Republican Tax Plan Poses Threat to Higher Education
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SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND NEWS, PAGE 2 NEWS, PAGE 3 FEATURES, PAGE 6 Movie showing sparks Movement for GQS major Puget Sound professor helps VOL. 107 ISSUE 43 SINCE 1910 DECEMBER 8 discussion of ongoing continues to grow choose recipients for prestigious struggle at NWDC local award REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN POSES THREAT TO HIGHER EDUCATION By Marcelle Rutherfurd Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell workshop helping students write letters and include, among other changes, the help the teacher shortage when we can’t announced to radio host Hugh Hewitt on and emails to their senators. They also following: eliminating the student loan afford to get a masters?? Public schools Wednesday that it was “almost certain” the assisted in writing draft phone-call interest deduction and repealing the require it, and if only the wealthy can GOP would pass its proposed reforms. scripts to their senators. They had contact Lifetime Learning Credit; taxing faculty afford it imagine the added disadvantage While there are still differences between information available for each senator. and staff members on the value of tuition for working-class students being taught the bills proposed by the Senate and House, “The political advocacy workshop was assistance received for themselves and/ by those of higher socioeconomic status?” McConnell said he thought a bill would an idea Annie and I first heard from the or their dependents,” President Crawford She continued, “This is probably just cross the President’s desk by Chrsitmas. writing center staff of the University of said in the email. their way of keeping us from fixing the The impact of the proposed reforms could Washington Bothell, whose discussion President Crawford went on already flawed education system, but be dramatic, especially for higher education. on values-based tutoring at the Pacific to list many other financial problems wow even being a teacher is becoming On Nov. 15, President Crawford sent Northwest Writing Centers Association that the reforms would cause for out of my reach? That’s been my dream out an email to the campus community (PNWCA) in October inspired us to get the University, including limitations since I was 3 years old and it’s not even discussing the new tax reforms and what involved,” Stutz said. She continued, “It’s on the University’s ability to fund a high paying job! I can’t even afford they mean for universities in general. somewhat difficult to be wholly positive new necessary construction projects. to aspire for an underpaid position.” “I write to you from Washington, D.C., about the event because the tax bill did in Individuals across the U.S. are angry at President Crawford seems to share their where I am in engaged in bringing forward fact pass the senate, opening the gates for what these reforms mean for students or concern. concerns about the impact the proposed the implementation of taxes on loans and individuals who still have student loans. “Education is a fundamental right to tax reform legislation under consideration tuition waivers for students pursuing higher “Over the years, more students have which everyone is entitled. We believe by Congress would have on our ability to education, among a host of other economic been borrowing increasing sums of it is possible to offer tax relief in a way fulfill our mission of service to students. It effects likely to devastate American money to pay for college, making student that does not increase college costs is clear that the proposed legislation would university system and increase the tax debt a more salient problem than ever and make education less accessible,” negatively impact students and their families, burden on the American middle class while before. What’s more, those with the President Crawford said in the email. as well as our faculty and staff members giving enormous tax breaks to corporations. most debt tend to be highly educated, “I have expressed these concerns to and the higher education community “I’m very grateful that the CWLT a group with high levels of political our Congressional delegation — as have at large,” Crawford said in the email. provided us with the space and resources to engagement. Because debt is widespread Puget Sound trustees and members of our After the tax reforms were announced, put on the event. I know that we would love and borrowers are politically engaged, it’s Alumni Council Executive Committee many students on campus expressed to hold more advocacy workshops in the no surprise that student debt has become — and affirmed that we are eager to work concern for the future of their education. future, although I continue to be alarmed a huge political issue,” CNN reported. together to enact legislation that better Student employees of the Center for that this type of political engagement for Puget Sound students are concerned about meets the needs of our students and their Writing, Learning and Teaching (CWLT) logical economic security continues to be the effects on their pursuit of education. families, our faculty and staff members, held a Political Advocacy Writing so desperately necessary,” Stutz concluded. “I’m thinking a lot about grad school our alumni, and those who support workshop in response to the announcement. The tax reforms would mean big financial student loans,” senior Sam Bainbridge said. and benefit from higher education.” On Nov. 20, CWLT writing advisors changes to the structure of the University itself. Monica Patterson shared the statement Annie Lamar and Kathryn Stutz led a “The proposed reforms are significant with The Trail, “How are we supposed to December 8, 2017 2 [email protected] PAGE DESIGN/NAYRA HALAJIAN NEWS ‘The Resistance Is Led From Within’ sparks conversationBy Andrew Izzo about Northwest Detention Center For months now, there has been a lawsuit in Trimble Forum. According to their Connor Van Alstine said. “All of us here in this room, we against the Northwest Detention Center website, the NWDC Resistance is a Following the showing, a panel are basically part of a mixed-status (NWDC). Washington State Attorney group in Tacoma that organizes protests discussion was held with Associated community; we just don’t talk about it,” General Bob Ferguson announced the and raises awareness for the detainees Students of the University of Puget Ybarra said. She continued, speaking lawsuit on Sept. 20, 2017. of the NWDC. ADV focuses on raising Sound (ASUPS) president Amanda Díaz, about how people don’t know to ask, The NWDC is operated by a private awareness about the NWDC, as well NWDC Resistance member Maru Mora and often don’t know how to start prison company called The GEO Group, as attends protests on site, according to Villalpando, University of Washington a conversation about the subject of Inc. The NWDC operates on behalf their Facebook page. professor Megan Ybarra and La Rond immigration and residency status. of U.S. Immigration and Customs The documentary shown was “Hunger Baker from the Washington Attorney Another point that was stressed was the Enforcement (ICE), and houses more Strikes: A Call to End Immigrant General’s office, who is the lead attorney importance of listening to the stories of than a thousand detainees, according to Detention,” written by Megan Ybarra, on the lawsuit against GEO Group. the detainees and then taking action based a 2017 audit of the NWDC on the ICE produced by Luke McKinley and “made in The panel answered questions regarding on what they say. “We are responsible website. solidarity with the Northwest Detention the NWDC and the activism activities of to them, and it is our responsibility to A press release from the Attorney Center Resistance and Detention Watch the NWDC Resistance. get their voice out because they can’t,” General’s office details the reasons for the Network,” as the documentary states in One of the things that NWDC Villalpando said. lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses GEO of a the credits. Resistance does is provide a “Hunger Ybarra continued on this point, saying violation of Washington State’s minimum The documentary tells some of the Strikers Handbook,” designed to inform that the concerns of the people on the wage laws: detainees’ stories, as well as chronicles detainees or anyone else about how to inside and the changes they want to “A multi-billion dollar corporation is the various hunger strikes that the people stage a hunger strike. It also serves as see are sometimes different than what trying to get away with paying its workers inside the prison have staged since 2014. preparation for someone who is facing someone on the outside would assume one dollar per day,” Ferguson said in the The content for the documentary was detention. They put it together after the those things to be. “I want what I want press release. collected by members of the NWDC first hunger strike in 2014. because it makes me feel like a better According the the press release, the Resistance over the last few years, and Another intent of this handbook is to community member, but they want second claim in the lawsuit is that was put together to raise awareness about provide language for people to talk about things because they need them to keep GEO profited from this exploitation of the NWDC. the struggles surrounding the NWDC, their families together,” Ybarra said. workers, which is illegal under federal law “We hope this is a project that starts and the subject of immigration and “If these individuals that have been as unjust enrichment. The issues raised in conversations rather than ends them,” detention. detained hadn’t been willing to come this lawsuit were brought to the state’s Ybarra said.