I work for you. No, not you, college students...

In response to a message I sent the Congressman a while back, Thaddeus McCotter writes:

To address your specific concern, on June 12, 2007, Representative George Miller (CA) introduced H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. As enacted, (P. L. 110 - 84), this legislation reauthorizes and appropriates additional funding for the Pell Grant program through FY2017 to increase the amount of the maximum Pell grant for which a student is eligible; and authorizes and appropriates $57 million for each of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008-FY2011 to provide assistance to all Upward Bound projects. This Act also establishes a TEACH Grant program, which provides $4,000 of tuition assistance each academic year to high-achieving undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate students who commit to teaching math, reading, or science in a high-need elementary or secondary school for four years. Further, H.R. 2669, reduces from twenty-three (23%) percent to sixteen (16%) percent of defaulted Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) collections a guaranty agency may retain, beginning in October 2007; and changes the formula for calculating special allowance payments (SAPs) made to FFEL lenders, to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest and market rates, by reducing the lender rate by 0.40% for loans held by nonprofit lenders and 0.55% for all other lenders. Additionally, this legislation cancels the Direct Loan (DL) balance owed by borrowers who, after October 1, 2007, have made one hundred and twenty (120) payments under income-based or standard repayment plans while employed in certain public service jobs. Moreover, this act raises from $20,000 to $30,000 the zero-expected family contributions income limit and excludes special combat pay received by military personnel because of exposure to a hazardous situation from student need analyses and consideration as financial assistance. Lastly, H.R. 2669 establishes a College Access Challenge Grant program requiring the Secretary to provide formula matching grants to states for specified activities and services to improve student access to postsecondary education; and makes $255 million for each of FY2008-FY2012 available to minority-serving institutions; with $100 million each going to Hispanic-serving and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and $55 million each for Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Asian, Native American Pacific Islander, and Native American non-tribal institutions. While I support many sections of this bill, the overall spending contained in H.R. 2669 remained excessive; therefore, I could not in good conscience support this bill, which will pave the way for more government spending and higher taxes. Despite my opposition, however on July 11, 2007, the House passed H.R. 2669 with a vote of 273 - 149 and on July 20, 2007, the Senate passed this legislation with a vote of 78 - 18. Consequently, on September 27, 2007, President Bush signed H.R. 2669 into law (P. L. 110 - 84).

(Emphasis mine)

The Bush tax cuts for the richest 1% of Americans cost the country $56.5 Billion in 2007. The 11th District alone could have seen $112.5 million in additional revenue. According to the 2006 American Community Survey estimates from the US Census Bureau, there are approximately 46,711 children under the ages 15-19 in the 11th Congressional District. Each of them could have a $2400 scholarship for college with the money Thaddeus McCotter voted to give back to millionaires in 2003 and 2006.

When Thaddeus McCotter says he "works for you", he's talking to about 10,000 households in the district who report over $200,000 in income - about 3% of his constituents. There are almost as many households who have needed to use food stamps in the past 12 months as there are in the $200k-and-up bracket. And meanwhile less than a third of residents over age 25 hold a Bachelor's degree.

Thaddeus McCotter doesn't "work for you" - he doesn't work at all.