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Ah, I think it is Rep. Jared Golden who is out of touch. Really? Is student loan forgiveness for select Mainers whose parents are unable to foot the cost of attending college being out of touch? Au contraire, being out of touch is thinking that students can handle this debt in an economy where the minimum hourly wage in Maine is an embarrassingly low $12.75 and the average annual cost of in-state college tuition in Maine is $18,370 ( acco rding to Collegecalc.org).
The students I know attend school full time while also working — to keep gas in their cars, pay for childcare, pay their rent, and put food on the table. Through it all, they persist. And they succeed. Student debt is often part of the package. Shame on us if we deny Maine students’ ability to become full and eager contributors to our economy because of burdensome student debt. We owe it to our future and theirs to level the playing field and give them a fair chance to succeed.
Meredith H. Jones
Belfast