Free college?

Don't assume that people aren't going to college because they aren't interested in it. Lack of guidance, tracking students from kindergarten on, and lack of money have always been the major reasons.

Hello, Steve

You make some good points. Milton Friedman reminds us that there is no such thing as a free lunch. And... there is no such thing as "government money." The government's revenue stream depends on confiscation of money from those who pay taxes.

I do like Rudy's comments about emphasizing vocational studies. Here's an alternative... a kid fresh out of high school might be better served by making him or herself presentable then go knocking on every door along Old County Road, Industrial Road and other such business districts and simply ask for a job. Sure, the response might be... "OK, kid, grab a broom and start sweeping," but the opportunity to learn a trade by starting literally on the ground floor can reap tremendous benefits. That's a whole lot better than sitting in Sociology 101 and surreptitiously checking Tik Tok videos.

Then after four years or so, that ambitious HS grad may be on their way to becoming a journeyman electrician, plumber, etc, and making some good money. A good auto mechanic will never go hungry. Unlike the HS alums who went straight to college and are now saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt and have yet to work a steady job. I referenced Bob Dylan over in Mark Simon's column earlier this morning... here is something else from the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature winner... "Twenty years of schoolin' and they put you on the day shift." Even in 1965, Dylan knew worthless college degrees for jobs that don't exist are a waste of time.

So there is some merit in providing opportunities for vocational education and training... absolutely. But let's get out of the business of trying to provide "free college." It's not free and it's not a birthright.

Well written, Mr. Howard. Let’s not forget about these “free” COVID jabs or testing kits, to the tune of $hundreds of millions, if not $billions. BTW, it seems our “free” money due to Biden-flation gas prices has gone the way of the dodo. Did CA talk the idea to death or is CA still trying to spread the money to non-gas and non-car owners?

Steve, your sentiment of learning a skill for many students is spot on. Jobtrain in Menlo Park has been teaching skills in culinary arts, IT, carpentry, and medical assistants/CNAs at no cost to the students for 56 years. In little over 90 days, students graduate and get paying jobs well above the minimum wage.

Oh Mr Howard, I can’t tell you how I love that you read my column and get worked up enough to draft a letter to the editor. No better accolade for me, to be honest. I rarely respond to people’s comments, but this is one I’ll gladly respond to.

Obviously, there is a cost to education. “Free college” is a term for the public beneficiaries of a public education - something our founding fathers knew would make us different from the rest. Madison, Jefferson, and Washington knew that the only way to keep our democracy alive was by having an informed voter that knowingly consented to be governed.

To the facts of the community college system in SMC- if you read my last column, you would have seen that there is a $200M general fund. I can think of no better use of tax payer money - an investment in its people that will lead to increased earnings and better outcomes for generations to come.

Stop cringing and start doing something other than complaining about us hard working folk that just wants to see everyone get better opportunities.

Hey Steve, are you a member of the far right? If I’m “from the far left” for arguing that public education should be accessible to everyone, what does that make you?

What do these countries share in common: France, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, the Czech Republic? Free college.