Inslee: I know how difficult it is to see this incredible debt burden on kids. We've got to do things to make higher education more affordable. . . Expand online learning opportunities...free universities from some of the restrictions...allow colleges to commercialize some of their technologies . . .If we do these things, use colleges to drive our economy.

McKenna: In the 1990s, over 16 percent of the state budget went to higher education. Now it's 8 percent. Stop cutting higher education in the general fund budget, which is why I called Republicans to reverse their proposed cuts in higher education.

Followup: You're talking about a lot of new state spending. Can you reverse the trend in a first term?

Inslee: Don't dig the hole deeper.

McKenna: The folks running Olympia (Democrats) for the last 20 years are responsible.

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