These are almost all going to be, by definition, disadvantaged people who have been lied to and defrauded. Yes, they 'chose' to do this, but the staggering amount of misleading advertising (and the worst kinds of sleazy-salesman lies & emotional manipulation of the vulnerable) leaves plenty of doubt as to how much of a choice they had.
I see very little difference between helping these people and helping storm victims. Nearly all for-profit education (that made a profit, anyway) is an ugly disaster and should never have been allowed to go on so long. The government actually did something right here for once.
One, an excessive focus on trying to "disincentivize undesired behaviour" is pretty creepy and controlling.
Two, this is not a matter of poor life decisions, this is a matter of fraud.
Three, even if people are impoverished by stupidity, you're either gonna pick up the tab to some extent or literally watch them die of destitution on the street. It appals me sometimes how often America treats this like it was a choice.
But forcing others to pay isn't controlling? I agree they were victims of fraud, but you should still not force others to pay for that at gunpoint. There must be a more peaceful way. And saying "literally watch them die of destitution on the street" is just a cheap, emotional straw man. No one is saying that.
I have no problem with people exercising free will, now if they expect someone else to pay for the consequences thats a different topic. It is a choice none forces anyone to not do a basic google search before dropping huge amount of money on something.
The government approved loans to the school. They carry some of the burden. They should be taking every asset from ITT first but I know that they will have none somehow and the execs will walk away with multiple millions.
Disclaimer: attended ITT and paid off the fed loan. Still paying on a parent plus that I doubt would qualify for forgiveness.
Fuck the word taxpayer, it's a lie hiding in a literalism. It pretends that people are paying for some service and they could stop. No. Society, as individuals on behalf of the whole, has responsibilities. One of those is to pick up the tab when people's lives have been ruined through no fault of their own.
The whole "small government" thing has just been people blowing off their responsibilities.
There's a difference between a stupid decision and being defrauded. A debt incurred as a result of fraud should simply be null and void. Probably the best way to do this is to make it the fraudster's debt, and not the victim's.
I don't think you understand how these schools sell their "education" to people who are ignorant of higher education. They literally targeted people who don't know any better and promise that they will make $75k out the gate.
