‘They are PUBLIC GOODS’: AOC says she’s not just promising people ‘free stuff’

by Madison Dibble

| November 25, 2019 03:57 PM


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unloaded on those who qualify her policy propositions as “free stuff.”

Ocasio-Cortez, the 30-year-old socialist New York representative elected to Congress last year, expressed her frustration with critics who write off her policies, such as tuition-free college, "Medicare for all," and expanding public housing, as “handouts” or “free stuff” to rope in voters.

“It’s not that we deserve it because it’s a handout. People like to say, ‘Oh, this is about free stuff.’ This is not about free stuff,” Ocasio-Cortes said at a Bronx town hall over the weekend.

The freshman Democrat claimed those in her party who believe in free-market orientated policies try to paint her policies in a negative light.

“These are public goods. They’re public goods. So I never want to hear the word or the term ‘free stuff’ ever again ... because I’m tired of already hearing some of these neoliberal folks who are trying to like flip the script on us,” she explained.

She added, “Like when we’re talking about tuition-free public college or when we talk about public housing they say, ‘Oh, well, I don’t want to pay for a millionaire’s kid to go to college.’ That’s their like jujitsu on us that they’re trying to pull.”

Ocasio-Cortez argued that tuition-free college or taxpayer-funded universal healthcare should be looked at the same way Americans look at roads or libraries.

"Public education, libraries, [and] infrastructure policies (which we‘ve had before in America and elsewhere in the world!) are not ‘free stuff.’ They are PUBLIC GOODS,” she tweeted Monday. “And they are worth investing in, protecting, [and] advancing for all society and future generations.”

Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Bernie Sanders, 78, for president and has touted his support for "Medicare for all," student loan forgiveness, and the Green New Deal as the main reasons she’s backing his presidential bid.

Sanders claimed that Ocasio-Cortez “will play a very, very important role” in his White House if he earns the Democratic nomination and defeats President Trump in 2020.

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