Community Colleges

Modern American politics, summed up in 11 words.

 

And almost invariably, large amounts of money are involved in those tactics.

 

Money has never been cheaper in my lifetime. There's never been a better time to invest in the country's future -- education, infrastructure, you name it.

 

Mississippi has one of the oldest and one of the best community college systems in the country. It's one of the very few things we do well with public education. What hasn't been mentioned is that junior college is also a way to weed out some of those who really aren't college material. My oldest son is off-the-charts smart; I mean he made the honor roll at a good high school and didn't crack a book his last two years. Earned a band scholly to the local CC and quickly found out that his lack of study skills was a serious issue. He gave it two shots, washed out both times, then went into the work force as an ER tech and never looked back. He's never regretted for a moment not continuing his education.

 

Republicans are better at it. The party is almost purely tactical at this point and has been for awhile, especially in local and state politics.

The House of Reps is what it is because statehouses redrew congressional districts to make a GOP nearly a sure thing. While Dems looked to Obama as a beacon, the GOP was busy shoring up the ways and means to power.

 

The Democrats didn't win and control the White House for two terms by not being tactical. Both parties have given up on solutions. They're not needed to maintain power.

 

Community college was free for me, but that was because I got a full-ride scholarship as the football team filmer. I got a better deal than the athletes because since I wasn't one, I wasn't subject to the Jayhawk Conference's restrictions. Saved me probably $8,000 and got me back on track after four years in the "I don't know what to do with myself stage." Even if I'd paid the $17 per credit hour at that juco in the early 90's, I'd have still saved between $5 and $6K.

If I had tried to go straight to Pitt State, I'd have probably washed out because I wouldn't have been remotely prepared. Juco allowed me to get used to the grind of school again in a smaller environment since the juco had only about as many students as the high school I attended, so there was more attention from the teachers.

But I think this would go over like a lead balloon in Kansas. Two proposals to have a four-year school and a junior college work together recently went down because the constituents in the juco areas objected to the perception that they were losing local control. (Fort Hays and Dodge City, Pitt State and Fort Scott; the people in Fort Scott came out with the torches full ablaze and it eventually led to the juco president's resignation).

 

Yeah, the same thing happened in the Senate. Oh, wait...

 

We've done it to the tune of $18 trillion in debt.

 

I could see tech companies get behind the idea of enhanced community college. If there were a way to train programmers and such in a year or two out of high school, and throw in some business and econ classes, that would really appeal to that industry. What do they care if you know your Chaucer from your Voltaire.

 

Voltaire is something electrical, right?

 

The budget deficit was 2.8 percent of GDP this year (down from 9.8 percent in 2009) in an economy that's growing. Not a concern. We need to be investing in the future now.