Posted on 02/12/2023 5:53:10 AM PST by Twotone
House Bill 24, the Idaho Launch bill, passed the House yesterday afternoon by a razor-thin margin after more than an hour of spirited debate. Rep. Megan Blanksma is the House sponsor, but Governor Little has been the driving force behind this bill, which would expand the existing Idaho Launch Grant program, providing $8,500 per high school graduate ($102 million overall) for technical education and workforce training.
Idaho Freedom Foundation strongly opposes this bill because it significantly expands a government program, subsidizes corporate training programs, and distributes money to certain industries as determined by the unelected Workforce Development Council.
Opponents of the bill made many excellent points during the House debate. Rep. David Cannon stated the obvious, that this bill was “a step away from free markets and a step in the direction of a command economy.” Rather than letting the market decide which careers are “in demand,” this bill allows the Workforce Development Council to use grants to push students toward certain areas.
Rep. Elaine Price called out the hubris of government deciding which jobs are “essential” and which are not. This sort of thing hearkens back to the COVID lockdowns, when Governor Brad Little shut down so-called “non-essential” businesses.
This bill would send tax dollars to trade schools, colleges, and corporations, ostensibly to train up a generation of Idaho tech workers. In a statement after the vote, Gov. Little lauded the bill, saying that the grant will help students looking for career opportunities as well as employers who need trained workers. Yet the governor forgot one important group. As Rep. Mike Kingsley asked, “Who is looking out for the taxpayer?”
(Excerpt) Read more at idahofreedom.org ...
Mixed feelings on this one. Anything that keeps kids out of college and instead teaches them REAL SKILLS (like wiring, auto repair, plumbing, etc.) is a good thing to me, considering what colleges have become.
It is probably a good step. The various job providers know what they need and what training is beneficial for students looking for jobs.
The educational joint venture between industry and government is good.
Is it the State Executives job to pick winners and losers?
How does this square with the Federal and State Constitution?
Pull on our heartstrings Governor because we sure are going to need it if we the taxpayer are “forced” to pay for it.
This Governor is what he is, and guess what? He was just reelected by the majority. That makes it democratic, except he governs more like a Democrat.
Hopefully it is a House Bill, and the Senate gets a crack at killing it before it multiplies.
I disagree with you. All of these ‘public/private’ partnerships are working us towards socialism. If an industry sees they’re shy of workers, they are quite capable of putting together scholarship programs to acquire trained employees. Gov’t needs to stop spending OUR money on what THEY think is proper. That’s not what gov’t is there for.
In a perfect world, you are right.
In the real world, the politicians and government bureaucrats will destroy the industry and the "education"
The courts, EEOC and AA will have a field day with this.
Not a horrible idea in general. The money ought to be attached to the student
That’s fixable
“All of these ‘public/private’ partnerships are working us towards socialism. “
Exactly. Whenever you hear the word ‘stakeholder’ from some bureaucrat or NGO apparatchik run, they’re getting ready to swindle you and steal whatever you have.
Big Government-Big Business partnership is a Globalist scheme and a RINO scheme in Idaho from the RINO governor Brad Little tied at the hip to the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry he used to work for before his political career.
Lots of drama over gender changing in Idaho rightly so with a major hospital (St. Luke’s) doing mutilation of minors.
St. Luke’s a key player in IACI.
What will Brad Little do in the coming months to get his business legislation through?
Throw the Transgender crumb out there to the Conservatives of Idaho?
Locally for many years, such a partnership has resulted in solid achievement and results. The negative results you fear do not exist.
Additionally the close collaboration between the schools and industries creates curricula that provides a general education including English and math, some computer training and then lots of job specific coursework. Further, the method is flexible in that the specifics don’t need to go on for ever and can be reduced or curtailed as industry requires.
We think of welders and plumbers and A/C mechanics but a major job market exists for many different health care tasks needing very specific training.
Of course if you reside in a progressive state governed by corrupt politicians and unions, the cooperation won’t be allowed to work. Here in Tennessee and probably in Idaho it does and will
There is of course no perfect world, but in Tennessee the joint venture works well and thrives
H.24 appears to be post-secondary workplace development, and we have something similar here in the land of flat taxes. Perhaps people who object may be concerned with talented workers having an avenue by which to better their prospects or to escape no-compete clauses?
Oops, workforce development, not workplace
Well stated!
Through the centuries, government has proven “beyond ANY reasonable doubt” that it cannot be trusted with hard earned taxpayer money thus it should not be for any purpose NOT absolutely necessary e.g. roads, police, courts, hospitals, public utilities and so on.
What are community colleges for, if not to provide those skills needed by business & industry. Already taxpayer supported, & reasonably priced against 4-year universities. Although I can’t say much for what they’re turning out. I’ve written two letters to colleges this weekend to inform them that their students are sending out fraudulent emails from their “.edu” accounts.
Ditto.
This is just going back to shop class in high school. Go for it.
The drawback is the government, it might go to their supporters, not to people who will help the people.
The community colleges are in fact a large part of the joint venture. Many Freepers disdain education and especially college education.
The community colleges with industry requested course work are a boon to local economies needing new employees with up to date very specific course work in addition to general skills. Being able to write and communicate is esse4ntial in the current work enviroment.
Thanks - I know we have idealists here who think that if we don’t play ball, the Left won’t play ball. Obviously they’re clueless regarding the Left...and so they take control, of EVERYTHING, including our colleges.
The dollars should be attached to the student to be used as they decide. Send funds directly to institutions is a bad idea.
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