Let’s Fix This Fraud With More Fraud. WTF?

Alan J. Yeck

Tossing out any dollar amount in student debt relief with no other action is just another form of fraud committed by our government against its people – again! It’s a fraud sandwich and we’re the protein.

$10,000 – 50,000 paid by the government, to the dirty government collection contractors (Navient, et al), will then be directed back to the political PACs, Super PACs, and student loan industry lobbying firms. Everybody in on the con, wins! But that’s not us, my friend. “It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son.”

There is a reason the politicians, including the attorneys general, are not listening about implementing the foundational reforms that must happen in the student loan industry to remove the corruption, provide relief to existing victims, and prevent this crisis from happening again.

The elected elite are either: 1) listening only to the lobbyists who work for the student loan industry to keep their money train scam rolling along; 2) are part of the corruption/kickbacks themselves; 3) have their heads up their asses.

While I can understand the skill of misinformation of number 1, and can personally relate to number 3, I have a feeling their lack of addressing the real issues that caused this crisis comes down to number 2. It’s gone on too long, over both blue and red administrations, for them to claim ignorance. 

We the people, are the least of their concerns. 

To end this problem today – 

1. Recalculate loan balances at zero interest (the government should not profit off of educating its people). With this formula we’ll save millions who have already paid back their original principal and are being held hostage by interest (10 times the original loan amount. I know you don’t understand how that can happen but it does).
2. Restoration of unconditional, full bankruptcy rights for student loans. Bankruptcy isn’t a free pass at all, is it? Millions of borrowers, through the racketeering of collections agencies are in true, lifelong, debtors’ prison today. When Congress began to tamper with this right in the early 1970s the loan default rate was less than 1%. Today it’s over 20% and growing. Removing bankruptcy protection is the foundation of today’s crisis which all the student loan industry corruption was built upon. 
3. Hold higher education accountable for the costs of their programs. Until this is done, they will just continue to raise their costs. Higher education is a financial black hole that will suck in every penny and then start going through your couch cushions to find more. Degree costs have risen 400%, above inflation, in the last generation. Policies have to be put in place that restrict loans going to any institution that cannot demonstrate fiscal responsibility and the return on investment for completing their programs.
4. Immediately end the practice of the loan servicers from garnishing wages, tax returns, and social security. 
5. Restructure the loan payback formulas to reflect the cost of life. Currently calculations from the loan servicers do not consider that you have to pay rent/mortgage. Car payments, insurance, healthcare, food, electricity, maintenance, emergency funds…they let the government get their taxes then they swoop in to steal the rest. The current formulas almost guarantee to force defaults, which in turn interest builds, added to the principal and interest applied on that new amount. 
6. Increase Pell and Perkins Grants including for the trades and apprentice programs, again holding the educational institutions accountable. 

The current system and the currently discussed solutions are all just part of the con, the scam. It’s Three Card Monty with Uncle Sam not only dealing but telling you how much you have to bet, knowing you’ll lose every hand. Fixing fraud with more fraud. WTF?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2021/02/19/17-state-attorneys-general-push-biden-to-cancel-50000-in-student-loans-adding-to-pressure-campaign/?fbclid=IwAR0kvMqGz-QzRDroD3yS3_h11OY1f52iBl99nB55aKO6CyoPUn4wWxo3tRU&sh=20b451fe45fe

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

By Alan J. Yeck

Just when I thought the political fruit cake couldn’t get any nuttier, I woke to the news that Hillary Clinton, in a discussion with Nancy Pelosi, shared her own conspiracy theory that President Trump called Vladimir Putin on the day of the riot at the Capital. I find myself going back and forth between being entertained by the moron platform (well used by both parties) to really pissed off that this is even in the news. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not? That’s why we wait for facts before holding public hearings. I don’t like Trump but I don’t like Biden either. I don’t like any of them and this is just another example of ‘why.’ Their intense, personal hatred of Trump comes first and foremost, well before issues that are affecting and destroying the American people on a daily basis. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord…and Hillary and Nancy. Don’t you wish they were that consumed with the fraudulent, student loan industry? Don’t you wish they spent their energy on campaign finance reform, or healthcare, or a distribution plan for the COVID vaccine? Don’t you wish all of them had their heads out of their asses and actually worked for the welfare of the American people? I do.

The next WTF moment came with two commercials on the networks; one was about TV news personality, Katie Couric, being interviewed by the news, about Trump. The other promo was about the news, interviewing CBS News White House correspondent, Major Garrett, on Trump. This is what we do now – the news interviews the news and makes it news when it’s not news at all. Again, I’m not defending nor supporting any of the politicians including Trump, but is it a surprise, to anyone in the country, how the mainstream news networks loathe Trump? I’m not saying they don’t have good reason – I’m saying they are news networks and not gossip tabloids (or shouldn’t be gossip tabloids). If you also loathe Trump do you need more loathing ammo? If you support Trump, does this ease your fears as we transition to a new Biden administration? Maybe try reporting on how much money from Super PACs go to which politicians? How about where the thousands upon thousands of lobbyists spend their time, and money, in Washington? How about using the power of the press to bring real, lasting change to a country desperately needing it, by real reporting and not a vendetta agenda. Do you understand that as you also seek your pound of old, white, flabby, flesh that you only create more mistrust in what you report on?  The only difference between you and The National Enquirer is…nothing. Except I did see Elvis in an Asheville head shop so the Enquirer’s reporting on that was true. 

Please follow us at AltRaged and like our Facebook page (although they continue to censor our ads).

Episode 10: Corporate Politics & The Student Debt Crises wih Alan Yeck

Thank you to RightsandWrongsPodcast.com for featuring us!

“Join Alan Yeck and I in a conversation about corporate funds in U.S. politics such as lobbyists. Along with a deep dive into the unspoken issues that make up the student debt crises such as the loans, exploitation of employers, and the disconnect between the universities and the workforce. Alan Yeck is a former Intelligence specialist, with 20 years of experience in higher education, and the founder of the political organization AltRaged Editor & Producer: George O.”

Source: Episode 10: Corporate Politics & The Student Debt Crises wih Alan Yeck

The Solutions to the Student Loan Crisis Don’t Require NASA

By Alan J. Yeck, Founder

At the end of the article he wrote last year, Daniel M. Johnson, What Will It Take to Solve the Student Loan Crisis? responded to the question about whether there is a solution to the student loan scam with “Maybe.” While his piece was focused on the cost of education, which is completely valid and must also be addressed, it is but one part of a solution. “But one thing has become increasingly clear: solutions to the high cost of higher education and the student loan crisis will not come from the higher education establishment.” I completely agree with Daniel on this point. Higher education administration has not focused on reducing costs in any meaningful way for decades. It does so when it’s forced to and it’s never about serving the students, which is why the expenses continue to rise and passed on to the students and their families. Containing costs at the institutions are one aspect of the student loan crisis but all roads lead to Washington D.C. We are in this mess because of legislation they passed, and continue to support, that generates money back to their own campaigns through Super PACs. Lasting solutions are there but it means our elected officials, House and Senate, will have to do the ethically, right thing. I want to believe that still exists in Congress but I am hard pressed to give an example. Blue and Red are equally dirty and corrupt. Joe DiMaggio has been gone for a long, long time.

Restore full bankruptcy rights to student loan borrowers

There was never a valid reason to criminalize student loans. When it was first enacted in the early 1970s, there was less than a 1% default rate, and it was out of concern for what Congress thought of as expensive degrees, specifically law and medical – that the lawyers and doctors wouldn’t pay back their loans. At that time the law was that student loans couldn’t be included in bankruptcy until 5 years after graduation. Over the next few decades, in combination with the increasing availability of federal loans and the explosion of the for-profit institutions, Congress continued to “tweak” the rules as the money flow also increased into their own pockets. Finally in 2005 only those who qualify under an ambiguous “undue hardship” which is determined by each and every individual court could student loans be included in bankruptcy (you have a better shot at winning the lottery than a judge with a backbone dismissing your student loan). Once that right was removed, the cost of education skyrocketed which in turn brought out the corporate shit-eating-dogs known as ‘loan servicers’ (Navient, et al).

Solving the student loan debt crisis isn’t like working on global warming, it really isn’t rocket science. A few hundred people that were elected to take care of the people can do it very quickly – a lasting solution can put in place in 2021 but they would have to stop taking the money. Well, hell…now that I think of it, I guess I’m going to stop and get a lottery ticket on the way home. You should too.

#altraged #studentloandebt #corruption #bankruptcy #buisness #innovation #elections2020 #highered #leadership 

https://hbr.org/2019/09/what-will-it-take-to-solve-the-student-loan-crisis

Death of Democracy

“What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?”

-William Shakespeare, Macbeth

By Alan J. Yeck

While it is easiest to blame Trump and his supporters for yesterday’s occupation by rioters of the Capitol, we need to understand that this was just the most recent symptom of a much greater issue that has been going on for many administrations regardless of the party in power. It’s just the most recent symptom of our dying democracy.

This didn’t just happen yesterday, or even begin in 2016. A “government of the people, by the people, for the people” has not been the reality of our American political system for a long, long time – if it ever was true. Do not read this as condoning any of our current politicians or political parties because all have blood on their hands. Not one is without guilt. Are you?

We have allowed ourselves to be fooled by one side or the other for as long as I can remember, and in researching the history of our government, for as long as it’s been in existence. We choose to believe what this person says or what that media outlet reports. We choose to believe that our side is absolutely right and the other absolutely wrong. We choose to ignore those around us suffering from poor policies and social ignorance. We choose not to see the ultra-wealthy and powerful taking all they want while we fight each other for the scraps.

We not only choose these things, we choose to embrace them. When our voices are not heard by those who we entrust with our lives and the future of our children, there can only be anger and resentment. But the direction has been misplaced, intentionally planned, so we stand against each other; to be occupied at the lowest level instead of focusing on the roots of our problems – corruption and ownership of our government by corporate entities who have become the masters to those we vote for. The system which safeguards our democracy is broken and our elected officials are bought and paid in full to keep it that way. Biden’s presidency will not change this.

The two-party system has been protected by the two parties to ensure the power remains with them (corporations) and not the people. Over the last few years, I’ve heard both sides making statements to attack each other based on what the ‘founding fathers’ of our country thought – what their vision was for our country today. In all instances I felt their references were at best, contrived and based on absolutely no understanding of the history of our nation or our current problems. With that said, I’d like to share two quotes from those involved in the original fight against tyranny:

“There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.”

-John Adams

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism.”

-George Washington

Just to make clear, “despotism” is when the people are oppressed by the absolute power and authority exerted by government. It was a warning from 200 years ago and we still haven’t listened though Rome burns. If ignorance is truly bliss then we are one bunch of happy fuckers.

There is much more to our government’s corruption that I’ll continue to address later, but my last thought is about Ashli Babbitt, the Air force veteran who was shot and killed by U.S. Capitol Police while climbing through a window. While I did not know her, I’m very sorry and sad for her family and all who loved her. I’m also sorry and sad for the officer that pulled the trigger that took her life. Both were committed to their beliefs and what they believed was their duty to do. What sickens me the most, however, is the reaction from the members of our congress – those that were in hiding – quick to speak to the cameras to tell how awful this was for our country. The truth? The truth is they are all responsible for Ms. Babbitt’s death.  All have her blood on their hands. Regardless of what you think of Trump or Pelosi or McConnel or Schumer, every member of congress and the senate has her blood on their hands.

“Out, damned spot! out, I say!—One, two; why, then ‘tis time to do’t.—Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?—Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him? The thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now?—What, will these hands ne’er be clean?—No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that: you mar all with this starting. Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!”

-William Shakespeare, Macbeth

HAS ANYONE TESTED THE AIR IN D.C. FOR CHEMICALS THAT BLOCK NORMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONS?

Alan J. Yeck

The Strong Retirement Act of 2020 is a bipartisan bill proposed by Congressmen Kevin Brady, R-Texas and Richard Neal, D-Mass.  I want you to focus on the student debt part, they so kindly included. The bill would allow businesses to pay a 401(k) match to workers paying off student loans, even if those borrowers aren’t saving in the company retirement plan. In a summary of the bill, they state “The idea is that employees who are overwhelmed with student debt may not realistically be able to save for retirement, and thus are missing out on available matching contributions.”

What the WTF? So instead of addressing the multiple issues and corruption in the student loan industry, the source of the problem, they’re going to concentrate on the symptom of being “overwhelmed by student debt,” and let the company contribute to a 401(k) that I’m sure the government, via Navient, et al, will garnish later (if you weren’t aware our cowardly judicial system will enforce garnishments on wages, tax returns, social security payments to collect on student loans that were fraudulent to begin with).

Congressmen – listen to your own bill! “…employees who are overwhelmed with student debt may not realistically be able to save for retirement.” Why are they overwhelmed with student debt? Because of bogus efforts like this that do nothing to fix the student loan scam you (i.e. Congress) created for the American people. Holy shit. How crooked can our politicians be?

Two different people, two different parties, two different states. You know politicians don’t drink public water there so it has to be the air in those old buildings. They’re probably breathing in a mixture of their own hot rhetoric combined with skin microparticles from hundreds of years of old white men.  Their brains, and their souls, are gone.

#corruption #altraged #dirtypolitics #business #studentloandebt #highereducation #highereducationleadership #innovation #blm #womensrights

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/27/new-retirement-bill-has-perks-for-seniors-student-loan-borrowers-.html

If No One is Around, Does Democracy Make a Sound When it Dies? Part 1

(Part 1 of the Democracy Dies Series)

By Alan J. Yeck, Founder of AltRaged

Show me the money!

For many years I took American democracy completely for granted like the sun rising every morning. I viewed it as impenetrable from outside influence, unbreakable from internal conflicts and impervious to the passage of time. I believed, unwavering, that we were a system of government by the whole population. That my voice, your voice, their voice, all mattered in how we would govern, be governed, and the future of our country. That the words Abraham Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, “…that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” explained and justified how so many could sacrifice their lives for this idea of democracy. I love my country and the ideals of justice, and equality and freedom that I believed we were about. All of this is so tightly woven through my very existence as veteran, father, son, and American that to try and separate it from the rest of myself would cause me to break into a thousand pieces. Well, more like a thousand shingles falling from my eyes – and they did.

Communism, fascism, terrorist, extremists, racists, war, depression…none of these can destroy our democracy. The greater the threats the stronger we become – when we see them, when we understand them, we fight them and have never, ever lost. Only democracy, specifically when its citizens are manipulated by its government, can destroy democracy and that’s exactly what is happening. Those we elect to represent us have not only failed to uphold their vows to our Constitution but they have perverted it against us.

Let’s start with the individual – you, me, aunt Fran. There’s an issue that you feel strongly about; immigration, firearm ownership, racial justice, planned parenthood, the arts, taxes, veterans, student loans, healthcare, affordable housing…(insert issue here). We take our thoughts, values, concerns, and needs to the people that we voted to represent us. We receive the automated response to our email, thanking us for contacting them. Sometimes we even receive a letter thanking us for contacting them and that they are working on our behalf for (insert issue here). Thank God we have Senator Shayla and Congressman Cal working hard on our behalf. But  it’s all a lie, a TV show, a bad game that we can never win. After we vote, we fall to the back of the line. There are only three things that matter in Congress; 1) money, 2) time in front of the TV cameras, and 3) money. If you’re not coming with a bag of cash, don’t waste your time. Unless it’s something that will embarrass them; if it’s something that would risk losing their power or money. Otherwise, we don’t matter.

Today’s Congress is probably the most corrupt in U.S. history with all those we elected, red and blue, actively participating in one way or the other (not fighting against corruption is participating in the corruption). This didn’t just happen, or happen with the last administration or the one before that, or the one before that…This series is a brief summary of campaign reform attempts and political action committees. There is much more, both depth and breadth, to be known about these but for our purposes now we will only be focusing on how they have facilitated, and accelerated bribery and corruption while hiding behind our current laws. I do urge you to do more research yourself. They are numerous, and sometimes complicated with plentiful law suits, court cases including the Supreme Court (questionable rulings).

Looking forward to sharing with all of you in the coming days and weeks. As always, should you want to share, please click on the “Submissions” page above and learn how you can contribute to AltRaged.

POLITICAL IGNORANCE OR LIES? EITHER WAY WE LOOSE

Understanding the student loan debt crisis in 1.7 trillion words or less

-Alan Yeck, Founder of AltRaged

As  it, tis the season for political promises; a chicken in every pot, cut your taxes, raise your pay, lower crime…which have pretty much been the same horseshit promises we get ever election, this time it’s what’s missing in the promise that I want you to understand.

Joe and Kam are going to pay off everyone’s education debt and make college free which just sounds awesome, “sounds” being the operative intent. Remember the devil is in the details and our politicians are very well acquainted with the devil. Very well. Because they either do not understand the multiple issues that led to our $1.7 trillion dollar student loan crisis, or they do understand and are tossing out their plan as a smoke screen to keep the political money machine in tact – I don’t know. Either way, the American people would still be fucked…again. To pay for this degree, and that degree without any other changes ensures the broken, corrupt systems in higher education and the student loan debt collection industry continue their graft to future generations. It’s like arresting the kid on the street for selling coke but the bankers laundering the money remain tucked away safety in their beds every night. Writing a blank check to criminal organizations should never be the plan unless you’re part of it and getting kickbacks, uh, I mean “campaign contributions” through PACs and Super PACs. Wait a minute…

Do not confuse accreditation with accountability in higher education. A 400% increase in tuition over one generation, over inflation in other sectors, cannot be explained by natural disaster, never ending wars, alien probings or even a pandemic. When Congress made money from the government readily available to loan to all citizens for college costs, college costs starting their peculiar rise. With the smell of money in the air, private, for-profit colleges began to sprout up everywhere. Congress smelled that money too. Prior to the mid-1970s, student loan debt could be discharged, like any other debt, in bankruptcy. Congress then, quietly, eliminated this fundamental right (which is written into the Constitution) which allowed an entire industry of cock-a-roaches to be born – the wonderful student loan collection industry (the student loan industry is ranked on the putrid, scum, lowlife scale below Nazis but above Stalin). What do you think removing bankruptcy rights did to higher education? It removed the normal market steam valve that prevented a larger explosion and warned of dire, unaddressed issues on campuses and in the system itself. It’s removal is the single greatest cause of the $1.7 trillion crisis.  Remove it and enslave people in lifelong debt with interest rates and penalty fees doubling, tripling, quadrupling the original loan amounts. All the while the campaign contributions from those making billions of dollars off of this structure continue to pour into both Democratic and Republican camps. Who would want to stop that gravy train of destruction of the American people?  Certainly not our elected officials. Congress caused this, not Jerome or Fiona or JimmyJack. Congress caused this crisis and only Congress can fix it, which is why it’s so important who would put in office. We need people who care about others more than they care about money (I know, I know, crazy talk).

So, JoeJoe, Kam, Donny T and Mikey P, et al others at the D.C. freak show, if you want to change the country for the better, start with restoring full bankruptcy rights. Bankruptcy has consequences for those that use it (not all will) and will be from a hopeless desperation caused by the sleazy fraud compounded on them and is truly their only option – no one is getting off-scott free. This begins to realign the higher ed markets and helps address the highly inflated cost and fiscal mismanagement in higher education. Free education is possible but until we fix the current corrupt system, you’re just stealing from a different pocket on a different day (and still getting your cut of the scam – right?). 

#highered #highereducationleadership #higheredleadership #studentloans #studentloandebt #dirtypolitics #elections2020 #corruption #bankruptcylaw #writers #altraged