Dick Durbin isn't a particularly dedicated fan of for-profit schools. The Illinois Institute of Arts is a for-profit school that isn't a particularly dedicated fan of proposed new student loan rules that require a future-income analysis to receive government education grants might limit for-profit school students from accessing Title IV funds, simply because their fields earn them (presumably) less than those that require non-profit school degrees. The Illinois Institute of Arts students made their feelings known recently.
So did Dick Durbin.
"I don't give a tick's shit about I-L-I-S or any of these other
guys," witnesses say Durbin told sign-carrying student-protesters on a
downtown Chicago sidewalk, referring generally to for-profit colleges
and specifically to the Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg (for which
"ILIS" was the acronym printed on many of their T-shirts). "In the end,
I'm here for you," the students say their home-state senator added.This was after Durbin, according to two witnesses I spoke to, demanded of the protesters: "Is someone paying you to be here?"
Clearly, he's serious. A tick's shit is really small. If they, in fact, shit at all. I don't really know.
Durbin responded to criticism of his statement by saying that the "heart of the story is a lie" which actually makes absolutely no sense if you think about it. His spokesman also attempted to convince reporters that the story could not possibly be true because Dick Durbin doesn't ever swear. Okay. Also, the comment is open to "different and benign opinions" because Dick Durbin hates corporate profits. Or something.
I mean, really. How dare these kids try to convince a legislator that he might cut off their access to funds they might need to pursue education and obtain gainful employment. Heck knows all of us with "useful" degrees from accredited non-profit universities that we never actually use because we acquired them and six months later discovered we hated our chosen profession so much we were willing to take a minimum wage job in the food service industry just to get out of it, would respond in kind were our avenues to success similarly impeded.
Next time, they should really make sure to have a video camera.
Yes, to the video camera...even from their phone.