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I am 20, and I work at Sappi in Skowhegan doing maintenance and general labor. I do whatever they need me to. Hopefully soon I will get a position operating a paper machine. Where I live, in Skowhegan, that is a great job. I do well for myself and am saving to buy a house and secure my future.
Recently, I saw that our congressman, Rep. Jared Golden, voted against the federal government forgiving $10,000 on student loan accounts. I have never voted before, but this has inspired me to vote for him in 2024. He understands that college-aged kids in his district are at work, doing apprenticeship programs and going into the military. Where is our $10,000?
While I am in the workforce paying taxes and trying to secure my financial future, my tax dollars could be going to go to some wealthy kid in New York or California? We have a hard enough time in Skowhegan getting ourselves and our local community members by. We shouldn’t be asked to foot the bill for the rest of the country to get degrees I don’t think they need.
If the federal government wants to encourage higher education, they should make these payments available for everyone who is college-aged and have the older generations pay for it; they shouldn’t discriminate against people who decided to learn through working instead of going to university.
If the federal government wants to encourage higher education, they should make these payments available for everyone who is college-aged and have the older generations pay for it; they shouldn’t discriminate against people who decided to learn through working instead of going to university.
Kobe Sprague
Skowhegan
