Why you can’t afford to send your kids to college

The biggest racket in America isn’t politics, or polygamous Mormons in Texas, or welfare. It’s colleges and universities.

Consider this story:

UC Berkeley officials are defending an unusual arrangement that allowed Police Chief Victoria Harrison to retire last year with a $2.1 million package and then return to the same job right away for more money.

“No laws were broken,” Cal spokeswoman Marie Felde said Thursday. “That’s very clear.”

UC spokesman Paul Schwartz said the retirement package was consistent with university policy and reflected benefits she rightfully earned.

“She did not receive anything special,” he said.

That’s just for being a cop. Granted, with kids shooting each other like ducks in a pond nowadays, campus police work is more demanding than in the 1950s, when the biggest threat was panty raids.

But she’s still just a cop. And she’s returning to the same job!

And the key phrase is: “She did not receive anything special.” It happens all the time.

College tuition costs are high and getting higher because subsidies force up prices. And the subsides grow for several reasons:

First, university folks are, by definition, smarter than the rest of the populace. So they know how to wheedle money for themselves.

Second, almost every congressman or state legislator went to college, and generally has positive memories. It’s good to remember those carefree days of smoking dope on the quad and discussing Sartre with your buddies, before the inevitable post-graduation sellout to the special interests. They want other kids to have the same experiences.

Third, some university departments — the sciences, engineering, math, medicine — do stellar work that contributes to society.

Fourth, politicians don’t want to go up against the leftists who run the social science and humanities departments. So what if generations are brainwashed that Washington and Jefferson were tyrants and Mao and Stalin were exemplary leaders?

So the massive taxpayer subsidies, especially from the federal government, continue, grow, and force tuition prices even higher.

The best thing would be to end the taxpayers’ subsidies and let free-market forces determine price. But that’s not going to happen. Why work for a living if you can get others to pay for your luxury?