Garcia pushes plan for free college, but how is it funded?

David Garcia has an intriguing pitch in his run for governor: Vote for me and go to college free. His plan, outlined in a column last week, is a head-turner in a state more prone to giving tax breaks to corporations than to giving tuition breaks to residents. For decades, the GOP-run Legislature has been assuring us that the economy will kick into overdrive if only we offer yet another corporate tax break.

Now, along comes Garcia, a Democrat with a different strategy for how to rev up the economy: Provide an educated workforce by offering free tuition at Arizona’s community colleges.

“After an initial investment to help Arizonans get an education,” he writes, “this proposal pays for itself as more people are able to fill and create highwage jobs.” But consider this exchange I had with Garcia’s campaign manager, Bill Scheel, who tweeted about the plan.

Me: “I note that Garcia didn’t say how he would pay for it. What’s the plan?”

Scheel: “It’s in the article: ‘... this proposal pays for itself as more people are able to fill and create high-wage jobs.’ ”

Me: “Maybe over the long haul, but how do you pay for it in year one?”

Scheel: “Instead of spending tens of millions on corporate tax breaks and private school vouchers, let’s build human capital right here in AZ.”

Me: “Yes, but how will he fund it day one? He’s been pushing the plan for a while but never been specific about its funding source.”

Scheel: “Corporate tax rate has fallen 30 percent over last decade plus many special interest carve-outs. Wealthy corporations need to pay their fair share.”

Me: “But how does that pay for the program on day one? He must have a plan for funding at the onset. Is it to repeal tax cuts? Raise taxes? What?” Scheel didn’t answer. Bernie Sanders, too, had a plan to provide free college. But his plan also had a funding source to pick up the feds’ estimated $75 billion cost: a tax on Wall Street financial transactions.

Tennessee began offering free community college to eligible high-school graduates in 2015. The $25 million cost is funded from lottery revenue. Soon, Tennessee will offer free college to all adults. The additional $10 million cost will also come from lottery revenues.

Oregon became the second state in the nation to offer free community college last fall, with the state’s taxpayers picking up the $10.9 million tab.

New York is footing the bill for both two- and four-year college tuition, beginning this fall, for students whose families earn under $125,000 a year. The program will cost $163 million in its first year, before it’s fully phased in — to be paid out of the state’s general revenues.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, we can’t even fund public schools — thanks in large part to all those tax cuts — and Garcia is talking about free college?

It’s a killer strategy for attracting votes. But if Garcia has a workable plan, shouldn’t he be up front about how he plans to pay for it?