It was news for one day in Chicago, the biggest city in Senator Dick Durbin’s home state. Since then, no one seems to have noticed this absurd bill being pushed by Senator Dick Durbin that would give away Federal welfare money to young lawyers.
Of course, Durbin isn’t calling it welfare. He is calling it “debt relief”. It sounds helpful and innocuous doesn’t it? Relief is a nice thing, right?
On November 27th, the Chicago Sun-Times tried to soft sell the proposal as a way to help “people with over $100,000 debt” get “relief”.
Gosh that is an awful lot of money to be saddled with, eh?
Debt relief may be in sight for lawyers
For prosecutors and public defenders drowning in debt, help might soon be on the way.
Since 2003, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has been pushing legislation that would grant student loan relief to public sector lawyers in the criminal justice system. With the Democrats in control of Congress, Durbin plans to reintroduce his bill early next year. Some hope it finally has a chance of passing.
“It’s the defining issue of this era” for prosecutors, said Bernie Murray, chief of criminal prosecutions for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. “The number of people with over $100,000 in debt is amazing.”
Yes, it is “amazing”, all right.
The bill, called the Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act, intends to give away $10,000 (capped at $60,000) of Federal money a year to people who will promise to commit to three years of service in the ranks of a state’s public defender’s offices.
The Sun-Time’s story is filled with pity-party stories about how all these young lawyers seem to be somehow unfairly burdened with such high tuition debt for so many years after they finish their schooling.
I am heart broken for people who, in Durbin’s home state, make an average salary of $80,000 a year at the law.
Let’s contrast that with the average yearly salaries of some other members of the Durbin’s state.
School Bus Driver : $25,000 a year
School Teacher: $38,000 a year
Preacher or Minister: $40,000 a year.
Printer: $45,000 a year
Police Officer: $55,000 a year
Registered Nurse: $55,000 a year
Plumber: $79,000 a year
Tell me Senator Durbin, is the debt that these people incur training themselves for their careers any less worthy of your so-called debt relief than that of a lawyer? Are the people who undertake these other necessary and noble careers less deserving of your “help”?
And, it must be pointed out that a lawyer is far more able to pay their tuition loans than the people who struggle to succeed in the professions I noted above.
Obviously a young, would-be lawyer knows full well what the debt that they incur will be, just as everyone else does. They elect to purse their career choice voluntarily, fully understanding the road they must travel to get there.
So, why all this feeling sorry for people who are on a life track to make more money than most people ever will? Why should we fall all over ourselves to give away our tax dollars to these strata of people?
Talk about welfare to the rich! I thought Democrats pretended to care about the “little people” and were the bulwark against the depredations of the evil rich?
Yet, now we have one of the most partisan, mud slingers in Congress, a man who is supposed to represent the best the more caring Democrats have to offer, giving away Federal money to the rich?
How can this be described most fittingly?
One word…
Hypocrisy.
Certainly this supposed relief is welcome news to certain people.
Durbin, Murray said, “is a liberal guy, so a lot of prosecutors don’t like him. But he’s my hero. ”
I am sure.
Right now the bill is stalled but it had passed the judiciary committee with the loving help of committee Chair, Arlen Spector. And, Democrats are hopeful that the new Congress will be more receptive to their welfare for the rich.
“We’re hoping now with the change of leadership in the Senate, we can get this enacted, ” said Durbin, who will be the assistant majority leader come January. “It’s the highest priority. ”
It amazes me that anyone should propose to steal the People’s tax money to enrich those who will become richer than most of their fellow citizens.
I hope Durbin’s sop to the richest Americans is stopped in it’s tracks.
Contact your Senator and say NO to welfare for rich lawyers.
5 users commented in " Senator Durbin, Giving Welfare to Lawyers "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI appreciate your concern but you obviously do not have all of the facts. The bill is aimed at public defense attorneys and prosecutors. The $80,000 figure you cite refers to ALL attorneys. That simply does not apply here.
As an example, I am a first year public defender. I make $36,000 a year and I have a $116,000 school debt. This is pretty typical across the country. I live in an apartment and am just squeaking by. I would love to stay in my current position. I am happy with a $36,000 salary but with my monthly loan repayment bill, I have trouble affording basic things such as insurance and utility bills. I am already looking for a job in the private sector so I can afford to purchase a modest home and start a family. The turnover rate for public defenders and prosecutors is extremely high for this very reason. The result is that the quality of work suffers – tremendously. The consequence, of course, is that a guilty person can go free or a wrongly accused person can be convicted.
Sen Durbin’s bill isn’t designed as a giveaway to attorneys. It is designed to ensure the integrity of our legal system.
If, after reading these facts, you still disagree with the bill I hope that you take the next step and suggest an alternative solution to this growing problem.
Cheers
I have to echo that sentiment.
I wont pretend to understand the financial undertaking that it takes to become a school bus driver.
I am going to assume that it does not require an undergraduate degree, and a graduate law degree which will cost a minimum of 65K.
Then after being in a higher level education setting for 7 years, you have the express joy of making 9-11K more than a school bus joy. Why? To protect you. Either to keep criminals off the street, or to keep you from being unfairly prosecuted.
Hmm… 9-11 K more but taking on 65-120k of debt (not to mention the interest)
With respect to Dick Durbin’s bill not requiring a salary cap, I entirely agree with the first comment. In Cook County, the assistant public defenders and assistant state’s attorneys earn (as of November 2008) $50,000.00 to start and $80,000 on average. This is more than attorneys is private practice in Cook County, Illinois. The law should have included a salary cap provision so that the aid could go to underpaid attorneys who serve in underserved communities. The assistant public defenders and assistant states attorneys generally have job security and benefits which are less available in the private sector. This too should have been taken into consideration. The people supporting this bill on this blog fail to justify why assitant public defeners and assistant states attorneys should be singled out for the aid. Private attorneys, public attorneys not covered by the act, social workers and medical professionals all have significant loans. Shouldn’t the aid be based on need and not on which profession does the best job at lobbing politicians such as Dick Durbin who cow-tow to the special interests? How do assistant public defenders and assistant state’s attorneys have the gall to request and receive the significant government aid when many people are truly struggling –including their peers who serve as private attorneys. I also agree with the second comment with two reservations–consideration has to be given to the lower cost of living in rural areas, and to whether there is opportunity to for advancement (for example, in Cook County an assistant public defender or assistant state’s attorney with a not so many years of experience can very well earn over $100,000.00)
Clarification: with respect my inquiry about attornyes having gall to request aid –I do not refer to the folks working in underserved communities for a low salary–I entirely empathize with your situation and respect what you are doing but why should attorneys who are already earning more than they would in private practice receive aid from our government, courtesy Dick Durbin who surprise surprise was up for re-election three months after this bill past, when so many folks have a real need.
Unfortunately, I think all of us good ones don’t have a chance in the world because everything has been tried and true and also picked over. I think the education system stinks and no one wants to touch this one! WE are all pushed through the education system and we all have to pay! Only the lucky few are left with hardly any problems; its the rest of us good ones that are left in the dark and given ALLLl of the problems.
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