Hillary repeated one of her dumbest arguments

[thesquanderer]

Again, she said that she's against free tuition at public colleges because, as she put it, "I don't think taxpayers should be paying to send Donald Trump's kids to college."

On that basis, maybe we should close public libraries, because Trump's kids could read books for free. Or get rid of free high school because rich kids might get a free HS education. It is ridiculous to argue against a public good because some rich person may be able to take advantage of it.

But even besides that... rich kids don't go to public colleges. They go to private universities anyway. So it's not even a factor.

Plus, Sanders' proposal for this is paid for by a Wall Street transaction tax. So "the taxpayers" aren't paying for it.

No matter what angle you look at it from, it's a stupid line. But the crowd eats it up... it was an applause line. And I guess that's why she repeats it. Because no politician ever lost by underestimating the intelligence of the public.

[hill2016]

1. speaking of intelligence of the public

This Wall Street transaction tax isn't going to raise nearly enough money for everyone to go to college.

[willvotesdem]

2. Bernie is correct when he says

today's college education is the equivalent of a HS education 50 or 60 years ago.
It should be free and government paid for at least 16 years. Just about any decent job today requires a BA or better.

The money can be found, it always is when we want to build a new fighter/bomber or other piece of trillion dollar military hardware or to spent trillions on two useless, unwinnable wars .

My nephew is in his last year of law school when he finishes his debt will be in excess of $150,000.00. That's with grants and scholarships included.

[hill2016]

5. maybe maybe not

but society should have a proper deliberation of the costs and benefits.

Who qualifies for free college? Even Germany doesn't allow everyone.

Is free college is merit based? What does that mean for minorities?

Is there any time limit to how long you can be in college?

Is there any limit to the types of degrees you can take?

Is there any enforcement of GPA etc?

[willvotesdem]

6. All good questions and of course the details

will have to be worked out. That's what our legislators are paid to do. But 16 years of quality education for all who want it should be our goal.

[thesquanderer]

12. About being merit based

willvotesdem is right, there are details to be worked out... and saying that we still have to discuss the details doesn't mean it's not a goal worth pursuing. But to your point about being merit based... maybe it will be open to everyone with a High School diploma (as Sanders' example of CUNY once was), but if it is merit based, it could be relative to others from the same school, which would minimize the impact of that on minorities. For example, let's say that you need to graduate with a minimum C+ or B average. That would be a way to factor in merit which would have less impact on minorities than, say, some kind of "standardized" test.

[thesquanderer]

14. And actually, HRC is pushing for free tuition to community colleges

I wonder how that is paid for?

And how she'll keep children of wealthy people from taking advantage?

The rest of your questions would seem to still imply... i.e. who qualifies? is it merit based? time limit? GPA enforcement?

To the extent that answers can be found for two year programs, I would expect one could similarly find answers for four year programs.

[riderinthestorm]

4. Then double it. .02% and .002%. It's like swatting at a mosquito

it won't effect ETTs one bit but will raise sufficient revenue.

[sabrina 1]

17. That is just one way to raise money. Cutting the military budget, making the wealthy pay their

fair share, ending subsidies to major Corps, like the Oil companies eg, which is utterly RIDICULOUS at this point.

I love how people look at this from 'but this isn't enough' while not appearing to have any interest in GETTING ENOUGH. Look at who is GETTING all the money that COULD pay, not just for free college, but for free HC, unless of course you're okay with the top 1% getting all the welfare??

[Bread and Circus]

3. It is a stupid punchline among many of her stupid punchlines.

[Hepburn]

7. You know, if they are paying a ton of taxes that support those free public colleges and universities

I have no problem if their kids attend. After all, all those large tax dollars are going to make it possible for a lot of kids from lower income and middle income families to get an education, too.

[sabrina 1]

18. Same here. I don't care if Trump's kids go to public colleges, that would be a GOOD THING, might

help them get in touch with some real people for a change. The problem is they don't, they go to their private colleges to avoid mixing with the rest of the peasants.

[davidn3600]

8. The taxpayers would pay to put rich kids though high school, right?

And yes, I fully understand many rich people send their kids to private school.

The point is that free public school is available regardless of how rich or poor you are.

[dsc]

15. yes but high schools don't have admission standards

that discriminate against poor and minority students, colleges do.

[dsc]

9. rich kids do go to public colleges all the time

To give you two examples, George W Bush tried to go to the University of Texas but couldn't get in, and Jeb Bush did go to the University of Texas (and yes Virginia, it is a public school and was when Jeb went to it). UNC, the University of Michigan, Berkeley, UMass, are all public universities that attract many rich students.

[thesquanderer]

13. True, I should have qualified that with something like "are likely to"

That said, if public colleges become full of "riff raff" -- that is, people who don't have the money nor even the willingness to put themselves into the debt that is now required -- I would guess there will be that much increased likelihood that children of the wealthy will be finding themselves at private colleges/universities, where they "belong."

[JonLeibowitz]

10. All of Trump's kids went to University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown.

Which, if my memory serves me, are very much not public universities. Hillary is twisting the truth to have it say what she wants.

[Eric J in MN]

11. Yeah, and the audience applauded that stupid remark, unfortunately.

If Hillary Clinton had said, "Let's end free high schools because they might educate Donald Trump's kids," then maybe the audience wouldn't have applauded.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.” ― Mark Twain