Your attitude isn't unpopular, but if these are just forgiven what happens to the people who paid them, or those who paid cash for school? To me this seems like a very quick way to drive a huge wedge between age groups. Those above 35-40 have a small amount or no school debt, and those under have a lot. But the old guys running companies are in the older bucket, any chance there could be some spiteful discrimination?
My wife and I don't have any school debt. But if the government is just going to give out money why don't they just pay off my house or something? At the same time what universities are charging is bordering on comical. In the grab for as much cash as possible universities have done themselves in. What used to be a third-rail view, that going to college wasn't necessary is now catching on. I think they've made their own bed.
I would hesitate to hire someone with a lot of debt including school debt. People who are skating close to the edge can quickly end up in financial distress which has repercussions for work performance as well as increases the risk of fraud or theft. Maybe it's not popular to say that out loud, but it's something I think about.
The cost/benefit ratio of college education is at least an order of magnitude higher than even just 10 or 20 years ago. My elementary school age children will have a very different graduate level education experience than I did (B.S. and M.S. in engineering). Besides the fact that the debt is a huge burden, there are so many more options for self-directed learning these days. In fact, I expect prospective employers may look favorably on someone who has been proactive and entrepreneurial in obtaining their education.
We will likely look for Advanced Placement classes, followed by community college options, with perhaps the last couple of years at a state school. And that's ONLY IF a college degree is actually required for what they want to do with their life.
In a way it's a little sad that it has gotten to this point. But the incentive structure established decades ago has made a mockery of the college education system.