Rhode Island becomes 4th state to offer free community college tuition

[JasperL]

What do you expect, RI is a solid Democratic State they even supported Mrs. Clinton. FREE STUFF is nothing new for Democrats

clinton 55.5% 252,525
trump 39.7% 180,54o

We also have it in Tennessee with a GOP Gov and GOP House and Senate, went for Trump 60-34.

 

[brothern]

Must suck to be a resident there, with no kids in college there, or kids going out of State, and know you are paying for someone else's "free" education.

Only if your perspective is stupidly short sighted. We have no kids in college, and I'm thrilled Tennessee offers free community college. It's good for the economy of the state, and we ALL benefit when the state can attract better employers with higher paying jobs. We're all also better off when kids just out of college aren't burdened with crushing debt loads, or fall prey to the crooked for profit college scam artists out there. Etc. Bottom line is a better educated population is an unambiguous positive for all of us who live here, IMO.

Wholeheartedly agree. The amount of highly educated individuals that we'll need over the next several decades is staggering, due to the number of "revolutionary" technologies with which we are currently flirting. Anything we can do to pull up the average skillset of the America populace to help us fully utilize them is a good deal in my book.

 

[JasperL]

Equal oppurtunity and equal handouts are two different things.

Yes, and saying equal opportunity but permitting a system where opportunity is denied those without the means to get a decent education is just drivel, words without meaning.

For example, if you're against "free" community college, are you also in favor of charging the poor $7k or so per year/child for K-12?

 

[apdst]

Yes, and saying equal opportunity but permitting a system where opportunity is denied those without the means to get a decent education is just drivel, words without meaning.

For example, if you're against "free" community college, are you also in favor of charging the poor $7k or so per year/child for K-12?

The government isn't denying anyone the oppurtunity to go to college.

 

[JasperL]

The government isn't denying anyone the oppurtunity to go to college.

No, and if we started charging everyone $7k or $10 or $20k per year/per child for K-12, the government wouldn't be denying anyone the "opportunity" to get a HS diploma, either, it's just that the idea under such a system that the poor have a genuinely equal opportunity to succeed as their wealthy friends would be a joke, laughable, ludicrous. At the least they or their family would graduate HS with crushing debt that would limit all their opportunities to have a successful life, and where the first financial setback would be catastrophic.

Point is what you're saying is just drivel. It's like pointing out I have the same "opportunity" as Warren Buffett to buy a private jet. True and meaningless.

 

[jonny5]

No, and if we started charging everyone $7k or $10 or $20k per year/per child for K-12, the government wouldn't be denying anyone the "opportunity" to get a HS diploma, either, it's just that the idea under such a system that the poor have a genuinely equal opportunity to succeed as their wealthy friends would be a joke, laughable, ludicrous. At the least they or their family would graduate HS with crushing debt that would limit all their opportunities to have a successful life, and where the first financial setback would be catastrophic.

Point is what you're saying is just drivel. It's like pointing out I have the same "opportunity" as Warren Buffett to buy a private jet. True and meaningless.

If it true, then govts job is done. Its up to you to achieve the result you want with the opportunity govt has secured for you: freedom.

 

[JasperL]

If it true, then govts job is done. Its up to you to achieve the result you want with the opportunity govt has secured for you: freedom.

Not sure what "it" is above.

Freedom and $7k will buy you a year of K-12. Are you suggesting a child whose poor family is forced to borrow to fund that $7k per child can claim to have anything in the same universe as equal opportunity to the child of a wealthy neighbor?

 

[poweRob]

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/201...free-community-college-tuition/9801501815680/ Tip of the chapeau to Rhode Island. Counting down, 3,2,1 to "Libtards, socialism, lazy, free stuff, wonk wonk"

All state Colleges and Universities are tuition free here in New Mexico. There are conditions...

1. You have to have graduated from a New Mexico public high school
2. You have to start the next fall
3. You have to pull a full load of classes
4. You can't take time off between semesters. (don't have to go during summer though)
5. You have to maintain a 2.5 GPA.

Paid for via the New Mexico Lottery.

Of course its now the insane book prices and the lab fees that really dig into your wallet anymore here.

 

[jonny5]

Not sure what "it" is above.

Freedom and $7k will buy you a year of K-12. Are you suggesting a child whose poor family is forced to borrow to fund that $7k per child can claim to have anything in the same universe as equal opportunity to the child of a wealthy neighbor?

You said it was true that you had the same opportunity as Warren Buffet. What you do with it is your problem, not mine. And Im suggesting that the adults who created that child have the same opportunity to get a job and pay for the expenses of the child they chose to create. 2 adults X $7/hr X 40 hours X 52 weeks equals 30k. More than enough assuming those costs. In reality it could be cheaper and they could make more. Maybe they could get 20 of their friends together and hire a teacher for 60k a year to teach their children. Youre stuck in the model the govt has created for you.

 

[JasperL]

You said it was true that you had the same opportunity as Warren Buffet. What you do with it is your problem, not mine. And Im suggesting that the adults who created that child have the same opportunity to get a job and pay for the expenses of the child they chose to create. 2 adults X $7/hr X 40 hours X 52 weeks equals 30k. More than enough assuming those costs. In reality it could be cheaper and they could make more. Maybe they could get 20 of their friends together and hire a teacher for 60k a year to teach their children. Youre stuck in the model the govt has created for you.

Well, I'm stuck in reality. And in reality, what your example shows is it would not be impossible for a poor kid to succeed, which is different than has an equal opportunity to succeed. There's a reason every industrialized country on the planet provides public education...

 

[jonny5]

Well, I'm stuck in reality. And in reality, what your example shows is it would not be impossible for a poor kid to succeed, which is different than has an equal opportunity to succeed. There's a reason every industrialized country on the planet provides public education...

Because its all they know. Like you, they are stuck in the reality they have allowed others to make for themselves. Stagnant.

 

[JasperL]

Because its all they know. Like you, they are stuck in the reality they have allowed others to make for themselves. Stagnant.

And what you do as a libertarian is imagine a different reality with no basis in the real world, no examples or evidence that show this belief that if government does not provide a decent education to all citizens that the market will satisfactorily create effective alternatives. We COULD make a giant leap and hope these solutions emerge, but I'd rather see an example of them working before making that leap.

Finally, I'll reiterate my intended point which was that if you support "free" public K-12, I don't really see a principled basis for opposing "free" public colleges and community colleges which serve the role that K-12 did when they were first established, which is provide the population with the minimum skills for decent jobs in that economy. Used to be K-12 provided all the skills needed for a decent job that allowed a person to take care of his or her family - that's no longer true. Nearly every decent job in this economy requires skills not taught in K-12.

 

[jonny5]

And what you do as a libertarian is imagine a different reality with no basis in the real world, no examples or evidence that show this belief that if government does not provide a decent education to all citizens that the market will satisfactorily create effective alternatives. We COULD make a giant leap and hope these solutions emerge, but I'd rather see an example of them working before making that leap.

Finally, I'll reiterate my intended point which was that if you support "free" public K-12, I don't really see a principled basis for opposing "free" public colleges and community colleges which serve the role that K-12 did when they were first established, which is provide the population with the minimum skills for decent jobs in that economy. Used to be K-12 provided all the skills needed for a decent job that allowed a person to take care of his or her family - that's no longer true. Nearly every decent job in this economy requires skills not taught in K-12.

Which is proof that public education is a failure. Which to reiterate my point, the world is stuck in the model the govt has chosen for you. There are plenty of PROVEN alternatives to the standard 'have as many children as you want and hand them over to govt to raise.' And there are plenty of proven alrernatives to the 'everyone has to go to college to succeed' mentality. Trade schools, apprenticeships, on the job training, entrepreneurship, at home learning. Steering everyone toward community college is just more of the same big govt ideology that they know how to run your life better than you do.