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Well, boys ‘n’ girls, it seems that our Premier Johnny-Boy and his education lap dog, Line Beauchamp, either really think that students don’t know how to do math, or this was a more elaborate scheme, counting on right wingnutz who have been condemning them “lazy”, “self-entitled”, “selfish” brats not being able to do the math or not even bother and tell them, “Look, I tried to be reasonable…” I think the latter–Right wingers were never great at hard stuff like math or stopping to think. So, since most can’t do the math, let me help out here. You see, boys ‘n’ girls, originally, Premier Johnny-Boy and lapdog Line were pushing a tuition increase of 1625$, payable over a 5 year period to the tune of 325$ per year–so they say. Now, ol’ Johnny Boy is proposing and increase of 254$ per year at 7 years, except when I did the math, it came out to 1778$ instead of the original 1625$. I’m sooo glad the students told Johnny-Boy and lapdog Line where to go. Oh, and Lapdog Line’s latest talking point is it’s about 0.50$ per day!! Anyone can pay that!! Is that the best she can come up with?? Airhead! One has to wonder if Premier Johnny-Boy is deliberately sabotaging his re election possibilities come the next election.
More about this later.
It’s odd, I thought that after all the trouble in Montreal and the flack Charest got for his joke, that he’d make an honest attempt at finding middle ground in the negotiations and acting in good faith.
Nope. Nothing. CBC had a good story up about why the Quebec students are up in arms while the ROC is shaking their heads.
To sum up: you either see higher education as a public good – much like medical care or roads – that serves the public interest and therefore should be made available to all those that want it or you see it much like Andrew Coyne does: an investment into a higher pay scale.
Anyway, Charest is really dropping the ball on this one as the election looms ever closer…
Skinny Dipper Reply:
April 27th, 2012 at 10:29 PM
I am in agreement with Michel. Many Canadians tend to see the tuition-fee debate as one of personal investment while the striking Quebec students and their supporters see higher education as a societal good. Why is primary and secondary education free while tertiary education costs tuition? What is the minimum amount of education one needs to become a successful person in society? I don’t just mean successful financially. I mean that one should have a minimum amount of education to be a contributing member to society in terms of thinking critically and working with others.
They have succeeded in making the kids angrier. They only know how to pour oil on the fire.