The Community College Subversion?

Is Obama’s initiative for “free” community college an oblique shout-out to the cancelled NBC show? It wouldn’t seem to have much else to recommend it, and it can be seen as yet another payoff to a key constituency group—community college professors and students.

But a sharp-eyed Power Line reader sends in another way of looking at this idea:

The One has created a real opportunity for creating havoc in a key Democratic constituency.

Two years of free community college is probably about the fastest way to deflate the 280% inflation (since mid-80’s) bubble in higher education expense. In effect, it creates an expense cap for the first two years of college.

This assumes these are accredited courses with a large majority eventually finishing in 2+2 programs.

It would force 4-year schools to lower costs to compete and to fill the luxury facilities they have been building the last 10 years.

And if you want to disrupt one of most ardent group of supporters for Liberal Democratic policies, consider layoffs and pay cuts forced on 1st/2nd year college educators. (And the infighting between disciplines bearing the brunt and 3rd/4th year educators.)

This was probably floated by the One as an idea that Republicans would never support, and therefore with little thought to unintended consequences. (It also shows he has no grasp of real world economics and outcomes.)

But it would be fun to see it hijacked and correctly structured by “sharp” Republicans; especially if done quickly. Somebody should talk to Mitch Daniels about this.

It’s a win if puts a conservative stamp on Higher Ed, and a win if the One is forced to veto his own proposal to cater to his screaming base.

I like this idea!

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