Posted on 02/08/2017 7:29:17 AM PST by reaganaut1
One of the good aspects of federalism is that it allows states to go their own way. As Justice Louis Brandeis put it, they can be “laboratories of democracy.”
Unfortunately, that often means that interest groups will capture state legislatures and have their political allies push through foolish legislation that will harm most of the state’s residents while benefiting just a few – mainly their members. (That, incidentally, was true in the case that inspired Brandeis’ observation, New State Ice v. Liebmann. Fortunately, the majority ruled against Oklahoma’s scheme for cartelizing the ice business.)
Two states, New York and Rhode Island are about to indulge in a similarly foolish experiment, namely “free” college for most citizens.
During the hearings on President Trump’s just-confirmed nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, Senator Bernie Sanders asked, “Will you work with me and others to make public colleges and universities tuition free through federal and state efforts?”
That, of course, was an idea that he and Hillary Clinton supported in last year’s presidential campaign—that it would be great to make college free.
DeVos replied that the idea was “interesting,” but quickly added this fact that so often eludes politicians: “Nothing in life is truly free – somebody is going to have to pay for it.” Sanders acknowledged that, then went on to say that it “takes us to another issue.”
Too bad that she didn’t further enlighten Senator Sanders by pointing out that the federal government has no authority under the Constitution to make public colleges “free” or, for that matter, to control them in any way at all. Still, her answer made it clear that she doesn’t fall for the collectivistic notion that people shouldn’t have to pay for higher education.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Good! Then even more of our young Leftists will move up there.
So I expect their governments to sell their buildings and assets to pay for this? Or just suck more blood from the “easy marks”—aka taxpayers.
TUITION free. No mention about books, room and board, etc
As long as no Federal money goes towards making college “free” in these States I have no problem with it.
Make anything “free” you want. But put up the money yourselves from your own State taxes.
I thought California already did that? Or was it just ‘acceptance?’
Free College means me dipping into my retirement(which I busted my @$$ to put away) to pay for some snowflakes to take anti American Marxist classes taught by transgender loving useless POS who want to create a nation of ungrateful slobs.
Wow free college to train more McDonald’s workers.
Could work if the professors and administration agree to forgo compensation
For several years we had free tuition paid for by the lottery. At first it was full tuition until they started running out of money and now it is a little over 1/3 and they have tougher requirements. It’s hard to find data but the graduation rate is 30 to 45%.
When my DIL was in college most of the students were young women who didn’t pay a cent, most of them flunked out.
If states want to offer “free” college, they have a right to be stupid.
All that will change is who pays the tuition bill. Politicians who promise you something for “free” are con artists.
We have economic illiteracy in our country.
Actually there is a college which is free.
Cooper Union got an endowment some years back that included several large office building that make a profit. The cash they get is so much that they can afford to make everything tuition free. Oh, it’s an engineering school and it’s really hard to get in.
They should pass a law that make sit illegal to pay college professors anything at all. No remuneration for course work or research.
Because as soon as you start talking “salaries”, then college stops being “free”.
I’m sure the Left will support this. Free education is very important to them.
I paid my way through graduate school. I’m debt-free.
I did that long before Bernie Sanders came up with the idea of “free college.”
If you want to invest in your own future, you can invest your time in getting on-the-job experience, or you can get a loan and invest it as capital to start a business, or you can invest in getting a “useful” college degree.
Now then if college is “free” we know that actually means it is run 100% by the government, so then who determines if what a professor wants to “teach” is useful and needed and should be part of what students are getting “for free”? The legislators who voted for “free tuition”? No. The state executive branch department of education through it’s appointed head? No. Then who? Academia itself.
Now ain’t that a nice industry, when you can get the taxpayers to fund it 100% for you - for academia - and then the taxpayers’ representatives leave it 100% to run however you want.
THAT, not “the students” or their “education” is what “guaranteed college education for everyone” is 100% all about. It is all part of the Progressives utopian society of everything run by their experts in a permanent administrative/regulatory state.
Then the colleges raise their rates, and the states pay more, leading the colleges to raise their rates, and the states to pay more ..... repeat until end of world.
The crapper they teach nowadays schools should be free.
College students should be willing to invest in themselves, i.e., pay for college.
They could make college almost free by putting 90% of it online and then shutting down the liberal indoctrination centers. Leave open the universities doing real research and consolidate them.
I guess they're planning on no buildings, no supplies, and instructors volunteering their time.
Can't wait to see that one. /sarc
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