By Jon Sherfey
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors. View more opinion on ScoonTV.
College is a gamble. As the price of tuition rises year after year, a return on investment is uncertain. President Biden recently gave $10,000 in student loan forgiveness to help those in this very predicament. But what about those who didn’t go to college? President Biden needs to appeal to the non-college-educated demographic as well in order to gain popularity and bring people over to the Democratic Party. This is why Biden needs to forgive a different type of debt for the American people: gambling debts.
Not everyone goes to college and not everyone should. It is wrong to value the elites and their college-educated jobs more than those which don’t need a degree. Many of America’s most important jobs are done by blue collar or retail workers. It’s about time we showed our thanks.
Quite frankly, many blue-collar jobs are more important than white collar jobs which require a college degree. Without millions of food service workers, Americans would be without meals for their family. But if we went without pharmaceutical researchers who ensure their products’ patents will never expire, exploiting the many Americans in need of help, we would have a more moral and ethical country. So, why are we forgiving the debts of the Patrick Bateman-esque business leeches who exploit ill Americans and not Jimmy who took the over?
If we are to forgive any college debts, regardless of morality, the same should be applied to the non-college-educated workers helping to keep this country running.
Whether you bet on yourself or your favorite sports team everyone makes mistakes. Paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a poetry degree is the same as betting your mortgage on the Bengals. If Biden thinks that poetry grads deserve a second chance, then everyone deserves a second chance.
Biden is not very popular, but this student debt forgiveness will certainly make a segment of the population look at him more favorably. But that is only one part of this country. The democrats already have an elitist reputation. If Biden doesn’t do anything for those without a degree, then this notion will not change.
Many will see this student debt forgiveness as a negative. Not only because they are not receiving anything but because this “free” money will hurt the economy. Someone getting an expensive discount could make something as simple as the price of a chicken wing go up according to many. Why should their price of goods suffer only for some to get a “free ride?”
This is why there needs to be a debt cleared for those without a college degree. The question is how.
First of all, it should be stated that there should only be $10,000 of gambling debt forgiveness, the same as college loan forgiveness. Anything more than that is between your bookie and your kneecaps.
In addition, this proposal only counts for either college or gambling debts but not both. Waste $10,000 once, shame on you. Waste $10,000 twice, shame on Biden.
Those people on popular sites such as FanDuel will have an easy time receiving their money. Massachusetts recently legalized sports betting, so this proposal is great news for the citizens of the commonwealth who may already be in the hole.
Those using an independent bookie will have a more difficult time. All they will need to do is send all their bookies information and proof that they are conducting an unlicensed gambling ring to their local authorities. In Biden’s America, snitches no longer get stitches but riches.
This proposal is a start but does not account for everyone in the country. Many Americans are responsible with their money and didn’t waste it on a liberal arts degree or the super bowl. There should be something for them as well. That is $10,000 which can be used in the future for either college or gambling.
It is great that Biden forgave $10,000 for those who already went to college and received loans, but what about the next generation? They should be given the same discount as those who came before them and incentivized to pursue higher education and better themselves. Or even blow a bag at the game. Whichever debt they choose to forgive is a great start, but without protection for the future generation, the problem still remains.
Biden’s college debt forgiveness is great, but not enough to win the midterms. For one, it only accounts for one segment of the population. Just helping the college-educated does not include the entire country and perpetuates the idea that the Democratic Party is elitist. In addition, this does not account for future generations who deserve the same opportunities. This will encourage citizens to go to college and make the financial load easier on them.
Biden needs to help the entire country and give debt forgiveness for all Americans. He can do that by forgiving $10,000 of gambling debts as well. Whether you spend your money on college classes or college sports, Biden should be there to help you out. So, whatever you choose to do with your money, stay lucky.
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