Posted on 09/17/2017 7:50:37 PM PDT by Academiadotorg
Free College is becoming such an expensive proposal that even Democrats are starting to notice.
"When congressional Democrats recently rolled out a new economic policy agenda aimed at staking out a new, populist-leaning course for the Democratic Party—dubbed 'A Better Deal'--one idea was conspicuously missing: free college," Anne Kim wrote in The Washington Monthly on September 12, 2017.
For one thing, there’s the cost. "One reason for this lack of enthusiasm might be the price tag," Kim writes. "Even the skimpiest of benefits would be enormously expensive in the aggregate." For example, U. S. Senator Bernie Sanders, D-VT, father of “College for All” legislation, himself "estimates the cost of his plan, to be paid for by a new 'transactions tax' on stock trades, would be $47 billion a year (and that’s assuming states pick up one-third of the tab)."
Then there’s the benefit, real or putative. "A 2016 Gallup poll, for example, found that less than half of Americans--or just 47 percent--supported the idea of tuition-free college," Kim reports.
More recently, "In a post-election poll by PRRI/The Atlantic, 54 percent of white working class Americans said getting a college education is 'a risky gamble,' while just 44 percent said it’s 'a smart investment.'"
Malcolm A. Kline is the executive director of Accuracy in Academia. He can be reached at mal.kline@academia.org.
Free Stuff, the root of all evil
We could use a national discussion about the costs and benefits of college.
Politicians of both parties, for decades, have touted the benefits of “having a well educated work force for the 21st century”, and other such trite expressions. And that ties in with their wanting as many young people as possible to go to college.
But the way the economy is structured, huge numbers of jobs and careers do not require a college education. There is no benefit to college for many sectors of our economy. Yet we push people to go to college.
IIRC public college was free in California when I was a lad.
It’ll become 13-16 grade high school.
Actually, if you throw out all the BS classes from high school and college it’s more like present day college is more like 9th to 12 grade when I went to high school.
In 1964 I paid $90/semester (not semester hour) at UCSB in “incidental fees”. Tuition was free. State colleges were cheaper, and city/community college was cheaper still. Yes, you remember correctly. California taxes weren’t outrageous then, so how did the state afford it a half century ago? What are Californians paying for now that they weren’t paying for then?
Not to mention, H1B visas, plus illegals in the workforce.
There is nothing wrong with free college as long as we do it sensibly like they do in other countries. Anyone can go to college here and get a useless degree and owe a lot of money in student loans. Places like Germany, Japan, South Korea etc. will send you to college for free but only if you can make the grade. I would say that half of the people currently in our colleges and universities should not be there, and that includes the faculty.
Another thing, I highly doubt that Universities in most other countries have “safe spaces” and special counselors for the perpetually offended as well as student unions for certain ethnic groups all paid for by the universities as well as the tax payers.
Am watching reruns of ‘The Wire’ and some of the ‘lessons’ (if you can spot them) are priceless.
In season 2 the head of the Longshoremen Union on the docks is stealing specified containers and assisting the ‘mob’ with importing drugs & women. Occasionally they will pick off a load of whatever.
SO, the Union is stealing from the Shippers to funnel money to the Politicians to vote to spend tax dollars (well..) on dredging the canal so more ships can bring their cargo to Baltimore.
Just a complete cycle of madness.
One of the BEST examples of Government spending...
A stranger comes into town, goes to the local hotel and gives the owner 10,000 to rent a room ‘for the duration’ of him writing a book.
The hotel owner goes to the local liquor/food distributor and pays off 10 thousand on his bill, the distributor goes to his truck drivers & shop and pays out 10 thousand in back wages. The truck drivers and mechanics go to the local lady of the evening and pay her 10 thousand owed her and she goes to the hotel and puts 10 grand down on her room that she owes and will use in the future.
The stranger comes back and says “I changed my mind, I don’t think I will be staying here after all”, so the hotel owner gives the 10 grand back to him.
NOW, the town was ‘broke’ everybody after each other for bills, the stranger turns the money over and gets it back BUT all the people involved are happy with the outcome, bills caught up and not a penny actually changed hands.
Government. Masters at spending OPM.
Free Basket Weaving and Rug Doctorates? Socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money.
Hey SC great to see ya back. Looking forward to some of your postings
Free College BY GOVERNMENT?
LOL
Grades 13,14,15, and 16 to tacked on to the home town High School?
THAT’S WHAT GOVERNMENT COLLEGE WOULD BE - - AN EXTENSION OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 1-12.
Free College BY GOVERNMENT?
LOL
Grades 13,14,15, and 16 tacked on to the home town High School?
THAT’S WHAT GOVERNMENT COLLEGE WOULD BE - - AN EXTENSION OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 1-12.
Thanks!
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