On Morning Edition today Richard Vedder said college is too expensive because students get loans too easily. NPR, why are you giving warm-fuzzy airtime to this one-time hired gun for the tobacco industry?
Fellow Kossacks,
Please contact NPR:
http://www.npr.org/contact/
Ask them why they did a puff piece on "Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much", a new book by Richard Vedder. "Dr." Vedder is an economist who peer-reviewed a deceptive, pro-tobacco study for the Tobacco Institute back in 1993:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science%2C_Economics%2C_and_Environmental_Policy:_A_Criti
cal_Examination
Vedder has also served on the advisory board of the Iowa-based "Public Interest Institute", a clearly right-wing, anti-tax, pro-"family values" you-know-what that fits in easily with organizations like The Cato Institute and The Heritage Foundation:
http://www.limitedgovernment.org/vedder.html
If what I heard Vedder say today on Morning Edition is correct, his book states that the reason higher education costs so much is not because of dwindling government support for colleges. Rather, higher education is now so cost prohibitive because it can't seem to keep costs down. Why? Because, according to Vedder, colleges are flush with cash that they feel they must spend on things like athletic programs to attract students. (Sounds like Bush Logic to me!)
Worse yet, the interviewer, Renee Montagne, didn't challenge him (Renee, you're better than this).
I'm not asking anyone to believe me. Please judge for yourself by going to NPR's web site and listening to the interview:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4499641
I expect a lot better from NPR. Member schmember! If NPR wants my support they can do some REAL reporting on this Vedder clown and his book!