Tennessee Gov. Urges 2 Free Years of Community College and Tech School

[Green Arrow]

via New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/education/tennessee-governor-urges-2-free-years-of-community-college-and-technical-school.html):


Public colleges have sharply raised their prices since the 1990s in the face of declining state support, but a plan by Tennessee’s governor to make two years of community college and technical school free for all students represents a striking reversal of that trend.

Tennessee would be the only state in the country to charge no tuition or fees to incoming students under the proposal by Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, which policy analysts called a big step toward a better-educated work force.


“This is the best idea to boost participation in higher education in a generation,” said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, a major association of public and private colleges.


Mr. Haslam made it the centerpiece of his State of the State address on Monday, calling for two years of free schooling for state residents with high school diplomas or equivalency degrees, without regard to academic credentials or financial need. The change requires approval by the state legislature, whose leaders reacted favorably to the idea.

I'm no ally of Gov. Haslam, but this proposal surprised me and I completely support it.

[Cigar]

I'm for it ... therefor I know for sure it will not be supported.

If Obama was smart, he'd come out against it :laugh:

[Green Arrow]

I'm for it ... therefor I know for sure it will not be supported.

If Obama was smart, he'd come out against it :laugh:

The state legislature on both sides of the aisle seems to approve of it, too. Time will tell, but it looks good.

[Captain Obvious]

I agree with state sovereignty that it should be left up to the state to decide these things, but I disagree with the concept that my tax dollars may be paying someone elses way through college (or part way).

Seems that a lot of my tax dollars go to someone elses benefit and not vice versa.

[Green Arrow]

I agree with state sovereignty that it should be left up to the state to decide these things, but I disagree with the concept that my tax dollars may be paying someone elses way through college (or part way).

Seems that a lot of my tax dollars go to someone elses benefit and not vice versa.

The alternative is a less educated (and therefore less skilled) workforce that you end up paying more for through welfare anyway.

Besides, I pay taxes, and I could actually have a use for this. Since I plan on going to trade school, even if I wasn't paying taxes, I'd be giving back to the state tenfold.

[Captain Obvious]

The alternative is a less educated (and therefore less skilled) workforce that you end up paying more for through welfare anyway.

Besides, I pay taxes, and I could actually have a use for this. Since I plan on going to trade school, even if I wasn't paying taxes, I'd be giving back to the state tenfold.

Yeah - always with "my" money.

At some point "we" need to say "no, this fucking stops right now". No free college, no fucking handouts, no welfare, no fucking nothing out of my fucking pocket".

At some point this, THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID.

Otherwise this shit is going to continue to happen, I'm (we) will be stuck with the bill. Hell, even you're indoctrinated enough to the point that YOU'RE DEFENDING IT.

Fuck this, this system sucks, it doesn't work. It's time that someone who has money starts paying for this shit - or it's time for people to either stand on their own or die off.

I'm sick of it.

[Green Arrow]

Yeah - always with "my" money.

At some point "we" need to say "no, this fucking stops right now". No free college, no fucking handouts, no welfare, no fucking nothing out of my fucking pocket".

At some point this, THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID.

Otherwise this shit is going to continue to happen, I'm (we) will be stuck with the bill. Hell, even you're indoctrinated enough to the point that YOU'RE DEFENDING IT.

Fuck this, this system sucks, it doesn't work. It's time that someone who has money starts paying for this shit - or it's time for people to either stand on their own or die off.

I'm sick of it.

It's not indoctrination, dude. I'm an anarchist, but as long as people like you are going to demand we keep a government around, I'm going to push for specific policies that make that government "better," or at least as best as it can be made. To me, this policy makes sense. Nobody told me it made sense, I just read the policy for myself, thought about it, wrote up the pros and cons, and agree that it makes sense. All Tennesseans pay taxes, unless they live out in the middle of nowhere in a hand-built house from materials they personally farmed themselves. So all Tennesseans are paying for them and their children to go to college, assuming this bill passes. Nobody is forcing you to pay for something you don't want. Especially since you probably don't even live in the state.

[nathanbforrest45]

Since we are already spending big bucks on welfare and the educational system is supposed to be partially funded by lottery sales perhaps having those who might not otherwise go to college do so will allow some of these welfare recipients to become self sufficient.

[nathanbforrest45]

Nobody is forcing you to pay for something you don't want. Especially since you probably don't even live in the state.


And those of us who live in the state can vote for representatives who will actually have the states best interest at heart. The closer the government to the people the more control is held by the people. So, if the good people of Tennessee want to pay for this (and keep in mind Tennessee is one of the most fiscally responsible states in the Union) then that's all to the good. If they don't, I am sure Stacy Campfield et al will be letting us know!

[Green Arrow]

Since we are already spending big bucks on welfare and the educational system is supposed to be partially funded by lottery sales perhaps having those who might not otherwise go to college do so will allow some of these welfare recipients to become self sufficient.

Which is one of the reasons I support this.


And those of us who live in the state can vote for representatives who will actually have the states best interest at heart. The closer the government to the people the more control is held by the people. So, if the good people of Tennessee want to pay for this (and keep in mind Tennessee is one of the most fiscally responsible states in the Union) then that's all to the good. If they don't, I am sure Stacy Campfield et al will be letting us know!

So far, the legislature seems very supportive. We'll see when it comes up for a vote. For now, I've been passing the idea around to people I know here and they all seem pretty supportive too. Obviously, this is just an anecdote and doesn't really mean anything, but Tennesseans are usually pretty good at telling our government when we're not interested.

[Captain Obvious]

It's funny - you call yourself an anarchist. You claim the system sucks, it's broken, it doesn't work.

And yet you support it in all of it's rhetorical glory.

Even the radical among us are institutionalized. This is why the system will never change. It will always be the same shit. Wealthy privileged will write their own ticket at the expense of the middle class and the poor. Same whores-for-hire will get elected term after term and the average schmuck will think he's making a difference.

This is exactly why, we deserve what we get.

[Green Arrow]

It's funny - you call yourself an anarchist. You claim the system sucks, it's broken, it doesn't work.

And yet you support it in all of it's rhetorical glory.

No, I don't. I just have the sense to acknowledge that I'm likely never going to get my anarchist system, so I'm making do with what I have. Let's be real, Cap. If I just sat on my ass doing nothing but screeching about anarchism, you'd still criticize it.

[Captain Obvious]

No, I don't. I just have the sense to acknowledge that I'm likely never going to get my anarchist system, so I'm making do with what I have. Let's be real, Cap. If I just sat on my ass doing nothing but screeching about anarchism, you'd still criticize it.

TBH, I think the term is used by the younger crowd who are looking for an identity outside of the norm. At some point when you realize your true identity is what it is, then maybe it will make sense to you that trying to be something you're really not is too transparent.

[Peter1469]

Typically when a 3rd party is paying the bills, the price increases.

[nic34]

Maybe Tennessee dosen't want to become a California.....

From 1982:

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/28/science/california-weighs-end-of-free-college-education.html

[Green Arrow]

Maybe Tennessee dosen't want to become a California.....

From 1982:

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/28/science/california-weighs-end-of-free-college-education.html

That is certainly true in more ways than one.