To the Editor,
This is in response to the article, “College should not be free,” written by Kendyl Bennett in the May 15 Fillmore County Journal. Her assertions are: “The government does not have enough money to fund college for everyone,” and “There are plenty of resources for students who wish to attend college.”
The federal budget for 2015 was 3.8 trillion dollars, so the government has plenty of money. The debate is about priorities. Education is 6% of discretionary spending, and the military is 54%, for example.
Today’s jobs require advanced skills, and they often go unfilled because there aren’t enough well-educated people to fill them. More people in better-paid jobs means more dollars in the economy, including in the government, so we all benefit from public investments in education. Fewer people on public assistance, greater productivity and job satisfaction, more people able to afford home ownership. Sounds good to me.
There are ways the government could pay for free college, including decreasing the military budget. We don’t need more bombs and wounded veterans, we need a well-prepared workforce. The “resources” Kendyl referred to are a pittance, and simply aren’t available to everyone. College shouldn’t just be an option for those who can afford it.
LuAnn Wilcox
Lanesboro, MN