Oh, no, it's too late to take the high ground,  Richards acted like a fool, and made a suggestion that I'm a problem, publically, and I'm throwing it back at him.

Nice try.

Geoff - yes - the community college or Jr College system is what myself and Barack Obama are referring to when the word "free" is tossed around.  And yes, it's a two year school where you get an AA degree.

One of the many reasons one would enroll in a Jr College as opposed to a University is the cost.

Most people I know, for example, went from high school to Jr College to University, as this was our only option in terms of cost. 

And, as I note in my example - when my mother attended CCSF, (OJ Simpson's alma matter, by the way!), it was free.  You signed up for a class and that was it.  You did have to pay a registration (like, what, $10 or something) and your books would set you back, but by and large, it was a great option for poor students.  When I started there, it was $3 a unit, or, basically, $9 a class - still not bad - I was able to pay for that out of pocket from my minimum wage job.  By the time I left it was $30 a unit - or $90 a class, which I still could afford, but barely. 

This is as opposed to SFSU, where I got my BA - this was, when I was going, roughly $1000 a semester - a steal, compared to many colleges, but way out of what I could afford on my multiple minimum wage jobs, so that's when I had to start taking out loans.

Now I have a BA in History and World Religion with an emphasis in education, and enough debt to keep me busy for a few years.

You know I did.  That movie was hugely formative on my life.

My mom recently was visiting and having a laugh about how, as an 8 year old, I was at some toy store with her, and looking at toys, and I said something to the salesgirl like "Listen, sister, let me see that toy there", in as much of a Harrison Ford voice as an 8 year old could muster.

(For those keeping track?  The three formative movies that shaped me as a kid?  Empire Strikes Back, Eraserhead, Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Jason, I'm not going to presume to answer for Christopher, but I will note - the arguement that I understood is not that the stated goal of these plans was to keep the poor (or, as in other recent campaigns, those with similar demographics to ex-felons, or blacks or whatever) from voting, but rather, to protect the sanctity of voting - to make sure each vote was a proper and legal vote.

And, to meet that objective, err on the side of error, and have less people vote than more.  (Or, shoot 'em all and let god sort it out, if you will)  If a few people can't vote, it's ok, because at least there was no fraud.

Let me stress - that may not be Christopher's take - I don't know what's in his head, but that's the common arguement for this.

Heh, Keith, uh, yes. 

But, you know, we're both getting our own satisfactions out of our answers...

" If we're falling behind in higher education, then why do so many foreign nationals come here to go to college?"

The studies I read when I was at University (which admittedly is some time ago) said that (according to international studies) the US was at an uncomfortable distance from the top in average scholastic achievment for basic education (first 12 years) and even into college (everything up to and including the first 4 years of University or college). 

Where they excelled was in postgraduate studies, much of it precisely due to the fact that they attracted professors and graduate students from all around the world. This links up with private funding of projects, the production of patents etc.

Not saying that our education system is much better overall.  We do have some appalling scores in science on average. And postgraduate studies are only cutting edge in studies related to oil and fish.

I don't know what more recent studies say (or even how accurate my recollection of that study was) , but I just mention this to point out that there is not necessarily a disconnect between there being problems with schools and universities in the US and there being a lot of applicants from around the world and a high production of valuable patents.