Steve Williams makes some good points in his evaluation of Barack Obama’s plan to provide free tuition at the junior college level (Our Opinion: Another ‘free’ lunch,
January 11th). However, there are additional arguments against this proposal.
First, the average high school graduate reads at the 5th grade level, and only one-third are proficient in math. Making junior college free will help them about as much as importing cheap laborers by the millions to compete against them in the job market, which is another of Obama’s pet projects.
Second, with federal money comes federal control. Even though billions of dollars are involved, these expenditures are a cheap way for the federal government to seize control of the state-run junior colleges.
Third, the federal government is already $18 trillion in debt. It should be looking at ways of cutting spending, not adding more.
Finally, many community colleges are already full. They not only don’t need more students, they wouldn’t be able to accommodate them.
Like each of Obama’s other grand plans, this represents just another redistribution of wealth, and a blow against meritocracy.
Greg Raven
Apple Valley, CA
