What a moment we're in! How's everyone doing?

General
#1

Hi All,

My name is Winter and I just joined the Debt Collective team (I’m based in Philly!). Like many of you, I’m knee-deep in debt: 20k+ of credit card debt, 100k+ in student loans, and completely destroyed credit. I was a part of the team back in the Occupy and Strike Debt days, and it was a life-changing experience to meet other debtors and realize that being in debt is a systemic failure and not a personal one. I’m super excited to get involved in this work again.

As many of you know, last month we launched a student debt strike as part of the #CollegeForAll campaign, asking people to go on strike to demand that all student debt be cancelled and public colleges and universities become tuition-free.

With the double crises of the coronavirus and the economic slowdown, we know many people (myself included!) are feeling anxious and isolated, and worried about how we’re going to pay bills. On top of that, the Federal Government is likely to pass some kind of stimulus package in the upcoming weeks. It’ll be up to us to put the pressure on Congress and the White House to ensure that the package includes plans to help ordinary people, and not big business.

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With all this mind, we want to check-in with our members and those on strike here on the platform:

  • How are you doing during this crisis?
  • Are you worried about how you’re going to pay your bills? Is there concrete support other members can offer you? Is there a way you can support other members?
  • Are you on strike against your student debts?
  • Do you have ideas about how to put pressure on Congress, and how to build this movement to make sure the stimulus includes student debt cancellation and other people-centered policies?
  • Would you be interested in joining a weekly call with other Debt Collective members, to check-in and share ideas about what can be done in this moment?

I look forward to your answers, and engaging with you all and building a movement together to challenge and cancel unjust debts. :slight_smile:

@student_debt

-Winter

7 Likes
#2

Hi! I’d definitely be interested in joining a weekly call and helping out any way I can. Thanks!

5 Likes
#5
#6

Hi Winter, I am not interested in the weekly call but I do appreciate your action-oriented ideas for student debt. I also think I am coming down with the virus - but don’t worry I’m a healthy 67 yr old with a strong constitution. I do have some suggestions tho and please keep me in the loop from time to time.
I am a baby boomer (a tainted word these days for sure) but I rallied in the old days to fight the Vietnam War and to help the civil rights movement. My parents were “liberals” back when that word had meaning. My dad was head of the Liberal Party in Westchester NY, so I grew up fighting for things.
Here are some thoughts: First of all, I am so glad you pulled yourself up out of the gloom and doom that we have put students into. My own daughter has $300k in debt for her loans and they didn’t even want to give her her diploma. She has felt like a second class (or 3rd or 4th) citizen and it’s only because of places like this site that she is coming around. And I feel responsible for encouraging education. This economy is going to totally collapse - so my advise to all of you, is stop paying anything on the loans and take all your money out of the banks. Bury it in your yard whatever but stock up on money now. Even put off paying rent or bills because it’s going to get the worst you can imagine.
That’s the bad side - the good side is that the world is cleansing and it WILL change. Those of us who survive this will be in a new world. Maybe it won’t even use money in the future, but one thing I do think will happen - is all student debt will be forgiven. It has to be! Because you, the youth are the future of this country. You will be in charge of creating this new world we’re going into. Dream it now - now is the time to plan the future. What you plan will become reality and I believe that inorder to stop mortgaging our youth (and save the country) all student debt has to be forgivien - GONE.

5 Likes
#7

@Plunk1979 that’s great! where are you based? are you a debtor? what’s your story? :slight_smile:

@kitcowan thanks for your words & for being one of those boomers who supports our generation and doesn’t guilt us into thinking we’re lazy and entitled :wink:

so sorry to hear about your daughter. encourage her to join the movement with us! now is the time to build together to, like you say, dream another world on the other side of this mess.

can we count on you to be in the streets with us and support us as we push for debt cancellation in the upcoming year?

3 Likes
#8
#9

I’m about to graduate with my B.A. and the economy is collapsing!!! The virus has got me incredibly worried and while my family and I are currently employed I’m concerned about the future. I actually logged back in to see if their were any mutual aid funds in Central Florida that I could look into.I don’t have any experience in movements. I was a kid when the 2008 collapse happened and now I’m a sorta adult with the incoming one. As for mass pressure how about a mass call-in?

4 Likes
#10

Thanks, Winter. I am interested in a weekly phone call/zoom or whatever. I don’t have any insightful answers or ideas to the question of pressuring congress, other than building militant locals in strategic areas and using those as springboards for great mobilization.

I am and always will be striking my debt, I’ve never had the intention of paying it back.

3 Likes
#11

@lmacknight what a time to be graduating, my heart goes out to you :heart: I’m glad to hear you have employment & income for the time being, that’s great. i don’t know of any mutual aid efforts in Florida but I’ll keep sn eye out and send anything along if I see it.

We made a page for our CollegeForAll campaign for Florida. If you’re interested in getting involved in the campaign to cancel student debt, you can make a post there and see if anyone else on the platform is in Florida and wants to begin to work together. Here’s the link: Organizing To Win College for All in Florida

@Liam same here, I’ll never pay back a dime. :fist:t4:

1 Like
#12

My hope is that we will get a complete cancellation of student debt… Winter, like you, I’m a boomer (60 years old) and spent 5 years at Ivy tech and Purdue… (in my young 50’s). I now work in a hospital and have no money to pay down debt nor do I think the debt was worth it. This was created with a keystroke… just like the money they are handing out for the covid crisis… and then forgiving. This debt is not any different.

1 Like
#13

Winter, This website has changed and I am just finding my way around. Once the new president is sworn in and the virus dies down a bit more, if you go to the streets I will be there. I rallied in D.C. for the Vietnam War, for May Day and will join a legitimate protest when that happens. I am cautious tho because the last few times I went out to protest, it all petered out, fizzled. So I am waiting to see it can have an affect… I received a call from a nice lady recently and I told her such. She wanted me to start a chapter here and I told her I’m old, been there, done that. This is true, but you march for real and I will be there.

#14

@kitcowan so glad to hear that! Where are you located?

#15

Highland, NY