Ron DeSantis opposes student loan relief, but has no issue with giving billions in handouts to wealthy corporations
In a series of recent press conferences-turned-campaign events, Ron DeSantis has trained his sights on a new target: President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan that targets nearly 90% of relief to borrowers making less than $75,000 per year. DeSantis abhors the idea, labeling it a “disaster” and falsely claiming the relief will fall “on the backs of working Americans.”
Though he might not like the idea of student loan forgiveness, DeSantis has no problem giving handouts to his wealthy supporters:
- Seeking Rents: In his first term as governor, Ron DeSantis raised taxes on Floridians by more than $1 billion
- DeSantis has cut taxes for businesses by approximately $5.6 billion. That more than offsets the roughly $1.5 billion in higher taxes DeSantis has imposed on Florida consumers.
- Tallahassee Democrat: Report: 1 in 5 Florida corporations paid no income tax on 2020 revenue
- 475 corporations — that earned over $50 million in 2020 — paid no corporate income tax, according to data acquired via a public record request from the state Department of Revenue. What's more, roughly 20% of corporations generating more than $250 million in revenue paid no corporate income tax either.
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune: DeSantis has 'extraordinary' billionaire support, with at least 42 backing him
- DeSantis has generally been a friend to the business sector, Anderson notes, with some of his billionaire backers benefitting from moves such as a tax break on racing tickets he approved last month.
“Ron DeSantis has spent his entire political career giving tax breaks and handouts to billionaires and wealthy corporations and hoping Floridians don’t notice they’re the ones being left behind. But apparently the idea of student loan relief for working Floridians, the vast majority of whom make less than $75,000 per year, is a step too far for him. It’s just another reminder DeSantis is focused on his wealthy donors rather than helping his constituents,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Travis Reuther.
Background:
President Biden’s student loan relief plan will:
- Provide relief to up to 43 million borrowers, including canceling the full remaining balance for roughly 20 million borrowers.
- Target relief dollars to low- and middle-income borrowers. The Department of Education estimates that, among borrowers who are no longer in school, nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to those earning less than $75,000 a year. No individual making more than $125,000 or household making more than $250,000 – the top 5% of incomes in the United States – will receive relief.
[Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Student Loan Relief for Borrowers Who Need It Most]
Source: Florida Dems
Governor DeSantis thinks Toll Relief is better than Student Loan Relief
Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program Thursday, labeling it unconstitutional and unfair to Americans who didn’t amass significant education debt. He also argued it would feed inflation.
“It’s very unfair, you know, to have a truck driver have to pay back a loan for somebody that got, like, a PhD in gender studies. That’s not fair. That’s not right,” the governor said during a news conference in Orlando.
“The people that should pay for it are not the American taxpayers, it should be the universities should be responsible for that. If they’re producing people that went deep into debt and their degree is not worth anything, and they’re not able to make enough money to pay it back, well then that’s on them,” he said.
Source: Florida Phoenix