Thread by @kurteichenwald

1. I am once again going to anger a lot of people. I dont care.

91% of children attend public school. 65% of high school graduates - public and private - go to college. About 30% of Americans have attended college.

Giving blanket cancellation for student loans.....

2...gives a huge amount of money to most well-off. Take a look at the numbers below. More than 60% of people who attend highly selective colleges and above are in the top 20% of Americans. Just like I want tax cuts targeted to the middle class, I want school benefits NOT going...

3...to the well off. Sure, having student debt is difficult. You know what is more difficult? Going to a high school that has no books. Going to an elementary school that has no pencils. Teachers struggling, taking two jobs. THEY are the first concern, not upper-middle-class...

4...kids who have student loans. Now, do I believe kids who are in the poorest segments who attend college should have forgiveness? A huge percentage, yes - make sure that people's life choices are not driven by debt. Cut off interest for them. Refinance others. But....

5...we have to STOP acting like the people who most deserve our attention are people with a college education. I would prefer a trillion dollars going to elementary/high schools than to forgive all college debt. Renegotiate? Sure. Forgive? Only for those who truly cant afford...

6...the REAL problem in all of this is employers. Look at how many jobs that DONT require a college education require a college education. One of my kids definitely needed college (and graduate school) for his chosen profession. One of them, maybe maybe not. The third? No....

7...but all three needed a "job license" - a college degree.

Rather than wasting money on colleges for people who don't need college education, we need to adopt apprentice programs like they have in Switzerland. All of my kids are smart, only one definitely required a degree..

8...so, the problem isn't that people borrow money to pay for overinflated college costs. It's that businesses have bought into the idea that college degrees are necessary for all jobs. Run that idea past Gates, Zuckerberg. Read about Steve Jobs. College isn't needed for....

9...everyone. The $ spent on college could instead go to giving kids time to go through apprenticeships at a HELL of a lot cheaper. Businesses would get better trained students, debt would not be racked up for no reason, and a trillion dollars can go to elementary/high school....

10...this is why I am not a fan of Sanders' "free college." Most Americans dont WANT to go to college, not because they cant afford it, but because they dont want to. Why should we be paying for the most fortunate and looking afterwards to the 91% in public schools?....

11...when I hear college students talking about free college for everyone, what I hear (in my mind) is future republicans, caring first about their own financial well-being, regardless of their privilege, and ignoring the more needy.

Like I said, I'll anger some. Meh.