10 Things That Really Ought To Be Free

There are some things in life that are totally worth paying for, such as bacon. Yum. On the other hand, there is an argument to be made that plenty of services and ought to be free, especially since society today cannot function without many of these basics. Let’s take a look at 10 things that everybody ought to have free access to.

1. College
If you go to most countries in the industrialized world, you’ll discover that college tuition is either free or heavily subsidized, making it available to anybody who makes the grade. But this isn’t the case in America. Even public schools charge as much as $40,000 a year for the privilege of getting a bachelor’s degree. Even with access to student loans, graduates find themselves drowning in debt. The bottom line is that college should not be reserved for the rich.

2. Public Transportation
Folks, we have a problem with traffic congestion and air pollution in our cities. The solution would seem to be public transportation, but at $120 for a monthly subway pass in places like New York, there isn’t a whole lot of incentive for people to ditch their vehicles. But if offered for free, it would make a huge difference.

3. Driving School
If you’re living in the industrialized world, having a driver’s license is practically a must. But unfortunately driving school lessons are shockingly high. For instance, in the UK you can expect to pay £1,128 ($1,450)! Although to be fair, some states such as Iowa already offer it for free as part of the high school public education curriculum.

4. Health Care
If you look at all of the industrialized countries, America is the only one that doesn’t provide universal health care to its citizens. To add to this dysfunction, each hospital charges its own price for services. Why should the exact same surgery at one hospital cost more at another? Free health care for all is a controversial issue for many, but taxpayers are already footing the bill for those who can’t afford it anyway, so there has to be a better way.