Driving to the proposed campus for a proposed community college would not be fun.

Voting no will be.

Here is a question I have. Why are there two organizations supporting the CC “Yes Vote”? That is, Community College Now and Community College Yes? What I find also interesting is that the CC Yes organization is a for-profit corporation with the state of Idaho (listed at http://www.accessidaho.org.)

Why is the listed president of the corporation also a full-time lobbyist for Micron, the co-founder of the corporate the former campaign manager for Gov. Otter, and the company treasurer an elections official with the Sec. of State’s office?

I’ve been very clear about my stance on this issue and why I think the citizens of any county should not foot the bill. Now, I am even my intrigued about why some many individuals with high visible “day jobs” are forming a private, for-profit company to promote this issue. Thoughts?

The point of my comment was that Steve’s views have appeared to evolve over the last few months – just wanted to know. And, because the information has been based on coversations his wife has had with people – I thought it would be really helpful to get his views – straight from his mouth. None of this was intended to be an attack – but, Mr. Rhodes -with his latest comments have been the most disparaging so far. Just because we don’t agree with Mr. Rhodes, our thoughts have been charachterized with words like “dribble” and childlike. Is that an intellectual discussion?

There is so much to debate and discuss here about community colleges (and related issues), it is a shame that an obvious CC support would stoop so low to attack an individual rather than than issues at hand. However, it has been my experience on this issue that the pro-CC supports are using emotional arguments & personal attackers to try to accomplish support for their positions. And Mr. Boston, as you said, “that is a fact”. Go post your dribble on MySpace with the rest of the kids and leave BG for the intellectual discussion that we all desire.

As I mentioned, I’m more than happy to teach a class somewhere else — public or private and given time availability. I just don’t see the relevance. I’m also not wild about continued involvement of my wife in these conversations. Let’s end that ASAP.

When a person makes claims about alleged phone calls, insinuating that my views have “changed” and that I am seeking a job “under the guise of” and so on, it conveys something that is not accurate. The fact is, Mr. Boston, you are not “just stating the facts.” You are making false accusations and trying to create a misrepresentation my part and you should stop doing so.

I have not moved from wanting a community college to not wanting one. I have always believed Idaho needs a comprehensive college system that is a mix of public and private schools.

I question whether a county can necessarily grow substantially to cover the costs of managing a college system. I believe we need more evidence to demonstrate that before embarking on that venture. Moreover, people work, live, etc. across counties and a county-based system would bring limitations as to which students it could accept that don’t fit with market conditions.

On affordability, schools like the University of Phoenix conduct online-based schools that can be made much more affordable. Can our state schools not do something similar? Also, companies pay for tuition costs that can cover substantial portions of expenses. How about extending that further through a mix of employment guarantees and more tuition coverage?

My argument is not a community college or nothing. It is that we need more support from private corporations located in Idaho. I believe such partnerships can make education more affordable. Further, I want the state of Idaho to do more, as a way of making college more affordable for everybody — not just a county in the Treasure Valley.

This is a statewide issue, and we need a statewide solution. There are plenty of students throughout the state that lack the ability to afford college — not just in the Treasure Valley. All need more choice, and frankly, more competition.

And, I agree that there is ‘some’ for everybody. The area IS growing, so as the area grows, county budgets will grow due to the larger tax base. Higher education can be owned by out of state shareholders or the schools can be owned and locally CONTROLLED by Idahoans. It would be so awesome to provide affordable options for our kids. This is a big issue in Idaho. Some of the private schools do a great job of providing flexibility, but the cost of the programs are more than double of a typical community college. Let’s ensure our kids in the Treasure Valley area have BOTH options. Partnerships are great, but the cost of the private education is still higher. I am the parent of two high school students and aware of at least 10 kids in the senior class (at their repective school) that will be traveling to No and So Idaho to attend a college (cc’s) they can afford. Our future depends on educating our children. Let’s give them every chance. That’s why supporting a local, comprehensive community college is an absolute no brainer.

BSU is a good school with caring people. The students pay for their classes directly (while holding down jobs) or obtain the money from their parents and the citizens of Idaho. These schools do what they can. Often, I pay for extra things that go further than they can because of budget limitations and policy issues. Do I do it for the money? Not really. I do it because it offers more for the students and shows respect for the subject. I do it because I believe in educating students.

These students are hungry for knowledge, and they want to learn. Yet, I don’t believe we provide enough creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to enter the picture. We need to teach students how to think critically, to separate opinion from analysis, and to question the data that is thrown at them 24 hours a day.

Would I teach a class at one of the local schools — public or private — if they called? Sure, if I have the time – I do work full-time. Have I done it before? Yes, and so what. I happen to work at a small business and teach on the side. I’ve done it for about 11 years, and I enjoy doing it. So “Mr. Boston,” I plan right on continuing to teach.

My concern is that our rapid growth may overwhelm county-level budget capabilities. And I believe we can tap more from the private sector-based education and companies, which have come into this valley in droves. Our population is booming, budgets get allocated between competing departments. Job and market concerns, as well as competitive issues, come into play. These are not easy decisions for these institutions. And the adjuncts that do this work are invaluable to this community.

“Mr. Boston” chose not to address these issues, deciding instead to attack my wife and I. All the while hiding behind an electronic veil. That’s a sad state of affairs that shows more cowardice than reason.

So, “Jim Boston,” what is your response to the problems that have been raised in these articles on higher education? What is your answer to bringing in more companies and private schools to support more education through partnerships? What is your solution to the bill being proposed for county-wide funding? I, and several others have given their opinion. Where is yours?