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Comment by a_subsystem | Hacker News Reader

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2 million folks (ie voters) over the age of 55 die every year, and 4 million young folks age into voting every year. I find it questionable if this idea can withstand the eventual tipping point when younger cohorts are tired of subsidizing the folks who pulled the ladder up behind them (housing, healthcare, wages that don't keep up and tenuous unemployment, requiring degrees that require debt with no assurance of a job after, safety nets that may be substantially impaired by the time they qualify for them). These young folks (top of Gen Z cohort is ~26 currently) are not why the national debt clock ticks where it does (~$32.25T as of this comment).

These geritocracy and conservative decisions will eventually catch up. As I tell my father, "be kind, I will be the one to pick your nursing home." The numbers are very clear who wins when young people actually turn out, so this just adds fuel to the fire.

(bit of a demographics scholar when time permits)

Unless you fall into protected categories such as "business owner" or "bank"

Or, education should be free, full stop, and it should be okay to change things to make that true for as many people as possible.

Is one way of taking responsibility not voting for people who will resolve a problem in exchange for taxes?

Is there actually a problem though?

Affordable education exists. You can get a bachelor's in Computer Science from WGU for a couple thousand. Georgia Tech offers an online MSCS for about $1k per month.

These programs are scalable and practical. They have such high capacities that they don't have to be selective, making them available to everyone. The cost is trivial compared to the potential earnings.

But for this type of education reform to work, people need to vote with their wallets for the most affordable option. That's only going to happen if they are held personally accountable for their education spending.

Why would somebody choose an affordable, practical program over a needlessly expensive program if the government is paying for it? Where is the incentive to minimize cost and maximize ROI?

Yes indeed. Like would you like the heated pan or the actual fire? /s

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