Ralph Northam Goes Full Bernie, Tries To Out-Left Tom Perriello On Education

In the race to the left for the Virginia Democrat gubernatorial nomination, Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello are fighting hard against each other to prove who is the most far-left candidate. Today, Ralph Northam unveiled his education plan, which the Washington Post covered as a blatant play for the support of Bernie Sanders voters:

“Northam and Perriello are hitting on the theme of college affordability as they compete for the progressive voters energized by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who called for making public universities free as he ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.”

Both Northam and Perriello claim they want to make community college programs “free,” but one thing neither Northam nor Perriello want to discuss is how they would pay for it, which would more than likely be via a massive tax hike on Virginia families. A Roanoke County Supervisor recently singled out Perriello’s calls for free education as a “scheme” in the Roanoke Star:

“Mr. Perriello calls it FREE education.’ When will those running for office stop deceiving the public by labeling government programs as free?  The last time I checked the professors were NOT offering their teaching services for free, the utility bills need to be paid, and someone needs to pay for the massive building projects.  This ‘someone’ is the hardworking taxpayer.  This scheme of Mr. Periello is to have taxpayers increase their subsidizing of government education.”