The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education handles the financial-aid requirements of Bay State college students, and gets a rather hefty hunk of change from Massachusetts taxpayers each year. And in their latest move to “meet the needs” of those students, they’ve decided to screw the middle class at the expense of the neediest.
13,000 students whose families make a bit too much money, as far as the Board is concerned, and will no longer be eligible for Gilbert and Access grants, and be left high and dry. Instead, the money will go towards increasing the ceiling on grants and allowing the poorest students to get “free rides” at state schools.
I’m no expert on this sort of thing, but it seems to me that this move is a simple income-redistribution move — an attempt to raise up the poorest, while cutting at those who are just barely getting along.
To me, this is a horrid idea. The vast majority of taxes are paid by the middle class, and these grants are one of the few ways they get their money back. Instead, they see the state take more and more from them, while “punishing” them for not being dependent on the state.
A few more cynical souls have speculated that this might be tied in to the move to grant in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens. Last week the Massachusetts legislature adjourned without passing a law to do just that (after a huge hue and cry), but they could bring it back in January. Proponents say that they don’t plan to make illegal aliens eligible for scholarships, grants, loans, and other financial assistance, but believing the word of Massachusetts lawmakers when money is concerned is one of the dumbest things you can do. It’s like hiring Michael Jackson as a junior high gym coach, or having Teddy Kennedy manage your liquor store.
But hey, it’s Massachusetts. If they ever regained their sanity and acted in a decent, honorable, intelligent fashion, I’d lose about half my source material to blog about.
Not to pick a nit, but:
“The vast majority of taxes are paid by the middle class…”
I’m pretty sure that the vast majority of taxes are paid by the top few percent of taxpayers. That’s certainly the justification used to cut the taxes of the rich. And I also believe it to be true.
None of which really has much to do with the point of your post, but it stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
Jay, old beano, old buddy, old pal. From time to time I post a rude or idiotic comment from Canuckistan. Our brains up here are slow on account of the socialism and the cold, but…
I gots me two college age kids. The older one is actually already in the local uni studying girls, beer and engineering, in that order. His marks are good enough so far to get into MIT, despite the girls and beer.
Have you been telling me that if he and I break the law and turn up down there illegally we can get him into a US uni cheap? Cheaper than if we were to do it legit?
Naked self interest raises its nasty head. Does it not?
My younger son is adopted, but ready for uni next year; he’s part Nova Scotia black, negro, African-American, African-Canadian, whatever the latest buzzy is. I assume, using the usual liberal reasoning process, that you will all bow down before him and hurl money. Where do we go to get that, please? Any liberal lawyers reading this, please respond. The poor boy is devastated, destroyed, by the callous, mean spirited, hateful way his great to the fifth grandfather was treated by you eeeevil Yanks. He needs vast compensation to assuage his pain and enable him to snowboard full time.
Small bills or cashiers cheqes please.
Are you Yanks losing it? Are you insane? WTF?
According to Larry Elder of Townhall, in 2003 the top 10 percent of taxpayers(those with an AGI over $94,891) paid 65.84 percent of all taxes paid.
Fred Z.,
I am definitely losing it at the moment. I’m laughing so hard at your comments that I can barely see the monitor!
Thanks. I needed that.
On the issue of small bills, my water bill is the smallest I have. Where shall I send it? 🙂
Hmmm.
I like this business plan.
1. Take away opportunities for higher education from middle class taxpayers.
2. Give higher educational benefits to illegal aliens.
3. Profit!
*shrug* as long as they continue to re-elect jackholes, Massachusetts will remain a MassHole.
Welcome to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Massachusetts. 🙂