Last year, President Biden announced a plan to cancel $20,000 in student loan debt. This plan wound its way through the courts and was ultimately struck down by the undemocratic and rightwing-dominated Supreme Court. As of today, borrowers will once again be allowed to collect student loan payments, ending the pandemic-era debt relief for tens of millions of working class people across the country. 

Since 1980, the cost of going to a four-year college in the US has tripled. The total cost for a four-year college in 1980 – including all expenses – was a little over $10,000 in today’s money. Now, the average cost  is $36,436 per year. Many, many students take out significantly more loans than that to pay for cost-of-living expenses or to pursue graduate degrees.

Governmental support for higher education has also dwindled dramatically. In previous decades, working class families could rely on significant support via Pell Grants. Now, in order to attend a four-year college, families have to take out loans, starting their young adult life on the back foot by taking on tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Now, the average American carries $37,338 in student loan debt and more than 45 million people carry thousands of dollars in student loan debt. The burden of student loan debt is not held equally–Black college graduates owe, on average, $25,000 more than white college graduates. 

During the pandemic, student loan payments were paused, buying months of relief for working families and young people. Student loan payments could just stop, like turning off a light switch, and the economy didn’t fall apart. Instead, when the payments were stopped, a new world opened up for some sectors of the working class, one where each paycheck didn’t have to be a scramble.  

Jackie Wang in Carceral Capitalism put it this way:  “The hold that debt has over our lives is not merely numerical. It functions as a disciplinary apparatus as we internalize the ideology that naturalizes indebtedness.” As we prepare to dole out 10-15% of each paycheck only to watch the total amount that we owe get bigger due to high interest rates, we cannot help but feel it not only in our pocketbooks but also internally. We can end this nightmare, but only if we act collectively to fight back against this unjust system. 

As socialists, we demand better: We demand that all student debt – and medical debt, and carceral debt – be canceled and forgiven immediately. We demand  public education from pre-K to college that is truly free for all to attend. Join us in this fight. 

• Learn more about how we fight to abolish debt with this political education course from the Debt Collective! 
• Sign our petition to demand that President Biden cancel ALL student debt! 
• Join DSA and commit to Solidarity Dues to fund our fight for a democratic economy that works for all! 

The post Cancel All Student Debt appeared first on Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

The good folks at Worx have put together a beginner swag shop for us. Worx is a union cooperative, and they offer print-on-demand custom branded swag, union printed with a bug. A beginner store is 3 items. We went for the t-shirt in both regular and femme cut, and the hoodie. They threw in a tote bag as well. Additional items will include a set-up fee, but the hosting is free. We make no profit from the swag, so it all goes to the workers. Click on the image to see the store.

Thorn West: Issue No. 172

State Politics

• Today is the state Legislature’s second of two yearly “suspense days,” when the progress of many proposed bills can be suspended until the next year’s session. At the end of the day, here’s what advanced.

• CalMatters covers this summer’s continuing increase in COVID-19 cases, including how to know if you are optimally vaccinated.

City Politics

• A long-awaited report from the chief legislative analyst contains proposals on how to expand the number of city council seats, as well as how to move to an independent redistricting commission. The Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform met this week (video here) to begin reviewing the report.

• Former LA Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months in prison for corruption that took place when he was a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors.

• With the next primaries in March, the first debate in a Los Angeles City Council race was held in District 2. DSA-LA has also begun its endorsement process, and will be considering the endorsement of several candidates for council. On September 10, members are invited to meet and ask questions of these candidates via Zoom. RSVP here!

Police Violence and Community Resistance

• The LAPD Mission Division gang unit that is being federally investigated is suspected of routinely stealing from people at traffic stops, as well as slipping tracing devices into their cars.

• Days after approving a new LAPD contract which unbalances the budget by giving massive raises to police officers, Councilmember Traci Park spoke gleefully about cutting the budgets of other city departments.

Housing Rights

• Los Angeles City Council passed a $150-million spending plan for funds raised by Measure ULA on Tuesday. The funds will be directed to six programs, including tenant protections and affordable housing production. City officials said ULA money can be spent only as it comes in, so the city won’t be able to use the full $150 million until the tax generates $150 million.

• Recent court orders have temporarily prevented the displacement of unhoused people by cities that do not provide viable shelter alternatives, citing the decision in Martin v. Boise that this practice violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. In response, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, speaking at an anti-unhoused rally staged at the courthouse, demanded that judges reverse this decision in order to allow the city to resume displacing encampments regardless of whether or not viable shelter alternatives exist. Governor Gavin Newsom suggested publishing the personal contact information of judges who refused to do so.

Labor

• The Nation offers praise to Los Angeles as the country’s “leading union town.” Join DSA-LA’s Westside Branch this Saturday in support of workers on the picket line at the Fairmont Miramar, where hotel security have attacked striking workers for demanding more dignified working conditions!

• In advance of Labor Day, Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez and Tim McOsker introduced a package of legislative motions intended to crack down on wage theft in Los Angeles.

Environmental Justice

• The California Public Utilities Commission voted 5–0 on Thursday to let Southern California Gas increase the fuel storage at the Aliso Canyon gas storage field, eight years after a methane gas leak forced thousands of San Fernando Valley residents to evacuate their homes for months.

The post Report on LA City Council Expansion + DSA-LA Endorsement Process Begins for 2024 Races appeared first on The Thorn West.