They’re calling it a “collection tool.”
The provincial government recently announced plans to coerce people into paying down student loan debt through ICBC.
It means someone could be denied a drivers’ license for being behind.
The proposed legislation has raised some eyebrows, but has also brought attention to how much money — taxpayer dollars — is floating around in the abyss of outstanding student debt.
We’re talking $185 million.
That’s not lunch money.
The government is keen to collect and thinks hitting transportation will help.
But, if we’re serious about seeing any of this money, why not hit them where it really hurts?
Because, let’s be honest, people can find other methods of transportation.
They can’t pay their student loans — do you really think they have cars? They probably have nothing to take.
A much more clever trap is needed.
So, when I say hit them where it hurts, I mean where it literally hurts.
While pinning people into corners, why not consider doing it in the doctor’s office?
I bet those who have been stressing about unpaid bills have plenty of ailments requiring medical attention — anxiety and insomnia, ulcers or, perhaps, malnutrition.
I’m guessing someone with a bad case of crabs would be willing to pull out their chequebook pretty quickly if denied medical attention until their student loans were up to date.
And, think of those with life-threatening illnesses.
It works out to a simple solution: Your money or your life.
And, why stop there?
Let’s level the playing field and give everyone a fancy new collection tool.
We could ensure the survival of Kamloops’ last movie-rental store by requiring home videos as collateral in exchange for guaranteed late-fee repayments.
Let’s just say, you should have remembered to rewind all of those times way back when because your homemade eroticism just just went viral.
Extortion sounds good on a lot of levels.
But, why not think even more outside of the box.
There are other options that have yet to be explored.
Here’s an idea.
The provincial government could invest in a trendy craft brewery to offset student loan costs, slowly scrounging back that $185 million in profits which could easily be made from those very students in debt, who love to play beer pong on Saturdays.
All of those post-secondary grads or college dropouts who spent time and money and couldn’t find work in their field could even work off their debt there.
The beer could be called Sloans.
Seems like a win-win situation.
Here’s another idea.
Government could figure out a way around this entire mess with a long-term plan to fully subsidize post-secondary education.
I’m not sure which of these ideas would be best.
All I know is, if government thinks taking away someone’s transportation to get money is a good idea — I’d call government the collection tool.
Jessica Wallace is a reporter for KTW. Email her here. Follow her on Twitter here.
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