| "To say that more of their ideas will help to solve the very issue they created..." I don't see how I did that. I do appreciate your perspective that I spun a cultural issue to support my political agenda. I'd argue that I'm actually doing the opposite, but I agree I did nothing to make that clear In all honesty, I've long thought that parental influence on college students' decisions - whether it be the choice of college itself or the concept of "helicopter parenting" within college - has the single greatest negative influence on top universities. Without a consistent "expected contribution" across colleges, cost is a dominant factor in the decision process, and we end up with students that don't necessarily want to be studying where they are. I loved my school, and while I felt bad for the kids who complained about being there because they had no choice, I often just wish they'd leave and stop dampening the culture. At top universities, it's similar to someone in YC constantly complaining that they have to try this pesky startup thing. I also disagree that the effects have existed forever. I think it came with the cultural shift of helicopter parenting, and parents generally making more decisions for their children. Ultimately though, I support the Bernie Sanders bill because I think it's an interesting way to try and resolve the negative impacts of the cultural shift. It's a bit like using a sledgehammer to drive a nail, but I'm not one to complain about free college (and I do think free public tuition will extend to the private sector, especially quickly at the top university level) |