
change will bring. This is about
money, plain and simple: lenders want
to make sure this revenue stream
stays alive.
Banks are in business to preserve
their bottom line; not necessarily to
care about the education o f our
student’s. As a nation, we must work
to make sure their big budget lobby-
ing efforts do not p a y off
Callyourfederallawmakersandlet
them know that federal student loans
must go directly students Ask that
they cut out the middle man
rectly willreducetheamountofinter-
est students pay over the life of the
loan.
S,udenls’imd
na,ion-wil1 ben-
efit as educational programs are ex-
banks may have money to spend on
lobbying, but we can use our voices
to make a difference
Gre« M a M ' “ “ retired Michi-
gan District Court Judge and syndi-
panded, using the savings such a
cated television show judge.
Subscribe
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