Rep. Brad Sherman of California’s 27th congressional district responded to questions from both students and community members Thursday during a town hall meeting in the Great Hall.
The event was organized by the Political Science, Economics, Criminal Justice, Law and Chicano Studies department following the town hall May 1, which featured five congressional candidates for the 30th district.
For the May 1 town hall, congressional staffer John Alford represented Sherman, who wasn’t able to attend.
“Due to an egregious oversight on my part, I forgot to confirm the date with Congressman Sherman’s office,” Brown said.
Kenneth Michael Leavit, a 30-year-old automotive technology major, was one of over 120 people that attended the event.
While Leavit was at the event for extra credit in his political science class, he was interested in what the congressman was planning on doing when it came to high taxes.
“I feel like we pay way too much tax for what we have,” Leavit said.
Sherman addressed Leavit’s concern when he talked about the “Buffett Rule,” which, named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, a tax plan that would require people making over $1 million annually to pay a minimum rate of 30 percent. It was first introduced in the Senate and was backed by President Barack Obama, according to MSNBC.
“I support the buffet rule on taxes,” Sherman said. “I do think those who make more than a million can pay 30 percent.”
The congressman also reminded audience members of the two most important things that he is doing when it comes to ensuring that college students are being able to obtain a formal education.
The first issue that Sherman tackled was the interest rates on student loans.
The current interest rates on student loans are fixed at 3.4 percent, according to the Student Aid on the Wed.
“I have supported the democratic alternative to keep it at 3.4 percent [and] the subsidy that keeps it at 3.4 percent,” Sherman said.
He has also been working on tax deductions for students.
“The second most important thing [is] the tax deductions for the first $1,500 of tuition and I have been fighting to make sure that book and travel expenses can be included so that you can get the full $1,500 deduction,” Sherman said.
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was also a key issues that Sherman talked about.
The idea behind TARP was that banks would be able to take the worst mortgages, which the bank calls toxic, and sell them to the public, according to Sherman.
On the congressman’s webpage he credits himself as a leader against adopting TARP in 2008.
“By the time we [the House of Representatives] were done they decided the program did not involve buying a single bad mortgage, not a single toxic asset, we took the TA out of TARP and instead taxpayers bought preferred stock,” Sherman said.
He continued by expressing his views on big banks and the bank bailouts.
“If you are too big to fail, you are too big to exist,” Sherman said.
The final issue that Sherman touched upon was adult education.
“I joined with the advocates of adult education, and with a letter to the school board,” Sherman said.
While he himself was not at the certain demonstrations, he does confirm that he has had representatives of his at such events.
Sherman also urges the community to get involved.
“Continue to push LAUSD [the Los Angeles Unified School District] to fund adult education, and continue to push your congressmen to make sure the federal government is providing aid to LAUSD,” Sherman said.
He encourages people to vote not only during the general elections Nov. 6, but also during the primary elections June 5.