Why Mike Rowe Doesn’t Support Canceling Student Debt
By Movieguide® Staff
Conservative TV personality Mike Rowe recently shared his thoughts on President-Elect Joe Biden’s proposal to reduce or even cancel student debt.
The former DIRTY JOBS host expressed that he is against the cancelation of all students, because it’s unfair “to the millions of Americans who have paid their college debts.”
“Many, it seems, suspect that I’ll be supportive of these efforts, since I’ve written at length about the outrageous rise of college tuition, and the scandalous ways in which hundreds of thousands of students have been conned into borrowing ridiculous sums of money to purchase degrees that never lead to an actual job,” Rowe wrote on Facebook. “Well, for the record, I do not support student loan forgiveness.”
The Biden campaign proposed to cancel “a minimum of $10,000 per person of federal student loans,” a strategy backed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. However, many Democrats are calling for the cancelation of $50,000 in college debt per person.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described socialist, said the U.S. should offer “tuition-free public colleges” and terminate student debt entirely.
However, Rowe reasoned that, if the government bails out all those Americans who borrowed more money for school than they could repay, “tuition will never come back to earth.”
Rowe said that he has “no objection to a broad-based, liberal arts education.”
But, “We simply object to the cost and, therefore, focus our efforts on assisting students who wish to pursue a trade that doesn’t require a four-year degree.
“It should go without saying that I pity every young man and woman who is struggling today under the yoke of a crushing student loan,” Rowe wrote. “I sincerely do. You were quite possibly sold a bill of goods. You were very likely pressured by your friends, your parents, or your guidance counselor, to attend the ‘right’ school. You were perhaps a victim of this persistent, pernicious, and preposterous push to peddle a four-year degree to every person with a pulse, and for that, you have my sympathy. But that’s not my fault. Nor is it the fault of the American people. The fault belongs to you, and so does the debt.”
Rowe said he doesn’t “want to see more people borrow money they can’t afford to pay back,” and that the responsibility does not fall on U.S. citizens or the U.S. government but the individual.
“But nor do I wish to pay it back for you,” Rowe said. “I will, however, encourage you to apply for a work-ethic scholarship, and wish you every success in the future.”
Rowe will next appear on SIX DEGREES WITH MIKE ROWE, set to premiere on Monday, January 4, on Discovery’s new streaming service, Discovery+.
Lots of people on this page have asked me to comment on the various proposals to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars…
Posted by Mike Rowe on Monday, December 14, 2020
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
