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Alexander: Obama's 'Soviet-Style' Takeover of Student Loans
NRO (National Review On-Line) ^ | 03/30/10 | [Robert Costa]

Posted on 03/30/2010 4:28:30 PM PDT by Freedom56v2

Alexander: Obama's 'Soviet-Style' Takeover of Student Loans [Robert Costa]

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), the U.S. secretary of education from 1991 to 1993, tells National Review Online that President Obama’s revamping of the federal student-loan program is “truly brazen” and the “most underreported big-Washington takeover in history.”

“As Americans find out what it really does, they’ll be really unhappy,” Alexander predicts. “The first really unhappy people will be the 19 million students who, after July 1, will have no choice but to go to federal call centers to get their student loans. They’ll become even unhappier when they find out that the government is charging 2.8 percent to borrow the money and 6.8 percent to lend it to the students, and spending the difference on the new health-care bill and other programs. In other words, the government will be overcharging 19 million students.” The overcharge is “significant,” Alexander adds, because “on a $25,000 student loan, which is an average loan, the amount the government will overcharge will average between $1,700 and $1,800.”

“Up to now, 15 out of 19 million student loans were private loans, backed by the government,” Alexander says. “Now we’re going to borrow half-a-trillion from China to pay for billions in new loans. Not only will this add to the debt, but in the middle of


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: government; healthcare; socialism; studentloans
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To: ctdonath2

The interest on those loans looked way too much like “free money”. Considering the Obama needs a huge influx of cash from nearly tapped-out taxpayers, that’s one of the few options left.


Weren’t they talking about nationalizing IRAs (I am serious) a few months back?!


61 posted on 03/30/2010 5:15:36 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

I suspect without the government guaranties it’d be that old case of only those who don’t need it getting a loan. (Just how good a bet were students before the Mac Daddy came in paying everyone’s loan?)


62 posted on 03/30/2010 5:18:39 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: bushwon

“I’m sorry but according to our records your parents have been voting Republican since the 1980s. We’re not able to accept your application for a student loan . . . unless . . . .”


63 posted on 03/30/2010 5:19:57 PM PDT by Oratam
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To: bushwon

BTW, is Obama good at zeroing in on non-urgent problems that’d be only made worse with greater government intervention or what?


64 posted on 03/30/2010 5:19:58 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: bushwon
Your kids don't deserve to be caught up in this. Buy my gandkids who don't listen to anything but this left wing crap and thanks to their parents who listen to nothing else and would not read anything nor listen to anyone brought this upon those of us who did our homework and are paying the price right along with these dolts. No I think any inconvenience that these kids face it a “ learning opportunity” or whatever the hell 0bama calls it...these 0bama zombies deserve this, not your kids or the kids and families of those who did not vote blindly for this guy. I know people who said “ I am only going to listen to the debates and make my decision based on that. I am not going to read anything else since it is all designed to bad mouth opponents. Well here we are..these people had their heads in a desk drawer and deserve what THEY get. Problem is for the rest of us now drowning in this cesspool.
65 posted on 03/30/2010 5:20:57 PM PDT by celtic gal (Will our nation go from USA to CSA? I hope not....we will not be united then)
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To: PMAS

PSST! I’ll let you in on a secret! I only drink two cups of Decaf Coffee a day. This is real! and people better wake-up or You are going to be drinking VODKA like the Russians to drown their pain!......:0( Psst! Go have 17 espressos in a row over 30 minutes, then you might be able to understand the urgency and importance!........./s/ :-)


66 posted on 03/30/2010 5:24:03 PM PDT by True Republican Patriot (May GOD Continue to BLESS Our Great President George W. Bush!!)
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To: Oregon Betsy Ross
Let’s not forget Obama’s announcement that he is diverting a large portion (I’ve read up to 4 billion) of student loan monies to “historically black colleges” and “other” educational purposes.

That's probably the reason college bound Junior didn't get the big grant he was promised and the work-study job. The college told us they didn't receive all their money.

Wonder what the "other" might be.

67 posted on 03/30/2010 5:26:22 PM PDT by bgill (The framers of the US Constitution established an entire federal government in 18 pages.)
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To: celtic gal

Your story points up the importance of family members trying to educate their families to the impact of what is coming regarding taxes, interest rates, unemployment, etc. if this stuff is not repealled.

Tho difficult, I hope all liberty- minded will try to do a little education (as Rush would say, be the go-to person in the family) over Easter and Memorial Day holidays. I have friends (a few) who voted dem, and whenever I can, I try to gently make the point by asking the question that Reagan did, “Are they or their families going to be better off than they were 3 years ago?!” With unemployment at 11%, home values down 30+%, and 401Ks also down, few people feel things are or are going to improve. Seems you have your work cut out for you, good luck ;)


68 posted on 03/30/2010 5:28:53 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: Oratam

“I’m sorry but according to our records your parents have been voting Republican since the 1980s. We’re not able to accept your application for a student loan . . . unless . . . .”


I did vote for Jerry Brown in a dem pres. primary—he was my choice over Clinton. Maybe that counts for something?


69 posted on 03/30/2010 5:30:16 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: 9YearLurker

BTW, is Obama good at zeroing in on non-urgent problems that’d be only made worse with greater government intervention or what?


One of many talents.


70 posted on 03/30/2010 5:30:58 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: bgill

“Wonder what the “other” might be.”

From what I have read (believe me, I have read everything I can find), the “other” educational funds include programs to “prep” students for college. We already have that. It’s called lower education.

I was in class today and my college classmates had no clue Obama had confiscated the college loan industry. They have no clue how screwed they are.


71 posted on 03/30/2010 5:34:09 PM PDT by Oregon Betsy Ross
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To: VastRWCon

“Yes, I heard that too... my daughter is going to a private Catholic college so I am sure that will be off limits for Obama Money.”

You should probably know that he has also said that less money will be set aside for graduate funding. That is a great way to control not only who gets a higher education but what kind of education they get. For example, lower income individuals will likely get graduate funding for any academic purpose, but most of the graduate funding will be awarded to those who go into the medical field. Basically the government will “nudge” education choices via funding availability.


72 posted on 03/30/2010 5:39:06 PM PDT by Oregon Betsy Ross
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To: Oregon Betsy Ross

I was in class today and my college classmates had no clue Obama had confiscated the college loan industry. They have no clue how screwed they are.


Yup sadly many are too busy studying(hopefully) or watching Comedy Central(likely) to keep up with the literal daily barrage of attacks on liberty. I wonder how they will be notified about this—do you think uncle sam will send out multiple letters and postcards informing them and their parents of changes he did for the census?


73 posted on 03/30/2010 5:39:42 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: True Republican Patriot

I know, I know - I was just asking a question about the interest rate. I oppose eveything that zerO does - I am a NYer who gave $300 to a guy from Boston who’s a Red Sox Fan named Scott Brown.


74 posted on 03/30/2010 5:42:40 PM PDT by PMAS
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To: Oregon Betsy Ross

The college forum I visit every so often has only one thread about this and the couple replies are like it’s nothing to concern themselves with. And those were parents’ responses.


75 posted on 03/30/2010 5:46:48 PM PDT by bgill (The framers of the US Constitution established an entire federal government in 18 pages.)
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To: bushwon

“Underprivileged” mediocrities will receive the loans to the detriment of more meritorious people.


76 posted on 03/30/2010 5:53:34 PM PDT by Psalm 144 (What is a slave, but someone robbed of his labor to sustain the idle?)
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To: Psalm 144

Sadly, I truly think that political correctness and diversity will creep into the student loan qualifications over time.


77 posted on 03/30/2010 5:57:21 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: bushwon
I did vote for Jerry Brown in a dem pres. primary—he was my choice over Clinton. Maybe that counts for something?

I would say even a primary vote for a hard lefty (not to mention a flake) like Brown cancels out any votes for Pubbies you might've cast over the years.

78 posted on 03/30/2010 6:00:21 PM PDT by Oratam
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To: Oratam

Phew, I feel so much better. So voting for Brown back in l980something and being a new convert to amish (so I am exempted from health care) pretty well covers me, eh?

As long as I keep a semblance of a sense of humor, hopefully I will survive.


79 posted on 03/30/2010 6:08:59 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: bushwon

I did the same thing for my son son for his college tution - 5% interest and tax deductible


80 posted on 03/30/2010 6:10:15 PM PDT by PMAS
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