The plan to push a college-tuition tax-deduction plan must be opposed.

Don’t get me wrong: if I had kids going into college, I’d love this.  It’d mean I could afford to pay more… etcetera etcetera.

So, come on,  BA, what’s so wrong with this?

Well, let’s go Socratic for a minute.  What happens when lots of money chases a relatively stable product?

That’s right:  there’s less pressure to keep prices down.  And that means that if this goes through, you’re going to see costs per credit hour JUMP.  Which will be fine for those folks who are helping their kids, as the relative increase will probably not keep up with the economic benefits.

But what happens if you’re putting yourself through school?  What happens if you’re poor and trying to scramble your way up out of the working class?

You’re screwed, that’s what.  And while, libertarian that I am, I’m all about the tax cuts, a specific, targeted deduction policy that will inherently support class divisions within society is not a quality policy.

I have a better idea.  Let’s stop taxing income tax altogether in favor of a consumption tax, and establish tuition fees as non-taxable items just like food.

But if we did that, Republicans and Democrats playing Icarus would have no way to try to engineer society from their arrogant, enlightened perches.