Hits and Misses
Courtesy of PennWest California
The former California University of Pennsylvania is now known as PennWest California.
Associated Press
President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right.
In terms of sheer politics, forgiving student loan debt doesn’t appear to hold any winning options for President Biden. Progressives have called for all debt to be canceled, while opponents of any debt cancellation contend that students should fulfill their obligations and pay off their loans to the last penny. They also say loan cancellation is unfair to folks who have not attended a college or university. Biden took a middle path this week, by announcing the forgiveness of $10,000 in debt per borrower making $125,000 or under, and the continued suspension of payments until the end of the year. With the cost of getting a postsecondary education far outpacing inflation, this will offer a boost to borrowers who are trying to purchase houses or vehicles, start families, or otherwise get going with their lives. In the meantime, more steps need to be taken to lower college costs.
The base pay for Pennsylvania legislators could inch past $100,000 next year, which would, according to an article published by the independent, nonpartisan Spotlight PA, “(add) to the price tag for Pennsylvania’s already expensive, full-time Legislature.” Some lawmakers make a point of returning their automatic pay raises to the state treasury. They also have the option of donating the money to charity. But the process is complicated. State Rep. Brad Roae, a Crawford County Republican, told Spotlight PA the raise still counts as income when it comes to taxes, pensions and student loans. He has authored a bill making a simple form available for lawmakers who want to sidestep the annual pay raise. It has been ignored by his colleagues in the House. The same fate has befallen other bills through the years, according to Spotlight PA. We have to ask, what are they so afraid of? Roae’s bill, or something like it, should come up for a vote.
Making the transition from high school to college is momentous for those who undertake it, and especially so for the freshman class at Penn West California. The new arrivals at what was once known as California University of Pennsylvania are embarking on their postsecondary education just weeks after the campus officially merged with Edinboro and Clarion universities, both of which are operating under the Penn West banner. It’s all part of a reorganization undertaken by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education that they say will breathe new life into campuses that have been beset by falling enrollment. If this assessment by State System officials is on target, this year’s freshmen will be the full beneficiaries of the merger. State System officials are also hoping that more students complete degrees in the years ahead, so our fingers are crossed that this year’s freshmen will be graduating in 2026 or sometime soon thereafter.
There are some signs that inflation in the United States might be easing, led by falling fuel prices. But inflation is a worldwide issue right now, and in Britain it is forecast to go higher and higher. On Monday, the bank Citi predicted that inflation in the United Kingdom would plateau at a jaw-dropping 18% at the beginning of 2023. The pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine are taking a toll. But some analysts believe Brexit is also part of the problem. The decision by British voters in 2016 to cut ties with the European Union has led to disruptions in supply chains, which has fed inflation, these analysts say. Brexit has also stopped the free flow of people and workers from Europe, which has exacerbated labor shortages. Brexit came about on a wave of nationalism and nativism. Now, it appears that British consumers will be literally paying for Brexit, and will likely be doing so for years to come.