Action 185 Now it’s the Architects!
Background: We wrote in Action 183 and its addendum, that the Department of Education is planning to reduce the amount that people entering certain professions can borrow at advantageous rates, so that they can afford the necessary education and training. They plan to do this by downgrading those professions into non-professions. It should be widely recognized by now that the real purpose for this action is not to save the government money – the loans are overwhelmingly repaid with interest (92% either fully repaid or on track) – but to drive those motivated borrowers into the arms of predatory lenders, just the kind of people this administration seems to like to “pal around with”.
It's now surfaced that the profession of architecture is also no longer to be recognized as a qualifying profession (along with the medical professionals (1). The result will be that fewer students from non-affluent backgrounds will be able to enter the architectural profession. Also, downgrading architecture to non-professional status, in addition to being absurd on its face, will result in loss of respect for the profession, which adds to the discouragement of young people from joining. This is apparently just fine with the plutocrats, but is a huge loss to our nation, a wanton destruction of our intellectual capital, which after all is what has made America truly great.
The new rules are set to go into effect July 1, so there is time to build a groundswell if we all get started right away in our particular spheres of influence. Let’s talk to all the architects we know. Are they aware? What are they doing? Can they join with the other professions that are affected, to get our elected legislators involved? Our legislators need to demand that regular procedures be followed for all these reclassifications, with formal hearings (congressional as well as administrative) and opportunity for public comment. This is a good time to build on the new erosion of trust in the Trump government (“by and for the billionaires”).
Action: Forward this action item to the architects you know, and/or write to AIA Maine. Also alert our delegation on all the DOE’s stupid and ignorant reclassifications in the service of predatory lenders. They need to hold hearings!
Contact: AIA Maine: https://aiamaine.org/contact
Senator Susan Collins: Email: www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins/form
Phone: (202) 224-2523 (DC office), (207) 945-0417 (Bangor office)
Senator Angus King: Email www.king.senate.gov/contact
Phone: (202) 224-5344 (DC office), (207) 945-8000 (Bangor office)
Representative Jared Golden: Email: golden.house.gov/contact
Phone: (202) 224-3121 (DC office), (207) 249-7400 (Bangor office)
Representative Chellie Pingree: Email: https://pingree.house.gov/contact/
Phone: (202) 225-6116 (DC office), (207) 774-5019 (Portland office)
Urgency: It may seem that next June is a long way off, but if we start now, we might have an impact.
Extra Credit:
(1) https://commonedge.org/the-department-of-education-has-classified-architects-as-non-professional-why-this-matters/