Amalgamated Transit Union International President Larry Hanley issued the following statement in support of President Obama’s initiative to give all young Americans the chance to attend two years of community college, tuition free.
“At the turn of the 20th century, when America was largely an agrarian society, we decided that all youth should be provided 12 years of free education. Now, more than 100 years later – in our high tech, high information age – we still provide only 12 years of universal education.
“Congress got it right in 1958, when it passed the National Defense Education Act, which provided guaranteed student loans to generations of college students, recognizing that higher education is essential to our national defense.
“Similarly, the president’s community college proposal would do more to improve our national security than 100 aircraft carriers, as it will build the intellectual infrastructure we need to thrive, and put our people to work.
“With the average monthly cost of college now twice that of your average house payment, higher education has become out-of-reach for many Americans. And those who do attend, leave with staggering debts that ultimately drag down our economy.
“This trend further exacerbates the growing income gap between the rich who can afford college on their own, and the vast majority of qualified Americans who can’t go to college and whose job prospects and standard-of-living are therefore degraded for the rest of their lives. This plan could help close that gap.
“ATU applauds the president for this forward-looking proposal. All Americans deserve the right to higher education regardless of their race, religion or income level. We urge all Americans to get behind it.”
