who needz skool?

Well, well, well. It appears that not everything is perfect in San Francisco, that bastion of liberalism. The average difference in wages between whites and non-whites in SF is greater than the national average. [Link]
The article suggests that the less schooling, the less one tends to earn. Now, my question is, why do those have less education? Public school is available to everyone. From that point on, the Cal State colleges offer a very low-cost college education to California residents. From the Cal State Hayward website: "resident students currently pay only 17% of the total cost of their education" and "legal residents of California are not charged tuition, only fees." If I read the page correctly, it looks like a 4-year degree runs around $10,000. What a deal! [Link]

So, why aren't more citizens of SF pursuing this opportunity? Yes, $10K is still a lot of money but cost that out over four years and compared to many other colleges, it's a bargain. "Okay, then where do I get ten grand" someone may ask. Think of this: if one eats out twice a week at a fast food establishment (or five cups of Starbucks coffee a week), that's about $20, that's approximately $1,000 a year. If one has a car and gets rid of that (that's what we're supposed to do anyway, if we listen to most liberals), that will save at least $1250 a year (10000 miles driven, 20mpg, $2.50/gal); not to mention no more car insurance, maintenance, and perhaps the car payment. By eliminating some unnecessary items one can easily come up with around 80% of the yearly cost. If one can't cut costs any further, a wide array of grants and loans are available and the college will waive some fees for students who meet certain criteria. No one can say that in California the powers that be are not trying to give the citizenry as much help as possible in earning a college degree.

The question remains, why does SF have a problem with people failing to obtain an education? It's clear the state makes it affordable and open to every resident. Perhaps opportunity is not always a great motivator.