Some random ideas from sitting around a lot during Thanksgiving week are clogging my thoughts. Maybe by publishing them here, I'll think of something that's actually interesting. As always, feel free to use any idea. Just don't get too upset at me if it doesn't work out.
Happy Thanksgiving!
New colleges
In a rust belt town, start a new college. A hired professor will earn about $30,000 per year. She/he will be the teacher/advisor for a group of 30 students. (If you're quick at math, you will note that this means each student will pay $1000 per year in advising fees to the college). This professor will guide the 30 students through their field of expertise (history, english, whatever).
Any additional classes that a student wants to take can be done through the new massively online classes.
The facilities will be a previously empty building in the downtown area. Housing should be quite cheap in this town (it's a rust-belt, soon-to-be ghost town. There is no university support staff (looking at you deans, provosts, etc), no sports, no IT. Just learning.
If the professor wants to earn more money, the options are to advise more students (of course this may diminish the experience for those students) or write proposals to funding agencies.
Accomplishments:
Reduced cost of higher education (perhaps improved, compared to some schools)
Found employment for a bunch of underemployed academics
Cheaper doctors
1. Medical school is now free (taxpayers on the hook for what, $150,000 per future doctor?)
2. Doctors then pay a $10 - 20k tax per year during their career (in additional to normal taxes).
Overall savings for taxpayers. Even doctors that work in truly underserved areas should be able to afford to pay an additional $10 per year in taxes.
Very wide ranging magazines
You know how after about the 3rd issue of just about any magazine in the world, articles start to feel a little redundant? We will pool a large selection of magazines. Each month, you get a completely different magazine.
You didn't like Time last month? Bam, here comes Vanity Fair. VF hasn't been the same since Christopher Hitchens' untimely death? How about Midwestern Living this month. And so on.
Better distribution of education spending
In the U.S., local property taxes provide a big chunk of the funding for public schools. This is madness. Pool this money at the state level and distribute the funds evenly (okay, sure, use some cost of living adjustments when needed).
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