Not My Problem

I graduated college back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, with a degree in Civil Engineering and no debt. I paid for college as I went along. I worked in the Library, graded papers for professors (which required me to sollve the problems first!) and took a year off to work for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Now, we see the Democrat candidates offering to wipe out the loans that students voluntarily took on to get their degrees. How is their debt my responsibility? Apparently Margot Cleveland at The Federalist agrees with me. She writes at The Student Debt You Willingly Took On Is Not My Problem To Solve. Cleveland writes:

There are many ways to counter these arguments, based on both economics and equity. But it’s hard to counter soundbites with sense, so instead, here are my inquiries for these politicians, the press, and all the students demanding relief from the burdens of their debt: Tell me your sob stories from age 12 on, not what you can’t do now, but what you couldn’t do then. Tell what you had to do then and through college to avoid what is now, to you, crushing student debt.

What time did you get up to deliver papers in junior high? How many hours a week did you work since 14 to save for college? How many toilets did you scrub? How many high school football games did you miss because you were working? What dream college did you forgo to avoid taking out student loans?

Which 8 a.m. class did you take so you could complete your major’s requirements and still work in the afternoon? Which bus line did you take to get to your job because you didn’t borrow to buy a car? What job did you work full-time while completing your MBA at night?

...snip...

None of my business? You’re right. Nor is your student debt my business or my problem.

There is no doubt in my mind that colleges have increased tuition at a breathtaking pace, which is unconscionable. I also believe that many of the people who took what are essentially worthless courses probably did not need to go to college. College is not a place to party and grow up.  You are expected to be an adult when you go there.  And employers who demand a degree, even one in underwater basket weaving, do a great disservice to young people who still have the grit and determination to succeed. Furthermore, there are a number of trades where one can obtain training at a more reasonable price, and begin working within a year or so.  Tradesmen do not have $100,000 in student debt.