LETTER: Don’t just give handouts to student loan borrowers
Rather than the left’s idea of paying off the student loans of mostly upper-middle-class professionals to buy votes, why not take an idea from late President John F. Kennedy? The idea is a play on the Peace Corps. Rather than just paying off student loans, require borrowers to engage in some kind of public service to earn credits such as a cash-back charge card. Those with student loan debt could then apply those earned credits toward paying off their loans.
Help a stricken area rebuild after a hurricane or tornado. Mentor or teach after-school business or vocational classes. Pay a decent cash-back credit, such as $100 per solid hour, to use against the debt. It would help communities, pay down loans and wouldn’t require others to pay for debt they didn’t take on.
