Blogs:

 It was just some time back that Governor Rick Perry was referred to as simplistic by the Washington Post. There was a long piece on this Texan governor on his higher education ideas. Now, what just happened?

Many ask whether the Post’s headline writers are on a vacation. We do remember the headline that called Ronald Reagan’s ideas simplistic. So, logically, whoever is referred to as simplistic by the Post must be taken with a pinch of salt, at least as far as I am concerned. Remember how Margaret Thatcher eulogized Reagan at his funeral pointing out as to how his thoughts and ideas were so clear and how he was never ever simplistic as he believed in seeing all sides of the truth?

Coming back to Perry, he has deemed himself to be responsible for Texas higher education establishment. One of his plans is for four year educational institutions in this state to offer bachelor’s degree for just $10,000.

According to the information Post has for us, skeptics feel that this is an unachievable goal as it cannot really be achieved without sacrificing on academic prestige, quality. There is also a strong assertion by the very same critics that the governor is famous for plunging into ventures in an impulsive manner in spite of the sensitivities, constituencies and complexities involved.

So, what do you think about the half cooked suggestion of the governor that universities should reduce their fees, even the public universities? What exactly is being done about the higher education bubble? Does President Obama still think that higher education should be subsidized and we should dig ourselves deeper? Does he think that colleges and higher education institutions have hiked up their fees because of the subsidized loans and grants offered for college and graduate work by the federal government?

Another brilliant (?) suggestion by Governor Perry is to stop professors from wasting valuable money and time churning out unproductive and esoteric research work. According to the panel appointed by the governor, teaching and research budgets must be divided in such a manner that it encourages excellence in both fields. The panel suggested that teachers who perform exceptionally well must be given merit pay.

In North Dakota, you can find students flocking to the universities and colleges to benefit from the low tuition rates. Okay, so North Dakota spent most of its revenue generated from oil on its universities and colleges in the last dozen years. How can all colleges in all states compete at the same level?

This is common sense and our President is all out to try and forestall this solution by increasing subsidies offered by the government. After twenty years, our President has sanctioned forgiveness and after ten years for students who opt for “public service”. So, do you know who pays the difference? Of course you know. It is a vicious cycle just like the housing scenario.

An ideal scenario was created that said that everyone must own a home. Now, for decades, those who wished to go to college were subsidized. This in turn resulted in skyrocketing prices thereby causing Obama and other politicians to call for more subsidies. Who is the simplistic one here?