Free College Degree in Crackerjacks!

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/08/20/news/state/24-tuition.txt

Ok, so the link is out of the way. Go read the article. I'll wait.


All done? So here goes.

I'm outraged 7 ways from Sunday. Talk about political posturing and campaigning.

Max, here's the problem.

First, I don't want to pay for the education of someone that will be competing with me for jobs. I think offshoring jobs is a bad idea because it puts Americans out of work. Why would I think handing someone a free diploma is going to insure that I have a job? We all know that he's not going to be making as much as someone who's been in the field for some time, and with the current trend of employment, that makes the graduate with the crackerjack degree a prime target to replace the more expensive asset.

Second, there won't be any jobs for them in short order. If you give free degrees to everyone who wants to go into the math and science fields the nation will be saturated with math and science graduates that work at TGI Fridays and McDonalds. I worked at McD's while in high school and college. I worked with a very bright guy that graduated with a degree in Political Science. When I asked him what kind of job that degree prepared him for, he answered "fast food and gas stations." Churning out more college graduates isn't going to "make the United States more globally competitive, particularly with countries like China and India" when we are shipping all those math and science related jobs to countries like China and India. Talk about cutting off your arm because your finger won't stop bleeding.

Third, welfare sucks because it's not enough to actually live off of. Welfare sucks for so many more reasons that this, but if you give away college degrees, you devalue their worth. It's the same kind of stuff you see when they raise minimum wage, or the base welfare handout. since MW goes up, grocery stores, restaurants, and other industries that depend on MW workers, have to raise their prices. Generally the people that make more than MW don't get raises as well, so the result is a net 0 change in the standard of living for the MW workers, and a decrease in SoL for those above MW.

I guess that won't matter anyway, because the Math and science grads will be moving to India to work at the outsource location.

Fourth, Socialism is a bad idea! Anytime you tell the masses that all the blood sweat and tears they have shed is going to pay for the expenses of someone who hasn't lifted a finger in his/her life you are asking for trouble. If they won't be a productive member of society, let them starve. A college degree does not make them productive. A job does. Get one to pay for school.

And to the idea that rural teachers need help, here's an idea. Pay the teachers in the cities less, and give it to the rural teachers. Better yet, cut the salaries of all the teachers and put the money into the coffers for supplies. Why is it that I'm required to buy dry erase markers and a ream of copier paper for my son's school supplies? The guy in charge of budgeting is putting dollar signs in the wrong columns. If you need paper to teach, and can't afford to buy it with the huge budget you already have, the principal can take a 100 dollar pay cut to buy a box or two of paper.

Max, making me spend more in taxes to put some kids through college for jobs that aren't here is stupid.