This is so stupid. The economics of paying people to go to college is super simple. People who go to college make more money and pay more taxes, those taxes can pay for a program that pays for people to go to college. There, done, please vote for my bill.
Your proposal is flawed because it's neither a regressive tax that specifically targets young people, nor does it have pointless administrative expensiveness, neither is it possible to corruptly outsource that wasteful administration to for profit companies.
Student "loans" are the much more american option.
Not too mention that if a self-expanding tax funded account for education did exist Congress would dip into it to pay for endless wars just like they do Social Security. Then they'll squak every year that it doesn't work and that is running out of money. Just like Social Security.
Not to mention that an intelligent workforce will keep the economy from stagnating, and keep the country at a competitive advantage both militarily and economically. Plus, if more people are educated they'll make better decisions about who to elect, which will help the government run better.
We very, very badly need more people in the skilled trades. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, construction. These jobs pay well, there is a huge shortage of workers, and there is no need to go into massive debt at college.
This is true. It's also true the trades will chew you up and leave you burnt out and nearly crippled. In my experience they run through folks like they can just find another and grind whoever they have into paste. It pays well yeah, but I think I'd rather be able to walk like I used to
I mean, the list kinda goes on. Sure, the conduit guys aren't breaking their back, but they're pretty casual in the lift til someone falls out. The guys that do garage floors will be on oxygen in their mid-50's. I know a couple master cabinet makers who can't count to ten.
And absolutely a lot of it can be mitigated (wear your fucking respirator) but the problem with this kind of work as a rule is the damage is additive. You have an expiration date for this kind of work that often falls shy of what the soft hands would consider normal.
I don't know. I think we are in dire need of folks willing to do the hard work of keeping shit running. I love being self-sufficient in a world of services, or being a help to a neighbor in over their head. But those industries need to recognize that 60 hour weeks not counting commute make people unable to live, so they eventually jump careers or take a tumble they can't get back up from
Me too. Exposure to chemicals and physical stress from skilled labor are considered to be the trigger by my doctor for my very aggressive autoimmune disease that crippled me at 28 and continues to 15 years later.
