Posted on 08/13/2008 2:40:10 PM PDT by bs9021
Warning: Tuition Hike Ahead
by: Jeff Waldmann, August 13, 2008
As Congress and the President continue to squabble over consolidating the federal budget, they pass bills that simultaneously undercut their efforts and expand government, says Brian M. Riedl, a Heritage Foundation fellow.
Riedl gives a glaring example of one such bill that counteracts any comparatively minor budget cuts that have been made. He writes, “virtually unnoticed, the House of Representatives voted 354 to 58 on February 7 to add $169 billion in new higher-education spending and create at least 50 new federal programs. In other words, one step forward, ten steps back.”
While the Congress is certainly dominated by the Democrats, Riedl absolves no one of blame in this vicious cycle of irresponsible deficit spending. The overwhelming support for this bill indicates complicity from both sides of the aisle.
Riedl’s paper pulls no punches, and calls Congress out on the pledge made by Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV): “If you want to have a new program, figure out a way to pay for it without raising taxes.”
Under the leadership of Democrats in the House and the Senate, and with Republican complicity, this Congress has developed a consistent pattern of “brazenly breaking its pledge to keep spending and the budget deficit in check.”
Riedl lays out the provisions included in the new College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008. Particularly egregious is the manner in which this bill vastly expands federal student aid while failing to acknowledge or alleviate the undeniable link between increasing student aid and rising tuition costs.
Riedl provides some rather alarming statistics to substantiate this link.....
(Excerpt) Read more at campusreportonline.net ...
How come no one complains about education industry?
Oh goody, more money for Marxist indoctrination! Loverly.
Tuition Hike Ahead? At least twice the rate of inflation, every year. Clockwork.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.