UPDATE: Since having sent out this press release above on 'Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:46:16 EDT,' I attempted to contact Rep. Ross over his bizarre behaviour by both email and by phone at both his personal number listed above and also through his office phone number. As of today (one week later), Sunday, 03 July 2011, I still have not gotten a response --but I did not turn up missing nor encounter misfortune, as I had feared might occur if I tried to call him on his bizarre behaviour.
Nonetheless, as described on the well-documented research paper regarding Higher Education problems, I documented subsequent bizzare behaviour by the Congressman. Here is a copy and paste from that page (mirror a - mirror b - mirror c)
(Tuesday, 28 June 2011) UPDATE:
Since publication of this research paper, I have spoken with my congressman, U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-Fla.-12), and the outcome has been nothing less than incredible. First, I sent him an email[37], to which he responded. I tried to email him through AOL, but he deleted my email [link: copy a or copy b] probably because it had an email attachment --and he was being careful to avoid a computer virus. However, notice that link: When I resent my email, this time without any attachment [link: copy a or copy b], he still deleted it too. Huh? So, when I found out new information on the legislation, I emailed him through Facebook again[37]. If you will notice, in his reply, Rep. Ross claimed that: "Allowing discharge in bankruptcy for student loans would cause a sharp decline in availability of loans," however this is patently false: As this expert has said ((cache: link 'a') or (cache: link 'b')), "This report demonstrates only a slight increase in the availability of private student loans to borrowers with low credit scores after BAPCPA made such loans non-dischargeable [in bankruptcy proceedings]," so, if consumer protections (like bankruptcy protections, truth in lending, etc.) were restored to Student Loans, then there would probably only be a slight *decrease* in the availability of private student loans --those not made or guaranteed by the Federal Government (since banks would be unwilling to lend to a small number of people who could not afford to pay back --but that would be a good thing: They don't need to be borrowing anyhow). --Source: Student Aid Policy Analysis: Impact of the Bankruptcy Exception for Private Student Loans on Private Student Loan Availability, by: Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org, August 14, 2007 -- Furthermore, as I had pointed out in my last reply to Congressman Dennis Ross, credit card loans are typically on the same terms (interest, payment options, fees, etc.) as these private loans, and yet credit card loans have continued unabated -and that even someone with bad credit can find a lender. Besides 'private' loans, due to the recent changes in law, the Federal Government also now lends directly to students for Student Loans, so no 'sharp decline' in loans would result; furthermore, the Congressman was wrong to oppose H.R. 5043 on these grounds, as it only returned standard consumer protections to private, not federal, loans. Lastly, as I pointed out (and the Congressman has NOT rebutted or answered me on this point), it would probably be a *good* thing for there to be a "sharp decline" in Student Loans: This is the way it was in the 1950's, where there was little or no loans, grants, or other 'student aid' for college education: Colleges knew they could not over-charge students, and college administrators learned to live within their means --and, guess what: American colleges were the best in the world, so they did not need to overcharge students like they are doing today.
Besides being factually wrong on a number of points, the Congressman engaged in a bit of bizarre behaviour: Besides deleting my email without reading it --twice [link: copy a or copy b], and blocking me from his Facebook for no apparent reason [link: copy a or copy b], he was rather rude and repeatedly evaded answering a question that two (2) of his constituents posed to him: [link: copy a or copy b] on his 'Politician' page.
In all fairness to the Congressman, he only blocked me from his personal Facebook page, not his 'Politician' one; nonetheless, he seems to discuss politics with his constituents much less on his politician page, and as I've done nothing to provoke or insult him (other than express my views, and politely ask for representation), his reactions and odd behaviour are unwarranted --and actually a bit bizarre. -- It makes me think that he is being paid off by big banks who want protection from the Free Market pressures of failure (aka a 'bailout' from having borrowers be able to file bankruptcy) that would result if the standard consumer protections for Student Loans (bankruptcy protection, truth in lending, etc.) were returned to Student Loans --as the law was in the past. -- Since all other loans have standard consumer protections, young, vulnerable college students should not be deprived either. This is doubly true now that college tuition is skyrocketing to obscenely high levels --even as a quality of education continues to plummet -and other nations continue to outperform us in math and the sciences. So, we see that this influx of Federal 'student aid' has actually made things worse. Why then do supposedly 'conservative' Congressman like Rep. Ross, continue to interject Big Government into Higher Education when: (-a-) it goes against their 'Smaller Government' mantra; and, (-b-) It has been proven to NOT work?
(Friday, 01 July 2011) UPDATE:
To his credit, Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-Fla.12), has addressed a few of the complaints of banning people from his 'Politician' page [link: copy a or copy b], but, as yet, has refused to address MANY other concerns, and one reply that he eventually made was just a little bit weird: [link: copy a or copy b] --still, a bit bizarre, if you ask me: He is our elected representative. Lastly, since he's not only removed me from his regular Facebook (http://Facebook.com/RepDennisRoss), but also BLOCKED me from even seeing his Facebook Wall: [link: copy a or copy b] --and were it not for a good friend letting me look at his Facebook [link: copy a or copy b], I would not even have seen the Public Education post. I bet Rep. Ross was not expecting this, but I 're-posted' his link from his personal Facebook to his 'Politician' Facebook fan page.
If college student suicides due to Student Loan defaults has seen a dramatic rise[15-18;36], as I've previously documented, then this problem is real, not just a financial problem 'on paper': I hope my Congressman starts caring about his constituents & voters and responding by both replying AND introducing bills that will solve these problems, but as yet, his behaviour is a bit unresponsive and on occasion a bit bizarre.
"Insanity" is doing the same thing (socialist government involvement into higher-ed, & removal of Free-Market checks, like standard consumer protections on Student Loans), and expecting a different result. Either our Representatives & Senators are 'insane' --or being bought off by Big Banks --or both?