I used to dream of being a U.S. Forest Service officer. I love the mountains, forests, and even deserts. But despite a pretty solid resume and some good experience, I never qualified for any jobs. I was told I should apply for the position of Public Information Officer at my local forest. But the job was given to a person who was tight with the forest brass, who had absolutely no experience with the media, and who probably couldn’t pick a press release out of a police lineup.
I thought that the Forest Service was a great job and so I applied for jobs all across the country. Of course, I got rejected. If I hadn’t, I would be retired by now. I remember one application process that required that the job application be submitted to the office in person, during a certain span of time on a particular day. This is interesting since in most cases, people apply for federal jobs online. I almost bought a plane ticket just so I could show up at the office, application in hand, a smile on my face, and a song in my heart.
But I knew from the application requirements that they had a candidate for the job. I knew from the application requirements that the forest had a person in mind for the job.
Yes, I do.
Fox News reports that the House Committee on Education and Labor was opposed by Democrats to a request from Republicans for a determination of how taxpayers would pay for two policies that would allow workers to forgive loans but not for the private sector.
Surprise. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc. ) Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.) Comment: Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.) He called the policies a gift for government workers and an indicator that government favoritism is over all other sectors.
The Dems complained that Republicans want to end programs that help government workers.
This issue revolves around the 2021 Department of Education decision to remove restrictions from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. It was originally designed for firefighters, teachers, and similar workers. Later, it was extended to federal workers who made at least 10 qualifying payments in the last 10 years. The loan was then forgiven to federal workers who had made 10 qualifying payments in the past 10 years.
No, I never did get my cushy government job. If I had, I would be getting ready for ski season in Aspen right now instead of writing this. And I paid back my student loan. And now I have to pay back other people’s student loans, just like many of you who rolled the dice when you started a business that was choked out by COVID-19 restrictions or just raised a family by the sweat of your brow. And none of us had any guarantees. But we do have the privilege of guaranteeing the futures of the people who are or have been paid with our tax money.
