# Warren Student Loan Forgiveness Plan **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 23, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931 "2019-04-23T12:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/41 "2019-04-23T16:30:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > So a program that costs $125 billion a year, and boosts GDP by $86-108 billion, is a boon for the economy? Not to mention - > What a preposterous piece of nonsense. > > Regards, > Shodan Read the polls. Your voters are saying it, not me: [https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-believe-college-education-bad-america-donald-trump-media-fake-news-634474](https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-believe-college-education-bad-america-donald-trump-media-fake-news-634474) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/42 "2019-04-23T16:32:05Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Not so much “kids” but “peers.” Someone who worked hard from, say, 2015 through 2020 to pay off loans would have endured considerable financial tightness, whereas someone who graduated in 2020 just entering the Warren presidency would not have had to repay any of their loan. That is not a parent-to-kid-or-grandkid age gap, that is an age gap of mere years. It would be a 28-year old having resentment against a 22-year old, who in many ways in a comparative peer. The resentment would be greater because of how close the age gap is. I concluded that it will be a resentment based on a false dilemma. There is at least one additional option, that many will realize that having such a burden is more conductive to less people starting new industries or jobs, not only among those 28 years olds, but for the 22 year olds too. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/43 "2019-04-23T16:34:05Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > How would you feel about applying the “cut off federally guaranteed student loans to colleges if their graduates did not earn enough money to pay them off” to public colleges and universities? Or is what’s good for the goose not good for the gander in this case? Well your current GOP Secretary of Education wants neither type of institution to face such regulations. So you are out of step with … well everyone. The Trump administration disagrees with you. Liberals disagree with you. Who exactly is it that is pushing this policy you want? Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/44 "2019-04-23T16:34:26Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Well, there are economists and business groups that do see a benefit on loan forgiveness. > > [Canceling $1.4 trillion in student debt could have major benefits for the economy - MarketWatch](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/canceling-14-trillion-in-student-debt-could-have-major-benefits-for-the-economy-2018-02-07) > That the economical argument, as for the moral one: Well, I skimmed the paper in your linked article. Basically, the idea seems to be that the Government would take on the $1.4 trillion dollars by repaying the private institutes and that this would increase GDP, supposedly, between approx. $90 billion to $110 billion a year and lower unemployment by .22-.36% annually. There are a lot of assumptions I’m, frankly, not in a position to really talk about implicit in much of the paper. It would push our debt to close to $20 trillion by taking this on, which would increase our payments on the interest to over $400 billion a year or more, and I’m not seeing if they took that into account. They project a higher GDP, but don’t really go into the details of whether that means increased tax revenue or what all that entails. I suppose it’s the banks or companies making student loans who would lose out and they would be the ones fighting this sort of thing the hardest, but I have to think that there are other catches too, or the projections are overly optimistic. Like I said, I have no issue changing the student loan process, it’s definitely got issues, but I don’t know if the US taking on $1.4 trillion in debt (to start…I presume that, after this we’ll not want to allow kids to start racking up new debt, so we would probably need to fix that too going forward) would really have all the sunny upsides and no downsides as asserted in that paper. I haven’t looked into debunking articles on it or anything, but it seems too good to be true and based on assumptions I’m unsure really hold up. And, frankly, I only skimmed it. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/45 "2019-04-23T16:34:43Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Well stop being so spiteful and self centered and think about how your kids and grandkids would benefit, rather than looking at your neighbor in an envious rage. It’s bad that so many people have gotten screwed in the student loan system. It would be worse to refuse to fix that because you demand that everyone after you must suffer exactly as you have!!! > > We are supposed to be forming a more perfect union, not trying to ensure that any suffering we’ve endured must continue in perpetuity so everyone after us will suffer equally. Society has screwed over lots of people in lots of ways. With limited resources, why should we throw all of this money at student loans and not other things? Why not, say, use $125B a year to buy houses for people living in abject poverty? This would be a boon for the economy, and it would help people who have been screwed by society. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/46 "2019-04-23T16:36:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Of course you could just print money and give everyone a check. Straw man. > [@octopus](#): > > No need to tie it into poor personal financial decisions. Why distort the market further and reward time and effort wasted on worthless degrees? Another straw man, because I did clearly said that there should be some limits. > [@octopus](#): > > I paid off my student loan because I only borrowed what I needed and deliberately chose a degree that had demand and earning potential. If octopus can get a decent paying engineering degree what’s stopping others? The fact that there are industries that have potential that fizzle by the time people graduate, and also Trump like universities and colleges. People should have the freedom to change course when they find how wrong they were. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/47 "2019-04-23T16:41:15Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Society has screwed over lots of people in lots of ways. With limited resources, why should we throw all of this money at student loans and not other things? Why not, say, use $125B a year to buy houses for people living in abject poverty? This would be a boon for the economy, and it would help people who have been screwed by society. I’ve already said I’m not arguing for this plan, I’m just trying to challenge some of the attitudes and reactions I’m seeing to it that seem far too self centered and borne out of spite. Explaining why it wouldn’t work is a good argument against it. The fact that somebody else somewhere may benefit, and I can’t because I already went to college isn’t a good argument. It’s basically saying we can’t improve anything for anyone in this country if not 100% of people will see direct benefits from the improvement. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/48 "2019-04-23T16:41:20Z")
This idea has good roots, but as usual is overly simplistic. Rather than just dumping 90% of student debt, let’s start with allowing it to be discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, as it was, once upon a time. Or perhaps a special court where the student shows insolvency without actually going thru formal bankruptcy. Then, let’s crack down on crappy high pressure diploma mills, where a lot of the bad debt originates. Free College? Ok, let’s us start by making sure that two year colleges across the USA are nearly free, with small fees. In many areas they already are. So a easy, relatively inexpensive change. Then a Federal scholarship program _for those who graduated from a two year college_,\* but will have issues on paying for the next two years. Before we start writing checks and giving away freebies to someone who may just drop out after their freshman year, lets us see they are committed to a higher education by finishing two years at a community or other 2 year college first. - based on financial need. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/49 "2019-04-23T16:45:40Z")
> [@slalexan](#): > > What about those of us who got “good” degrees but still ended up with lots and lots of debt? … If it’s truly a good degree with good job prospects, particularly in the current market, I’d hope most of them would be able to find financially-rewarding employment and pay back their loans. Admittedly, starting out tens of thousands of dollars in the hole is not ideal, which is why I encourage the young adults I know to do their best to avoid / minimize student loans, and seek educational opportunities that will enhance their employment prospects. > [@slalexan](#): > > … I admit that I signed up for them. I did sign my name on the dotted line. But, please, don’t tell me that this system isn’t exploitative. I think it’s terribly exploitative. The very first thing I said in this thread was: > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > The best thing we could do for future college students is to cease giving gobs of debt to so many people who barely understand it. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/50 "2019-04-23T16:46:59Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > The fact that somebody else somewhere may benefit, and I can’t because I already went to college isn’t a good argument. It’s basically saying we can’t improve anything for anyone in this country if not 100% of people will see direct benefits from the improvement. Well I mentioned in my OP that I generally agree here that worrying about fairness is a waste of time, but I’m less concerned with “I already went to college” fairness than “I couldn’t afford to go to college” fairness. This is a handout to people well-off enough to be able to get into college and get the loans in the first place, and a big FU to poor and working classes who were kept out of college by the same screwed up system. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere, on that stratus of society, and that’s something that concerns me about this plan. I also think it’s a bandaid but I’ve already said my peace there. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/51 "2019-04-23T16:47:36Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Read the polls. Your voters are saying it, not me: > > [https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-believe-college-education-bad-america-donald-trump-media-fake-news-634474](https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-believe-college-education-bad-america-donald-trump-media-fake-news-634474) Unfortunately, your cite does not say what you think. So, you aren’t in favor of this particular plan, and anyone who points out the flaws in this particular plan hates children and education. _:shrugs:_ As I said, preposterous. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/52 "2019-04-23T16:49:20Z")
Nm, wrong thread (that was weird…) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/53 "2019-04-23T16:53:11Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Well, I skimmed the paper in your linked article. Basically, the idea seems to be that the Government would take on the $1.4 trillion dollars by repaying the private institutes and that this would increase GDP, supposedly, between approx. $90 billion to $110 billion a year and lower unemployment by .22-.36% annually. There are a lot of assumptions I’m, frankly, not in a position to really talk about implicit in much of the paper. It would push our debt to close to $20 trillion by taking this on, which would increase our payments on the interest to over $400 billion a year or more, and I’m not seeing if they took that into account. They project a higher GDP, but don’t really go into the details of whether that means increased tax revenue or what all that entails. > > I suppose it’s the banks or companies making student loans who would lose out and they would be the ones fighting this sort of thing the hardest, but I have to think that there are other catches too, or the projections are overly optimistic. Like I said, I have no issue changing the student loan process, it’s definitely got issues, but I don’t know if the US taking on $1.4 trillion in debt (to start…I presume that, after this we’ll not want to allow kids to start racking up new debt, so we would probably need to fix that too going forward) would really have all the sunny upsides and no downsides as asserted in that paper. I haven’t looked into debunking articles on it or anything, but it seems too good to be true and based on assumptions I’m unsure really hold up. And, frankly, I only skimmed it. Well, thing is that when one looks at what other nations do, that does not sound as overly optimistic. This also comes by realizing that we do have a raw deal that is a drag on the economy. > **[Student Debt Is A Drag, Not A Bubble - Palisades Hudson Financial Group](https://www.palisadeshudson.com/2019/01/student-debt-is-a-drag-not-a-bubble/)** > > America's pile of student loan debt won’t threaten the financial system the way bad mortgages did, but it's still a problem. > [@](#): > > Even for those of us who do not face the challenges of personally paying off massive balances, the overall crisis will hurt in other ways. Loan forgiveness programs are often tied to specific milestones that can take years to achieve, dragging repayment out over many years, or sometimes decades. This means a substantial fraction of young workers may struggle to save for retirement, emergency funds, house down payments or other financial goals until they are in their mid-to-late 30s or beyond. Young adults often just can’t afford to pursue financial milestones as soon as earlier generations could. And borrowers who have struggled to keep up with payments face all of the challenges created by a subpar credit score. Young adults with significant student loan debt are also less likely to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions. > > Beyond the drag they create on gross domestic product and consumer consumption, student loans directly affect taxpayers, since the government guarantees the majority of these loans. Government programs that artificially lower borrowers’ repayment amount, such as income-based repayment plans, pass along inflated tuition costs to taxpayers, which is a drag on the economy at large. And if defaults continue to rise over time, it could create a growing financial burden for the federal government. > [@](#): > > The severity of the student loan debt crisis has led to a variety of proposed solutions. Some employers offer to help employees pay off student loans as a benefit. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have suggested forgiving more, or all, of the current outstanding loans owed directly to the government. Some lawmakers now advocate making public college tuition free to in-state residents, extending the state’s responsibility for education past grade 12. More moderate voices would like to concentrate on lowering college costs, if not all the way to zero, and on improving graduation rates to make sure that few if any students are stuck with serious debt and no degree to show for it. Making it harder to borrow for college is an understandably unpopular solution, but it could serve as a realistic check on colleges raising prices without consequences, year after year. > > Reasonable people can disagree on the best way forward, but what seems clear is that we need to act. Student loan debt is a concern that the United States needs to address, not because it could trigger an economic crisis, but because it could act as a drag on our economy for years to come. While the author is optimistic about this loan crisis to not burst like the housing bubble, I will say here that it was also thought by many economists that housing was not capable of ding so then. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/54 "2019-04-23T16:55:11Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Well your current GOP Secretary of Education wants neither type of institution to face such regulations. … Unless you have some source that supports this claim, I’m inclined to believe that the thing the current GOP Secretary of Education opposed was the unlevel playing field between for-profit and other educational institutions created by the Obama-era rule. Here’s another quote from GIGO’s source: > [@](#): > > Ms. DeVos has tended to agree with critics and industry leaders who say that the Obama rules unfairly targeted for-profits. In statements, officials have maintained that Ms. DeVos is committed to “weeding out bad actors and doing what’s best for students, not capriciously targeting schools based on their tax status.” ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/55 "2019-04-23T16:59:19Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Well I mentioned in my OP that I generally agree here that worrying about fairness is a waste of time, but I’m less concerned with “I already went to college” fairness than “I couldn’t afford to go to college” fairness. This is a handout to people well-off enough to be able to get into college and get the loans in the first place, and a big FU to poor and working classes who were kept out of college by the same screwed up system. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere, on that stratus of society, and that’s something that concerns me about this plan. > > I also think it’s a bandaid but I’ve already said my peace there. We can’t fix yesterday. We can work to make a better today and tomorrow for everyone though. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/56 "2019-04-23T17:00:57Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Unless you have some source that supports this claim, I’m inclined to believe that the thing the current GOP Secretary of Education opposed was the unlevel playing field between for-profit and other educational institutions created by the Obama-era rule. Here’s another quote from GIGO’s source: But they didn’t try to enact these regulations across the board, they want to remove them altogether, so they must not think the regulations are good. Or are you saying that they are working toward the opposite of what they actually want? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/57 "2019-04-23T17:02:10Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Unless you have some source that supports this claim, I’m inclined to believe that the thing the current GOP Secretary of Education opposed was the unlevel playing field between for-profit and other educational institutions created by the Obama-era rule. Here’s another quote from GIGO’s source: Nope, that was the fig leaf. This is because there was no replacement plan that would be as effective as the past one. > **[DeVos Ends Obama-Era Safeguards Aimed at Abuses by For-Profit Colleges...](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/us/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-colleges.html)** > > Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, in her most drastic move to deregulate for-profit colleges, announced she would end a rule to force them to prove the gainful employment of their graduates. > [@](#): > > But in rescinding the rule, the department is eradicating the most fearsome accountability measures — the loss of federal aid — for schools that promise to prepare students for specific careers but fail to prepare them for the job market, leaving taxpayers on the hook to pay back their taxpayer-backed loans. > > The DeVos approach is reversing nearly a decade of efforts to create a tough accountability system for the largely unregulated for-profit sector of higher education. In recent years, large for-profit chains, which offer training for everything from automotive mechanics to cosmetology to cybersecurity, have collapsed under mountains of complaints and lawsuits for employing misleading and deceptive practices. > > The implosions of ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges generated tens of thousands of complaints from student borrowers who said they were left with worthless degrees. The Obama administration encouraged the expansion of public community colleges as it forgave at least $450 million in taxpayer-funded student debt for for-profit graduates who could not find decent jobs with the degrees or certificates they had earned. > > The regulations passed in the wake of those scandals remade the industry. Since 2010, when the Obama administration began deliberating the rules, more than 2,000 for-profit and career programs — nearly half — have closed, and the industry’s student population has dropped by more than 1.6 million, said Steve Gunderson, the president of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the for-profit industry’s trade association. > > Even for-profit leaders concede the gainful employment rule has had its intended effect. Mr. Gunderson said that for-profit institutions had to adjust programming to be more affordable and responsive to the job markets. > > “The other side should declare victory and go home,” he said. “The reality is every school that has a program that was failing gainful employment metrics — and they knew it couldn’t be fixed — they’ve already closed. The sector today is so much better.” > > Former Obama administration officials said this was no time to leave the field. > > “By withdrawing the gainful employment regulations, the Trump administration is once again choosing the interests of executives and shareholders of predatory for-profit higher education institutions over protecting students and taxpayers,” said John King, the Obama-era education secretary charged with enforcing the rule, who called the move “outrageous and irresponsible.” ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/58 "2019-04-23T17:03:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Unfortunately, your cite does not say what you think. > > So, you aren’t in favor of this particular plan, and anyone who points out the flaws in this particular plan hates children and education. > > _:shrugs:_ As I said, preposterous. > > Regards, > Shodan Sure it does. From the cite: “A Pew Research Center survey published Monday revealed voters have grown apart in their support of secondary education since the 2016 presidential election season, when a majority of Democratic and Republican Americans agreed the nation’s universities serve as a benefit for the U.S. Whereas 54 percent of Republicans said “colleges and universities had a positive impact on the way things were going in the country” in 2015, the majority now believe the opposite, with 58 percent saying such institutions negatively impact the state of the union.” 58% of your fellow Republicans think that colleges and universities negatively affect America. Why are you trying to deny this? That is what seems preposterous. The data is right there. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/59 "2019-04-23T17:04:45Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Nope, that was the fig leaf. This is because there was no replacement plan that would be as effective as the past one. > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/us/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-colleges.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/us/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-colleges.html) If you think the past plan was an “effective” one, would you support applying it to public colleges as well? Or, again, is what’s good for the goose in this case not good for the gander? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931/60 "2019-04-23T17:08:53Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > But they didn’t try to enact these regulations across the board, they want to remove them altogether, so they must not think the regulations are good. Or are you saying that they are working toward the opposite of what they actually want? I suspect they realized there were two possible ways to level the playing field: 1. repeal the rule 2. enact the rule for all educational institutions. Some very basic political calculus probably informed them that #2 would run into a buzz-saw of opposition, largely from Democrats, and wasn’t really viable, so they went with #1. If the Democrats came back to Secretary DeVos and said, “hey, look, we see your point about the playing field not being level, but we really think these reforms are going to be good for higher education, so we’ll join you in applying them to ALL higher education institutions” I suspect they’d find a delighted ally in Secretary DeVos and the administration. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/832931.md?page=4)