A Couple of Great Ideas

New York flagship papers and media as far afield as Australia hail it as a done deal but the Oregon legislature only commissioned a feasibility study.  The plan would be that students could waive their tuition and fees at state four-year universities as long as they agree to pay back 3 percent of their income over 24 years.  Any consideration of  ways for poor and middle-class students to go to college without racking up an average of $25000 of personal debt is welcome news.  The idea of generous support of college students is a no-brainer.   Historically it is an investment with a robust payoff – not only economically but as a cohesive, democratizing social force.  Even without comparisons to the post-war GI bill, the resources available today comprise a pale shadow of what was available to the Baby Boomers, the children of those who weathered the Depression and World War II.   Hopefully we will see a trial program proposed to the 2015 Legislature.

And while we’re at it, why can’t everyone aspire to a secure retirement – not just CEOs and PERS tier one-ers?  Real pensions are as much an entitlement as free tuition to college – in other words, not at all.

There is a feeble and fragile directive by the Oregon legislature to look over the idea of a state-supported way to save for retirement – given that nearly half of all working U.S. households fail to save outside Social Security for retirement.  Brent Huntsberger of The Oregonian reports, “House Bill 3436 originally set up the Oregon Retirement Savings Investment Board and directed it to establish a statewide retirement savings plan, similar to one created in California and to legislation considered by other states.  …  But amid objections from the financial industry, the Senate Rules Committee on Saturday amended the bill to drop "Investment" from the board's name and remove references to establishing a statewide savings plan.”

            These are great ideas, on wobbly, baby legs.  To paraphrase Grover Norquist, these ideas are so vulnerable that it would be easy enough to drown them in the bathtub.  Great ideas deserve protection.  Let’s at least give them room to breathe.