2009 - 2010 Accomplishments
Passing the largest student financial aid law in history.
In March, President Obama signed the largest student loan bill in history into law. The new law increases financial aid for students by $36 billion, and it won't cost taxpayers a dime because it's funded by cutting wasteful handouts to banks and loan companies like Sallie Mae and Citibank. Across the country 10,000 of you called, wrote, emailed, and tweeted your Congressmen asking them to take action. In addition, our DC staff worked tirelessly to bring your message to legislators and their staff.
Here at Camden, the Higher Education campaign held workshops, information sessions and distributed fliers with information on how to decrease and properly manage loans and debt. We also set up tables in the campus center, twice a week for two weeks asking students to write down the debt they will have accumulated by the time they graduated for a scrapbook of student debt. As the semester comes to a close, we’re setting up a district meeting with senator Lautenberg to present him with the scrapbook.
Stopping the worst unfair practices by credit companies.
In February the Credit CARD Act went into effect. This law protects students and ends some of the worst unfair practices of credit card companies, making it illegal for credit card companies to profit by tricking people into paying late. It was the outcry of students like you that passed this law, and the banks aren't happy about it - this is the first time in 40 years any law opposed by credit card companies has passed.
Reforming the health care system in order to make health care affordable.
Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the insurance industry to stop reform, health insurance reform became law. Our priority has been to make health care affordable. This law takes unprecedented steps to lower costs for families and small businesses, and it prohibits insurers from using pre-existing conditions, errors on forms, and lifetime or yearly caps to drop your coverage or price it out of reach. It also helps young adults – a highly uninsured demographic - by allowing them to stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26.
Here at Camden, we organized a healthcare reform panel discussion in April. The panel included guest speakers Professor Tom Knoche and social worker and Citizens’ Campaign South Jersey organizer, Renee Koubiadis. The discussion ended with the bipartisan audience conversation on the future of healthcare. It was surely a great, productive time for all.
Building support for global warming solutions.
We're calling on the Senate to build a clean energy economy that will create jobs and enhance America’s national security while protecting the environment. Across the country, we mobilized over 30,000 students and community members to contact their Senators to call for clean, renewable energy and an end to our dependence on oil and coal. We held events on campus and off to educate thousands of people, resulting in more than 100 news stories about our work.
Here on campus we participated in the Camden Silent March. Students collected petitions in support of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. They joined students and community members to march to Senator Lautenberg’s office and present him with the signatures.
Helping rebuild Haiti, and fighting poverty here at home.
It's been a tough year for many American families, and the earthquake in Haiti has affected millions. Through our annual Hunger Cleanup students from Rutgers Camden campus joined students across the country for a day of service in our communities. We raised hundred of dollars for Urban Promise, Oxfam’s Haiti Relief and national efforts to combat poverty.
We also volunteered at a local park to paint the soccer fields, blow up soccer balls and assist the Camden Youth Soccer Club in getting ready for their season. We also worked with the OEO Women’s Shelter in Camden, teaching children the importance of literacy in advancing their education. We’ve been providing a reliable tutoring and reading assistance program for the children of the homeless residents.
Building a more sustainable Camden.
According to South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, South Jersey suffers from a number of environmental and health related problems such as poor air quality and high concentrations of polluting facilities, which often violate clean air standards. The city of Camden suffers from many environmental hazards, including polluting facilities, diesel emissions, and contaminated Superfund sites. Camden residents also live in areas with serious environmental risks and this must be put to an end. We’ve been raising awareness and building local support to put an end to these dangerous environmental practices.