I write to you as a longtime Madison County resident, raising a family in the area I adore with the people I love. Madison County has so much heart. But Madison County is no stranger to hardship. The growth of our rural community, towns, and cities is clearly not enhanced in the midst of a true recession. Jobs — lost, gained, lost again. It leaves us to experience undue stress, anxiety, disappointment, personal loss and social embarrassment.
Shuffled behind the high visibility of current congressional discussions about health care reform, there is other proposed legislation that, if passed by the U.S. Senate (already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives), the government will absorb the student loan industry and serve as the banker to operate the entire student loan program out of the U.S. Department of Education. If this legislation is approved by the Senate and signed, Madison County is captured in the job loss net once again.
Specifically, I speak of the extended families of 309 Madison County residents who are employed at Sallie Mae in Fishers. We make our lives in Anderson, Elwood, Summitville, Frankton, Alexandria, Lapel and Pendleton. In Delaware County, there are 456 jobs at risk. And the Sallie Mae employee count includes our other immediate neighbors of Henry, Grant, Hamilton, and Hancock counties.
We are the representation of a broad-based middle class.
Sallie Mae offers well-paying jobs that culminate in the delivery of funding and services to make it possible for students to participate in higher learning opportunities. From an employee perspective after 14 years with Sallie Mae, I have enjoyed many benefits and seen many actions by Sallie Mae that make me proud. Individually, I earned a master of science degree while employed, only through the support of Sallie Mae staff and management and a tuition reimbursement program. It is easy to take pride in Sallie Mae as a responsible citizen of central Indiana when you consider our involvement in Habitat for Humanity, United Way, funding local scholarships to prospective college students, and fulfilling responses to food pantry needs in staggering numbers.
Sallie Mae and more than 30 other companies and organizations are supporting a proposal that lets free market lending institutions continue to participate in student lending.
Thousands of schools have stepped up to support this proposal. The state of Indiana, and specifically central Indiana, stands to lose more jobs than any other state depending on the outcome of the Senate’s vote. I urge our Madison County communities’ elected officials, leaders and citizens to communicate to Sen. Evan Bayh and Sen. Richard Lugar that they must protect Indiana jobs and stop the government from taking over an industry that works for millions of college students and their families. Madison County has a stake in this issue.
Letters
Viewpoint: Pay attention, protect Ind. jobs
- Letters
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year’s Eve. I doubt many Americans noticed its implications because they do not yet comprehend the big picture. This law, coupled with the Patriot Act, is paving the way for America’s direction toward tyranny.
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Letter: $14 trillion debt started by previous president
I’m a proud atheist who’s lucky enough to know the difference between fact and fantasy.
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Letter: Economy putting people in the gutters
We are now getting the results of putting people in the gutters. We need to take a second look at our government and its policies. It’s not working.
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Viewpoint: Look at Creation Museum from an educational, scientific perspective
I encourage any and all who have interest in this vitally important topic to “go to the source,” to invest the time and energy into exploring The Creation Museum for themselves.
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Letter: Blame the voters for our Congress
Why is insider trading legal for Congress and illegal for the rest of us? They make and enact laws for all of us, but then exempt members of Congress. Somehow this doesn’t seem to pass the smell test.
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Letter: Smith’s firings appear vindictive
Anderson is a city of negative publicity and actions. Why else is Sears leaving? Can we stand four years of vindictive actions and negative reporting?
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Letter: Planned devaluation of dollar is coming
I’ve submitted letters regarding the existence of a global elite for years now. I’m now submitting another one in which I hope readers will take note of.
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Viewpoint: Myra Kraft inspiration for Patriots
If there was one good reason for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, it would be because of what I had read.
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Viewpoint: Anderson a microcosm of America
Wherever I have found comments that I felt were outside the values I believe in or were plain misinformation I have spoken out. At times that has been done with a lack of eloquence.
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Viewpoint: Problems in Anderson go back to President Carter
On Jan. 21, Frank Couch of Anderson stated that political conservatives “just don’t get it.” He sort of indicates Sears’ closing in Anderson is due to the new mayor being Republican.
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
