Truth in Advertising... Please!

This rant brought to you by the Sacramento Bee.

Once again, I went nuts reading this headline in the Sacramento Bee…

Westly: Free tuition for 2-year college

TNSTAAFL!
Free? According to the story, “Westly predicted that it would cost $100 million to $200 million to make community college degree programs free, depending on student enrollment.”

Who’s $100 million to $200 million? That’s right, yours! You, the taxpayer, will have to pay the bill. Not the student who benefits from the college education. Not the parents who want their child succeed in the marketplace. Not an employer who wants a better educated employee. You.

Truth in advertising would require the newspaper headline and Mr. Westly to correctly identify this proposal as a fully taxpayer subsidized community college program. I emphasize fully subsidized because the community college program is already massively subsidized - a student only pays approximatly $1,560 in tuition for a two year degree ($26 per unit x 60 units).

Buying Your Vote
Mr. Westly’s proposal proves one thing – he has already started stumbling over himself to compete with Phil Angelides for the title of big government liberal. As each mighty Lilliputian bids the other up in an effort to win the Democrat nomination, keep your hand on your wallet. After all, somebody has got to pay for all of this free stuff.