Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, didn't get a single campaign contribution from the beginning of April to the end of June from any students, professors, faculty, teachers' groups or nonprofit universities.
The for-profit education industry, however, accounted for almost one quarter of his substantial fundraising in 2013's second quarter.
Kline raised $482,000 in the second quarter, according to FEC reports filed today. Of that sum, at least $116,000 came from PACs operated by for-profit universities or top executives at those companies. Executives at ITT Education Services, the company that owns the large chain of for-profit technical schools ITT Tech, combined to give Kline $13,400 over the three month period. Executives from the Apollo Group, which owns University of Phoenix, gave $11,600; Full Sail University, $10,400; Globe University, $10,000; and Grand Canyon University, gave $9,500.
PACs operated by another 29 for-profit education groups, and/or individuals who work for them, also chipped in, including a $5,000 donation from the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities. That makes it Kline's top industry donor for the quarter, by far. Not a single individual who self-identified as a student, faculty or staff member of a nonprofit university contributed any money to his campaign. Based on an analysis of his filing, the only other donation from an education-related organization or individual was a $5,000 donation from the PAC of Sallie Mae, the student loan company.
In fairness to the gentleman, it might appear that students, faculty, etc. from real universities gave Kline nothing, if the reporting is from campaign financial disclosure forms having a cutoff amount, where below such a threshold contributors need not be identified on filed forms. I would give the man nothing, or perhaps send a check for three cents, (i.e., in proportion to worth of service to non-corporate Minnesotans - i.e., real people and not Citizens United fictional persons).
If pittance amounts were given by misguided students, amounts below threshold, the reporter writing for OpenSecrets.org would have had no way of knowing absent a responded-to phone call or email to Kline or his Congressional staff or campaign people.
Bearing in mind that caveat, judge the weasel.
NOTE - Readers who have positively benefited from for-profit school encounters are most strongly urged to leave a comment saying so and giving detail. Readers who have had such encounters and have little to nothing to show for it but unpaid student loans are likewise asked to comment, in appropriate detail.
The for-profit mills seem to be a pack of blood-sucking leeches to me, but I admit to not having taken time to extensively research the Kline-loved for-profit facades and student loan woes arising from them. It is more a generic impression than a researched matter for which I might give extended links. Readers interested beyond the linked OpenSecrets item and its linked material can perform their own web searches and dedicate their own time to the issue.