US Marshals Are Arresting People For Not Paying Student Loans

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: Puppylove

originally posted by: crazyewok

University should be for the best and brightest.

Problem is according to like a lot of people if you don't have a degree you don't deserve enough to live.

Wait for it, the mental gymnastics are going to go into overdrive to point out that you shouldn't exist at all if you can't afford college, and that too many students are devaluing college degrees, therefore they shouldn't bother going to college in the first place. And screw 'em, because stupid poor people in minimum wage jobs = leeches.

Those lazy people working 2-3 full time jobs! Or those lazy people working 5 part time jobs. If only they'd work harder!

I also wonder if people would consider how many more jobs there'd be if one person didn't have to take up three jobs just to tread the surface.

College is not necessary. However, many businesses use a college degree as a filter to whittle down the number of job applicants for available spots.

In a sense, college has become the new high school diploma.

With that said, college is not for everyone. Everyone doesn't need to go to college and not everyone will get the same ROI.

The push for everyone to go to college is misguided.

a reply to: jhn7537

Flooding the market and devalueing the degree? Look i get the anger here. I have student loan debt i am paying currently. However, if such a program were ever put in place, would it not be better overall to increase the education of the nations population as a whole?

I mean free college does not mean easy degrees really. There will still be plenty of people who choose to pass on furthering their education and even more so who will fail out of class the firsr semester. I mean essentially, this allows for all of the smart folk out there to utilize ALL of their potential. Think about what that alone could do for the country...

Granted if it ever happened, all loan debt currently owed should be written off. The people who have already paid back loans...

Well lets face it the underlying feeling is going to be understandable jealousy. Reimbursments? Perhaps. If congress can agree on something.

Or those people should just get over it and except itll make us all better off. I dont know about you, but i would love interacting with more educated folk on a daily basis.

And before people ask where all the money will come from...Well we already print fake money out like there is no tomorrow, whats a little more? More seriously though, just spend alot less on our 'defense' budget for a few years. I know. The horror.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: jhn7537

Good. People shouldn't pay for forced legal gambling which is what college is.

College should be free because it's beneficial to society to have an educated populace.

Jobs CAN hire people based on skill and ability without requiring they have put themselves in thousands of dollars in debt first. They just don't want to cause they enjoy the indentured servitude created by student loan debt.

Why should art degrees and other useless degree be free?

Surely it makes more sense to only provide free science and engineering degress for those who qualify and those below certain incomes?


With the rest? Fund better training in trade skills for those not academicly inclined.

If you want to go do a degree that has no employment use, fund it yourself.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord



I guess they decided that after 18 years he wasn't going to willfully pay that debt and they would issue a warrant for fraud or something like that. Fraud is fraud. If the story had given us a sob-story of why he couldn't pay during the intervening time, I suppose I could be more charitable. As it is, you thread is just another one of those victimizing a deadbeat. I'm greatly disappointed in your take on this situation.

Be advised that my daughter owes several thousand of dollars due to having just obtained her Masters. It's her debt, not mine and should not be societies...at least, not yet until Bernie makes it so.

originally posted by: crazyewok
Why should art degrees and other useless degree be free?

The more important question... why do you consider an art degree to be useless?

originally posted by: crazyewok






Yes its all good aiming higher. But its no dammed good if aiming "higher" is sending every kid regardless of ability to get useless degrees in art nonsense that has little to no employment value.

Labour would have been better offering a number of places free for science students who meet certain ability standards and then sent the rest to get vocational qualifications that better suited there abilities and been useful to them.

Not everyone is suited to university.

University should be for the best and brightest.

I don't necessarily disagree with this. I think students who want to go to college should prove themselves before being accepted. That could be high school transcripts and/or extra-curricular activities (showing leadership positions in the community or starting your own business in high school, etc), and/or SAT/ACT test scores. College/university isn't right for everyone. But for those who DO qualify, it should be free or extremely low cost. There are plenty of smart poor/lower middle-class kids in poverty who can't afford the tuition or the loans, and who didn't quite make the cut for assistance or scholarships.

And for those who are better suited to vocational/trade school, that should be free/low cost too.

It benefits our whole society if we get our youth trained properly before we send them out into the world - whatever that training may be.

US Marshals arresting people for not paying their federal student loans

Paul Aker says he was arrested at his home last week for a $1500 federal student loan he received in 1987.

He says seven deputy US Marshals showed up at his home with guns and took him to federal court where he had to sign a payment plan for the 29-year-old school loan.

Uhhhh...OK I am not a lawyer, but I do remember one big part of my contract law class...

Defining Duress

In the previous “held-at-gunpoint” example, the idea of duress was taken to an extreme. The actual definition of duress is simply a measurement of coercion or force not necessarily because a weapon has been drawn.

Any type of threats, intended harm or stress put upon a person in order to get them to perform an act they would not normally perform would be considered duress.

A contract is not validly signed unless it is signed by each participant’s own accord and own free will.

www.lawguru.com...

Not only would I think any lawyer would tell this guy to tear up the debt repayment agreement...but that same lawyer might also leap at the chance to sue the Federal Government for the manner in which they have chosen to collect debts...

And BTW reading this...technically...the US Gov. sold the bad debt to private collection agencies...who got judgments in Federal Court and then got the US Marshall's service to kidnap (I don't see just cause for arrest) folks at gunpoint and force them to sign private repayment contracts...yes under duress...

So the US Marshalls service are for-hire-military style armed PRIVATE debt collectors now?

Hell...call Saul! I kind of wish I had a scenario like this happen to me...Cuz there have to be a ton of lawyers eager to sue the hell out of the US Gov. for big, big $$$$!

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: crazyewok
Why should art degrees and other useless degree be free?

The more important question... why do you consider an art degree to be useless?

Because its relatively impossible to live off an art degree, which makes the degree useless... Higher education to me, was always about making myself the most attractive candidate for the employers I wanted to work for. It wasn't to find myself, it wasn't to chase a hobby or dream, it was to make money. I chose a business degree from a reputable school, and I took my time at my school very seriously, aka, wasn't partying all the time. I cared about gaining employment and building a life for myself. I suppose we all choose college for different reasons. My reason was to gain employment, and to begin earning a healthy living where I could support my family and myself comfortably.

a reply to: crazyewok

I have a Bachelor of Art degree in Communications (radio/tv/film). I got a job in advertising, and worked in that field for about 14 years. From there, I moved into another field. My degree got me all my jobs. My degree wasn't in science, but it certainly wasn't useless.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: crazyewok
Why should art degrees and other useless degree be free?

The more important question... why do you consider an art degree to be useless?

Not really me but the job market.

Most BA dont get much beyond those that dont go to university.

Of course some get lucky. But to be honest I think they would have been successful anyway and plenty of people get successful without degrees.

Most my freinds who got BA are in mediocre office jobs or flipping burgers.

The science degrees on the other hand? Well everyone I know who went down that route has good good jobs. Everyone I did my biology degree with are employed in a job that pays well above the recommended living wage and in a sector related to that degree.


Now if a government is to offer something for "free" then there needs to be a net positive to the tax payer.

originally posted by: crazyewok

originally posted by: Puppylove

originally posted by: crazyewok

University should be for the best and brightest.

Problem is according to like a lot of people if you don't have a degree you don't deserve enough to live.

There are plenty of trade jobs one can learn that pay a hell of a lot.

Get the RIGHT degree or learn a trade skill.

I have never meet a hungry plumber.

Someone undertaking an Apprenticeship to a Level 3 standard, is likely to make around £50,000 more in a lifetime than a Graduate (with a meaningless Degree).

I discovered this at a seminar I attended as part of my job. What I did ask was if this took into account the debt the kids get themselves into? No was the reply I was given.

There are families out there who would never have dreamt of being in so much debt and for what? With that much debt what chances do they have in life?

Oh well, with all the new sixth forms opening up in Academies, the production line is being built beautifully.

I work with Apprentices, in construction, and seriously last year I had more jobs than I could fill. I hope it's a bit better this year, but it isn't looking like it. Applications are down, which is disappointing, but not too unexpected from the interest at careers fairs I have attended in schools and communities.

Most kids I spoke to were more nterested in joining the Army or Air Force, unless they were going on to their school's sixth form.

a reply to: jhn7537

He wants to make public colleges free, you know like high school and elementary school. Are HS diplomas devalued because everyone has one? You can still pay top dollar for any and all private schools under his plan.

Free public college, what a terrible idea... All schools should be private and cost a ridiculous amount of money. First graders texts books should cost over $100 and upwards to $300 while new editions are published yearly.

originally posted by: jhn7537
Because its relatively impossible to live off an art degree, which makes the degree useless...

That's just not true.

There's relatively high demand for trained artists, designers, and other positions where a degree in art is essential. The film, advertising, TV, consumer goods, automotive, and a broad range of industries need people with training in creative arts.

In fact, some of the highest-paying jobs in the "new economy" of digital are art/creative related, now that code-development is at near-commodity levels.

a reply to: greencmp
Like I say, there's very little separating the mafia/ politicians & government. The only real difference is legality.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
In an insidious and relatively new twist in the student loan crisis, the US Marshal Service is arresting people for not paying their student loans. And sometimes, showing up with guns drawn in an overwhelming show of federal government intimidation run amok.

So lets see, the government in collusion with corporate and banking lobbyists, created policies to favor themselves and a race to the bottom for everyone else, and now that they can't squeeze blood from a stone want to imprison people as well now.

But if your a Big Bank on Wall Street and default or a Corporation run into the ground and declare bankruptcy, the bankers get bailed out and the corporate leaders taking all the 'risk' get golden parachutes
That is the definition of evil

originally posted by: kaylaluv
a reply to: crazyewok

I have a Bachelor of Art degree in Communications (radio/tv/film). I got a job in advertising, and worked in that field for about 14 years. From there, I moved into another field. My degree got me all my jobs. My degree wasn't in science, but it certainly wasn't useless.

But heres the thing.

No that degree is not useless. But rather focused for a specific job.

Cool if you have less grads than jobs.


But in that area if you have a hundred thousand grads in that degree but only a few hundred job openings? Well you run into burger flipping territory

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

And I'm sure those people, for the most part, will have some computer science design background... I thought we were discussing just basic art majors, not really crossing into digital media/advertising/etc, because a lot of those degrees will have some business classes attached to the undergrad programs.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I don't think he understands that people with art degrees make the movies he watches. Star Wars comes to mind.

originally posted by: jhn7537
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

And I'm sure those people, for the most part, will have some computer science design background... I thought we were discussing just basic art majors, not really crossing into digital media/advertising/etc, because a lot of those degrees will have some business classes attached to the undergrad programs.

Exactly.

Again it comes down to picking your degree wisely and looking at future job markets.