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Why should college be very expensive for rich people?

• analog31 2y ago
  According to the old story, the New York Times asked a famous bank robber why he robbed banks. The answer: Because that's where the money is. The money for funding public and quasi-private (universities and hospitals) institutions has to come from somewhere. Making it equally affordable for everybody doesn't raise enough money to maintain operations. Same for funding the government. Granted, I think all of those institutions are due for reforms, which have little chance of happening right now, but still, I think the basic funding equation can't be eliminated.
  • estebank 2y ago
    > The money for funding public and quasi-private (universities and hospitals) institutions has to come from somewhere. Making it equally affordable for everybody doesn't raise enough money to maintain operations. Same for funding the government. That's what taxes are for: you take proportionally more from people with more assets. I find the entire conversation about "not wanting my tax dollars to pay for some millionaire's kids' education", because those millionaires would end up paying the difference in taxes (under a fair system) than they do now. That's without even considering the perverse incentives at play when a wealthy parent can use the payment or withholding of payment for education as a way to control their kids. Just because a parent is wealthy it doesn't necessarily mean that the kid would have access to those funds, or that explicit or implicit requirements that could be imposed to access those funds would be reasonable.
    • analog31 2y ago
      Indeed, and I think we're not far apart on this. I would support funding of things like education and healthcare through progressive taxation, and making them free, or some nominal cost.
• wesselbindt 2y ago
  Because they can afford it. It's a redistribution tactic. You can also phrase it like this: college should be free for all to attend. Then, as long as you have a progressive tax scheme, the outcome is the same. Cheap for the poor, expensive for the rich.
  • hooo 2y ago
    Then are you suggesting buying anything should work like this?
    • wesselbindt 2y ago
      Not at all. But in markets with inelastic demand, I'd say this is probably the way to go.
    • baq 2y ago
      Are you suggesting education is like potatoes?
      • ponector 2y ago
        I would say it is more a service, like a massage or a week in a resort hotel.
        • baq 2y ago
          If you are an education provider, yes. If you are receiving education, I'd say it's totally different due to expected value added over the student lifetime.
        • 1dontknow_ 2y ago
          Like a massage? You can't be serious. I would consider it a basic service like healthcare, power, or water, so it should be easily accessible, have certain quality standards and very affordable, basically a decision to go there shouldn't have any financial impact.. but surely that's ideal.