Who should be applauding Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief plan? Women, that’s who
Student loan forgiveness
Thank you for publishing Matt Driscoll’s commentary on student debt relief.
We want to add that student debt hurts women in particular: they tend to borrow more for their education than men, and they also struggle more to pay it off, in part because of the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap in Washington state is higher than the national average, with women making 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man in a similar job, according to US Census Bureau data.
The research shows that women hold almost two-thirds of the country’s student debt, and it takes about two years longer for women than for men to repay student loans. Women with children have an even harder time making ends meet, much less saving while paying down student debt.
AAUW-Tacoma is grateful for student debt relief on behalf of Washington women and grateful to the elected officials who support women’s education and equal pay initiatives.
LesLee Eicher and Mary Letterman, Tacoma
Elected prosecutors
Washington is home to great prosperity, promising that everyone — regardless of status, race, class, or gender — can have a good life and live in a happy, healthy community. However, in Tacoma, families of transformed individuals continue to suffer as our incarcerated loved ones are held unnecessarily with overly long sentences for non-violent and victimless offenses.
Elected county Prosecutors like Mary Robnett in Pierce County are directly responsible for keeping our corrupt criminal justice system exactly how it is. We elect politicians to uphold our values and use their discretion, and Robnett has done neither. Pierce County has the highest rate of felonies in the state because Robnett has made it her mission to prosecute poverty and terrorize Black and brown communities. It doesn’t have to be this way. If we speak out against these individuals taking up space in our systems, we can create a future where humane treatment is the standard and where our tax dollars are spent keeping us housed, healthy and in school.
It’s time that our criminal legal system takes responsibility for the impact of crimes on communities as well as the circumstances within which crimes were committed — not just punishment.
Toni Adams
Praise for the DMV
Your Thursday paper poked fun at the DMV in the funnies. My only connection with the DMV is as a customer, but I am really impressed by how well it runs.
For that matter, in the 40 years I have lived here I have continually been impressed by how well the public sector does its job at the customer service level. Fast, efficient, pleasant and highly competent.
Thomas Walz
Global poverty
As new strains of COVID bring worry to the minds of many, we tend to think about how it impacts us — how it affects our families, friends, jobs, schools and anything within our borders. What we don’t think as much about is how the world around us is impacted and what we can do.
Yes, everyone has the power to contribute. The COVID pandemic has made extreme poverty levels rise severely all over the world. Nonprofit organizations such as The Borgen Project located in Tacoma, work with Congressional leaders to provide support for the legislation addressing this issue.
You don’t need to look far because many of these organizations are nearby. Anyone can get involved by donating, volunteering or simply spreading the message.
Don’t be afraid to help solve the global poverty crisis. Every action matters.
Anastasia Argat, University Place