Robert Applebaum

Name: Robert Applebaum Location: Staten Island, NY Founder of online grassroots movement ForgiveStudentLoanDebt.com, former Brooklyn ADA and medmal defense litigator,recovering Republican.

A little about me

The nation's preeminent half Jewish, half Catholic, gay, narcoleptic, former criminal prosecutor, civil litigator, recovering Republican, and founder of one of the nation's fastest-growing online grassroots movements: ForgiveStudentLoanDebt.com.

I would describe myself as a

offline activitst

Why I deserve a Netroots Nation Scholarship

Dubbed by BusinessWeek magazine as "a spokesman for a generation of people burdened with student loan debt," I accidentally started a true, online grassroots movement in January of 2009 when I authored an essay entitled "Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate The Economy." In addition to my advocacy work, I host a twice-weekly, half-hour podcast featuring my thoughtful, rational, pragmatic, and occasionally humorous analysis of current events and progressive causes that are near and dear to my heart.

I manage these blogs

ForgiveStudentLoanDebt.com
RobertApplebaum.com

The blogs I use most are

Huffington Post
Politicus USA

What first inspired me to get involved

When I was 20 years old, I was a closeted, idealistic, politically misguided intern for the NRCC during the historic 1994 midterm elections. I then spent several years as a staffer and campaign worker for former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY13) and other New York Republicans while earning my law degree from Fordham University. After deciding to accept and respect the person I truly was, opening my eyes to the true nature of the modern Republican party, and spending five years as an Assistant District Attorney in one of the busiest prosecutor's offices in the country - Brooklyn, NY - where I saw up close how government can be a vehicle for good under some of the worst conditions imaginable, my entire set of political convictions changed where I started seeing the world for the way it was, instead of wasting time and energy in striving for a non-existent, fantasy utopia found only in the vapid works of Ayn Rand. My politics changed, but my passion and youthful idealism never did and so, when President Obama's stimulus package was being debated a mere 9 days after his inauguration and the debate centered on more of the same type of trickle-down, corporate welfare that utterly ignored the plight of the middle class, I put forth what I believed to be a better idea for putting our economy back on track and setting the foundation for a new era of education, innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity.

How I've gotten others involved

In starting the Facebook group "Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy," I organized and mobilized nearly 300,000 people to engage in letter writing campaigns to the White House and their representatives in Congress. I've also given interviews to countless national and international publications in an effort to bring awareness to the ever-growing crisis of student loan debt.

The blog post I am most proud of

http://www.forgivestudentloandebt.com/content/proposal

Why I think participation in the blogosphere is important

Nowhere else is the playing field as level as it is in the blogosphere. Everyone can participate and excellence is rewarded in the form of others' sharing novel, unique and innovative ideas in various forums. It is, perhaps, the best example of real democracy in action.

More about my involvement with DFA and local work

I am not an active DFA member.

More about my volunteer work

All of my work in trying to raise awareness about the student lending crisis has been in a volunteer capacity. My efforts have been a labor of love, not a vehicle to make money.

My Twitter manifesto on online activism

Bunk, I say! Anyone willing to take the time to even just forward a simple form letter is more politically active than the average person.

My suggested bumper sticker slogan

My other car is. . .my student loans.

My idea for a cool new online action

Since those I seek to help are defined by their inability to contribute monetarily, thus making it exceedingly difficult to organize activities that cost money, I decided to capitalize on the plans of others by encouraging members to use the Stewart/Colbert "Rally to Restore Sanity" as a forum in which to rally on behalf of restoring sanity to the student lending industry. Supporters from all walks of life who otherwise would never have gone to D.C. to rally on behalf of student loan reform suddenly had no reason not to in light of their plans to attend the rally already being planned.