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2004 US Presidential Election
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June 29, 2004
Kerry | Kerry Announces Education Goals for Low-income, Minority Students

Today, John Kerry announced his pledge of assisting low income and minority students, with a fivefold increase in money encouraging students to study math, science and technology. The total would be increased from the current $20 million per year to $100 million per year.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says if he’s elected president, 1 million more students will graduate from college during his first five years in office and he will bring a special focus to boosting opportunities for low-income and minority students.

Kerry’s campaign says nearly half the hike in graduation rates will come from population increases, and he’ll achieve the other half by bringing down the cost of education and creating other incentives to bring students to college and keep them there.

“We need to move toward the day when four years of college is as universal and affordable as a high school education is today,” Kerry told the Rainbow-PUSH Coalitio. He said although college graduates will earn $900,000 more over their careers, less than a third of all Americans and less than a fifth of black Americans have a four-year degree.

Kerry has also proposed $10 billion in assistance to states, to keep tuition rate increases at or below inflation rates.



Posted by Jeff M at June 29, 2004 01:15 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Hogsnot. There goes the Defense budget…

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at June 29, 2004 01:25 PM

If this were a plan to push higher education costs up as fast as possible, it would be an outstanding success.

Bad money drives out good.

:jackson

Posted by: jackson zed at June 29, 2004 01:46 PM

…if he’s elected president, 1 million more students will graduate from college during his first five years in office…

I did not realize Kerry was going to rewrite the constitution…

…“We need to move toward the day when four years of college is as universal and affordable as a high school education is today,”…

High school education is free (for the most part) today. Is Kerry proposing 100% subsidy of colleges? Cap’n, there goes not only the Defense budget but everything else, which can only be paid for by 100% rate of taxation. What’s the next freebee Kerry going to promise? Mind boggles somebody, ANYBODY, can take this fruitcake seriously… The crap that comes out of his mouth rivals - in content - anything Bush EVER said!

Posted by: v at June 29, 2004 02:06 PM

I work in health care. The parallels between that industry and “higher education” are frightening.

The bottom line is the more money the feds send in the worse the problems will become. Couple the law of unintended consequences with the overtly liberal proclivities of academia and whammo, all the money in the world won’t be enough.

In addition how will Kerry change things? Here in North East Ohio the colleges ADVERTISE FOR STUDENTS. It seems to me that pretty much everybody that wants to go to college already can.

Typical leftist: step one manufacture a crisis, step two, offer an expensive government run solution to the manufactured crisis. Step three, let the federal bureaucrats run the industry directly into the ground.

Posted by: skip at June 29, 2004 02:12 PM

“…if he’s elected president, 1 million more students will graduate from college during his first five years in office…”

We’re going to have to build more universities it that’s the case. Are there Universities that are running “under” capacity.

Given the fiscal twist many state schools find themselves in, something tells me the $10 billion will go to filling existing budget shortfalls and postponed physical plant needs — rather than new lecture halls, professors and dorms needed to accomodate 200,000+/year new students.

Posted by: kh at June 29, 2004 03:29 PM

The minority students already get big breaks, at least they did when I was a student. My almamater had a whole department set up to get them free food, housing, course work help, mentoring, government grants etc.

They used to say they were open to any and all students, but when I asked for help I was roundly told that they had nothing for me, and that was just after a hour long lecture on how they are there to help all students and we just need to ask.

Furthermore, our admissions board is screening students based on poltical leanings. Students entrance essays for graduate studies are scrutinized and those who don’t have the proper left leaning screeds are not accepted, regardless of their qualifications. Even our professors have already started commenting that the recent crops of students are less capable then in the past.

Kerry’s plan will only make this worse.

Posted by: Brian at June 29, 2004 03:47 PM

I just don’t think there are that many more students. As I stated, colleges are advertising. Organizations like the University of Phoenix exist to soak up pell grant dollars. Everybody who wants to already can go to college.

Remember that stupid bumper sticker “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance”.

I think they’ll need a new one, adapted from the old Hillary care days “If you think education is expensive now, wait untill its free!”

Posted by: skip at June 29, 2004 04:56 PM

What’s John Kerry Campaigning on?

“I plan to spend way more money than Bush has!?”

Sheesh Liberals will never understand and will never get it. The only fiscal responsibility they have is when they cut and gut Military, Defense, & Intelligence spending.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at June 29, 2004 05:50 PM

Skip are mart!!! Not tawded at all!

Posted by: Kabar at June 29, 2004 07:30 PM

College students make $900,000 more than high school students because they’re in the top third of society, education wise. All giving everyone a college degree will do is push the minimum requirements up. Jobs that currently require a BS to have will then require an MS.

This complete lack of understanding of supply & demand makes me wonder how Kerry ever managed to get a JD.

Posted by: TBox at June 30, 2004 03:04 AM

And how do they expect state colleges to keep costs down…

Not hiring new people
Firing the people the have
Overworking the people that are left
Outsourcing things like grading papers
Lowering benefits for the people who don’t have them

Yep, real good plan.

And where is this money going to come from when they reduce defense and intel, and we get another 100+ BILLION terrorist hit to the economy, that will already be tanking because they “steal from the rich” all the money they would have invested in the economy.

Posted by: keith at July 1, 2004 04:29 PM

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