Imagine if we didn't have free public schools already. Imagine someone trying to propose it today!!!

[reformist2]

Impossible, they'd say! You're talking about providing "free" educations for 100 million students???? Nothing is free! And who'd pay for it!!! Money doesn't grow on trees! What, increase property taxes??!! Impossible - it'll never happen!!! You people are crazy! Besides, children need to know that nothing in this world is free!

And yet we have free universal elementary and secondary education in this country, and have had it (more or less) for well over 100 years. Over 100 years. Some states were providing universal public education as early as 1852. Over 160 years ago. Let that sink in.

Now fast forward to 2016. It's a modern world. A new world. Society expects more of our citizens. A fully-functioning democracy requires not only an educated, literate population - it requires a highly-skilled, critically-thinking electorate. Seen from this perspective, providing universal free college education to any who want to pursue it doesn't seem unrealistic at all - it sounds more like a requirement for an advanced society!

[rock]

1. Free?

Even citizens with no children have to pay property taxes that support it. Don't forget the additional costs of enrollment and books for the ones that do have children. So stop making jokes.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. So do you think parents should charged by the child at the school, tuition like in private schools?

I have seen a few Bernie bashers here openly weep about the property taxes they pay 'we need lower taxes' they say when not bragging about how rich they are.

Does it bother you that your precious tax money pays for other people's children to be educated?

[rock]

3. It bothers me to call it 'free'

I thought my point was quite clear.

[LanternWaste]

6. Being bothered is irrelevant (at best) if the following is true...

"You can say the craziest things and get away with it. Free speech doncha know."

[-none]

5. Do you have any links to support that?

You are posting a Right-wing talking point there.

And to answer your question, no, it doesn't bother me that my tax money goes for other people's kids education. And I'm retired. I like educated people. It makes for a saner world.

[HereSince1628]

4. And don't forget what comes along with tax support...

lots of government involvement

I really do believe in public funded public colleges and universities that are virtually tuition-less, but that is going to promote much more government involvement than simply handing over tax-dollars.

As is readily apparent in public education across the country, there is little uniformity and the systems put in place suffer under the influence of racism and classism.

As we've seen with the ACA not all states are inclined to adopt similar policies and approaches. We've got to be careful about enabling more patchwork federal programs.

We've got to expect that the good things about reduced tuition burden to individuals are going to be accompanied by attempts of legislatures to achieve other political objectives which won't always be uniform or always fair. This will create new battlefields.

[Orsino]

7. The OP explicitly acknowledges that point. n/t