Let us start with a simple question: Who gets to decide what counts as a “waste” of taxpayer money?

According to Rep. Troy Nehls, the idea of helping the 13% of Americans with student loan debt is just too much to ask. “Why,” he ponders with furrowed brow and performative cigar, “should the other 87% foot the bill?” A rhetorical question meant to rile up folks who, understandably, feel they should not be on the hook for someone else’s tuition tab.

But here’s the twist: Congressional Candidate Isaiah Martin flips the script with one clean swipe.

“99.99% of Americans don’t have tax breaks for private jets. Why should they be forced to foot the bill of the 0.01%?”

Boom. Mic drop. Exit stage left with a trail of logic confetti.

Martin’s retort is not just clever—it exposes the selective outrage that has become all too familiar in our politics. Helping a struggling single mom finish nursing school? Outrageous! Giving a billionaire a break on their luxury Gulfstream jet? Business as usual.

Let’s break this down:

Student Loans:

43 million Americans hold federal student loan debt. Many took loans not for luxury, but for credentials needed to work in health care, education, or public service. A significant portion of this debt is held by first-generation college students, disproportionately impacting communities of color.

Private Jet Tax Breaks:

These are real and embedded in the tax code. Wealthy corporations and individuals can write off the depreciation of private aircraft. Average Americans? They are subsidizing that.

Ask yourself: Which is the better public investment?

Helping Americans get educated, join the workforce, and contribute back? Or cutting tax deals for folks who already have access to everything, including their own airborne living room?

This is not just about fairness. It is about values. What we fund reflects what we prioritize. And too often, the system whispers sweet nothings into the ears of the ultra-wealthy while screaming “personal responsibility” at working-class families.

Here’s a fun idea:

Let us apply the same logic Rep. Nehls uses across the board.

Do you have children? No? Then why pay school taxes? Never called 911? Why fund emergency services? Not a farmer? Why subsidize agriculture?

Because we are a country, not a vending machine. We pay into a system that is supposed to support the collective good. And if that good includes freeing people from decades of crushing student loan debt, then yes, let us fund that. Generously. Compassionately. Logically.

Isaiah Martin’s point is not just a dunk—it is a whole NBA highlight reel.

He reminds us that the biggest handouts in America do not go to students. They go to corporations. They go to Wall Street. They go to those who least need the help and most often preach about bootstraps.

So, the next time someone whines about student debt relief, ask them how many private jets they’ve flown in. If the answer is “zero,” then welcome to the club. You are already footing the bill—and it is time we talk about that.

Wrapping It Up!

If empathy is too much to ask, maybe consistency is not. You cannot claim fiscal responsibility when your wallet is wide open for the rich and superglued shut for everyone else.

“We are a country, not a vending machine. We pay into a system that is supposed to support the collective good.”

What Can YOU Do?

Feeling fired up? Good. Email your representative and ask them where they stand on both student debt relief and corporate jet tax breaks. Let us see who is really trying to serve the people—and who is just flying high on our dime.