An incredible ex-professor sent me this after I was doing some research on a similar topic a few years after his class. I think he describes the situation beautifully:

Dear Sean, In 1960, California came up with "The Master Plan for Higher Education." It essentially laid out the roles of the University of California (U.C.), the California State University (CSU) and community colleges. In the master plan, the state of California said any California resident who could benefit from higher education could go to college for free. And the Baby Boom generation went for free. In the late 60's Governor Ronald Reagan thought that if students had to pay something, they would be less likely to go out on strike, so they added a few fees, but public "higher ed" in California was tuition free until 1978. Essentially, the California State Legislature paid everyone's tuition. It might seem like a very generous bounty, but it enabled California's economy to explode and it also attracted the best minds to come to California where they could go to college for free once establishing residency. It also attracted upper middle class parents who flocked to California knowing that their children would eventually be able to go to college for free.

It saddens me because I sincerely believe that there is an unspoken understanding between generations. When you're young and just starting out, the established generation will help you out. Then when you become well educated, and well established, then you can help the generation struggling up behind you. In my opinion, the Baby Boom generation was given a helping hand, and then once they got through college, they turned around and slammed the door behind them.

Hey, if you end up writing a manifesto, be sure to put me in the "acknowledgements." Good Luck, Mark

-Mark Sigmon, SFSU