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Free college for 10 years in Wisconsin intriguing

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Also by Bassey Etim:

Religion: Does it benefit society? (November 29, 2007)
Do Democrats take minority votes for granted? (November 15, 2007)
It's the media, stupid: Political coverage misleads (November 8, 2007)

by Bassey Etim

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Free tuition in exchange for 10 years of living and working in Wisconsin — sound like a fair deal? This is one of many ideas the state education reform commission is considering to improve Wisconsin's schools and economy. While still in its infancy, the plan would mean graduates from four-year public institutions get a free ride so long as they stay for a decade, and graduates from two-year public schools would make a five-year commitment. Obviously, more specifics on this plan, such as unemployment and disability benefits, are needed to make a concrete judgment on this proposal, but the idea has an undeniable populist appeal.

This measure seems capable of helping Wisconsin alleviate "brain drain," by which our brightest graduates move out of state after college. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the state could borrow the money needed to implement this plan and repay it by taxing the income and property of its wealthier populace. In addition, it would encourage more poor kids to go to college and return home to improve their communities, creating a less controversial medium to address the University of Wisconsin's accessibility problems.

So what if this plan were implemented and became more popular than its creators ever could have imagined? It's a sweetheart deal for those of us who don't need a bribe to stay in the great state of Wisconsin; however, we should be wary. Initially, it might actually hurt the job market and allow employers to lower entry-level wages because of the initial influx of labor. However, I would almost hope this happens. It may inspire groups of former UW students to start their own enterprise around one or two particularly ambitious business students.

These small companies may very well give Wisconsin a new reputation as a center for idealistic and creative young business owners. Alumni may enter 10-year pacts after graduating to establish and run a viable business. Rags-to-riches dot-com stories would emerge along with epic business busts that would live on in Gen Biz 303 infamy. Further, UW may attract even more out-of-state talent hoping to make a livelihood working at one of these hip young companies. This would effectively turn our state into a talent incubator for small-business ideas and make it a popular destination for companies looking for an available, educated work force to plug into.

In a worst-case scenario, our graduate pool may be exploited by companies that severely restrict mobility in the first 10 years because they have a captive workforce. Wisconsin would be known as a black hole where dreams go to die, as students who attend its public universities feel compelled to spend a decade earning modest salaries.

This proposal could aid local communities by offering the brain power needed to combat the increasing desolation in urban areas, or spawn a new breed of urban sprawl as an ever-expanding base of suburbanites flees the perceived ills of city life. Then again, it might slow us down and offer us the chance to appreciate what will really make us happy in life: things like family, friends and love. Where better to cultivate these than in Wisconsin?

In an increasingly remote world in which we prefer to "bowl alone," would a 10-year agreement give us a chance to extend our collegiate relationships? Perhaps we will instead become workaholics obsessed with out-performing our counterparts in an infinitesimally small business environment.

Despite the potential pitfalls, this is an idea worth exploring. While Gov. Doyle's initiative to promote a more high-tech state economy has been marginally effective, Wisconsin may have to do something drastic to become a front-running state. Further, this may be politically feasible in a state known for embracing maverick politicians.

Nonetheless, like all big ideas, the debate on tuition incentives is sure to become a casualty to partisanship. If a formal bill is ever proposed, elements of the state Legislature are sure to rail against it as an undue fiscal commitment for the state. Further, this criticism is sure to come without any tangible ways to improve Wisconsin's educational access besides strangling under-performing schools.

All it takes is one struggling and desperate statewide candidate to make an issue so polarizing that an honest discourse in the statehouse becomes a political nonstarter. The new chair of the Assembly of Colleges and Universities Committee has already said he doesn't think it will go far.

Politicians don't like to take big risks because they fear accountability. The only way this would pass is if an articulate voice were able to cast it as the key to Wisconsin's long-term aspirations. Unfortunately, neither state party has much star power, and it would take a spirited non-partisan push to ensure such a bill would not be dead-on-arrival. Despite these long odds, an idea this revolutionary is worth testing the bounds of political improbability.

Bassey Etim (betim@badgerherald.com) is a junior majoring in journalism and political science.

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Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 9:18am):

Intriguing? More like idiotic. The reasons your cite against it are correct, let me add some more.

1) This is not going to keep the very best UW students in WI. No matter what, they will be able to get jobs making more money outstate. I mean like seriously crazy money, which would make it laughable that they would fall for a measly few grand bribe to cut their starting pay AND future earnings until they are 30 years old! But like you said, it is basically just a free ride for the thousands of mediocre and bad students who were gonna be stuck here anyway-- they already got an incredible value on a great education that they didn't take advantage of, we don't need to give them any more handouts.

2) So by bribing people to be stuck in WI, it is going to foster a dot-com startup atmosphere? How about gov Doyle, Mayor Barrett, and Mayor Dave make the state business friendly by cutting business taxes, and provide some tax rebates/incentives for new small businesses?

Let's fix the problems that are driving graduates out of WI, instead of creating a ridiculous kickback scheme to force everyone to stay here in our misery.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 10:12am):

Are our politicians stealing ideas from early 90s television dramas now? Tell me how this is not the exact plot that the entire run of Nothern Exposure is based on.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 10:19am):

I disagree with poster #1. Let's provide free health care to all Wisconsin residents. Businesses would love not paying for health insurance. Combined with a relatively inexpensive college education, we'd have similar success that Ireland has recently experienced.

Low taxes don't always solve the problems, especially when you can't balance a budget.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 12:14pm):

And how about not alienating 10% of your population by voting in discriminatory constitutional amendments...

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 12:44pm):

"measly few grand bribe"

Obviously someone paying in-state. Out of state can put you in debt well over $100,000.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 1:37pm):

So we all know what we're talking about here, semester tuition at UW:

Res $3365.12
Non-res $10365.08
MN $4159.04
Segfees $365.00

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 1:44pm):

"Businesses would love not paying for health insurance."

That's great! If businesses don't pay the health insurance directly then it will come out of the workers' taxes. This will increase the workers' cost of living and businesses will then have to pay workers more. So businesses will end up paying the cost of health insurance anyway by increasing the cost of their products. Gotta love socialist thinking. Go to Canada and check out how expensive everything is there if you don't believe me.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 1:49pm):

Poster #3 > Let's provide free health care to all Wisconsin residents.

Oh yeah, that'd be great! WI would be a magnet to all the poor sick people, and of course we can't deny illegals. Taxes would be absolutely insane. And all the good doctors would leave, as they'll be underpaid.

And you're concerned about balancing the budget?

Here's a little dose of reality for all the students who who've basically gotten everything they need in their life for free: goods and services given away for free are abused simply because their is no (perceived) negative cost for the abuser.

It's called "Tragedy of the Commons"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 2:53pm):

Poster #1: Surely you aren't suggesting that those who choose to live and work in Wisconsin are "mediocre and bad students who were gonna be stuck here anyway". By the way, it seems that you CHOSE to attend a school that those Wisconsonites who are "stuck" here help support so you can go somewhere else and make "crazy money." Please do so at your earliest convenience.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 6:23pm):

Socialized health care is going to happen. From my example, Ireland, social health care and *free* education are possible. Ireland has possibly the strongest economy in the EU.

Forget the bullshit about long lines or high cost in Canada. Their life expectancy is longer than ours, so they must be doing something right. They possibly understand that proper preventative medicine causes less "radical" medicine down the line.

Moreover, the United States pays almost DOUBLE per capita than any other western nation. So, our wonderful system costs more AND doesn't produce any better results (see: life expectancy).

"Stay the course" with our current health care system and it'll all work out in the end, just like Iraq.

Anonymous (December 12, 2006 @ 10:04pm):

Crazy money!!!

***

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is paying its employees an average of $622,000 this year

A handful of star bankers and traders will get bonuses worth more than $30 million this year

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aw6thy2rdrD0&refer=home