Tag Archives: College Tuition

If it’s Bad When it’s Bad — It’s Bad When it’s Good

So, the Govna has said that she will not be able to push through her campaign goals of free community college and a higher minimum wage.  Her reasoning?  The economy, of course.  When I read this I laughed my ass off.  Of COURSE it’s the economy!  Of course we can’t afford this!  No one thinks that we can afford this.  Even when you were on the campai—-WAIT a flippin minute!  Wait one blessed second.  Is it possible that ol’ Bev Perdue knew that such grandiose ideas as free college tuition and a hike in the minimum wage were actually BAD from an economic standpoint?

We’ll never know, of course.  But the good news is that she has decided to shelve these things for now; at least until 2012.  But, it is interesting to note that the Govna didn’t raise either issue until Richard Moore introduced them.  Possible election strategery?

I came across an interesting discussion regarding higher education the other day.  While I don’t think that I agree with Coyote, I also don’t think that the State should be offering free tuition either.  Higher education trends exceptionally well with wealth and all things responsible.  But, it is something that has to be earned, not given.  For it to have any value at all, it can NOT be given.  Now, this is not to say that we shouldn’t help otherwise responsible kids have a shot.  Trade years of service for tuition.  Make them earn it by maintaining grades throughout.  Something-anything, just not free.

And the minimum wage?  Well, lets just say that I said it here.  In it’s most simple form, labor is a commodity, a resource.  And like any other resource or raw material, when it becomes more expensive, companies buy less of it.  And by purchasing less of it, they either lay off current staff or the don’t hire potential staff.  In either case, companies are going to retain or attract only the most qualified of employees.  They are not going to take a flier on the marginal.  And so it is, that the silly foolish liberal has just fired the VERY person she was trying to help.

Anyway, I digress.  The question is:

  1. Did our honorable Govna use free tuition and increased minimum wage as an election season ploy?  Or….
  2. Does she really understand that both of these ideas are bad bad ideas?  Even in a GOOD economy?

The New Truth

She hasn’t even taken office yet and already Bev is backing away from her campaign platforms.  As reported by the N&O:

“I don’t believe that my first priority and first accomplishment willl be free community college because of the budget (difficulties),” Perdue said in an interview with Dome Wednesday morning. “It’s much harder than it was this time last year.”

I’m not sure whais more surprising, the fact that she backed away from this so soon, or the fact that she has acknowledged that free college is really not free.

The this, just a continuation of what we already know to be true:

“I look forward to continuing to push for a minimum wage increase,” Perdue said, “but my priority this year is to keep people working, and I’ve got folks who talk to me and are willing to take a less-than-minimum wage job right now just to have a paycheck.”

In other words she is tacitly admitting that by raising the minimum wage we would be, in essance, reducing the number of people earning that wage.

I am afreaid that this is just a taste of what we are going to see from the Democrats this term.