Top 10 States For Unmanageable Student Debt

STUDENT DEBT——Unmanageable student debt can often dissuade graduates from pursuing careers as teachers and social workers. Sources: 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS); American Federation of Teachers Survey and Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends.

Facing Debt, Students Turn Away From Teaching

In a sweeping change to longstanding policies, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new drug-labeling rules would give drug-makers protection from lawsuits filed in state court.

The change comes despite the lesson of unsafe drugs like Vioxx, which find their way to the pharmacist’s shelves even after safety trials expose dangerous side effects. There have been 60,000 deaths from Vioxx-associated heart attacks.

According to FDA whistleblower Dr. David Graham, the “FDA is part of the problem.” The FDA’s new rule would shield drug makers from the only recourse for consumers, by throwing out the claims of consumers even if the drug-maker defied state law, or if the FDA review was proven inadequate. 2006report, “Paying Back, Not Giving Back,” found more than 23 percent of 4-year public and 38 percent of private college graduates have too much debt to seriously consider jobs as public school teachers.

“Public servants such as teachers and social workers are vital to the success of our communities,” said Higher Education Associate Luke Swarthout. “Unfortunately, high student loan debt can prevent new graduates from entering careers as teachers or other lower-paying yet valuable jobs.” Swarthout was quoted in The New York Times Magazine’s feature article on debt.

Congress could make college more affordable by cutting student loan interest rates. Georgia PIRG advocates HR-5150, which would cut interest rates in half for borrowers most in need.

Advocates Hold Line On Patients’ Rights

Georgia PIRG and other public interest advocates helped turn back a push in Congress last spring to weaken patients’ rights on several fronts. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.) had promoted a set of bills as part of “Health Week.” Yet our analysis found that bills backed by Sen. Frist would have done little to control costs while limiting the rights of medical malpractice victims and exempting some HMOs from minimum coverage, including cancer screening and maternity care.

Referring to the latter bill, Georgia PIRG’s Paul Brown said, “Expanding small business access to health care is a good idea, but this bill is the wrong approach. It will ultimately result in a race to the bottom where everyone ends up with substandard care.”

Project Encourages Young People To Vote

With another election coming up, Georgia PIRG is once again encouraging young people to register and vote—a step that many experts believe will lead to the development of a lifelong habit of civic engagement. In 2004, the PIRG New Voters Project’s work helped increase voter participation among young people by 11 percent. The Project’s organizers found that peer-to-peer interaction worked best to persuade college students and other young people to sign up and vote, a tactic that they’ll depend on heavily again this year.

Advocates Regroup After Reform Law Struck Down

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Vermont’s tough legal limits on political campaign contributions and spending—a severe blow to champions of campaign finance reform. The Vermont law, supported and defended by VPIRG, set contribution limits of $200 per election cycle for candidates for state representative, $300 for state senator, and $400 for governor. The Supreme Court held that the limits abridged the free speech rights of both voters and candidates.

“But the court’s ruling ignores the fact that some voters can afford more ‘speech’ than others,” said Georgia PIRG’s Gary Kalman. “That’s a direct violation of the principle of one person, one vote. If Bill Gates or Warren Buffett can give a candidate a check for $10,000 or $100,000 or more, their vote is worth more than yours or mine. That’s not the American way.”

Kalman and other reform advocates are exploring strategies to push reforms that stay within the ruling’s narrow boundaries and to challenge the ruling so stronger reforms are possible in the future.