Brian Moran (D-VA)[1]
would like Virginians to know that he has to “make a living,” exhibit A of the
Virginia Democratic Party chair’s defense against calls for his resignation.[2]
For his “day job,” Moran is a lobbyist and spokesman for the
Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU),[3]
a chivalric defender of for-profit (rip-off) colleges that do little to equip
their students for the job market while overburdening their futures with mounds
of debt.[4]
The facts against the efficacy of for-profit colleges are
clear[5]
and Mr. Moran appears to understand some of its failings. Moran stated that “I
freely admit that there are some challenges to our sector,” challenges like
throwing scores of Americans into a financial strait-jacket? Yes, this is a
“challenge,” but not one that Moran himself is likely to face as the
loudspeaker for these private sector rip-offs.
Making a living is one thing, but doing so at the expense of
others and for an industry that preys upon unsuspecting job seekers is the
equivalent of moral slime-mold.
It’s high time that the Democratic Party purge itself of the
Moran’s of the party so that passionate public servants with high moral
standards can lead the party into a brighter era unobstructed by the ghosts of
its lobbying past.
Whether it be lobbying for for-profit colleges, taking
campaign contributions from donors whose interests overshadow those of the
public or are otherwise ethically questionable, or revolving in and out of the
public and private sectors to take advantage of the information gained on the
public’s dime, these practices must end in the Democratic Party and in politics
in general.
For Moran, it’s time to acknowledge that your “day job” is hardly in the public interest. Rather, Mr. Moran, like his job, are symbols of a political culture that is inimical to democratic governance and representation of the people.
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