Economy

Silverman Reintroduces Bill to Ease Student Loan Debt

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The District has a number of people who are cool, smart and well-connected — and deeply in student debt.

Published

6 years ago

February 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By James Wright

The District has a number of people who are cool, smart and well-connected — and deeply in student debt.

But if D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman has her way, these productive residents will be able to keep this financial obligation under control.

On Feb. 5, Silverman (I-At Large) introduced the Student Loan Authority Establishment Act of 2019 that would create an independent agency to issue new low-interest rate student loans and refinance existing student loan debt for residents and students attending D.C. colleges and universities.

The legislation allows for student loans, parental loans and graduate student loans that would be covered by a robust income-based repayment system, a public service loan forgiveness program and deferred payment after graduation.

Silverman’s legislation would let the student loan authority operate similarly to the D.C. Housing Finance Agency by issuing tax-exempt bonds to fund both the origination and refinancing of the loans that would not affect the District’s ability to borrow funds for other issues or create a new liability.

The council member’s bill comes at a time when nationally students owe more than $1.5 trillion in educational loans, according to a number of studies on the subject. In the District, the average debt for the Class of 2017, for example, is $30,000 and nearly 10 percent of all city borrowers owe more than $100,000.

Given these staggering statistics, Silverman knew she needed to make sure that student loan borrowers have more options available to them.

“Lowering student debt not only makes higher education more affordable, but it also helps our residents save and work toward other life goals, such as renting or buying a home,” she said.

With the exception of the University of the District of Columbia, all of the city’s colleges and universities are private and thereby much more expensive than public institutions.

Silverman introduced the bill in October but Council Period 22 ended on Dec. 31 without the bill being considered. Nevertheless, fellow Council members Trayon White (D-Ward 8), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), David Grosso (I-At Large), Robert White (D-At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) signed onto the bill in October and continue to support it.

Silverman’s bill is currently under council review.

Marcus Goodwin, president of the DC Young Democrats who ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on the council last year, said he fully supports Silverman’s bill.

“Student debt hurts the ability of people to buy property, make investments, further their education and start a family,” said Goodwin, who works as a real estate and economic development professional and volunteers at the Adams Morgan Youth Leadership Academy, where he teaches financial literacy and career preparedness to high schoolers. “Those who want to advance in their life are hindered by student debt and it may stifle their ambition to move forward in their career.”

Goodwin noted that it is mainly student loan debt acquired during undergraduate years that adversely affects people. He said many young people don’t make enough money to pay back the debt when they began to work after undergraduate school.

In addition, he said the District “is an expensive place to live,” and that serves as a barrier to paying back those loans.

Jeremiah Lowery, a well-known progressive activist in the District, agreed with Goodwin on Silverman’s bill.

“It’s a good start,” said Lowery, who also ran for an at-large seat on the council in 2018, said. “The end goal is debt-free college. I think Elissa Silverman’s bill will be good for residents across the city but especially those who live east of the [Anacostia] River. If the bill passes and is signed into law, there needs to be extensive outreach, particularly east of the River, to let residents know what this means for them.”

Lowery said many minority students take out different loans without knowing fully the payback requirements because they are focused on getting a degree.

“They lose track of the loans they are supposed to pay back and things get out of hand,” he said. “I think this bill will prevent that from happening.”

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

1 week ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
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Business

With Immigration Reform on the Table, Advocates Put Human Face on Calif’s Migrant Farmworkers

About 99% of the commercially grown crops consumed by people across the United States come from California, according to data compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Between half and one-third of the farmworkers who help to grow, tend, harvest and package these crops live in the Golden State. That’s about 500,000 to 800,000 workers. Astonishingly, 75% of them are undocumented.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

Shutterstock.

By Edward Henderson

California Black Media

About 99% of the commercially grown crops consumed by people across the United States come from California, according to data compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Between half and one-third of the farmworkers who help to grow, tend, harvest and package these crops live in the Golden State. That’s about 500,000 to 800,000 workers.

Astonishingly, 75% of them are undocumented.

“People are very afraid,” said Manuel Ortiz Escámez, a sociologist, audio-visual journalist, and co-founder of Peninsula 360, a news organization based in Redwood City.

“I hold interviews with people who later call and say, ‘Please do not publish anything, because I’m afraid of what could happen,’” he added.

Escámez spoke last month during a news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services (EMS) that addressed the plight of migrant workers in California, particularly those who live in the United States without legal status.

During an election year when immigration is a polarizing issue with strong opinions on all sides, Escámez says the lives and critical contributions of farmworkers have been reduced to soundbites or barbs in Left vs. Right talking points.

The fervent anti-immigration rhetoric these debates generate can brew hate and motivate hate crimes and hate incidents against migrants, creating an atmosphere of fear and danger among California’s farmworkers, advocates warn.

In these situations, the debate shifts from the virtues of legal vs. illegal immigration to politicians scoring political points by finding a group to blame for the country’s problems.

“Power in politics needs to invent a physically and morally repugnant enemy who wants to take what’s yours because the feeling of emergency creates unity and the need of a savior,” said Escámez. “That’s why migrants have always been the ideal enemy of some U.S. political campaigns … and the data shows that it works.”

No matter where Californians stand on immigration, the contributions migrant farmworkers make to California’s economy and the country’s food supply are undeniable.

In February 2024, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculated that immigration will generate a $7 trillion boost to gross domestic product over the next decade. A vast majority of these contributions come from immigrants like California’s farmworkers who perform jobs and endure conditions many Americans choose not to.

“I’m undocumented with a sliver of privilege. I’m still in a precarious position, but millions of people would love to be in my shoes,” said Gustavo Gasca Gomez, immigration outreach specialist and a Stop the Hate coordinator at the Fresno-based Education and Leadership Foundation.

“I can work, and I have social security. But I can’t vote or leave the country and return without express permission. And before I was a DACA recipient in 2012 I was a farmworker right out of high school,” said Gomez. “The work is difficult. It’s hot, dirty and tedious. It makes your mind numb in many ways. But it’s a job that the entire country depends on.”

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate. 

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Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.